Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
Citi's Premium Travel Card
Annual Fee
$595
Earning Rate
12x hotels, car rentals & attractions via cititravel.com • 6x air via cititravel.com • 6x restaurants on Friday & Saturday 6 p.m.–6 a.m. ET (Citi Nights) • 3x restaurants other times • 1.5x everything else
Welcome Bonus
80,000 points after $4,000 spend in 3 months
Card Material
Not disclosed card with not disclosed finish • colors: not disclosed
Practical Recommendation
Hard to find much unique value here versus other premium travel cards. The credits are limited and fussy (one portal hotel discount, split Blacklane credit, niche "Splurge" brands), and the best earn rates live behind Citi's portal or a weekend dining window. If you do not already book through Citi Travel or spend with those brands, the $595 fee is tough to justify.
Who it fits: a narrow slice—AA flyers who'll actually use the four Admirals Club passes, already shop at a Splurge brand, and do not mind a portal hotel booking each year. Everyone else will likely get more value (with less micromanaging) from simpler premium options. Bottom line: outside the welcome bonus, most people will be better off elsewhere.
Credits
Practical Advice
This is what makes or breaks a card for you. If you can use these credits in your normal spend, the perks and protections are all bonus for you. We have a calculator at the bottom of this section to help you calculate that. Below we break down exactly what every credit is to show you if it's easy or if they're going to make you jump through 17 hoops to redeem it.
- $300 Annual Hotel Benefit – $300 off one booking of 2+ consecutive nights each calendar year through Citi Travel; taken instantly at checkout. Rates and availability are portal-dependent; taxes/fees excluded. Compare prices before you book. — Citi Travel
- $200 Annual Splurge Credit – Up to $200 per calendar year across up to two brands you choose: 1stDibs, American Airlines, Best Buy, ESPN+, Future Personal Training, or Live Nation. Auto statement credits after eligible charges; some categories may be excluded. Don't force it—use on spend you already make. — See eligible brands
- $200 Annual Blacklane Credit – $100 Jan–Jun + $100 Jul–Dec for Blacklane chauffeur rides paid with the card. No rollover; use it or lose it each half. Great for airport transfers; prices vary by city. — Blacklane
- Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit (up to $120) – Reimburses one application fee every 4 years when paid with the card. Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck; pick the bigger one and be done. — Global Entry
Click Here to Calculate Your Annual Fee
Credit
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Your Value
Practical Tip
You can edit the amounts in the number fields if you value a credit at less than the full value. For example, if you only use a $10/month Uber credit half the months, you might value it at $60 instead of $120.
Annual Hotel Benefit
| What It Is: | $300 off one hotel booking of 2+ consecutive nights each calendar year when booked through Citi Travel. |
| How It Works: | Search at cititravel.com; the $300 discount applies instantly at checkout on eligible prepaid or flexible portal rates. |
| Gotchas: | Portal-only; taxes/fees excluded; availability/price can differ from booking direct; cancellation/change rules follow the portal and property. |
| Who Actually Benefits: | Travelers who can route a two-night stay through Citi Travel without overpaying versus booking direct. |
| Practical Value: | Easy $300 if you use the portal once a year; $0 if you never book there. |
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Annual Splurge Credit
| What It Is: | Up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year across up to two brands (1stDibs, American Airlines, Best Buy, ESPN+, Future, Live Nation). |
| How It Works: | Pay with the card at your chosen brands; credits post automatically after eligible purchases. You can split the $200 across one or two brands. |
| Gotchas: | Brand list is fixed; exclusions may apply (e.g., gift cards/third-party sellers). No carryover past Dec 31. Keep receipts. |
| Who Actually Benefits: | People who already spend at Best Buy, fly American, stream ESPN+, or buy Live Nation tickets. |
| Practical Value: | Up to $200 real value if organic; do not manufacture spend just to use it. |
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Annual Blacklane Credit
| What It Is: | $200 per year for Blacklane rides, split as $100 Jan–Jun and $100 Jul–Dec. |
| How It Works: | Book Blacklane and pay with the card; statement credit auto-applies after the charge posts in each half-year bucket. |
| Gotchas: | Use-it-or-lose-it per half; gratuity/wait time and extras add cost; limited coverage in some cities. |
| Who Actually Benefits: | Travelers who take premium car transfers for airports or client meetings. |
| Practical Value: | Real $200 if you ride twice a year; $0 if not. |
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Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit
| What It Is: | Up to $120 statement credit every 4 years for one application to Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. |
| How It Works: | Pay the fee with the card; the credit posts automatically. Choose Global Entry to get both GE and TSA PreCheck. |
| Gotchas: | One application reimbursed per 4 years; capacity and interview backlogs vary by location. |
| Who Actually Benefits: | Anyone who flies more than occasionally. |
| Practical Value: | Easy win that speeds up airport lines. |
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Your Value:
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Annual Fee:
$595
Your Credits:
$0
YOUR Annual Fee:
$595
This is effectively what you are paying for this card. It is now up to you if the perks, protections, and earning rates are worth this fee to you over other cards.
Perks
- Earning rates (full detail) – 12x hotels, car rentals & attractions via cititravel.com; 6x air via cititravel.com; 6x restaurants on Friday & Saturday 6 p.m.–6 a.m. ET (Citi Nights); 3x restaurants other times; 1.5x everything else.
- Priority Pass lounges – Complimentary Priority Pass Select for the primary cardmember (authorized users eligible) with up to 2 complimentary guests where allowed. No restaurants/experiences. Show your card or enroll for a digital pass. — See lounge list
- American Airlines Admirals Club passes – Four digital passes per calendar year in your AAdvantage wallet. Each pass admits one adult (18+) plus up to three children under 18 for 24 hours, with same-day boarding pass on American or oneworld. Capacity controls apply; some clubs turn away day-pass users at peak times. — See lounge list
- The Reserve by Citi Travel (hotel collection) – Book select 4.5–5-star properties via Citi Travel for perks like breakfast for two, property credit, and potential upgrade/late checkout; always compare rates. — See details
- Points transfer – Transfer ThankYou points to partners including American Airlines, JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Choice Hotels, and The Leading Hotels of the World. Good value if you can find saver awards.
- No foreign transaction fees – Use abroad without the extra skim.
Protections
- Trip Delay Insurance – Helps cover meals and hotels when a covered trip is significantly delayed; useful for weather cancellations or missed connections.
- Trip Cancellation & Interruption (common carrier) – Reimburses prepaid, non-refundable trip costs when you must cancel or cut a trip short for covered reasons.
- Lost or Damaged Luggage – Pays toward repairing or replacing baggage and contents when a carrier loses or damages your stuff.
- Rental Car Insurance (MasterRental) – Coverage for theft/damage when you pay with the card and decline the rental agency's collision damage waiver.
- Purchase Protection (Purchase Assurance Plus) – Short-term coverage for theft or accidental damage on eligible new items.
- Extended Warranty – Extends eligible U.S. manufacturer warranties on covered purchases.
- Travel Medical & Assistance (MasterAssist) – Access to medical assistance coordination and certain travel services; you pay the actual service costs.