If you’re looking to earn transferable Citi ThankYou Rewards points, Citi has three cards within its Strata lineup with welcome offers. It’s a great opportunity to earn a large welcome bonus and diversify your points, giving you access to valuable transfer partners.
The cards’ annual fees range from $0 to $595. Whatever your needs, the cards offer a wide range of bonus-earning categories and benefits to help elevate your travel.
Here’s a rundown of the three Citi Strata credit cards and their current welcome offers.
Citi Strata Elite
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see rates and fees) is the latest to join the ranks of premium credit card heavyweights. It’s great for those who like booking travel through an issuer’s travel portal, dine out on Friday and Saturday evenings, and are looking for American Airlines perks.
Welcome offer: For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months from account opening. Based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations, the welcome offer is worth $1,480. You can earn a higher welcome offer of 100,000 bonus points with the same spending requirements if you apply at a Citi branch in person.
Annual fee: $595
Earning rates:
- 12 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through the Citi Travel portal
- 6 points per dollar spent on flights booked through the Citi Travel portal
- 6 points per dollar spent at restaurants, including restaurant delivery services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Eastern time
- 3 points per dollar spent on restaurant purchases at all other times
- 1.5 points per dollar spent on all other purchases
Key benefits:
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- Hotel credit: Up to $300 off one prepaid hotel stay (minimum two-night booking) when booking through Citi Travel each calendar year
- Splurge credit: Up to $200 in annual credits with your choice of two brands: 1stDibs, American Airlines, Best Buy, Future Personal Training and Live Nation
- Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit: Up to a $120 credit every four years for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee
- Blacklane credit: Up to $100 in biannual credit (up to $200 annually) for Blacklane chauffeur bookings
- Lounge access: Complimentary Priority Pass Select lounge access and four Admirals Club passes annually
Why we like it: Overall, this card is a great choice if you prefer the ease of booking through an issuer’s travel portal. The hotel credit can be used toward any prepaid hotel reservation on Citi Travel. The Splurge credit can be fairly easy to maximize as American Airlines flights, lounge passes and ancillary fees are all eligible for the credit.
However, note that Citi does not have its own lounge network, as its competitors do. And the boosted restaurant earning rate is only applicable on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Apply here: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
Citi Strata Premier
Often flying under the radar, the Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees) is an excellent mid-tier travel card thanks to a wide range of bonus categories missing from many of its competitors.
Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months from account opening. Based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations, the welcome offer is worth $1,110.
Annual fee: $95
Earning rates:
- 10 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through the Citi Travel portal
- 3 points per dollar spent on electric vehicle charging, flights, gas stations, hotels, restaurants (including takeout) and supermarkets
- 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Why we like it: This card offers an impressive range of bonus-earning categories for a $95 annual fee, making it an excellent choice for everyday spending. It offers an annual $100 hotel credit for hotel bookings of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) made through the Citi Travel portal, which makes up for the annual fee — as long as you use it. In addition, you receive travel protections for car rental coverage; lost and damaged luggage; and trip cancellation, delay and interruption.
To learn more, read our full review of the Citi Strata Premier.
Apply here: Citi Strata Premier
Citi Strata
The Citi Strata℠ Card (see rates and fees) is the entry-level card within the Strata lineup. Before being rebranded, it was known as the Citi Rewards+® Card.
Welcome offer: For a limited time, new cardholders can earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first three months from account opening. Based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations, the welcome offer is worth $555.
Annual fee: None
The information for the Citi Rewards+ has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Earning rates:
- 5 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on cititravel.com
- 3 points per dollar spent at supermarkets
- 3 points per dollar spent on select transit, EV charging and gas stations
- 3 points per dollar spent on an eligible self-selected category each quarter (cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons, fitness clubs, live entertainment, pet supply stores or select streaming services)
- 2 points per dollar spent at restaurants
- 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Why we like it: The Citi Strata has impressive earning rates for a no-annual-fee card, especially the quarterly self-selected category.
Apply here: Citi Strata Card
Bottom line
If you’re looking to earn Citi ThankYou points, choose a card from the Strata lineup to take advantage of some welcome offers. It’s a good way to earn a large welcome bonus — and for maximum value, consider transferring your points to Citi’s airline or hotel partners.
Each card offers an impressive list of bonus-earning categories, so be sure to select a card that fits your everyday expenses and your travel needs.
Apply here: Citi Strata Elite
Apply here: Citi Strata Premier
Apply here: Citi Strata
