The Citi Strata℠ Card (see rates and fees) is a popular starter card with no annual fee and a good entry point into the Citi ThankYou Rewards ecosystem.

Paying the annual fee on the Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees) can be worth it if you want to elevate your travel. The card offers higher earning rates in key bonus categories and better access to Citi’s airline transfer partners.

Consider the following reasons as to why you should upgrade from the Citi Strata to the Strata Premier.

Earn more ThankYou Rewards points

As a no-annual-fee card, the Citi Strata earns:

• 5 points per dollar spent on attractions, car rentals and hotels booked through Citi Travel
• 3 points per dollar spent on electric vehicle charging stations, gas stations, select transit and supermarkets
• 3 points per dollar spent on an eligible self-selected category (which you can change quarterly)
• 2 points per dollar spent at restaurants

However, the Strata Premier offers higher earning rates and slightly different bonus categories. They include the following:

• 10 points per dollar spent on attractions, car rentals and hotels booked through Citi Travel
• 3 points per dollar spent on air travel, EV charging stations, gas purchases, hotels (booked outside of Citi Travel), restaurants and supermarkets

The Strata Premier is a more travel-centric card. It earns more on select Citi Travel purchases, plus airfares and hotels booked outside of Citi Travel. Frequent travelers may find the Citi Strata even more rewarding.

Upgrading also bumps up bonus-earning on restaurants to 3 points per dollar spent from 2 points per dollar spent, which can add up over the year.

Related: Should you book hotels through Citi Travel?

Your ThankYou points are more valuable

By upgrading the Citi Strata, you can earn more ThankYou points and unlock better value for your hard-earned points.

Both cards can transfer ThankYou points to Citi’s 22 transfer partners, including high-value options like American Airlines AAdvantage, Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. The Strata Premier has a slight advantage; it can transfer points to most partners at a ratio of 1:1.

The Citi Strata can only transfer at a ratio of 1:0.7 for most partners. Regardless of the partner you’re considering, the Strata card will always have a worse transfer ratio than the Strata Premier.

This makes a big difference when considering transferring tens of thousands of points to secure a sought-after business-class ticket.

When leveraging transfer partners with the Strata Premier, you can get more than 1.9 cents per point (based on TPG’s September 2025 valuations). I consistently get between 4 and 9 cents per point when transferring points to a partner airline for a business-class redemption.

Related: Strata, Premier or Elite: How to choose a Citi Strata credit card

More valuable benefits

Even with the $95 annual fee, the Strata Premier offers additional benefits that help justify its cost every year. Two significant benefits you can maximize are:

• $100 annual hotel credit: A $100 credit once per year for single-stay hotel bookings of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) made through Citi Travel
• World Elite Mastercard benefits: The Citi Strata Premier offers several travel-related perks, including a $5 monthly Lyft credit after taking three rides in a calendar month (offer ends Jan. 31, 2026), a three-month trial of Instacart+ with a new subscription and $10 off your second eligible Instacart purchase each month (offer ends Jan. 31, 2027) and access to the Mastercard luxury hotels and resorts portfolio for on-property perks like complimentary breakfast and room upgrades (upon availability)

Since the Strata Premier is a more premium card than the Citi Strata, you also get access to Citi’s curated collection of hotels and will receive elitelike benefits when booking through Citi Travel.

As a Strata Premier cardholder, you’ll receive the following travel protections:

• Car rental coverage
• Lost or damaged luggage protection
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Trip delay coverage

This is more comprehensive coverage than you’ll receive from the no-annual-fee Strata card.

Related: Citi’s Hotel Collection and The Reserve: Get free breakfast and premium perks

Consider applying rather than upgrading

If you truly want to maximize your points-earning, consider applying for the Strata Premier instead of upgrading from the Citi Strata card.

For starters, new Strata Premier cardholders earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. Based on TPG’s valuations, the welcome offer is worth $1,140.

If you upgrade a Citi Strata card, you will not earn a welcome offer. This card’s welcome bonus is also not available if you’ve received a new account bonus for a Citi Premier or Citi Strata Premier account in the past 48 months.

You also won’t be able to earn it if you’ve converted another Citi credit card account on which you earned a new account bonus in the last 48 months into a Premier or Strata Premier card.

As long as you can qualify for the Strata Premier’s welcome bonus, it’s worth considering whether applying for the card is a better strategy than getting it through an upgrade.

By keeping the Strata card instead of upgrading it, you can use the Strata and Strata Premier together to maximize points-earning across more categories.

For example, you can put select transit and eligible self-selected category purchases on the Citi Strata and all other travel and restaurant purchases on the Strata Premier card.

Bottom line

The benefits and earning potential of the Strata Premier will most likely outweigh the cost of the annual fee and present better long-term value than the Citi Strata card.

In general, the best benefits you’ll receive are the ability to transfer points to the majority of partners at a 1:1 ratio and travel-focused bonus categories.

Evaluate what’s in your wallet to ensure that you’re always getting the maximum value possible, which may mean an upgrade is on the horizon.

To learn more, read our full review of the Citi Strata and Strata Premier.

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Apply here: Strata Premier

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Citi cardholders can redeem their Citi ThankYou Rewards points for gift cards or bookings through the Citi Travel portal. However, to maximize your hard-earned points, we recommend transferring them to airline and hotel partners.

Citi has 22 transfer partners, split between 15 airline loyalty programs, five hotel programs, the Virgin Red rewards club and one retail program.

Let’s discuss Citi ThankYou transfer partners and how to best maximize your points for great redemptions.

Citi transfer partner overview

Here is a list of Citi’s transfer partners and their transfer ratios:

Occasionally, a transfer bonus may be offered, in which you can score a higher ratio when transferring your ThankYou Rewards points.

How to Transfer Citi ThankYou Rewards points

To transfer your Citi ThankYou points, you must first go to ThankYou.com and sign in just as you would for your Citi credit card account. Next, click ‘Travel’ at the top navigation bar and select ‘Points transfer.’ You must transfer in increments of 1,000 ThankYou points, but cannot transfer more than 500,000 points in one transaction.

Although transfers to most partners are instant, some can take more time. Citi states that a transfer can take up to 14 days to process; however, the longest we’ve seen a transfer take is six days.

It’s also important to note that the name on your loyalty account must match the name on your Citi card. In some instances, a middle name or initial on the credit card account can hold up the transfer to the partner if the same initial or name is not present.

Additionally, note that transfers are irreversible.

What are the best Citi ThankYou Rewards transfer partners?

Not all transfer partners are alike, and although Citi ThankYou points can transfer to 22 partners, some are better than others. Ideally, the best partner for you is based on which airlines you fly often and to which destinations you fly.

It’s also important to remember that some programs have sweet spots that can help you maximize your rewards and get the best value when transferring.

Here’s a rundown of our favorite Citi ThankYou transfer partners.

Related: Best ways to redeem Citi ThankYou points

American Airlines AAdvantage

Citi recently added the AAdvantage program as a transfer partner to Citi ThankYou, which is an amazing development. The AAdvantage program has a great partner award chart with several sweet spots for points and miles enthusiasts.

You can transfer your Citi ThankYou points at a 1:1 ratio if you’re a cardholder of select Citi cards. One of the best ways to redeem AAdvantage miles is to fly between the U.S. and Japan on JAL for just 60,000 miles one-way in business class or 80,000 miles one-way in first class.

With JAL deploying several of their new Airbus A350 planes on U.S. routes, this can be a great way to experience a phenomenal business or first-class product for a relatively low cost compared to other programs.

Related: Huge suites and phenomenal amenities: A review of Japan Airlines’ new A350 first class

Book flights to Europe on Air France-KLM Flying Blue

Air France-KLM Flying Blue is a popular program that has become even more lucrative over the years. In 2023, the program standardized saver-level redemptions to Europe and added free stopovers on award tickets. This is one of Citi’s top airline transfer partners.

In January 2025, the program slightly increased saver-level award prices — but availability has also increased, which is good news to any avid traveler. Saver-level business class seats start at 60,000 miles one-way, and Flying Blue offers a free stopover program, so you can explore two places for the price of one.

While the program does use dynamic award pricing when there is no saver-level space and adds fuel surcharges for award flights (which can be quite high on some routes), you can still snag a good deal. We recommend checking out Flying Blue’s monthly Promo Rewards to possibly lock in an even lower award flight price.

Related: How to find the cheapest redemption rates using Flying Blue miles

Fly from the US to Italy or Greece on Emirates Skywards

Emirates Skywards is the most straightforward way to book business-class or first-class award tickets on the ever-popular and opulent carrier. A fun and unique way to fly the carrier is through its fifth-freedom routes between the U.S. and Europe.

For example, you could fly between John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) or Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Athens International Airport (ATH). You can fly from JFX to MXP at the following rates:

• Economy Saver: 17,500 miles
• Business Saver: 87,000 miles
• First Flex Plus: 102,000 miles

You can also fly between Bogota’s El Dorado International Airport (BOG) and Miami International Airport (MIA) for 52,500 miles one-way in business class on Emirates’ latest fifth-freedom route.

Note that to redeem miles for Emirates first-class, you must be a Skywards Platinum, Gold or Silver status. However, TPG does have a handy hack on how to book a premium seat on this airline without status.

While booking these tickets will cost you slightly more Citi points due to the 5:4 transfer ratio, booking a nonstop economy seat to Milan by transferring 22,000 Citi points is still a really good deal.

Related: The complete guide to the Emirates A380 onboard bar and lounge

Qatar Airways Privilege Club

Qatar Airways Privilege Club isn’t the most popular program, but it’s the best way to book the coveted Qsuite business-class product. Privilege Club releases more space to its own program than it does to partner loyalty programs — plus the redemption rates from the U.S. to the Middle East are not bad, starting at 70,000 Avios for nonpeak travel.

Thankfully, since the program moved to using Avios as its loyalty currency, you can combine your Avios across other programs that use the same currency, which includes British Airways Club, Iberia Club, Finnair Plus, Loganair Loyalty and Aer Lingus AerClub.

Related: Quick Points: Book Qatar Qsuite before anyone else

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer is the best way to book Singapore Airlines first-class. If you’re flying on the carrier’s Airbus A380, you’ll be in for a treat as the first-class suite offers maximal privacy — and if booking two seats, you can combine them to give you and your travel partner even more space.

At the saver level, you can book a first-class suite for as little as 45,000 KrisFlyer miles when flying to Hong Kong or up to 141,000 miles when flying to London. Best of all, the KrisFlyer program allows you to waitlist if an award isn’t available.

If premium cabin rates seem high and you’re looking for a deal, the monthly KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes program offers value.

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

The Turkish Miles&Smiles program has been a favorite among award travelers for years; however, with a major devaluation last year, the program has lost some appeal. There is still some value in the program, though, especially if you want to book domestic flights on United Airlines through Turkish Miles&Smiles.

For example, you can book a one-way domestic ticket for as low as 10,000 miles in economy or 15,000 miles in business on United Airlines within the U.S., including Hawaii.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has been a favorite of award travelers, and although the program switched to dynamic pricing for Virgin Atlantic-operated flights, there are more opportunities to fly between the U.S. and London for cheap in Upper Class.

For example, you can fly in business class on Virgin Atlantic from the East Coast to London for less than 30,000 miles one-way or less than 50,000 miles from the West Coast.

Related: How to book Delta award flights with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points

What are Citi ThankYou points worth?

According to TPG’s August 2025 valuations, Citi points are worth 1.9 cents each. Transferring your points to an airline or hotel partner will give you the best value and the chance of maximizing the value of your Citi points far beyond 1.9 cents each.

You can book travel through Citi’s own travel portal — but at most, you’ll only earn 1 cent per point, so it’s not the greatest option for maximizing points. There are additional ways to redeem points, such as purchasing gift cards, shopping with points and cash back; however, these will not get you the best value, and we’d recommend avoiding them if you want to maximize your points.

TPG credit card writer Danyal Ahmed is a Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees) cardholder and likes to utilize several of Citi’s transfer partners to maximize his points.

For example, Danyal recently redeemed 70,000 Citi ThankYou points to book a one-way flight between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) on Qatar Airways. Since the cash fare was almost $9,200, he got a value of 13.1 cents per point.

Related: Qatar Airways Qsuite review: Still setting the standard for business class (and a mileage sweet spot)

How to earn Citi ThankYou points?

You can earn transferable Citi ThankYou Rewards points with some Citi credit cards, including:

Keep in mind, not all ThankYou points have the same value. To transfer Citi ThankYou points to most partners described in this guide, you must hold a premium Citi ThankYou card such as the Citi Strata Elite, Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available to applications) or the Citi Strata Premier. For example, to transfer points to AAdvantage, you must hold either one of these three cards

If you have the Citi Strata Card, Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees) or the Citi Custom Cash® Card you can transfer to most partners, but at much lower transfer ratios

However, if you also hold a premium Citi card, you can combine your ThankYou points and then transfer points to partners at a 1:1 ratio.

The information for the Citi Custom Cash and Citi Prestige cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom line

Although there are plenty of transfer partners with whom you can use your Citi ThankYou points, not all of them are useful or worthwhile. We recommend researching the destinations you want to visit and which frequent flyer programs and hotels you can use. Based on that, you must determine which loyalty program to use, because some can be quite complicated.

Overall, some effort and time are required to maximize your hard-earned points and get the most out of your transferred points.

Related: Citi Strata Premier Card review: Valuable earning rates on top spending categories

Citi is a TPG advertising partner.

What a year 2025 is shaping up to be for premium rewards credit cards. And as a fan of these products, I love the competition.

First, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) underwent a top-to-bottom transformation, and Chase also launched its first-ever premium business card — the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees). We also know that The Platinum Card® from American Express is on the verge of undergoing its own refresh later this year, and that Bilt Rewards just announced it will be offering a three-tiered assortment of new cards — including a premium card.

If you are keeping count, and you love these cards and their perks as much as I do, you might start to wonder what Citi might have up its sleeve as the other major players actively compete for wallet space in the lucrative premium card market.

Thanks to Citi’s recent earnings call, we now have at least one clue as to its next move.

Citi to launch an all-new premium rewards credit card

At some point this quarter (so by Sept. 30), Citi will launch a new premium credit card, the Citi Strata Elite, according to remarks made on the bank’s July 15 earnings call.

The new Citi Strata Elite card is said to be joining Citi’s group of rewards products at some point in the coming months in order to appeal to “affluent customers.” So while Citi has not shared the exact annual fee that will come with this card, it feels safe to assume it is likely to be in the range of the annual fees of other premium cards, which are largely now in the approximately $400-$800 range.

And while details about the card’s benefits were not released, we do know that this is not Citi’s first foray into the world of premium rewards credit cards.

Looking to Citi’s premium card past to inform its future

The Citi Prestige® Card, which is no longer available to new applicants, is a premium card that earns Citi ThankYou Rewards points. It was available through 2021 — though existing cardholders have been able to keep it in their wallets.

It has some rewarding bonus categories — such as 5 points per dollar spent on airfare, restaurants and travel agencies — offers a cool fourth-hotel-night-free perk, a $250 annual travel credit and Priority Pass membership.

While the card certainly had its fans, especially those who could maximize that fourth-hotel-night-free perk, it was missing a few key perks compared to other major players in the premium card space, such as American Express, Chase and Capital One. Namely, it didn’t offer any proprietary lounge access and was more limited in its unique transfer partners within the Citi ThankYou Rewards lineup.

The information for the Citi Prestige and Citi Strata Elite Card have been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

What I hope to see from Citi’s new premium credit card

Naturally, as with any new credit card, I’m hoping for a big welcome bonus. For reference, the bank’s mid-tier $95-per-year Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees) is currently offering 60,000 points with $4,000 in spending in the first three months, so I hope the bonus for this all-new card will come in higher than that.

But beyond that, I’d love some uniquely rewarding bonus categories that aren’t already offered on the long list of other rewards cards. For example, the last thing I need is another card offering 2 or 3 bonus points per dollar spent on dining and travel.

To help offset the annual fee, I’d like to see a limited number of high-value but easy-to-use credits that don’t require a lot of thought and effort (as in, not a complicated “coupon book” approach).

And while it might be a tall order, I’d really love Citi to now address some of the gaps that it had last time it had a proprietary premium rewards card.

Namely, it would be great to see the card offer some sort of unique lounge access and/or transfer partners that are hard or impossible to replicate elsewhere. Access to new or additional airport lounges — and even their grab-and-go younger siblings — is always great news, so I’d love to see Citi offer unique lounge access beyond the Priority Pass benefit it had with its previous premium card.

Additionally, the Citi ThankYou Rewards program itself is a step behind competitors, especially for those who like to lean into U.S.-based airline and hotel programs. TPG’s July 2025 valuations have Citi ThankYou Rewards points at 1.85 cents per point, which places it behind Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards and Bilt Rewards. The vast majority of its partners also work with other banks.

There was a brief moment in time when Citi had American Airlines as a transfer partner, and the bank touted its “wonderful relationship” with American Airlines in its recent earnings call. In addition, a Citi spokesperson offered TPG the following statement in December 2024, when it was announced that the bank would become the exclusive issuer of American cobranded cards (emphasis ours):

“The expansion and extension of our relationship with American Airlines will positively impact our existing and new customer base as we introduce new products and benefits in the future and produce expanded loyalty and rewards offerings for AAdvantage® members and Citi-branded cardmembers. We are not sharing specifics at this time. Stay tuned.”

Finally, implementing some sort of unique hotel perk or new travel benefit that other premium rewards cards don’t offer would also help carve out a differentiated space for the Citi Strata Elite.

Bottom line

Citi is gearing up to launch a new premium card — the Citi Strata Elite — sometime in the coming months. Details are scant, but given the issuer’s previous premium product, we have hopes based on how the card might be able to carve out its own niche in the hot premium card space.

Stay tuned to TPG, where we will update you as soon as more details become available.