Key takeaways
- The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card gives a considerably larger welcome bonus and extra alternatives for cardholders to earn rewards.
- The Citi Rewards+® Card doesn’t cost annual charges and gives a singular round-up characteristic for level incomes.
- Citi Strata Premier gives extra helpful advantages, however the $95 annual charge and lack of intro APR supply make it a pricier possibility.
Citi is an promoting accomplice
For those who’re on the lookout for an on a regular basis rewards card so as to add to your pockets, the Citi Rewards+ Card and the Citi Strata Premier Card would possibly each be in your radar. Each playing cards are low-maintenance choices that provide rewards in fashionable classes, in addition to versatile redemptions. Nonetheless, they aim relatively various kinds of cardholders.
On this information, we’ll examine the playing cards’ phrases, advantages, redemption choices and extra. Be taught what every card gives to find out whether or not it’s best to apply for the Citi Rewards+ or the Citi Strata Premier.
Important particulars
| Playing cards | Citi Rewards+ | Citi Strata Premier |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | 20,000 bonus factors after you spend $1,500 in purchases throughout the first 3 months of account opening | 70,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 in purchases throughout the first 3 months of account opening |
| Rewards charge |
|
|
| Intro APR | 0% intro APR for 15 months (from the date of account opening) on purchases and stability transfers (18.74% to twenty-eight.74% variable APR after) | None; 21.24% to 29.24% variable APR |
| Annual charge | $0 | $95 |
Citi Rewards+ vs. Citi Strata Premier highlights
To decide on between two playing cards, it’s a good suggestion to check every of their elements aspect by aspect. Let’s begin with rewards and a few frequent charges.
Welcome bonus winner
Rewards charge winner
Overseas transaction charge winner
Which card earns probably the most?
With such numerous bonus classes, the Citi Strata Premier gives extra alternatives for cardholders to earn rewards in comparison with the Citi Rewards+.
Citi Strata Premier vs. Citi Rewards+ spending instance
For example, let’s use the next month-to-month funds:
- $500 on groceries
- $200 at eating places
- $350 on flights
- $150 on gasoline
- $100 on miscellaneous purchases
The Citi Rewards+ will earn you 1,000 factors at supermarkets, 200 factors on eating, 350 factors on flights, 300 factors on gasoline and 100 factors on different purchases. In complete, you’ll get 1,950 factors for the month redeemable for $19.50 in reward playing cards. In fact, this instance doesn’t contemplate the “spherical up” characteristic because it relies on the precise value of your purchases. To account for it, let’s say you earn an additional 550 factors from rounding up, which brings your complete factors for the month to 2,500 price $25 in reward playing cards.
In the identical situation, the Citi Strata Premier will earn you 1,500 factors at supermarkets, 600 factors on eating, 1,050 factors on air journey, 450 factors on gasoline and 100 factors on different eligible purchases. That’s a complete of three,700 factors monthly valued at $37 in reward playing cards and maybe extra for those who switch these factors to a journey accomplice.
Right here’s a chart that can assist you visualize this spending situation and the rewards:
| Class | Month-to-month spending | Citi Rewards+ | Citi Strata Premier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries | $500 | 1,000 factors | 1,500 factors |
| Eating places | $200 | 200 factors | 600 factors |
| Flights | $350 | 350 factors | 1,050 factors |
| Fuel | $150 | 300 factors | 450 factors |
| Miscellaneous | $100 | 100 factors | 100 factors |
| Month-to-month complete | $1,300 | 2,500 factors (1,950 factors plus 550 “spherical up” factors) | 3,700 factors |
Why must you get the Citi Strata Premier?
For those who’re an occasional traveler and wish the flexibleness to redeem factors for money again, the Citi Strata Premier could be a good selection.
Extra advantages
One of the crucial distinguished Citi Strata Premier advantages is its annual $100 resort financial savings perk. You should use this low cost on a single resort keep of $500 or extra per yr (excluding taxes and costs) once you use your Citi Strata Premier card and e book by CitiTravel.com.
Moreover, the Citi Strata Premier gives just a few journey insurance coverage advantages. These embrace journey cancellation/interruption protection, journey delay and misplaced or broken baggage insurance coverage, and automobile rental insurance coverage. The cardboard gives a few buying safety perks, together with prolonged guarantee and buy safety.
Lastly, as a cardholder, you additionally obtain entry to World Elite Mastercard advantages, corresponding to:
- ShopRunner membership
- $5 Lyft credit score (as soon as monthly) for those who take at the least three rides a month
- Three free months of DoorDash DashPass and $5 off your first order every month (phrases apply)
- World Elite Concierge
- Zero legal responsibility safety
- Mastercard ID Theft Safety
Redemption choices
As is the case with many journey playing cards, you’re more likely to get the most effective redemption worth for those who switch ThankYou factors to one in every of Citi’s journey companions. You possibly can aso redeem your factors as money again at 1 cent per level within the type of reward playing cards, assertion credit, direct deposit or a verify.
Extra choices might differ in worth and embrace:
- Fee credit on mortgages, scholar loans or on-line invoice pay
- Buying with Amazon and Finest Purchase
- Charity contributions
Really helpful credit score rating
Most journey bank cards require good to glorious credit score, and Citi Strata Premier is not any exception. Which means to qualify for the cardboard, you desire a credit score rating of at the least 670.
Why must you get the Citi Rewards+?
For those who don’t journey usually or would favor a card with out annual charges, the Citi Rewards+ may be a greater possibility.
Extra advantages
With the cardboard’s round-up characteristic, it’s straightforward to maximise the Citi Rewards+ worth. You’ll additionally get 10 % factors again once you redeem (as much as the primary 100,000 factors redeemed yearly).
Additional, the cardboard gives a 0 % intro APR for 15 months on purchases and stability transfers. After that, the variable APR of 18.74 to twenty-eight.74 % kicks in. For stability transfers, you’ll pay an introductory stability switch charge of three % per switch ($5 minimal) accomplished throughout the first 4 months of account opening. After that, the charge jumps to five % of every switch ($5 minimal). Notice that it’s essential to full stability transfers within the first 4 months of account opening.
Redemption choices
The Citi Rewards+ will get you related redemptions choices as with the Citi Strata Premier, together with:
- Money again and assertion credit
- Present playing cards
- Fee credit, together with mortgages, scholar loans or on-line invoice pay
- Buying with Amazon and Finest Purchase
- Charity contributions
- Journey by Citi
The purpose worth ranges from 0.5 to 1 cent apiece. Notice that whilst you can switch your factors to a restricted variety of companions together with JetBlue TrueBlue, Alternative Privileges and Wyndham Rewards, the switch ratios on the Citi Rewards+ make this redemption possibility much less helpful. For instance, 1,000 ThankYou factors solely yield you 800 factors with Wyndham Rewards or JetBlue TrueBlue with this card (in comparison with the 1:1 ratio with the Citi Strata Premier). And 1,000 ThankYou factors get you 1,500 Alternative Privileges factors. With the Citi Strata Premier, you’d get 2,000 factors.
Really helpful credit score rating
Like with the Citi Strata Premier, you’ll want to glorious credit score rating (at the least 670) to qualify for the Citi Rewards+.
The underside line
So far as journey playing cards go, the Citi Strata Premier has extra to supply than the Citi Rewards+. With the Citi Strata Premier, you’ll get higher rewards charges and redemption choices, in addition to extra advantages. Nonetheless, for those who’re not able to decide to a card with annual charges, the Citi Rewards+ could also be a strong various.
