The Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees) is Citi’s mid-tier travel card. The Strata Premier earns bonus points on everyday spending categories and unlocks full-value access to transfer partners.
But with so many other good options, is the Strata Premier worth the $95 annual fee? Below, we break down the important aspects of the card so you can decide if it is for you.
Welcome offer
The Strata Premier is currently offering 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 within the first three months from account opening.
Citi ThankYou points are worth 1.9 cents each according to TPG’s September 2025 valuations, making this bonus worth $1,140.
We recommend applying for the card when a higher welcome offer of at least 70,000 points is available to maximize your initial investment in opening the card and paying the annual fee.
Before applying, consider your eligibility as well. According to Citi:
Bonus ThankYou® Points are not available if you received a new account bonus for a Citi Premier® or Citi Strata Premier® account in the past 48 months or if you converted another Citi credit card account on which you earned a new account bonus in the last 48 months into a Citi Premier® or Citi Strata Premier® account.
Related: Best ways to redeem Citi ThankYou Rewards points
Solid points earning
If you ask people what they like about the Strata Premier, the most common answer is likely that it earns points in popular spending categories.
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The card earns 10 points per dollar spent on attractions, car rentals and hotels booked through the Citi Travel portal.
In addition, the Strata Premier earns 3 points per dollar spent in the following categories (no caps or annual limits):
- Air travel
- Electric vehicle charging stations
- Gas stations
- Hotels (non-Citi Travel purchases)
- Restaurants (including takeout)
- Supermarkets
All other purchases earn 1 point per dollar spent.
TPG credit cards writer Danyal Ahmed regularly uses his Strata Premier card to pay for gas and groceries, which helps him accumulate ThankYou points quickly. Earning bonus points on everyday spending and Strata Premier’s impressive transfer partners motivated him to apply for the card.
Plus, the Strata Premier’s bonus categories apply worldwide, unlike some cards that only offer bonus points on purchases within the U.S.
Related: Should you book hotels through Citi Travel?
Transfer partners
When determining if the Strata Premier’s $95 annual fee is worth it, consider which airline frequent flyer programs you can access. Citi has some great transfer partners like Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, but the most notable is the recently-added American Airlines AAdvantage.
Although no-annual-fee Citi cards also transfer to AAdvantage, the ratio is unfavorable at 1:0.7. The Strata Premier is the most affordable annual fee card to transfer points at a 1:1 ratio, making it a worthwhile investment.
Danyal is a huge fan of the AAdvantage program, and the ability to transfer ThankYou points to the program is enough reason for him to keep paying the annual fee year after year.
Hotel credit
As a cardholder, you’ll get an annual benefit of $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when you book through Citi Travel.
However, while this benefit sounds promising and might be great when staying at boutique, independent properties, it may not yield the $100 in savings you expect.
Before making a hotel reservation on Citi Travel, check the price of the hotel when booking directly to compare whether you’re getting the best rate. Citi Travel doesn’t always have the lowest rate, so your $100 discount may not actually be a solid deal.
Bookings through travel portals like Citi Travel typically don’t earn hotel points or honor elite benefits, so factor that into the $100 discount.
Related: What you need to know about direct versus third-party travel bookings
Travel and purchase protections
The Strata Premier provides the following travel protections:
Additional information about policy limits and exclusions can be found here.
Shopping protections include:
World Elite Mastercard benefits
As a World Elite Mastercard cardholder, you can enjoy extra perks like Global Emergency Services, a $5 Lyft credit when you take at least three rides in a month (offer ends Jan. 31, 2026) and $10 off your second Instacart order each month, along with three months of complimentary Instacart+ (offer ends Jan. 31, 2027).
Entertainment perks
Anyone with a Citi credit card, including the Strata Premier, can access Citi Entertainment.
This provides access to exclusive events and priority access for advance ticket sales to concerts, film festivals, performances and shows.
Bottom line
Since the hotel benefit may not provide the full $100 value, whether the Strata Premier is worth its $95 annual fee will depend on the points you earn and how you value them.
If you can maximize the bonus categories and get good value from Citi’s transfer partners, you may find that to be a valuable return well beyond the annual fee. However, if you want more tangible value from statement credits and other perks, you’ll likely want to go with a different credit card, like the more premium Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see rates and fees).
To learn more, read our full review of the Strata Premier.
Apply here: Strata Premier