Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card vs Citi Strata Elite℠ Card — Full Comparison (2026)

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card vs Citi Strata Elite℠ Card

A detailed side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right card for your spending.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Capital One

Citi Strata Elite℠ Card

Citi Strata Elite℠ Card

Citi

Annual Fee

$395

$595

Welcome Bonus

75,000 Flex point

75,000 Flex point

Base Earn Rate

2X

1.5X

Top Earn Categories

10X Hotels

10X Car Rentals

10X Car Rentals Capital One

5X Flights

12X Hotels Car Rentals Attractions Citi Travel

6X Air Travel Citi Travel

6X Dining Citi Nights

3X Dining

Network

VISA

MASTERCARD

Key Benefits

✓Lounge access

✓Travel insurance

✓Global Entry credit

✓Purchase protection

✓Lounge access

✓Global Entry credit

Pros

+Effective $95 annual fee after $300 travel credit and 10,000 anniversary miles (~$100 value)
+10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
+Access to premium Capital One Lounges in Dallas, Denver, and Washington D.C.
+Priority Pass Select membership with 1,300+ lounges worldwide
+Free authorized users (until Feb 2026, then $125/year for lounge access)

+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 15+ other partners

Cons

−$395 annual fee requires maximizing credits to get value
−10X earning rate requires booking through Capital One Travel portal
−Guest lounge access changing to $35/guest at Priority Pass after Feb 2026
−No airline transfer bonuses unlike some competitors
−Travel credits only work for Capital One Travel bookings

−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

The Bottom Line

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has a lower annual fee ($395 vs $595), making it the more accessible option.

The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card justifies its higher fee with premium perks like lounge access.

For everyday spending, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns more with its 2X base rate.

Explore More

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card — Full Review All Capital One Cards

Citi Strata Elite℠ Card — Full Review All Citi Cards

Browse all comparisons →Browse all card categories →

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card vs Citi Strata Elite℠ Card

A detailed side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right card for your spending.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Capital One

Citi Strata Elite℠ Card

Citi Strata Elite℠ Card

Citi

Annual Fee

$395

$595

Welcome Bonus

75,000 Flex point

75,000 Flex point

Base Earn Rate

2X

1.5X

Top Earn Categories

10X Hotels

10X Car Rentals

10X Car Rentals Capital One

5X Flights

12X Hotels Car Rentals Attractions Citi Travel

6X Air Travel Citi Travel

6X Dining Citi Nights

3X Dining

Network

VISA

MASTERCARD

Key Benefits

✓Lounge access

✓Travel insurance

✓Global Entry credit

✓Purchase protection

✓Lounge access

✓Global Entry credit

Pros

+Effective $95 annual fee after $300 travel credit and 10,000 anniversary miles (~$100 value)
+10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
+Access to premium Capital One Lounges in Dallas, Denver, and Washington D.C.
+Priority Pass Select membership with 1,300+ lounges worldwide
+Free authorized users (until Feb 2026, then $125/year for lounge access)

+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 15+ other partners

Cons

−$395 annual fee requires maximizing credits to get value
−10X earning rate requires booking through Capital One Travel portal
−Guest lounge access changing to $35/guest at Priority Pass after Feb 2026
−No airline transfer bonuses unlike some competitors
−Travel credits only work for Capital One Travel bookings

−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

The Bottom Line

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has a lower annual fee ($395 vs $595), making it the more accessible option.

The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card justifies its higher fee with premium perks like lounge access.

For everyday spending, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns more with its 2X base rate.

Explore More

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card — Full Review All Capital One Cards

Citi Strata Elite℠ Card — Full Review All Citi Cards

Browse all comparisons →Browse all card categories →

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card vs Citi Strata Elite℠ Card

A detailed side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right card for your spending.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Capital One

Citi Strata Elite℠ Card

Citi Strata Elite℠ Card

Citi

Annual Fee

$395

$595

Welcome Bonus

75,000 Flex point

75,000 Flex point

Base Earn Rate

2X

1.5X

Top Earn Categories

10X Hotels

10X Car Rentals

10X Car Rentals Capital One

5X Flights

12X Hotels Car Rentals Attractions Citi Travel

6X Air Travel Citi Travel

6X Dining Citi Nights

3X Dining

Network

VISA

MASTERCARD

Key Benefits

✓Lounge access

✓Travel insurance

✓Global Entry credit

✓Purchase protection

✓Lounge access

✓Global Entry credit

Pros

+Effective $95 annual fee after $300 travel credit and 10,000 anniversary miles (~$100 value)
+10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
+Access to premium Capital One Lounges in Dallas, Denver, and Washington D.C.
+Priority Pass Select membership with 1,300+ lounges worldwide
+Free authorized users (until Feb 2026, then $125/year for lounge access)

+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 15+ other partners

Cons

−$395 annual fee requires maximizing credits to get value
−10X earning rate requires booking through Capital One Travel portal
−Guest lounge access changing to $35/guest at Priority Pass after Feb 2026
−No airline transfer bonuses unlike some competitors
−Travel credits only work for Capital One Travel bookings

−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

The Bottom Line

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has a lower annual fee ($395 vs $595), making it the more accessible option.

The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card justifies its higher fee with premium perks like lounge access.

For everyday spending, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns more with its 2X base rate.

Explore More

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card — Full Review All Capital One Cards

Citi Strata Elite℠ Card — Full Review All Citi Cards

Browse all comparisons →Browse all card categories →