Is the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card worth the higher annual fee?

The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card costs $595/yr vs $0/yr for the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $595 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 Citi Strata Elite℠ Card or Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi?

The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card has a higher base earn rate (1.5X vs 1X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.

What benefits does the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card have that the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi doesn't?

The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card offers lounge access. The Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi focuses more on earn rates than premium perks.

Should I get the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card or the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi?

Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi has a lower $0/yr fee; the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $595/yr.

Citi Strata Elite℠ Card vs Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi

Annual fees: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card $595/yr, Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card on dining, Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi on gas stations.

Card data as of October 12, 2026.

Credit card comparison
Overview
	Citi Strata Elite℠ Card Citi · $595/yr	Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi Citi · No annual fee
Annual fee	$595	$0 Lowest
Welcome offerCurrent public offer	75,000 points	—
Rewards	Citi ThankYou Rewards	Cash back
Foreign transaction fee	None	None
Network	Mastercard World Elite	Visa
Earn ratesPer $1 spent · points and cash back aren’t ranked against each other
Gas Stations	1.5x	4%
Dining	3x	3%
Travel	1.5x	3%
Everything else	1.5x	1%
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
Travel	$300 hotel credit Up to $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck / 4 years · $120 every 4 years	—
Other credits	$200 Blacklane credit $200 Splurge credit $145 recurring Citigold Private Client credit	—
Perks & access— means none on record
Lounges	Priority Pass™ Select membership American Airlines Admirals Club® Lounge Access Passes	—
Other perks	Citi Travel® Citi Entertainment Death & Co® Points transfer	No foreign transaction fees Citi Entertainment® Roadside assistance dispatch service
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
Trip insurance	Travel and Shopping Protection	—
Rental car	MasterRental Coverage	Worldwide car rental insurance
Purchase & returns	—	Zero Liability on unauthorized charges
Other protections	Comprehensive identity theft monitoring FICO score monitoring	Free FICO® Score updated monthly 24/7 travel and emergency assistance 24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
Pros & cons
Pros	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	No card annual fee (membership required separately) 4% cash back on gas (up to $7K annual spend) 3% cash back on restaurants and travel 2% cash back at Costco warehouse and Costco.com 1% on all other purchases
Cons	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	Requires Costco membership ($65/year Gold Star minimum) 4% gas rate capped at $7K/year ($280 max annual gas rewards) 1% fallback after gas cap is spent No premium travel benefits or insurance Limited to Visa network (some merchants may not accept)
	Card details	Card details

Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
Citi · $595/yr
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
Citi · No annual fee

Overview

Annual fee: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
$595
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
$0
Lowest
Welcome offerCurrent public offer: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
75,000 points
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
—
Rewards: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
Citi ThankYou Rewards
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
Cash back
Foreign transaction fee: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
None
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
None
Network: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
Mastercard World Elite
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
Visa

Earn ratesPer $1 spent · points and cash back aren’t ranked against each other

Gas Stations: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
1.5x
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
4%
Dining: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
3x
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
3%
Travel: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
1.5x
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
3%
Everything else: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
1.5x
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
1%

Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record

Travel: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
$300 hotel credit
Up to $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck / 4 years · $120 every 4 years
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
—
Other credits: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
$200 Blacklane credit
$200 Splurge credit
$145 recurring Citigold Private Client credit
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
—

Perks & access— means none on record

Lounges: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
Priority Pass™ Select membership
American Airlines Admirals Club® Lounge Access Passes
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
—
Other perks: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
Citi Travel®
Citi Entertainment
Death & Co®
Points transfer
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
No foreign transaction fees
Citi Entertainment®
Roadside assistance dispatch service

Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record

Trip insurance: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
Travel and Shopping Protection
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
—
Rental car: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
MasterRental Coverage
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
Worldwide car rental insurance
Purchase & returns: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
—
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
Zero Liability on unauthorized charges
Other protections: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
Comprehensive identity theft monitoring
FICO score monitoring
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
Free FICO® Score updated monthly
24/7 travel and emergency assistance
24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide

Pros & cons

Pros: 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
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
No card annual fee (membership required separately)
4% cash back on gas (up to $7K annual spend)
3% cash back on restaurants and travel
2% cash back at Costco warehouse and Costco.com
1% on all other purchases
Cons: 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
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
Requires Costco membership ($65/year Gold Star minimum)
4% gas rate capped at $7K/year ($280 max annual gas rewards)
1% fallback after gas cap is spent
No premium travel benefits or insurance
Limited to Visa network (some merchants may not accept)

Card details

Add a 3rd or 4th card to this comparison →

Category-by-Category Winner

Both cards win in 1 categories each — it comes down to which categories matter most to you. 1 more category depend on booking channel or caps.

Gas Stations

Depends: up to $7,000/yr

Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi earns 4X when conditions are met; Citi Strata Elite℠ Card earns 1.5X (1.5X without restrictions)

Travel

Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi earns 3X vs 1.5X

Everyday purchases

Citi Strata Elite℠ Card earns 1.5X on all other spending vs 1X

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.

Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.

Scenario	Citi Strata Elite℠ Card	Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi	Ongoing winner	Year-one winner
Light spender: $1,000/month	Rewards: $331 Credits (our usable estimate): $505 − Annual fee ($595) Ongoing: $241 Year one: $1,441	Rewards: $180 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $180 Year one: $180	Close — depends on how much of the credits you use	Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
Heavy spender: $4,000/month	Rewards: $1,325 Credits (our usable estimate): $505 − Annual fee ($595) Ongoing: $1,235 Year one: $2,435	Rewards: $720 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $720 Year one: $720	Citi Strata Elite℠ Card	Citi Strata Elite℠ Card

Is the Fee Difference Worth It?

The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card costs $595/yr — that's $595 more than the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $595 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 $595 fee gap for your own usage.

Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $595 fee gap means the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card needs roughly $595 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on dining and everyday spend.

What You Give Up

Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.

Choosing Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi means losing:

-Airport lounge access
-Global Entry credit

Which Card Is Right for You?

Get the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card if you:

+Fly frequently and value airport lounge access
+Prefer a high flat rate across all spending

The Bottom Line

Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.

Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 1.5X on the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card vs 1X on the other card.

Published annual fees: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card $595/yr, Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi $0/yr — a $595 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 $0/yr for the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $595 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 Citi Strata Elite℠ Card or Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi?: The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card has a higher base earn rate (1.5X vs 1X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
What benefits does the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card have that the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi doesn't?: The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card offers lounge access. The Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi focuses more on earn rates than premium perks.
Should I get the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card or the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi?: Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi has a lower $0/yr fee; the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $595/yr.

Explore More

Citi Strata Elite℠ Card — Full Review All Citi Cards

Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi — Full Review All Citi Cards

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Official issuer pages: Citi cards

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.