Citi Strata Elite
The Citi Strata Elite from Citi has a $595 annual fee. At $2,650 a month of typical household spending it pays about $79 a year after fees, before statement credits, $557 less than the Citi Double Cash, a flat 2% card.
Terms checked October 27, 2026. Net values use the spending mix of 1,229 U.S. households in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditure Interview Survey. This is an estimate, not financial advice.
What does the Citi Strata Elite earn?
3x dining; 1.5x on everything else.
Not counted in the numbers on this page:
- 12x on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through cititravel.com
- 6x on air travel booked through cititravel.com
- 6x on restaurants Friday and Saturday 6pm to 6am ET (Citi Nights); other times 3x, counted here as 3x
How much would it pay you a year?
This is the card's rewards minus its annual fee, at three spending levels, with spending split the way the survey households split theirs. Statement credits and sign-up bonuses are left out.
| Spending a month | Citi Strata Elite | Citi Double Cash (2%) |
|---|---|---|
| $1,500 | −$213 | $360 |
| $2,650 (the survey median) | $79 | $636 |
| $5,000 | $677 | $1,200 |
The mix is 30% everything else, 25% groceries, 16% phone and utilities, 13% dining, and smaller shares elsewhere. Your own split decides the real answer: add your statements to work it out on what you actually spent.
How did it do for real households?
We ran each of the 1,229 households in the 2024 survey through every card, on 12 straight months of their own spending. It was never the best of the 53 cards for any household, and paid more than the Citi Double Cash, a flat 2% card, for under 1%. For the median household it paid $568 a year less than the flat 2% card.
The survey records spending categories but not merchants, so merchant bonuses and statement credits never count there, which favors flat cards. How we ran the household test.
What credits does it come with?
Up to $730 a year in credits, worth that much only if you would spend at these merchants anyway. PointMaxx counts a credit only when your statements show you'd have used it.
| Credit | Up to |
|---|---|
| Annual hotel benefit | $300 a year |
| Splurge credit | $200 a year |
| Blacklane credit | $100 every six months ($200 a year) |
| Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit | $120 every 4 years ($30 a year) |
Fees and sign-up bonus
- Annual fee: $595.
- Foreign transaction fee: none.
- Sign-up bonus: 75,000 points ($938 at 1.25¢ a point) after $6,000 of spending in 3 months. Offers change and can differ by applicant, so check the issuer's page.
Other benefits
- Priority Pass Select membership: 1,500+ lounges
- Admirals Club passes: 4 passes per calendar year
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Trip delay insurance
- Lost or damaged luggage insurance
- MasterRental car rental coverage
- Extended warranty
- Purchase Assurance Plus
Cards that pay about the same
At $2,650 a month, these pay closest to the Citi Strata Elite:
- Chase United Quest: $109 a year
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: $6 a year
- Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum: $176 a year
- Capital One Venture X: $241 a year
See what it would have paid you
Add your statementsFree, in your browser. Your statements are never uploaded.
PointMaxx runs a year of your own card statements against 53 U.S. cards, after annual fees, caps and the credits you'd really use. No statements on hand? The quick estimate asks seven questions instead.
Sources
- citi.com/credit-cards/citi-strata-elite-credit-card
- thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/citi-thankyou-current-offers
- nerdwallet.com/credit-cards/news/citi-strata-elite-increases-welcome-offer-up-to-100k-points-limited-time
- thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/reviews/citi-strata-elite-review
- Household spending: BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys public-use microdata, 2024 Interview Survey.
See a wrong rate? Tell us. PointMaxx is not affiliated with or endorsed by Citi; the card's name is used only to say which card is meant.