Review: Citi Strata Premier
Over the weekend, Citi relaunched the Citi Premier card as the Citi Strata Premier with a number of new enhancements all while keeping the annual fee the same.
The Citi Strata Premier is an all around great card to have in your wallet and the best card out there for gas and EV charging purchases. Between a hefty signup bonus, low annual fee, and great bonus categories, you can’t go wrong with this card. Its extremely underrated especially when paired with the Citi Double Cash. Citi doesn’t get a lot of love most likely because they don’t have the same brand recognition as American Express or Chase but this is easily the most well rounded cards.
If I could only have one credit card, this would be it.
Quick Facts
Signup Bonus: 75,000 Citi ThankYou Points after spending $4,000 in 3 months.
Points Earned: Citi ThankYou Points. Those ThankYou Points can be transferred to 17 airline and hotel partners or be used to redeem them for other purchases at a 1 cent per point value. If you use the points the right way you can get a value of at least $1,275 from the signup bonus.
Earnings Structure:
3x points on airfare.
3x points on hotels.
3x points on gas.
3x points on dining.
3x points on grocery stores.
10x points on hotels, rental cars and attractions book through the Citi Travel Portal
Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Annual Fee: $95
This card is the unsung hero of mid-tier credit cards thanks to the low annual fee, large signup bonus and well rounded bonus categories. It is also the one card with the best bonus for gas station and EV charging purchases. Keep in mind this is only standalone gas stations, things like Costco gas purchases will not. However, if you buy snacks inside the convenience store, it should count for 3x points.
Citi Transfer Partners
Citi has 17 airline and hotel transfer partners. The only downside is of their airline partners, only JetBlue is based in the US. While that might scare some people off, after reading my posts about how to maximize your credit card points you’ll realize that having only one domestic airline shouldn’t be an issue. Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Avianca Lifemiles, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, just to name a few are some of the best programs to redeem points with and can even be used for flights within the US as well as abroad on their partner airlines. Be on the lookout for transfer bonuses as Citi regulary has bonuses when you transfer points to one of their partners. You can get an additional 20-30%.
Use Citi ThankYou points for Travel on Qatar Airways in Business Class
$100 Hotel Credit
Similar to the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the Citi Premier also offers an annual hotel credit. To use this statment credit you’ll need to book a hotel for at least $500 on Citi’s ThankYou travel portal. Once you do that you’ll receive a $100 credit. That’s the equivalent to a 20% discount if you find a hotel stay for exactly $500. If you value this benefit, it will more than make up for the annual fee of $95. As with the Sapphire Preferred, this is very useful when staying at an independent hotel that is not affiliated with a major chain.
Citi Offers
Similar to Amex and Chase Offers, Citi has certain deals you can enroll in at various places to get cash back. Citi’s Merchant Offers are almost as plentiful as Amex’s and far more than what Chase has. Additionally, there are often overlaps with American Airline’s SimplyMiles site as well as Upside.
Use Citi Offers to Save Tons of Money
Citi Strata Premier or Chase Sapphire Preferred?
I think these two cards are very comparable to each other with an identical signup bonus and annual fees as well as similar bonus categories. The Strata Premier has the edge with better bonus categories. The hotel credits are good if it’s something you can take advantage of. With the Premier you need to spend exactly $500 to get 20% off and the $100 back on a hotel stay whereas with the Sapphire Preferred you can get the most value from a hotel stay under $250 to get the $50 back. That’s a toss up depending on your travel habits.
Is it Worth It?
Absolutely! The Citi Strata Premier is easily the most underrated mid-tier card out there. Citi just doesn’t have the brand recognition that American Express and Chase have but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great card.
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