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Citi Strata Elite card

Citi Strata Elite

PerkSensei Desk · Last updated

Wallet
Sensei holding a card and coins

Sensei's take

Typical welcome bonusBonus points, miles or cash a card gives new cardholders who spend a set amount within the first few months. Glossary: 75,000 points (about $1,280 in travel), or one-way business class to Europe. The hotel credit and Priority Pass cover most of the fee; a credit at brands like Best Buy covers the rest if you'd use it. Churn and cut

Credits and perks

Tick perks you won't use, or type what a perk is worth to you. The math updates either way.

  1. Travel

    4 perks$350 a year

    1. Priority Pass Select membership

      Details about Priority Pass Select membership
      a year?$30 a visit × 4 visits. How we value lounges: we assume 5 airport lounge visits a year. We split them by how many airports have this card's own lounges versus Priority Pass lounges. Each visit is worth $40 in a premium lounge and $30 in a Priority Pass lounge (PerkSensei estimates, below what a guest pass costs). Fly more or less? Change your visits in Settings or with Edit on this perk.PerkSensei estimate
      Easy to use

      Show your Priority PassA membership that gets you into a worldwide network of airport lounges. Many premium cards include it. Glossary membership at any of 1,500+ airport lounges worldwide.

      Authorized usersSomeone you add to your card account who gets their own card. You pay for their charges; some offers give bonus points for adding one. Glossary get access too, and up to 2 guests come in free.

      citi.com

    2. Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, up to $120

      Details about Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, up to $120
      a year?Pays $120 once every 4 years. You can use all $120 in year one.
      Easy to use

      Pay the Global EntryA US program for faster customs when you return from abroad. It includes TSA PreCheck. Many cards pay the application fee. Glossary or TSA PreCheck application fee with the card.

      Once every 4 years.

      citi.com

    3. Transfer points to airline and hotel partners

      Details about Transfer points to airline and hotel partners
      a year
      Takes some planning

      Partners include American Airlines, JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic, Cathay, EVA Air, Choice Hotels and The Leading Hotels of the World; 1,000 points or more per transfer.

      citi.com

    4. Blacklane chauffeur credit ($100 Jan-Jun + $100 Jul-Dec)

      Details about Blacklane chauffeur credit ($100 Jan-Jun + $100 Jul-Dec)
      a year?$100 every six months, $200 a year.
      Hard to use

      Book a Blacklane chauffeur ride with the card: up to $100 back from January to June and up to $100 from July to December.

      Two separate $100 credits, so the full $200 needs a ride in each half of the year.

      citi.com

  2. Hotels

    1 perk$300 a year

    1. $300 off a 2+ night hotel stay on Citi Travel

      Details about $300 off a 2+ night hotel stay on Citi Travel
      a year?Pays $300 each calendar year.
      Takes some planning

      Book a hotel stay of 2 nights or more at cititravel.com; up to $300 comes off when you book.

      Once per calendar year, on one stay. It comes off the room cost before taxes and fees.

      citi.com

  3. Shopping

    1 perk$200 a year

    1. Splurge Credit (pick up to 2 of 5 brands)

      Details about Splurge Credit (pick up to 2 of 5 brands)
      a year?Pays $200 each calendar year.
      Takes some planning

      Pick up to two of 1stDibs, American Airlines, Best Buy, Future Personal Training and Live Nation at citi.com/splurgecredit, then pay them with the card for up to $200 back each calendar year.

      Pick your brands before you buy, NerdWallet and AwardWallet report. Exclusions apply at American Airlines and Live Nation.

      citi.com

  4. Airline

    1 perk$40 a year

    1. Four Admirals Club passes a year

      Details about Four Admirals Club passes a year
      a year?$40 a visit × 1 visit. How we value lounges: we assume 5 airport lounge visits a year. We split them by how many airports have this card's own lounges versus Priority Pass lounges. Each visit is worth $40 in a premium lounge and $30 in a Priority Pass lounge (PerkSensei estimates, below what a guest pass costs). Fly more or less? Change your visits in Settings or with Edit on this perk.PerkSensei estimate
      Takes some planning

      Each calendar year you get four passes to nearly 50 Admirals ClubA private airport space with seating, food and drinks. Delta Sky Club, American's Admirals Club, United Club and Amex's Centurion are lounge brands. Glossary lounges.

      Each pass covers one adult and up to three children under 18, Frequent Miler and AwardWallet report.

      citi.com

  5. Protection and insurance

    6 perks$0 a year

    1. Rental car cover

      Details about Rental car cover
      a year
      Takes some planning

      Citi calls it MasterRental. Citi's page gives no limits and doesn't say whether it pays before your own insurance; check your Guide to Benefits.

      citi.com

    2. Extended warranty

      Details about Extended warranty
      a year
      Takes some planning

      Citi's page gives no limits; check your Guide to Benefits.

      citi.com

    3. Purchase protection

      Details about Purchase protection
      a year
      Takes some planning

      Citi calls it Purchase Assurance Plus. Citi's page gives no limits; check your Guide to Benefits.

      citi.com

    4. Trip cancellation and interruption

      Details about Trip cancellation and interruption
      a year
      Hard to use

      Citi's page gives no limits; check your Guide to Benefits.

      citi.com

    5. Trip delay

      Details about Trip delay
      a year
      Hard to use

      Citi's page gives no limits or how long the delay must be; check your Guide to Benefits.

      citi.com

    6. Lost or damaged luggage

      Details about Lost or damaged luggage
      a year
      Hard to use

      Citi's page gives no limits; check your Guide to Benefits.

      citi.com

Misc.

8 perksNot in the totals

  1. Citigold banking credit, $145 a year

    Details about Citigold banking credit, $145 a year
    Not counted

    Only for Citigold and Citigold Private Client banking customers; Private Clients get $595 in the first year, then $145.

    citi.com

  2. 12x points on hotels, cars and attractions booked on Citi Travel

    Not counted

  3. 6x points on air travel booked on Citi Travel

    Not counted

  4. 6x points at restaurants on Friday and Saturday nights

    Details about 6x points at restaurants on Friday and Saturday nights
    Not counted

    Citi Nights: Fridays and Saturdays, 6 PM to 6 AM Eastern time.

    citi.com

  5. 3x points at restaurants at other times

    Not counted

  6. 1.5x points on other purchases

    Not counted

  7. No foreign transaction fees

    Not counted

  8. Mastercard ID Theft Protection

    Details about Mastercard ID Theft Protection
    Not counted

    Free; enroll at mastercardidps.idprotectiononline.com.

    citi.com

Total if you use every unticked perk$890 a year

Bonus

Bonus
75,000 pointsCiti ThankYou Rewards
To earn it
Spend $6,000 in 3 months
Annual fee
$595 annual fee
Credits
Max $820 credit
4 credits, year one
Apply by
No public end date stated

Card value

Card value

Year one
+$1,660
Each year after
+$295

Worth it, both years

Counts the perks you haven't skipped. ?PerkSensei estimateYear one: the sign-up bonus at its estimated value (points at the average of The Points Guy and Frequent Miler, travel cards valued for travel, cash at face, an "up to" bonus at its highest public offer), plus the yearly value of each perk you keep, minus the annual fee. Each year after leaves the bonus out. The fee is never estimated.

How we got this
Bonus, 75,000 points at 1.7¢ ?PerkSensei estimate. Citi ThankYou Rewards: 1.7¢ a point, the average of The Points Guy (1.9¢) and Frequent Miler (1.5¢), Oct 2026. A travel card, so its points are valued for travel.
$1,275
Credits you use, year one
$980
Annual fee
−$595

After year oneOur estimate of a card's first year: the welcome offer's value plus the perks you'd use, minus the annual fee. Glossary: credits $890, fee −$595

Good time to apply?

Fair time to apply

Today
75,000 points
$6,000 spend in 3 months
5-year high
100,000 points
Once · last Oct 2025–Feb 2026
Usual offer
75,000 points
Most months we have data for

Usual offer: 75,000 points, most months we have data for

Sign-up bonus points, last 5 years up to today

025k50k75k100kNo dataHigh 100kToday 75k20222023202420252026
025k50k75k100kNo dataHigh 100kToday 75k20222023202420252026

Spend needed to earn the bonus

$6k
$6k

$6k spend

Public sign-up offers, Nov 2021–Oct 2026
WhenBonusSpendFirst-year fee
Nov 2021–Jul 2025No data
Jul–Oct 202580,000 points$4,000 spendNot waived
Oct 2025–Feb 2026100,000 points$6,000 spendNot waived
Feb–Oct 2026 (today)75,000 points$6,000 spend in 3 monthsNot waived
Sources (1)
US Credit Card Guide: offer historyuscreditcardguide.comThird-party sourceChecked Oct 27, 2026

Third-party report; not confirmed in the official offer terms we could retrieve. Details may be outdated or channel-specific. Verify the offer shown by the issuer before applying.

Public offersAn offer anyone can get by applying on the bank's own page, unlike targeted, referral or in-flight offers. Glossary anyone could apply for, Nov 2021–Oct 2026. Targeted and referral offers aren't shown.

Biggest catches

  • Citi limits how fast you can apply

    One Mile at a Time and AwardWallet report Citi approves at most one new card every 8 days and two every 65 days. Space this card away from other Citi applications. onemileatatime.com (third-party)

Some catches are unwritten rules: reported by people who applied, not stated in the official offer terms we could retrieve. They can change or vary by how you apply. Check the issuer's offer before applying.

Results vary: approval and bonus eligibility are the issuer's decision.

Sensei's moves

  1. Pool a Double Cash into it

    Put everyday spend on a no-fee Double Cash, which earns 2 points per $1 once you pay, instead of the Elite's 1.5x. Pool those points into the Elite and they transfer to airlines at the full rate.

    Still works as of Oct 26, 2026 · onemileatatime.com (third-party)

Third-party report; not confirmed in the official offer terms we could retrieve. Details may be outdated or channel-specific. Verify the offer shown by the issuer before applying.

Terms and eligibility can change. Confirm the details with the issuer before you apply.

Weighing this card? Put it before the Money Court jury

Sources

Citi Strata Elite, offer box on the product page (Oct 26, 2026)citi.comOfficial sourceChecked Oct 26, 2026
Citi Strata Elite, official product page (Oct 26, 2026)citi.comOfficial sourceChecked Oct 26, 2026
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