Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite vs Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
Annual fees: Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite $550/yr, Citi Strata Elite℠ Card $595/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite on dining, Citi Strata Elite℠ Card on dining.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® EliteBank of America · $550/yr
Citi Strata Elite℠ CardCiti · $595/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite$550LowestCiti Strata Elite℠ Card$595
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite75,000 pointsCiti Strata Elite℠ Card75,000 points
- Rewards
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® EliteBank of America pointsCiti Strata Elite℠ CardCiti ThankYou Rewards
- Foreign transaction fee
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® EliteNoneCiti Strata Elite℠ CardNone
- Network
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® EliteVisa InfiniteCiti Strata Elite℠ CardMastercard World Elite
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Dining
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite2xCiti Strata Elite℠ Card3xHighest
- Travel
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite2xHighestCiti Strata Elite℠ Card1.5x
- Everything else
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite1.5xCiti Strata Elite℠ Card1.5x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite
- $300 airline credit
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck every 4 years · $120 every 4 years
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card- $300 hotel credit
- Up to $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck / 4 years · $120 every 4 years
- Other credits
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite
- $150 lifestyle credit
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card- $200 Blacklane credit
- $200 Splurge credit
- $145 recurring Citigold Private Client credit
Perks & access— means none on record
- Lounges
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite
- 4 Priority Pass memberships with unlimited visits
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card- Priority Pass™ Select membership
- American Airlines Admirals Club® Lounge Access Passes
- Hotel status & programs
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite
- 900+ luxury hotels with room upgrades
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card— - Other perks
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite
- 24/7 personal concierge service
- 20% off airfare when redeeming points
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card- Citi Travel®
- Citi Entertainment
- Death & Co®
- Points transfer
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite
- Travel Protections
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card- Travel and Shopping Protection
- Rental car
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite—Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
- MasterRental Coverage
- Other protections
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite
- FICO® Score
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card- Comprehensive identity theft monitoring
- FICO score monitoring
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite—Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
- 12X on hotels, car rentals, and attractions via Citi Travel portal
- 6X on dining during Citi Nights℠ (Fri/Sat evenings)
- Up to $700 in annual statement credits ($300 hotel + $200 Splurge + $200 Blacklane)
- Priority Pass Select + 4 AA Admirals Club passes per year
- ThankYou points transfer to AA, JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic and other airline and hotel programs
- Cons
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite—Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
- High $595 annual fee requires maximizing statement credits to offset
- Best earn rates require booking through Citi Travel portal (lose hotel loyalty credit)
- Citi Nights dining bonus limited to Fri/Sat 6PM-6AM ET timezone
- Only 4 Admirals Club passes (not unlimited access)
- Authorized user fee of $75 per user
Category-by-Category Winner
Both cards win in 1 categories each — it comes down to which categories matter most to you.
Dining
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card earns 3X vs 2X
Travel
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite earns 2X vs 1.5X
Year One vs Ongoing Value
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Both scenarios favor the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite | Citi Strata Elite℠ Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $195 Credits (our usable estimate): $295 − Annual fee ($550) Ongoing: -$60 Year one: $690 | Rewards: $331 Credits (our usable estimate): $505 − Annual fee ($595) Ongoing: $241 Year one: $1,441 | Citi Strata Elite℠ Card | Citi Strata Elite℠ Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $780 Credits (our usable estimate): $295 − Annual fee ($550) Ongoing: $525 Year one: $1,275 | Rewards: $1,325 Credits (our usable estimate): $505 − Annual fee ($595) Ongoing: $1,235 Year one: $2,435 | Citi Strata Elite℠ Card | Citi Strata Elite℠ Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card costs $595/yr — that's $45 more than the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite ($550/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $45 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card includes lounge access, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $45 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $45 fee gap means the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card needs roughly $45 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on dining and everyday spend.
The Bottom Line
Both scenarios favor the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Published annual fees: Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite $550/yr, Citi Strata Elite℠ Card $595/yr — a $45 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card worth the higher annual fee?
- The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card costs $595/yr vs $550/yr for the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $45 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card also lists lounge access).
- Which card earns more rewards, the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite or Citi Strata Elite℠ Card?
- Both cards earn 1.5X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- What benefits does the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite have that the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card doesn't?
- The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite offers lounge access, travel credits. The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card offers lounge access.
- Should I get the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite or the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite has a lower $550/yr fee; the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $595/yr.
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published October 12, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.