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Department of Defense Travel Card Benefits

Progress informed from the past, and inspired by the future, cardholder guide.

Official travel for the Department of Defense just became easier with the Citi Department of Defense Travel Card. When you are preparing to use your new card, please read What To Do When I First Receive My New Card . For more information regarding your new card, please read the Department of Defense Cardholder Guide .

Department of Defense Travel Insurance

As a cardholder, you will receive global travel accident and lost luggage insurance so you feel safe and secure wherever you travel with a Citi ® Commercial Card.

• Travel Accident Insurance Guide
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MasterCard Guide to Benefits

Visa Guide to Benefits

In addition to the card benefits provided by Citi, Visa provides card benefits such as Car Rental Insurance and Travel and Emergency Assistance. For full details, please read the Visa Guide to Benefits .

Travel Tips

For more information on your Citi Department of Defense Travel Card, please read What to do Before, During and After travel .

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Citi's global online tool, CitiManager ® , enables you to manage business expenses from anywhere around the globe from your computer or mobile device; you can view statements online, confirm account balances, sign up for email and SMS alerts, and much more. If you have not already signed up for the CitiManager ® tool, please log on to www.citimanager.com/login and click on the 'Self registration for Cardholders' link. From there, follow the prompts to establish your account.

For more information on the CitiManager ® tool, view our CitiManager ® Cardholder Quick Reference Guide .

Introduction to the Citi Travel Portal

Accessing the citi travel portal, citi credit cards that earn thankyou points, what to know about the citi travel portal, citi travel portal: your guide to booking and rewards.

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate credit cards to write unbiased product reviews .

The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, Citi Prestige® Card, Citi Custom Cash℠ Card, Citi® Double Cash Card, Citi Rewards+® Card. The details for these products have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.

• If you have a Citi credit card that earns ThankYou points, you can book your travel with them.
• The Citi Travel Portal is like an online travel agency, allowing you to make bookings with ease.
• You can pay with points (worth 1 cent each), your Citi credit card, or a combination of both.

Citi ThankYou Rewards is a flexible points program that allows you to earn points from eligible Citi credit cards and banking products. You can redeem points in a number of ways, including for travel, cash back, or gift cards.

One of the best ways to use points is for travel, either by transferring Citi ThankYou points to airline partners for award flights (only available with certain Citi credit cards), or through an even easier option available to all program members — the Citi Travel portal.

Citi Travel recently got a big overhaul, and it's now partnered with Booking.com and powered by Rocket Travel by Agoda technology. Here's what to know about the new Citi Travel portal and what to expect if you decide to book.

Overview of the Portal

The Citi Travel Portal is an online travel booking platform that works in a similar way to Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) like Orbitz or Expedia. You can search for flights, hotels, rental cars, and attractions based on your destination, travel dates, and other preferences, and you have the option to pay with Citi ThankYou points, your Citi card, or a combination of both.

Benefits of Booking Through the Portal

Although Citi Travel doesn't get as much attention as American Express Travel or the Chase Ultimate Rewards® Travel Portal , it has many of the same benefits:

• You can book travel with no blackout dates
• There's no need to worry about loyalty program award charts or availability 
• Your points are worth a flat 1 cent each toward travel, and you can combine them with cash if you don't have enough for a booking
• You'll still earn airline miles and elite-qualifying miles when you book flights, even when you pay entirely with points
• It's possible to pool Citi points from different credit cards (or even share with friends and family who have Citi ThankYou accounts)

A downside to using the Citi Travel Portal is you won't earn points or elite status credit for hotel stays, and you might not have your elite status recognized because it's considered a third-party booking.

If you're looking for the easiest way to cash in Citi points for travel, the Citi ThankYou Travel Portal is a better choice for most people. That said, it's possible to get more than 1 cent per point in value if you skip the Citi Portal and instead transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio to an airline or hotel partner for award travel — but that involves more legwork.

The full range of partners is available if you have the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card or Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available to new applicants). Otherwise, JetBlue, Choice, and Wyndham are the only airline and hotel options, with a reduced transfer ratio.

How to Log In

To access the Citi Travel Portal, you must be a Citi customer with a ThankYou rewards account. Once you sign in to your Citi account online and click the "View/Redeem" button in the rewards section, you'll land on a screen with several redemption options. Click "Book Travel" in the lower left-hand corner.

Alternatively, you can get to the same screen by signing in with your Citi login details at ThankYou.com . 

Once you click "Book Travel," you'll be prompted to select the Citi card account you want to book with if you have multiple Citi cards. Then you'll land on the main Citi Travel search screen.

How to Book Flights with Citi Travel

To search for flights, click the "Flights" tab and enter your departure and destination airport and dates of travel. You'll also have options to select round-trip or one-way flights, class of service, number of passengers, and if you prefer non-stop flights. Then hit "Search."

Next, you'll see a list of flight search results — starting with your outbound flight — which you can sort by price, number of stops, departure time, arrival time, duration, or "best overall" (cheap, short flights). On the left sidebar, there are also filters for the departure and arrival times, airline, number of stops, price range, and total journey duration. To choose a flight, click on the "Select" button, then repeat the process for your return leg if you've searched for a round-trip itinerary.

Once you've selected your flights, you'll be prompted to enter passenger details and will be given options to upgrade your fare (most folks will skip this step). Then, on the final booking screen, you'll have the opportunity to select your payment method — either using your Citi card, ThankYou points, or a combination of both. 

How to Book Hotels with Citi Travel

The process of finding a hotel to book through the Citi Travel portal is similar to searching for flights. After selecting the "Hotels" option from the main menu, enter your destination, stay dates, and the number of guests in the search fields.

The results page allows you to sort by property class, price, distance, hotel name, and recommended results. You can filter by price, class, TripAdvisor rating, amenities, nearby landmarks, and even hotels offering deals. One useful feature is the ability to quickly identify properties that have discounted rates by looking for the "Sale" flag in the corner of the hotel listing. 

To find out more about the hotel you're interested in, click on the hotel name and you'll be shown different bed options, rate types with cancellation policies, and available packages (breakfast included, for instance) if applicable. Select "Check out" next to the room you want to book. You'll then be asked for guest details (name, address, phone number, and email).

Once you've entered your information, you'll come to the final booking screen where, again, you can choose your method of payment.

How to Rent a Car with Citi Travel

Searching for a car rental through Citi Travel is similarly easy. Once you've clicked "Cars" on the main menu, enter your pick-up location (you can select a different drop-off location if needed), rental dates and times, and the driver's age.

The results list allows you to sort by price, rental company, or car type. 

Once you find a car you like, click on its listing to learn more about the rental and enter the driver's name and details.

On the final booking screen, you'll choose your method of payment — again, your Citi card, ThankYou points, or a combination of both.

How to Book Attractions Through Citi Travel

Select the "Attractions" tab on the main search page, and enter the city name where you want to search.

Depending on the destination, you'll get a list of all kinds of activities — from tours and sightseeing tickets to airport transfers and excursions. 

When you click on the attraction, you'll get more details about what's included in the activity.

Click "See options" to choose your activity dates, times, and the number of participants. 

Once you select "Choose" you'll have the opportunity to enter your traveler details. Then, you'll be brought to the final booking screen where you can select your payment method.

Before you choose between booking through the Citi Portal or transferring points to a partner for an award flight, be sure to compare the number of points required in each case — and verify that an award flight is actually available before you decide on that route.

Earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com. Earn 3X points per $1 on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations and EV charging stations. Earn 1X point per $1 on all other purchases.

21.24% - 29.24% variable

Earn 75,000 bonus points

Good to Excellent

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Earn 3x points on most travel, restaurants, gas/EV charging, and supermarkets
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Earn 10x points on hotels, rental cars, and attractions booked via Citi Travel
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. $100 annual hotel credit on a single stay of $500 or more
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No foreign transaction fees
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Trip delay/interruption benefits and lost/damaged baggage coverage
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Has an annual fee
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Citi Travel rates often are higher than retail cost of travel

Citi offers several different cards that earn Citi ThankYou points:

• Citi Strata Premier℠ Card: Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening 
• Citi Custom Cash℠ Card : Earn $200 cash back, fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening 
• Citi® Double Cash Card
• Citi Rewards+® Card : Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,500 in the first three months of account opening 
• Citi Prestige® Card: No longer available to new applicants 

If you have the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, there's an additional incentive to book through the Citi ThankYou portal. Once per calendar year, cardholders can get $100 off a hotel stay of $500 or more (before taxes and fees) when they book through the Citi portal — whether the stay is booked with points, charged to the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, or a combination of both.

The Citi Travel Portal is a terrific tool if you're looking for a way to redeem points for flights, hotels, car rentals, and attractions without worrying about blackout dates or fussing with loyalty program award charts. You'll even earn frequent flyer miles and elite credits for flight bookings (but you won't earn hotel points or elite nights on hotel stays, because it's a third-party booking).

Anyone with an eligible Citi ThankYou credit card can redeem their points through the portal at a rate of 1 cent each. Or, if you don't have enough points to cover the entire booking, you can pay with your Citi card in combination with rewards to make up the difference.

Even though using the Citi Travel Portal is easy and convenient, it is usually possible to get more value from your Citi ThankYou points by transferring them to Citi's airline and hotel partners. This method requires jumping through more hoops and searching for award availability, so if you'd rather avoid that inconvenience, the Citi Travel Portal is an ideal booking method.

Citi cardholders can access the travel portal by logging into their online account and navigating to the travel section or directly through the Citi Travel website.

Yes, you can use your Citi points to book flights, hotels, car rentals, and more through the portal. Points can cover all or part of the booking cost.

Typically, bookings made through the portal using your Citi card will earn points according to your card's rewards program.

The portal does not usually charge additional booking fees, but it's always best to review the terms and conditions for any specific charges that may apply.

Yes, you can cancel or modify bookings, but the ability to do so without penalty depends on the specific terms of your booking. Always check the cancellation policy at the time of booking.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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Credit cards

Guide to Citi ThankYou travel portal

Carissa Rawson

Ashley Barnett

“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.

Robin Saks Frankel

Updated 12:52 p.m. UTC May 30, 2024

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Like other card issuers such as American Express , Capital One and Chase , Citi® maintains a travel portal through which cardholders can book hotels, rental cars, flights and activities. Whether or not this is a good idea depends on how you travel.

Let’s take a look at the Citi ThankYou® travel portal, how it works and who can access its booking features.

• The Citi ThankYou travel portal offers flights, hotels, rental cars and activities. 
• Eligible cardholders can earn elevated rewards on bookings through Citi travel.
• The Citi ThankYou travel portal provides access to extra hotel benefits via the Luxury Collection and the Hotel Collection.

How to book travel through the Citi travel portal

Booking travel through Citi’s portal is simple. First, you’ll want to navigate to the Citi ThankYou travel portal website . You’ll be prompted to sign in with your online account and choose which Citi card you’ll be using to book your travel. Once signed in, you’ll be directed to the travel portal’s home page.

From here, you can choose what type of travel you’re looking to book, whether that’s a hotel, flight, rental car or activity.

For example, if you were looking to book a hotel through the Citi ThankYou travel portal, you’d simply need to enter your destination, dates of travel and how many people you’re traveling with.

The portal will then pull up a page showing all the results that match your search. You can also check out what properties are available by using an interactive map. The search includes a long list of filters by which you can sort properties, including star rating, neighborhood, cancellation options, bed type, property amenities and hotel brand.

Once you’ve selected the travel you’re looking for, you’ll be taken through the checkout process. This includes providing personal and payment information, like your frequent flyer number for a flight.

Note that you’ll need to use your eligible Citi card to pay for your booking. It’s also during checkout that you can decide whether or not you’d like to redeem your Citi ThankYou points.

Once you’ve completed your booking, you’ll receive a confirmation email. You can also find your upcoming bookings within the travel portal via a drop-down menu in the upper right corner.

Who can use the portal?

The Citi ThankYou travel portal is available to cardholders who have the following Citi cards :

• Citi Premier® Card * The information for the Citi Premier® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
• Citi Rewards+® Card * The information for the Citi Rewards+® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
• Citi Double Cash® Card * The information for the Citi Double Cash® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
• Citi Custom Cash® Card * The information for the Citi Custom Cash® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
• Citi Prestige® Card (no longer open to new applicants).

Is the portal worth using?

The Citi ThankYou travel portal isn’t always the best way to book your travel. This is because it doesn’t offer a best-price guarantee, so the pricing you see on the portal may not reflect the lowest available prices.

There may also be an issue if you book hotels or rental cars through the Citi ThankYou travel portal and want to receive any elite status benefits. Generally speaking, hotel and rental car companies exclude third party bookings from elite status perks. This also means you won’t earn any bonus points or elite status credit from your bookings.

However, any flight you book through the Citi ThankYou travel portal will earn miles and will also be eligible for elite status benefits. But, if your plans change, you’ll need to negotiate with Citi travel rather than directly with the airline for your flights.

That being said, Citi heavily rewards those who choose to book within its travel portal. Depending on which card you hold, you can earn up to 10 Citi ThankYou points per $1 spent on eligible bookings through the travel portal (through June 30, 2024).

How to maximize your Citi travel benefits through the portal

Although the Citi ThankYou travel portal may not provide the best prices, there are two key benefits it offers that provide serious benefits. The first is the ability to book certain tickets and attractions through the portal.

This includes tickets to popular amusement parks such as Universal Studios Orlando.

Eligible cardholders can easily redeem their Citi ThankYou points for theme park tickets using this method. Those who hold the Citi Premier Card can also earn 10 points per $1 spent through June 30, 2024.

The second key benefit is that the Citi ThankYou travel portal offers access to the Luxury Collection and the Hotel Collection. Those with a Citi Prestige Card or a Citi Premier Card can book both of these options. The Luxury Collection mimics elite status benefits at high-end hotels and can provide room upgrades, a $100 experience credit, complimentary breakfast, late check-out and more. 

The Hotel Collection is available to all cardholders with access to the Citi ThankYou travel portal. Its benefits include daily breakfast, free Wi-Fi, early check-in and late check-out.

Quick guide to Citi ThankYou Rewards

Citi ThankYou Rewards can be earned from a variety of different credit cards, as we noted above. These points can be highly valuable, especially when they’re transferred to Citi’s hotel and airline partners. This is generally considered to be the best way to use your Citi points since you can score outsized value when redeeming your points for reward redemptions.

Other ways to redeem Citi ThankYou points include:

• Online shopping.
• Gift cards.
• The Citi ThankYou travel portal.
• Donations. 
• Statement credits. 
• Cash. 

You’ll always want to do the math before redeeming your points. For example, you’ll receive just one cent in value when redeeming your Citi points via the ThankYou travel portal, while choosing to transfer your points to a partner can yield a much higher value.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Yes, it’s possible to book a flight and use your Citi points to pay. There are a few different ways to do this. The first is to transfer your points over to any of Citi’s airline transfer partners. You can then make an award redemption for a flight.

The second is to book your flight using the Citi ThankYou travel portal and redeeming your Citi points to pay for it. This has the advantage of still earning airline miles on your ticket, but it doesn’t necessarily represent the best value for your points.

The third is to purchase an airline ticket using your card and then redeeming points as a statement credit. This last option typically provides the least value and should only be used in limited circumstances.

Citi ThankYou points can be redeemed in a variety of ways, including transfers, gift cards, statement credits and more. To do so, you’ll want to navigate to Citi’s ThankYou redemption site . Once you’ve signed in to your account, you’ll be able to redeem your points online.

Like many of the best credit cards , Citi has 14 airline transfer partners, including:

• Air France/KLM
• Turkish Airlines 
• Qatar Airways
• Virgin Atlantic
• Thai Airways
• Singapore Airlines
• Qantas Airways
• Cathay Pacific 

You can also use your Citi ThankYou points via the travel portal to book flights with many different airlines.

While it’s not necessary to tell Citi if you’re traveling internationally, it may be a good idea. Setting up a travel notice lets your bank know that you’ll be out of town. This, in turn, can help avoid your card being declined or flagged for fraud on unfamiliar charges.

If you’re booking travel on Expedia’s website, the only way to redeem your points is as a statement credit. You’ll first want to pay using your Citi card. Then, you can redeem those points against the purchase to wipe it away.

*The information for the Citi Custom Cash® Card, Citi Double Cash® Card, Citi Premier® Card and Citi Rewards+® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy . The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Carissa Rawson is a credit cards and award travel expert with nearly a decade of experience. You can find her work in a variety of publications, including Forbes Advisor, Business Insider, The Points Guy, Investopedia, and more. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her in your nearest airport lounge sipping a coffee before her next flight.

Ashley Barnett has been writing and editing personal finance articles for the internet since 2008. Before editing for USA TODAY Blueprint, she was the Content Director for an international media company leading the content on their suite of personal finance sites. She lives in Phoenix, AZ where you can find her rereading Harry Potter for the 100th time.

Robin Saks Frankel is a credit cards lead editor at USA TODAY Blueprint. Previously, she was a credit cards and personal finance deputy editor for Forbes Advisor. She has also covered credit cards and related content for other national web publications including NerdWallet, Bankrate and HerMoney. She's been featured as a personal finance expert in outlets including CNBC, Business Insider, CBS Marketplace, NASDAQ's Trade Talks and has appeared on or contributed to The New York Times, Fox News, CBS Radio, ABC Radio, NPR, International Business Times and NBC, ABC and CBS TV affiliates nationwide. She holds an M.S. in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University. Follow her on Twitter at @robinsaks.

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Citi Strata Premier credit card review: Valuable earning rates on top spending categories

Editor's Note

Citi is a TPG advertising partner.

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card overview

The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see rates and fees ) is an under-the-radar gem with a phenomenal range of bonus categories. While the card isn't as strong on the redemption side as similar offerings from Chase or Amex, the ability to earn 3 points per dollar on air travel, hotels, gas stations, EV charging, supermarkets and restaurants (including takeout) for just $95 a year is still a pretty great deal. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

* Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

The Citi Strata Premier Card is one of the best earners on a wide variety of everyday spending. It accrues 3 points per dollar with airlines, hotels, gas stations, EV charging, restaurants and supermarkets — an excellent slate of bonus categories for a card with a $95 annual fee.

Also, the points you earn with the Citi Strata Premier are among the most versatile rewards currencies and are worth 1.8 cents each, according to TPG valuations . Citi has improved the ThankYou Rewards program substantially over the years to compete with American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards.

This card recently underwent a minor refresh , introducing a new name, EV charging bonus category and travel protections; the annual fee has stayed the same.

The recommended credit score for the Citi Strata Premier card is 670 or above.

If you're there and are considering applying, here's what else you should know about this card — and why you might want to apply now.

Related: The best Citi credit cards

Citi Strata Premier pros and cons

Citi strata premier welcome offer.

Through Citi.com, the Citi Strata Premier is offering 75,000 ThankYou points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. According to TPG valuations pegging ThankYou points at 1.8 cents apiece, that's a bonus worth $1,350. If you apply through our affiliate link, you'll earn a lower 70,000-point bonus, so we suggest applying directly through Citi.

In the past, the card has offered welcome bonuses of up to 80,000 points for new cardholders but the standard offer is 60,000, so now may be a good time to pick it up.

The welcome bonus is not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi Premier or Citi Strata Premier account in the past 48 months.

Related: The ultimate guide to credit card application restrictions

Citi Strata Premier benefits

Much of Citi Strata Premier's value proposition comes from its ability to earn bonus points in many categories without charging a hefty annual fee. As such, you shouldn't expect an overwhelming number of perks.

However, there are several benefits of this card that can help you recoup your annual fee:

• $100 annual hotel credit : You'll enjoy a $100 credit once per calendar year for single-stay hotel bookings of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) made through the Citi travel portal.
• World Elite Mastercard benefits : As a World Elite Mastercard, the Citi Strata Premier confers several travel-related perks that consumers might not know about. These include a $5 monthly Lyft credit after taking three rides in a calendar month and access to the Mastercard luxury hotels and resorts portfolio for on-property perks like complimentary breakfast and room upgrades upon availability. Through the World Elite Mastercard program, you'll also enjoy perks like cellphone protection and Global Emergency Services.
• Citi Entertainment : This program gives cardholders special access to purchase tickets to thousands of events — from concerts and sporting events to unique dining experiences and movie screenings — before the general public can buy them.
• No foreign transaction fees : Like any good travel card, the Citi Strata Premier allows you to travel freely without incurring a fee on international spending.

I always make sure to utilize the $100 annual hotel credit as it's a sure way to offset the annual fee. However, apart from this, there aren't many other benefits to take advantage of for substantial savings.

Recently, Citi reintroduced travel protections to the Citi Strata Premier card, helping you travel with ease of mind:

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

Related: Is the Citi Premier worth the annual fee?

Earning points on the Citi Strata Premier

The Citi Strata Premier's earning structure is where the card shines.

The card offers 10 ThankYou points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through the Citi Travel portal.

Cardholders also earn 3 points per dollar on purchases in the following categories, with no caps or annual limits:

• Gas stations
• EV charging
• Supermarkets
• Restaurants (including takeout)

The card earns 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

These earning rates are among the most impressive of any travel rewards card, especially considering the Citi Strata Premier's affordable annual fee. This is my go-to card for gas purchases as it earns an unlimited 3 points per dollar, which lessens the sting of my high gas prices in California.

I also often use this card to earn bonus points at supermarkets because, unlike the American Express® Gold Card , there is no spending cap on this category.

Related: The best credit cards with annual fees under $100

Redeeming points on the Citi Strata Premier

Citi ThankYou points can be redeemed for statement credits, cash rewards, third-party gift cards, or transferred to Citi's 19 travel partners .

You can redeem your ThankYou Points for travel directly through the Citi portal at a rate of 1 cent each, but that's well below TPG's valuation of ThankYou points at 1.8 cents each. To get a higher value, you'll want to take advantage of the option to transfer your points to Citi's extensive list of transfer partners.

Related: The ultimate guide to Citi ThankYou points

Transferring points on the Citi Strata Premier

The Citi Strata Premier is also a top choice for travelers, thanks to its participation in the ThankYou Rewards program, which currently has 14 airline transfer partners and four hotel partners.

While you'll notice that many of the frequent flyer programs are those of international airlines, you can still book high-value (and easily redeemable) awards through them.

For instance, you can leverage Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles for decent business-class award availability on those airlines and their SkyTeam partners. You can also access some phenomenal deals on Star Alliance awards using Avianca LifeMiles and snag some great Oneworld tickets through Qatar Privilege Club .

I find great value in several transfer partners, including Air France-KLM Flying Blue , which offers business-class flights at 50,000 miles and the ability to add a stopover for free anywhere from 24 hours to one year.

Another transfer partner I have utilized is Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer , as it's a sure way to book premium cabins on Singapore Airlines.

Related: The best ways to redeem Citi ThankYou points

Which cards compete with the Citi Strata Premier?

As an affordable travel rewards card, the Citi Strata Premier has a few direct competitors that might be a better fit for you:

• If you prefer Chase cards: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card competes directly with the Citi Strata Premier with an annual fee of $95. While Chase's transfer partners (including United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards and World of Hyatt) might be more beneficial for many travelers, there are also some overlaps, including Singapore KrisFlyer, Emirates Skywards and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. For more information, read our full review of the Sapphire Preferred .
• If you want a flat earnings rate : Try the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card . It also charges a $95 annual fee (see rates and fees ), but this card earns a flat 2 miles per dollar on purchases instead of offering bonus categories. For more information, read our full review of the Venture Rewards card .
• If you want added perks: If you dine out frequently, you might prefer the American Express® Gold Card , as it has a higher earning rate of 4 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 per dollar) and at restaurants worldwide. It also comes with valuable credits that help offset most of the $250 annual fee (see rates and fees ). Enrollment is required for select benefits. For more information, read our full review of the Amex Gold .

For additional options, check out our full list of the top travel rewards cards .

Bottom line

Despite a bevy of competitors, the Citi Strata Premier's long list of bonus categories and solid sign-up bonus make it one of the most lucrative points-earning cards in its price range. The wide range of ThankYou Rewards transfer partners makes this card compelling, especially for travelers who desire the flexibility to redeem points with various loyalty programs. It's worth a look if you're partial to Citi or looking for a versatile travel card to add to your wallet.

For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here .

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Redeem miles across 100+ airlines and hotel partners. Transfer miles to 14 airline and hotel partners. Click here for details.

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Your Miles never expire so you can use them whenever you want.

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