Citi Strata Premier Card vs United Quest Card
Annual fees: Citi Strata Premier Card $95/yr, United Quest Card $350/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Citi Strata Premier Card on hotels, United Quest Card on hotels.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
Citi Strata Premier CardCiti · $95/yr
United Quest CardChase · $350/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- Citi Strata Premier Card$95LowestUnited Quest Card$350
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Citi Strata Premier Card60,000 pointsUnited Quest CardUp to 90,000 miles
- Rewards
- Citi Strata Premier CardCiti ThankYou RewardsUnited Quest CardUnited MileagePlus
- Foreign transaction fee
- Citi Strata Premier CardNoneUnited Quest CardNone
- Network
- Citi Strata Premier CardMastercard World EliteUnited Quest CardVisa Signature
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Dining
- Citi Strata Premier Card3xHighestUnited Quest Card2x
- Flights
- Citi Strata Premier Card3xHighestUnited Quest Card1x
- Gas Stations
- Citi Strata Premier Card3xHighestUnited Quest Card1x
- Grocery Stores
- Citi Strata Premier Card3xHighestUnited Quest Card1x
- Hotels
- Citi Strata Premier Card3xHighestUnited Quest Card1x
- Streaming
- Citi Strata Premier Card1xUnited Quest Card2xHighest
- Travel
- Citi Strata Premier Card1xUnited Quest Card2xHighest
- Everything else
- Citi Strata Premier Card1xUnited Quest Card1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Citi Strata Premier Card
- $100 hotel credit
United Quest Card- $200 United travel
- $150 Renowned Hotels
- $80 Avis/Budget travel
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS
- 25% United inflight
- $150/yr JSX credit
- Rideshare & transit
- Citi Strata Premier Card—United Quest Card
- $100/yr rideshare · $8 monthly
- Dining & delivery
- Citi Strata Premier Card—United Quest Card
- $15/mo Instacart+ · $15 monthly
- 3 months Instacart+
Perks & access— means none on record
- Hotel status & programs
- Citi Strata Premier Card
- The Reserve by Citi Travel Luxury Hotel Program
United Quest Card— - Airline perks
- Citi Strata Premier Card
- ThankYou Points Transfer Partners Airlines and Hotels
United Quest Card- Annual 10,000-mile award flight discount
- Free first and second checked bags for you plus companion
- 2 Economy Plus upgrades after $40K annual spend
- Priority boarding on all United flights
- Other perks
- Citi Strata Premier Card
- Citi Entertainment Presale Tickets and Exclusive Access
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on International Purchases
United Quest Card- No foreign transaction fees
- Premier upgrades on award tickets
- Earn 10,000-mile award discount after $20K annual spend
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Citi Strata Premier Card
- Five Thousand Dollar Trip Cancellation and Interruption · up to $5,000
- Five Hundred Dollar Trip Delay Protection Coverage · up to $500
- Travel Protection Benefits
United Quest Card- Trip cancellation coverage up to $6,000 per trip
- Trip delay coverage up to $500 per person after 12 hours
- Baggage
- Citi Strata Premier Card
- Three Thousand Dollar Lost or Damaged Luggage Insurance · up to $3,000
United Quest Card- Baggage delay coverage up to $100/day for 3 days
- Lost luggage coverage up to $3,000 per person
- Rental car
- Citi Strata Premier Card
- MasterRental Car Insurance Coverage
United Quest Card- Primary rental car insurance up to $60,000
- Purchase & returns
- Citi Strata Premier Card
- Ten Thousand Dollar Purchase Protection Theft and Damage · up to $10,000
United Quest Card- Purchase protection up to $10,000 per item for 120 days
- Extended warranty
- Citi Strata Premier Card
- Extended Warranty Protection Up to Twenty Four Months
United Quest Card- Extended warranty adds 1 year to manufacturer warranty
- Other protections
- Citi Strata Premier Card
- Comprehensive identity theft monitoring
- Free FICO Score Access Through Your Citi Account
United Quest Card—
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Citi Strata Premier Card
- 3X points on dining, supermarkets, gas and EV charging stations, air travel and other hotel purchases
- 10X points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions through Citi Travel portal
- $95 annual fee with no foreign transaction fees
- Transfer to 18+ airline and hotel partners including American Airlines, JetBlue and Virgin Atlantic
- No foreign transaction fees for international purchases
United Quest Card- Two free checked bags for cardholder plus companion (up to $440 per roundtrip)
- $200 annual TravelBank credit effectively reduces fee to $150
- $180/year in Instacart credits ($15/month through 2027)
- 10,000-mile award discount annually plus another 10K after $20K spend
- Earns 1 PQP per $20 spent (up to 18,000 PQP/year) plus 1,000 bonus PQPs
- Cons
- Citi Strata Premier Card
- No airport lounge access included
- Transfer partners weaker than Chase or Amex (no United, Delta, or Hyatt)
- 10X portal bonus requires booking through Citi Travel, limiting flexibility
- Welcome bonus lower than competing premium cards (60K vs 75K-90K)
- Points worth 0.75 cent each when redeemed for cash back, less than the 1 cent they get through Citi Travel
United Quest Card- $350 annual fee is substantial without lounge access
- TravelBank credits only work on United/United Express flights
- PQP earning cap of 18,000 limits status acceleration potential
- 2x on non-United travel is lower than some competitors
- Instacart credits expire December 2027
Category-by-Category Winner
The Citi Strata Premier Card wins in 5 of 7 categories. The United Quest Card leads in 2. 2 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Hotels
Citi Strata Premier Card earns 10X vs 5X
10X via issuer travel portal
Car Rentals
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Premier Card earns 10X when conditions are met; United Quest Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Attractions
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Premier Card earns 10X when conditions are met; United Quest Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Dining
Citi Strata Premier Card earns 3X vs 2X
Gas Stations
Citi Strata Premier Card earns 3X vs 1X
Flights
Citi Strata Premier Card earns 3X vs 1X
Grocery Stores
Citi Strata Premier Card earns 3X vs 1X
Streaming
United Quest Card earns 2X vs 1X
Travel
United Quest Card earns 2X 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 Premier Card | United Quest Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $346 Credits (our usable estimate): $60 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $311 Year one: $1,271 | Rewards: $180 Credits (our usable estimate): $437 − Annual fee ($350) Ongoing: $267 Year one: $1,227 | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,382 Credits (our usable estimate): $60 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $1,347 Year one: $2,307 | Rewards: $720 Credits (our usable estimate): $437 − Annual fee ($350) Ongoing: $807 Year one: $1,767 | Citi Strata Premier Card | Citi Strata Premier Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The United Quest Card costs $350/yr — that's $255 more than the Citi Strata Premier Card ($95/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $255 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
The United Quest Card includes travel credits, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, free checked bags. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $255 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $255 fee gap means the United Quest Card needs roughly $255 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on hotels and dining and everyday spend.
What You Give Up
Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.
Choosing Citi Strata Premier Card means losing:
- -Free checked bags
- -Global Entry credit
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Citi Strata Premier Card if you:
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
The Bottom Line
Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.
Published annual fees: Citi Strata Premier Card $95/yr, United Quest Card $350/yr — a $255 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the United Quest Card worth the higher annual fee?
- The United Quest Card costs $350/yr vs $95/yr for the Citi Strata Premier Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $255 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the United Quest Card also lists travel credits).
- Which card earns more rewards, the Citi Strata Premier Card or United Quest Card?
- Both cards earn 1X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- What benefits does the Citi Strata Premier Card have that the United Quest Card doesn't?
- The Citi Strata Premier Card focuses on earn rates, while the United Quest Card offers travel credits.
- Should I get the Citi Strata Premier Card or the United Quest Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Citi Strata Premier Card has a lower $95/yr fee; the United Quest Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $350/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.