Is the Citi Strata Premier Worth Its Annual Fee?

Are you a Citi Premier® Card holder? You might want to check your cards because Citi has updated the card with some new benefits and renamed it the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card.

There is nothing you need to do as an existing cardholder other than start enjoying some of the new perks now available. The Citi Premier® Card is no longer available for new applications.

The card has a modest $95 annual fee, but packs in several benefits that help cardholders extract more value than the annual fee — especially if you use this card in the right places at the right times.

Citi kept the same annual fee and original benefits from the old card, but also added some new perks. The new card earns Citi ThankYou points and has bonus categories, where extra points get tacked onto your balance. These points are valuable because they can be redeemed through the Citi Travel portal at a value of one cent per point or transferred to partner loyalty programs.

Is the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card annual fee of $95 worth it? Here’s what you need to know to decide.

The annual fee is worth it if you …

Even if you don’t travel regularly for work, the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card can deliver perks for the occasional traveler. The card earns 3x ThankYou points per $1 spent on travel, and if you use the card overseas, there are no foreign transaction fees.

While there are other travel cards that offer more substantial perks like lounge access or hotel elite status that benefit true frequent flyers, this card is great for those that like to travel from time to time.

Previously, the card offered 3x points on many travel and food-related purchases, including gas, hotels, dining and groceries.

The newest iteration of the card now includes electric vehicle charging on that bonus list. This can triple the speed at which you earn points to redeem for travel or gift cards via the Citi Travel portal or transfer them to other programs.

If you book hotels, rental cars and attractions using the card through the Citi Travel portal, you will earn 10 ThankYou points per dollar spent.

This comes with a caveat, though. Despite the 10x rate being a huge boost in earnings, you sacrifice other perks that you would get for booking direct. For instance, booking at hotels through a third party like the Citi Travel portal means giving up the chance to earn hotel loyalty points or elite status benefits.

However, this card could rake in enormous earnings when staying at independent hotels or paying for airline tickets, for example.

Another bonus for booking a single hotel stay of at least $500 through the Citi Travel portal is that the card provides an annual $100 discount.

Just that one benefit covers the cost of the annual fee, though it requires shelling out at least $500 for the privilege.

For a modest annual fee, the card comes with protections for trip disruptions, luggage and car rentals. This can save you from purchasing additional coverage out of pocket from companies like Allianz or World Nomads if the card’s limits fit your needs.

When booking a stay at Luxury Collection hotels through the Citi Travel portal, cardholders receive exclusive benefits like breakfast for two, complimentary Wi-Fi, a $100 property credit and additional perks such as late checkout or room upgrades.

If you already had the Citi Premier® Card, you are automatically a Citi Strata Premier℠ Card member. If you are new to this card, there is a sign-up bonus: Earn 70,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $700 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.

This can be a helpful windfall of points if you can responsibly meet the spending requirement.

Sometimes, redeeming miles or points within a particular loyalty program can be a better value than redeeming points directly through the ThankYou travel portal. That’s because you can achieve outsized value when the price in points isn’t tied to the actual cost of the ticket.

The Citi Travel portal lets you purchase flights, hotel stays or gift cards. You’ll find the most value when transferring points to other programs when redeeming miles and points for expensive trips, like those in a premium flight cabin or luxury hotel.

The annual fee isn’t worth it if you …

This means that if your preferred program isn’t in Citi’s network, then the annual fee may be less valuable for you.

If you already have loads of points, it is always wise to use them before any impending devaluations instead of racking up more.

The best use of ThankYou points is for travel where you can achieve the most outsized value and get more than one penny in value per point.

Transferring points to other programs can help you do that, especially when booking business or first class tickets that can cost thousands in cash but perhaps only a fraction of the cost in points. If you aren’t using points for travel, it may be worth considering a cash back card or other all-purpose card.

Our value calculator can help you see if the ThankYou points you’ll earn can offset the relatively low annual fee.

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card: Lots of value, for those that know how to use it

The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card annual fee of $95 isn’t as hefty as what other premium cards require each year (although that is often in exchange for a weighty list of benefits), but this card can deliver strong value.

Everyday spending categories like gas, dining and supermarkets are eligible for bonus ThankYou points with the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card.

Those who book travel through the Citi Travel portal are in for even bigger bonuses, sometimes in exchange for other benefits though. Each person has their own threshold for what brings value, but if you travel even occasionally, this card packs a solid punch with the chance to earn more than the annual fee each year.