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Earn 10X on Citi Travel and 3X on dining, gas, and groceries
Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou Points after $4,000 spend in 3 months, plus 10X points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel. Get 3X points on six everyday categories and transfer to 18+ airline and hotel partners. All for a $95 annual fee with no foreign transaction fees.
Annual Fee
$95
Authorized User Fee
$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
$0
Network
Mastercard World Elite
Rewards Currency
Citi ThankYou Rewards
Point Value (Transfer Estimate)
1.3–1.9 cpp (mid: 1.6)
Credit Required
Good to Excellent
Welcome Offer
60,000
ThankYou Points
Spend $4,000 in the first 3 months
New cardmembers earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. At 1.6 cents per point, the bonus is worth $960 toward travel when transferred to partners.
| Category | Rate | Type | Booking Method | Cap | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels | 10X | Core | portal | None | |
| Car Rentals | 10X | Core | portal | None | |
| Attractions | 10X | Core | portal | None | |
| Hotels | 3X | Core | direct | None | |
| Dining | 3X | Core | any | None | |
| Gas Stations | 3X | Core | any | None | |
| Flights | 3X | Core | any | None | |
| Grocery Stores | 3X | Core | any | None | |
| All Other | 1X | Base | any | None |
Earn 10 ThankYou Points per dollar on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel. At 1.6 cents each, that's 16% back.
A $1,000 hotel booking on Citi Travel earns 10,000 points, worth $160 toward travel.
Earn 3 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide. At 1.6 cents per point, that's 4.8% back in travel value.
Spend $600 monthly on dining to earn 21,600 points per year, worth $346 toward travel.
Earn 3 points per dollar on gas station and EV charging purchases. At 1.6 cents per point, that's 4.8% back.
Spend $250 monthly on gas to earn 9,000 points per year, worth $144 toward travel.
Earn 3 points per dollar on supermarket purchases. At 1.6 cents per point, that's 4.8% back in travel value.
Spend $500 monthly at supermarkets to earn 18,000 points per year, worth $288 toward travel.
Earn 3 points per dollar on air travel and hotel purchases booked directly. At 1.6 cents per point, that's 4.8% back.
Spend $2,000 annually on flights and direct hotel stays to earn 6,000 points, worth $96 toward travel.
Earn 1 point per dollar on purchases outside bonus categories with no earning caps.
Spend $1,500 monthly on other purchases to earn 18,000 points per year, worth $288 toward travel.
Benefits & Perks
Program & Transfers
Exclusive access to American Airlines awards
Citi ThankYou Points offer a unique position in the transferable currency landscape as the only program with American Airlines as a transfer partner. With 15 airline partners spanning all three major alliances and 5 hotel programs, ThankYou Points provide solid flexibility for award travel. The program requires a premium card (Strata Premier, Strata Elite, or Prestige) to unlock full 1:1 transfer ratios. Other ThankYou-earning cards receive reduced 0.7:1 ratios, making the premium cards essential for maximizing value. Transfers are instant to most partners, with a 1,000-point minimum in 1,000-point increments. While Citi offers fewer transfer bonuses than competitors, the exclusive American Airlines partnership and strong Star Alliance coverage make ThankYou Points valuable for specific redemption strategies, particularly for travelers based near American Airlines hubs.
Reviews & Analysis
Details & Terms
| Purchase APR | 19.74%–27.74% (Variable) |
| Cash Advance APR | 29.74% (Variable) |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | $0 |
| Authorized User Fee | $0 |
Yes. ThankYou points are Citi’s rewards currency. You can redeem them for cash back, at a rate that depends on your card: Citi’s points calculator shows 1 cent per point on the Double Cash and Custom Cash, 0.75 cent on the Strata Premier and Strata Elite, and 0.5 cent on the Strata. If you have a card that earns transferable points, you can move them to an airline or hotel partner and redeem them for much more value.
Up to 10X (Travel portal)
Highest rate (conditional)
Up to
$226
in recurring credits (annual)
$10/mo Instacart+
—
Annual
Get 3 free months of Instacart+ plus $10 off monthly orders when paid with card.
$5 Lyft + airport
—
Annual
Earn $5 monthly with 3 Lyft rides + save 10% on airport rides nationwide.
$3/mo Peacock
—
Annual
Save $3/month on Peacock Premium or Premium Plus with automatic statement credit.
$100 hotel credit
$100
Annual
Receive $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more excluding taxes and fees when booked through Citi Travel once per calendar year.
$2.50/mo transit
—
Annual
Earn $2.50/month when spending $10+ on contactless transit in select U.S. cities.
Combined Protection Value
$18,500
Covers a rental vehicle's actual cash value for damage, theft, or loss when you decline the agency's insurance, plus up to $500 in loss-of-use.
Coverage for eligible purchases against theft or damage for 90 days from purchase up to $10,000 per incident and $50,000 per year.
Coverage for non-refundable expenses if you cancel or interrupt your trip due to covered reasons up to $5,000 per trip and $10,000 per year.
Coverage for lost, stolen, or damaged luggage during transit on trips paid with your card up to $3,000 per trip.
Reimbursement up to $500 per trip for meals, lodging, and necessities when your trip is delayed more than 6 hours.
Complimentary HealthLock membership monitors for medical identity fraud, prescription fraud, and unauthorized insurance claims.
Monitor surface and dark web for compromised credentials with real-time alerts and resolution services included.
Transfer your ThankYou Points to 23 leading loyalty programs for maximum value.
Most partners accept ThankYou Points at a 1:1 ratio with instant or near-instant transfers.
| Partner | Ratio | Transfer Time | Value Retained | Point Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:1 | up to 2 weeks | — | 1.3 cpp | |
| 1:1 | instant | — | 0.8 cpp | |
| 5:4 | up to 2 weeks | — | 1.2 cpp | |
| 1:1 | up to 2 weeks | — | 1.3 cpp | |
| 1:1 | up to 2 weeks | — | — | |
| Route / Property | Points | Book With | Cabin/Type | Value / Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic US in Economy | 4,600 | — | economy | united_states |
| Domestic US in Economy on American | 5,000 | — | economy | united_states |
| US to Europe in Economy | 6,000 | — | economy | europe |
| Carribean | 7,100 | — | — | — |
| US to South America in Economy | 7,100 | — | economy | south_america |
| Intra-Europe in Economy | 7,500 | — | economy | europe |
| Domestic US in Economy on a Partner | 7,500 | — | economy | united_states |
| Intra-Europe in Business | 8,000 | — | business | europe |
| US to Mexico in Economy on a Partner | 11,500 | — | economy | central_america |
| The Setai Hotel Miami Beach | 15,000 | — | — | united_states |
| Domestic US in First Class | 16,500 | — | first | united_states |
| Fifth Avenue Hotel | 16,500 | — | — | united_states |
| US to Iceland in Economy on a Partner | 17,000 | — | economy | europe |
| US to Hawaii in Economy | 20,000 | — | economy | united_states |
| US to Hawaii in Economy on a Partner | 20,500 | — | economy | united_states |
| Domestic US in Business | 22,000 | — | business | united_states |
| US to South America in Business | 22,500 | — | business | south_america |
| US to Japan in Economy | 25,000 | — | economy | asia |
| US to Northern Africa in Economy | 25,000 | — | economy | africa |
| US to Mexico in Business on a Partner | 30,000 | — | business | central_america |
Showing top 20 of 50 sweet spots
The Citi Strata Premier charges a $95 annual fee and earns 10X points on Citi Travel bookings plus 3X across six everyday categories. It includes a $100 hotel credit, no foreign transaction fees, and transferable ThankYou Points valued at 1.6 cents each.
The Citi Strata Premier is a $95-annual-fee travel card built around everyday spending. It earns 10X ThankYou Points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel, 3X on dining, gas, supermarkets, flights, and hotels, and 1X on everything else. The 60,000-point welcome bonus after $4,000 in three months is the headline, but the real case for the card is the breadth of 3X categories at this fee level.
- 60,000 bonus ThankYou Points after $4,000 spend in the first 3 months. - 10X points on Citi Travel bookings (hotels, car rentals, attractions) and 3X on six everyday categories. - $100 annual hotel savings credit on stays of $500 or more booked through Citi Travel. - Transfer points to 18+ airline and hotel partners; we value ThankYou Points at 1.6 cents each for transferable redemptions. - Travel insurance includes $5,000 trip cancellation per trip, $500 trip delay after 6 hours, $3,000 baggage coverage, and MasterRental car insurance. - No foreign transaction fees; $95 annual fee is not waived the first year. - No airport lounge access and no annual travel credit beyond the $100 hotel benefit.
Consider the Strata Premier if you:
- Spend heavily across dining, gas, and groceries and want one card that covers all three at 3X. - Book travel through the Citi Travel portal often enough to use the 10X multiplier and the $100 hotel credit. - Want access to American Airlines AAdvantage transfers, which only Citi offers among major U.S. bank programs. - Already hold or plan to hold the Citi Custom Cash or Double Cash to pool points toward 1:1 transfers. - Need a lower-fee travel card with solid insurance but do not need lounge access.
Families and commuters tend to extract the most value because the 3X supermarkets and gas categories are uncapped and easy to hit every month.
Skip the Strata Premier if you:
- Want airport lounge access or a flexible annual travel credit; the $100 hotel credit is restricted to $500+ Citi Travel stays. - Refuse to book through Citi Travel, since the 10X category and the hotel credit both require it. - Prefer Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards for their stronger hotel and domestic airline partner lineups. - Need instant, simple redemptions; ThankYou Points require partner transfers to beat the 1-cent portal floor. - Cannot comfortably spend $4,000 in three months to earn the welcome bonus.
The card is also a weaker choice if most of your travel is domestic economy on carriers outside American Airlines, where partner awards can be harder to use.
ThankYou Points are Citi's transferable rewards currency. With the Strata Premier, you can move points to 18+ airline and hotel partners, most at a 1:1 ratio. We value ThankYou Points at 1.6 cents each for transferable redemptions, though actual value ranges from 0.75 cent (cash back) and 1 cent (Citi Travel) to 2+ cents for premium cabin partner awards.
Key mechanics:
- Transfers require a premium ThankYou card; the Strata Premier is the cheapest option at $95 per year. - American Airlines AAdvantage is the exclusive partner no other major bank program has. - The Citi Travel portal books flights, hotels, car rentals, and attractions at 1 cent per point. - Points do not expire as long as the account is open and in good standing.
Credit Utilization (60%)
Excludes earning value, lounge access, insurance, and elite status
Total Value Captured
$135.60
Annual Fee
-$95
Net Annual Value
+$40.60
They can be. Cash or statement credit redemptions give you 0.5¢ to 1¢ per point depending on the card (0.75¢ on the Strata Premier and Strata Elite). Transferring points to an airline or hotel partner can unlock redemptions worth more, especially when you take advantage of partner sweet spots.
Yes. You can book flights through the Citi Travel Portal, but that’s usually poor value. If your card allows transfers, moving points to an airline partner typically gives you a much better return than booking through the portal at 1 cent per point.
Yes. You can redeem points for a statement credit to help pay your bill. We only recommend this if you can’t pay your balance in full and would otherwise incur interest. Otherwise, transferring to an airline or hotel partner will give you better value.
The Citi Travel portal gives a flat 1 cent per point for flights, hotels, car rentals and attractions on every current ThankYou card. Citi publishes no value for transfers: what a transferred point is worth depends on the partner and the award you book, and it can be more or less than 1 cent. Transfer to partners when an award costs fewer points than the portal price, which is most common on premium cabin flights and sweet spot awards. Use the portal for simple bookings where partner awards don't beat 1 cent per point.
Only the Citi Strata Premier ($95/year), Citi Strata Elite ($595/year), and Citi Prestige ($495/year, no longer available to new applicants) unlock 1:1 transfer ratios. Other ThankYou-earning cards like the Double Cash, Custom Cash, and Strata transfer at a reduced 0.7:1 ratio.
Yes. You can combine all ThankYou points into one account, either on the ThankYou website or by calling. If you combine points into a Strata Premier, Strata Elite, or Prestige account, all combined points unlock 1:1 transfer ratios to airline and hotel partners.
No, ThankYou points do not expire as long as your account is open and in good standing. However, if you transfer points to another ThankYou member (up to 100,000 per calendar year), the received points expire 90 days after transfer.
The Citi quadfecta maximizes earning across categories: Strata Premier (3x dining, gas, groceries, airfare, hotels), Strata card (3x transit + 3x self-select category), Custom Cash (5x on top category up to $500/month), and Double Cash (2x on everything). All points pool to the premium card for 1:1 transfers at minimal annual fees.
Citi periodically offers transfer bonuses of 15-30% to select airline and hotel partners. These are limited-time promotions that give you extra miles or points when transferring. Common bonus partners include Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Avianca LifeMiles, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and Wyndham Rewards.
| Source | Verified | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Citi | — | Citi |
| NerdWallet | — | NerdWallet |
| Citi | Citi: Multiple card facts | |
| RewardsCC API | — | RewardsCC API |
| Citi | — | Citi |
| Citi | — | Citi |
| Citi | Citi: Multiple card facts |
Trip Delay, Trip Cancellation/Interruption, Lost/Damaged Luggage, and MasterRental Coverage — see each benefit for its own coverage limit.
Free access to view your FICO credit score through your Citi account with monthly updates and no impact to your score when checking.
Enjoy $0 liability on unauthorized purchases made with your card when reported promptly protecting you from fraudulent transactions.
Extends manufacturer's warranty by up to 24 months on eligible purchases with original warranties of 7 years or less up to $10,000 per item.
| 1:1 |
| up to 2 weeks |
| — |
| — |
| 1:1 | up to 2 weeks | 88% | — |
| 1:1 | up to 2 weeks | 81% | 1.3 cpp |
| 1:1 | up to 2 weeks | 81% | 1.3 cpp |
| 1:1 | up to 2 weeks | 81% | 1.35 cpp |
| 1:1 | up to 2 weeks | 75% | 1.25 cpp |
| 1:1 | up to 2 weeks | 75% | — |
| 1:1 | up to 2 weeks | 69% | 1.2 cpp |
| 1:1 | up to 2 weeks | 63% | — |
| Partner | Ratio | Transfer Time | Value Retained | Point Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:1 | up to 2 weeks | — | 0.7 cpp | |
| 1:2 | up to 2 weeks | — | 0.5 cpp | |
| 5:1 | up to 2 weeks | 100% | — | |
| 2:3 | up to 2 weeks | 88% | 0.8 cpp | |
| 2:1 | up to 2 weeks | 69% | 2.3 cpp |
| Partner | Ratio | Transfer Time | Value Retained | Point Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:1 | instant | — | — | |
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1:1 | up to 2 weeks | — | — |
Turkish Miles And Smiles | 1:1 | up to 2 weeks | — | — |
Air France Klm Flying Blue | 1:1 | up to 2 weeks | 81% | — |
The program rewards planners. If you prefer booking direct with hotels to earn elite status, the portal-heavy design will feel limiting.
The Strata Premier is the entry-level premium card in Citi's lineup. It enables full 1:1 transfers for points earned on no-fee Citi cards.
Common pairings:
- Citi Custom Cash: 5X on your top spending category up to $500 per month. Move those points to the Strata Premier for 1:1 transfers. - Citi Double Cash: 2X on everything. It becomes a 2X transferable-earning card when paired with the Strata Premier. - Citi Strata Elite: The $595 premium option with lounge access and a higher annual fee. Most users should start with the Premier unless they value the Elite's extras.
The combination of Custom Cash (5X rotating), Double Cash (2X base), and Strata Premier (3X categories + 1:1 transfers) is Citi's answer to the Chase trifecta. The annual cost is just the Premier's $95 fee if you hold the other two as no-annual-fee cards.
The Strata Premier makes sense if you treat the $100 hotel credit as money you would spend anyway on a $500+ Citi Travel stay. At that point, the effective annual fee drops to negative $5 before counting the welcome bonus or ongoing 3X earning.
The math is straightforward: spend $1,000 per month across the 3X categories and you earn 36,000 points per year, worth about $576 toward travel at 1.6 cents per point. Against a $95 fee, that is a strong return for a card with no category tracking beyond the bonus list.
The catch is the portal requirement. If you book hotels directly to earn elite status, the 10X and the $100 credit are harder to use. After year one, the card's value depends on how much Citi Travel you actually use. For our household, it is a solid everyday earner and a cheap way to keep ThankYou Points transferable; it is not a premium travel experience card.
Merchants this card gives you a statement credit or membership at. Unlike the brands above, this isn't about earn rate — it's money the card hands back when you spend there.
Brands where this card's earn-rate structure makes it a strong choice. Open a brand for the full ranked list.
