Link: Learn more about the no annual fee Citi Strata℠ Card
The Citi Strata Card is the newest no annual fee card in the Citi ThankYou ecosystem, and it’s a product worth paying attention to. It replaces the old Citi Rewards+ Card, and brings some genuinely useful bonus categories to the table, including a self-select category you can customize each quarter.
What makes this card especially interesting is how it fits into the bigger picture. Citi now has a full Strata lineup with three cards at different price points. There’s the no annual fee Citi Strata Card, the $95 annual fee Citi Strata Premier Card, and the $595 annual fee Citi Strata Elite℠ Card. Together, they create one of the strongest card portfolios for earning transferable points.
In this post, I’ll cover everything about the Citi Strata Card, including the welcome offer, bonus categories, how to redeem your points, and how to build the best card strategy with the full Strata lineup.
In this post:
Citi Strata Card bonus
Welcome offer: 20,000 ThankYou points
The Citi Strata Card has a welcome bonus of 20,000 ThankYou points after spending $1,000 within the first three months. That’s a low spending requirement, which makes it easy for most people to hit.
Those 20,000 points can be redeemed for $200 cash back, or if you have the card alongside a premium Citi ThankYou card, they can be transferred to airline and hotel partners. I value ThankYou points at 1.7 cents each when transferred, which puts this bonus closer to $340 in value.
Is it the biggest bonus out there? No. But this card is really about long-term earning power, and the bonus is a nice cherry on top.
Card eligibility and application rules
There are a few things to know about qualifying for the bonus. First, you can’t have received a bonus on the Citi Strata Card, Citi Strata Student Card, Citi Rewards+ Card, or Citi Rewards+ Student Card in the past 48 months. You’re also ineligible if you product-changed to one of those cards in that same timeframe.
But here’s the good news: eligibility is independent from other Citi ThankYou cards. So you’re fully eligible even if you already have the Citi Strata Premier Card or Citi Strata Elite Card.
As for general approval, Citi’s main rules are simple: you can be approved for one Citi card every eight days, and at most two every 65 days. This only counts Citi cards, and other issuers don’t factor in.
Product change and downgrade option
If you’d rather not use a new application, Citi is generally pretty flexible about product changes. If you’ve had another Citi personal card for at least 12 months, you can call and ask to switch to the Strata Card.
Keep in mind that a product change won’t make you eligible for the welcome bonus. The bonus is only for people who apply directly. But if you want to save your applications for cards with bigger bonuses, this can be a smart approach.
Citi Strata Card fees
No annual fee
The Citi Strata Card has no annual fee for the primary cardmember or authorized users. You can hold this card long-term at zero cost, which is great for keeping your credit score healthy. Holding a card long-term adds to your average age of accounts and total available credit.
Foreign transaction fee
The card does charge a 3% foreign transaction fee, so I wouldn’t use it for purchases in foreign currencies. For international spending, you’re better off with the Citi Strata Premier Card, which has no foreign transaction fees.
How you earn points with the Citi Strata Card
The Citi Strata Card has some impressive bonus categories, especially for a no annual fee card. Here’s the earning structure:
- 5x ThankYou points on hotels, rental cars, and attractions booked through Citi Travel
- 3x ThankYou points at supermarkets
- 3x ThankYou points on select transit (car rentals, taxis, ride services, subways, tolls, parking, ferries, buses, and railways)
- 3x ThankYou points on gas and EV charging
- 3x ThankYou points on one self-select category of your choice
- 2x ThankYou points at restaurants (cafes, bars, fast food, takeout, and delivery)
- 1x ThankYou points on everything else
A couple of notes on the categories. The supermarket category generally won’t include warehouse clubs, convenience stores, or specialty vendors. The gas and EV charging category won’t include purchases at warehouse clubs or stores that aren’t classified as gas stations or EV charging. And the restaurant category typically won’t include bakeries, caterers, or restaurants inside hotels, grocery stores, or department stores.
The Citi Strata Card self-select category
One of the more unique features is the 3x self-select category. You get to pick one of the following:
- Fitness clubs
- Select streaming services
- Live entertainment
- Pet supply stores
- Cosmetic stores, barber shops, and hair salons
Select streaming services is the default when you open the account. You can change your selection once per calendar quarter through your Citi account online. This is a nice touch. It lets you tailor the card to your actual spending habits.
Earn 5x ThankYou points with Citi Travel
The 5x on Citi Travel bookings sounds great, but I’d flag that booking through a credit card portal usually means you won’t earn loyalty points with the hotel program. If earning hotel status or points matters to you, that’s worth keeping in mind. Of all the bonus categories, this is the one I’m least excited about personally.
How to redeem your points
How much your ThankYou points are worth depends on the most premium card in your portfolio. Here’s the breakdown.
Citi Strata Card only redemptions
If the Strata Card is your only ThankYou card, you can redeem points for cash back, gift cards, or travel at roughly 0.75 to 1.0 cents per point. You can also transfer to most Citi ThankYou airline and hotel partners, but with two catches: you can’t transfer to American AAdvantage, and transfers are at a reduced ratio, generally about 30% less than the premium rates.
Citi Strata paired with a premium card
There’s a trick to maximizing your ThankYou points. If you also have the Citi Strata Premier Card or Citi Strata Elite Card, you can pool all your points and transfer them at the best possible ratio to all 19 partners, including American AAdvantage.
Here’s a comparison of the transfer ratios. A quick note on how to read this: a ratio of 1,000:1,000 means 1,000 ThankYou points converts to 1,000 airline or hotel miles. A ratio of 1,000:700 means you only get 700 miles for every 1,000 points, which represents a 30% penalty.
Partner | Strata Card Only | With Premium Card |
|---|---|---|
Aeromexico Rewards | 1,000:700 | 1,000:1,000 |
Air France-KLM Flying Blue | 1,000:700 | 1,000:1,000 |
American AAdvantage | Not available | 1,000:1,000 |
Avianca LifeMiles | 1,000:700 | 1,000:1,000 |
Cathay Pacific | 1,000:700 | 1,000:1,000 |
Choice Privileges | 1,000:1,400 | 1,000:2,000 |
Emirates Skywards | 1,000:560 | 1,000:800 |
Etihad Guest | 1,000:700 | 1,000:1,000 |
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | 1,000:700 | 1,000:1,000 |
JetBlue TrueBlue | 1,000:700 | 1,000:1,000 |
Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1,000:700 | 1,000:1,000 |
Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 1,000:700 | 1,000:1,000 |
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1,000:700 | 1,000:1,000 |
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus | 1,000:700 | 1,000:1,000 |
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | 1,000:700 | 1,000:1,000 |
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1,000:700 | 1,000:1,000 |
Wyndham Rewards | 1,000:700 | 1,000:1,000 |
Accor Live Limitless | 1,000:350 | 1,000:500 |
Leading Hotels of the World | 1,000:140 | 1,000:200 |
Preferred Hotels & Resorts | 1,000:2,800 | 1,000:4,000 |
The key thing to remember: it’s about the most premium card you have when you redeem, not when you earn. You can start earning points on the Strata Card now, and as long as you pick up a premium card later, all your points can be transferred at the better rates.
The Citi Strata lineup: Choosing the right cards
Citi now has three Strata cards, and there’s real value in building a portfolio. Here’s a quick look at how they compare.
Citi Strata Card (No annual fee)
This is the card we’ve been talking about. Great bonus categories (especially 3x at supermarkets, gas, transit, and on your self-select), no annual fee, and a solid complement to the premium cards. Welcome bonus: 20,000 points after spending $1,000 in three months.
Link: Apply for the Citi Strata Card
Citi Strata Premier Card ($95 annual fee)
This is the card I’d call the best value in the lineup. It offers 10x points on select Citi Travel purchases, 3x points on dining, gas, EV charging, supermarkets, airfare, and hotels, with no foreign transaction fees. It also comes with a $100 annual hotel credit that can help cover the annual fee. Welcome bonus: 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in three months.
Having this card unlocks the full power of the ThankYou ecosystem. You can transfer all your points to partners at the best ratios, including American AAdvantage.
Link: Apply for the Citi Strata Premier
Citi Strata Elite Card ($595 annual fee)
This is Citi’s premium play. The card earns 6-12x on select Citi Travel purchases and 3-6x on dining (including 6x on Citi Nights), plus 1.5x on everything else. But the real draw is the perks: a Priority Pass membership, four annual Admirals Club day passes, an up to $300 annual hotel credit, an up to $200 annual Splurge credit, and an up to $200 annual Blacklane credit.
The first-year value is especially strong, since some credits are tied to the calendar year rather than your card anniversary. That means you can stack extra value with your first annual fee. Welcome bonus: 75,000 points after spending $6,000 in three months.
Link: Apply for the Citi Strata Elite
My recommended strategy
At a minimum, you’ll want either the Strata Premier or Strata Elite. These are the cards that unlock the full transfer partner lineup. From there, complement it with the no annual fee Strata Card for those bonus categories (especially supermarkets and the self-select), and/or the Citi Double Cash Card for 2x on everything else.
If you’re looking for the easiest-to-justify setup, the Strata Premier plus the Strata Card and/or Citi Double Cash® Card is a fantastic combination at minimal cost.
How to apply for the Citi Strata Card
One of the best things about the Strata lineup is that eligibility for each card is considered independently. You can hold all three, earn the welcome bonus on all three, and build a powerful portfolio over time. I covered the 48-month rule and 8/65 rule in the welcome offer section above, but here’s the key takeaway: since the Strata Elite Card just launched, virtually everyone should be eligible for that bonus right now.
Credit score recommendations
There’s no hard-and-fast credit score requirement, but I’d recommend having a score in the “good” to “excellent” range. Personally, I probably wouldn’t apply if my score were under 700, and ideally I’d want to be at 740 or higher. That said, approvals depend on many factors, including income, credit history, how much credit Citi has already extended to you, and more.
A few more things to know about applying
Approval timing: Citi approvals are often instant. If your application goes to manual review, don’t panic. It doesn’t mean you’ll be denied. Expect a final answer within about a week.
Which credit bureau does Citi pull? It varies. Citi may pull from Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion depending on multiple factors.
Denied? You can try again. Getting denied once doesn’t mean you’ll always be denied, especially if your credit situation improves. I’d wait about six months before reapplying.
Product changes don’t earn bonuses. If you switch to a Strata card through a product change, you won’t get the welcome bonus. Apply directly if the bonus matters to you.
Authorized users are still eligible. Being an authorized user on someone else’s Citi card doesn’t affect your ability to apply for your own card and earn the welcome bonus.
Impact of a denial on your credit score: The only downside is a hard inquiry, which might temporarily ding your score by a few points. That’s usually not a big deal, and getting approved for a card and using it responsibly can actually help your credit score over time.
Is the Citi Strata Card worth it?
The Citi Strata Card is a compelling no annual fee card on its own, with bonus categories you won’t find on many other free cards. But where it really shines is as part of a broader strategy.
Pair it with the Strata Premier or Strata Elite, and you’ve got a setup where you’re earning 3-5x points on a wide range of spending categories like supermarkets, gas, transit, restaurants, and your custom self-select, while your premium card handles the travel perks and unlocks the best transfer ratios.
Between the Strata Card, the Strata Premier, and the Double Cash, you can build a portfolio that earns at least 2x (and often 3x or more) on virtually everything you spend, for just $95 in total annual fees. That’s pretty hard to beat.
Bottom line
The Citi Strata Card is a no annual fee card that punches well above its weight. Between the 3x categories on supermarkets, gas, transit, and your self-select choice, plus 2x on restaurants, it’s one of the more rewarding free cards out there.
But the real story is how it fits into the broader Citi ThankYou ecosystem. Pair it with the Strata Premier for an incredibly well-rounded setup, or go all-in with the Strata Elite if you value premium perks. Add the Double Cash for 2x on everything else, and you’ve built a portfolio that maximizes points on every dollar you spend.
With American AAdvantage now in the ThankYou ecosystem, there’s never been a better time to build out your Citi card strategy. The Strata Card is an easy and free way to start or to round out what you already have.
If you want to learn more about the Citi Strata Card or want to apply, follow this link.
Any card that charges 3% based on borders (and applies that 3% to the entire area of the world where 96% of the population lives) is an easy, no brainer: a HARD pass.
No thanks.
Seems that this is worse than the Chase Freedom Unlimited or the Chase Preferred....
Anyone know if a current Rewards+ holder (no recent SUB, no product change, directly applied years ago) would be eligible for the Strata SUB? I heard something about forced Rewards+ to Strata conversions, ans was curious if/how that impacts Strara SUB eligibility.
Does Transit include Uber/Lyft? Doesn't look like it in the article. If it did, then it's a total no-brainer for me.
Select Transit and Gas & EV Charging Stations
Select transit includes car rentals, ferries, commuter railways, subways, taxis/limousines/car services, passenger railways, bridge and road tolls, parking lots/garages, bus lines, and motor home and recreational vehicle rentals. Also includes merchants that sell electricity for charging an electric vehicle. Excludes bike/scooter rentals, auto clubs and insurance companies. Gas stations exclude gas purchases at warehouse clubs, wholesale stores, superstores, discount stores, department stores, convenience stores or other...
Select Transit and Gas & EV Charging Stations
Select transit includes car rentals, ferries, commuter railways, subways, taxis/limousines/car services, passenger railways, bridge and road tolls, parking lots/garages, bus lines, and motor home and recreational vehicle rentals. Also includes merchants that sell electricity for charging an electric vehicle. Excludes bike/scooter rentals, auto clubs and insurance companies. Gas stations exclude gas purchases at warehouse clubs, wholesale stores, superstores, discount stores, department stores, convenience stores or other merchants that do not use the gas station merchant codes.
@Ben I was wondering if you might consider a post on maintaining Thank Yous when canceling a card, I know with Citi it's more complicated than with other banks that can just be pooled. I am thinking of ditching the strate premier since I have the Strata and the Prestige but I don't want to lose those points ~do I keep them if I just product change?.
Thanks in Advance!
@ mdande7 -- Excellent idea, thanks, because there is some nuance to it. Working on it, stay tuned! :-)
Hard to argue against this collection of cards, especially if you are in to AA miles. The only thing is it lacks on the hotel transfer front.
@ Anthony -- While it doesn't have World of Hyatt, arguably Citi ThankYou is pretty lucrative in that regard, between Choice Privileges and Leading Hotels of the World, for options on both ends of the spectrum. But yeah, I think the American AAdvantage miles angle is what's most interesting here.
Choice Privileges?
Ben I'm sorry you have to be kidding me?
Want to stay at a Clarion next to a meth user and get woken up by police barging into that room at 3am? Be my guest and transfer your points to Choice!
Choice points can be very useful. Ascend collection hotels are good as are hotels in Scandinavia. As well as a couple hundred I-Prefer hotels.
As always, don’t transfer until there is a redemption you want.
If a very good purchase offer comes up when you have a use for the points I would likely buy instead.
Thanks, Ben. We may need a little post to cover the best Citi bi/trifecta now that things have been shaken up so much.
I'm going to contact Citi today regarding product changes... but in some ways it might be better just to cancel a couple cards and apply for the new cards with SUBs, even with the credit knock.
Tough decisions.
Also, if 3x on pet supply includes Chewy, that's pretty awesome.
@ Redacted -- Working on a post on that topic, thanks! Yeah, one of the things about product changing with Citi is that it often prevents you from getting a bonus on that card in the future, so there is something to be said for applying outright.
Rather than cancel, I would suggest product changing to multiple Citi Custom Cash cards. That way you can have multiple 5x cards for different categories up to $500 per month (travel, grocery, restaurant, etc). Those points add up quickly for me with 2 Custom Cash cards every month. I'm already looking forward to a third after I downgrade my new Strata Elite that I was just approved for!!!
That only works if you have multiple cards. For example, I only had a Double Cash and Citi Strata Premier before applying for the Citi Strata Elite. I'll product change my Premier when the AF is up to a no AF Strata and then my tri-fecta will be Strata Elie, Strata and Double Cash. The reality is I will be invested in other card issuers and ecosystems nearly ALL of which have velocity limits (except...
That only works if you have multiple cards. For example, I only had a Double Cash and Citi Strata Premier before applying for the Citi Strata Elite. I'll product change my Premier when the AF is up to a no AF Strata and then my tri-fecta will be Strata Elie, Strata and Double Cash. The reality is I will be invested in other card issuers and ecosystems nearly ALL of which have velocity limits (except Amex) based on how many new cards you've gotten over the past 24/36 months. I'm working on getting under 5/24 so I can churn a Chase Hyatt or Marriott card when they have the five free nights SUB and that's a hell a lot more valuable than the incremental earn of 5x vs 3x on say restaurants or groceries. Honestly the tri-fecta above will earn you 2x or above on EVERYTHING which is is great.
I'll continue to earn C1 Venture miles for access to Aeroplan and Avios programs, plus Membership Rewards so I can access more airlines and Hilton and Marriott (the latter to top off). The ecosystem I'm going abandon for now is Ultimate Rewards. I don't trust any of these transferable points ecosystems to put all my eggs in one basket due to devaluations. I also like accessing multiple programs.
No way to combine points with Citi Prestige?
@ Luis -- Yes, you sure can! I just didn't mention it since the card is no longer open to new applicants, and I didn't want to confuse people.
Should there be any thought given to the order applying for these cards in terms of sign up bonuses? I believe with Amex, you can't get a lower tier's card SUB once you have the higher tier card (so no SUB on a Green Card if you have Platinum).
Is there anything like that with Citi?
@ DENDAVE -- Currently there are no such rules with this portfolio, so there's no need to consider that. That's not to say it won't happen in the future, but...
“Bonus ThankYou® Points are not available if you received a new account bonus for Citi Strata℠, Citi Strata Student, Citi Rewards+® or Citi Rewards+ Student 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 Strata℠, Citi Strata Student, Citi Rewards+® or Citi Rewards+ Student account”
Rewards+ of course no longer available but be aware of
Why not get all 3 for effectively $0 and hit the trifecta?
DoubleCash – $0 – 2x points on everything
Strata – $0 – 3x select transit, 3x selected bonus category (Fitness Clubs, Select Streaming Services, Live Entertainment, Cosmetic Stores/Barber Shops/Hair Salons, or Pet Supply Stores)
Strata Premier – $95 (but effectively $0 if you use the $100 hotel credit on $500 spend) – 3x direct air, direct hotel, restaurants, supermarkets, EV charging,...
Why not get all 3 for effectively $0 and hit the trifecta?
DoubleCash – $0 – 2x points on everything
Strata – $0 – 3x select transit, 3x selected bonus category (Fitness Clubs, Select Streaming Services, Live Entertainment, Cosmetic Stores/Barber Shops/Hair Salons, or Pet Supply Stores)
Strata Premier – $95 (but effectively $0 if you use the $100 hotel credit on $500 spend) – 3x direct air, direct hotel, restaurants, supermarkets, EV charging, gas; 10x portal (hotel/car rental/attractions).
Would note that Strata (regular) at $0 is probably now the best card for transit spend at 3x (that CSR dropped). Could also get Custom Cash for transit but that maxes out at $500/month.
And Strata (regular) is equally good as Strata (Premier) on supermarkets! Would add that to your list from a few days ago.
Absolutely incredible value here from Citi on its non-Elite cards.
Agreed. These changes are likely going to swing me away from WF ... at least until WF add a few more transfer partners.
As long as the Strata (and Custom Cash) both have a FTF, they are not the best card for transit spend compared to the Autograph.
Arguably a better companion card to the Strata Elite or Strata Premier is the Double Cash card, which gives you 2% cash back (2x points) on all purchases. Most of the Strata's bonus categories are also had by the Strata premier, so you might get more mileage out of having a Double Cash.