Hilton Honors Surpass vs Citi Strata Premier: Which Is Better In 2025?

Citi Strata Premier® Breakdown

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Why We Like It

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Here’s a closer look at why the Citi Strata Premier® card stands out.

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• It earns an impressive 3x points on a broad mix of everyday spending categories, including restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and air travel.
• Despite its annual fee, the card provides a suite of travel insurance benefits, including coverage for trip delays and cancellations.
• The annual $100 hotel credit can effectively cancel out the card's annual fee if you book a qualifying stay, providing immediate value (publisher-formulated estimate).

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Pros

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• Flexible point transfers to a wide network of airline and hotel loyalty programs.
• Offers a highly competitive rewards rate on travel booked through the Citi portal.
• Provides premium travel benefits at a more accessible annual fee than many competing cards.

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Cons

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• Key benefits, like the annual hotel credit, come with significant restrictions that can make them difficult to use.
• Travel protections, such as the car rental insurance, are less comprehensive than those offered by some competing cards.
• Lacks certain premium travel perks found on other cards in its class, such as airport lounge access.

Citi Strata Premier® vs Hilton Honors American Express Surpass®

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Categories

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Choosing the right travel card can be tricky, so let's break down which is better Hilton Honors Surpass or Citi Strata Premier based on their strongest reward categories.

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• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: This card is ideal for travelers loyal to the Hilton brand, offering its highest rewards on direct Hilton purchases and strong earnings on everyday spending at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations.
• Citi Strata Premier® Card: This card excels for those who book through the Citi Travel portal, providing top-tier rewards on hotels, car rentals, and attractions, along with generous rewards across other travel and daily spending categories.

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Redemption

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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Points are primarily redeemed for stays within the Hilton portfolio of hotels, making it a straightforward choice for brand loyalists. You can also use points for other travel-related purchases or transfer them to airline partners.

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Citi Strata Premier® Card: This card offers flexible redemptions through the Citi ThankYou® Rewards program, allowing you to transfer points to various airline and hotel partners. Points can also be redeemed for travel through the Citi portal, gift cards, or as cash back.

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Travel Perks

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• Lounge Access: The Hilton Surpass card offers a limited number of complimentary visits to Priority Pass Select lounges annually. The Citi Strata Premier does not offer any lounge access.
• Hotel-Specific Perks: With the Hilton Surpass card, you automatically receive Hilton Honors Gold status and have the opportunity to earn a Free Night Reward after meeting a certain annual spend. The Citi Strata Premier provides an annual hotel savings benefit on a qualifying stay booked through its travel portal.
• Foreign Transaction Fees: Both cards are excellent choices for international travel, as neither charges foreign transaction fees.
• Travel Portals: The Citi Strata Premier is built around the Citi ThankYou® Rewards portal, offering flexible booking options and point transfers. The Hilton Surpass card's ecosystem is centered on the Hilton Honors program for hotel redemptions, though travel can also be booked via the American Express portal.

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Compare Top Rated Credit Cards with Kudos

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If you're looking to simplify the decision-making process, a tool like Kudos can help you compare top-rated cards based on your own spending habits.

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• Test drive cards: The platform's "Test Drive" feature uses your real spending data to show you potential earnings with a new card before you apply, without affecting your credit score.
• Personalized recommendations: Kudos analyzes your transaction history to match you with the best cards for your unique spending patterns.
• Welcome offer guarantee: If you find a better welcome offer within three months of getting a card through Kudos, they will match it.
• $100 Kudos Kickstart+: You can unlock $100 in rewards by adding select approved cards to your Kudos Wallet.
• Approval odds: Get a detailed analysis of your approval chances based on your credit report.

Who Should Choose the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass®?

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The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is an excellent choice for frequent Hilton guests who want valuable elite perks without committing to a premium annual fee. It's particularly well-suited for moderate travelers and everyday spenders who can maximize rewards on purchases at U.S. supermarkets, restaurants, and gas stations. Ultimately, the card appeals to value-conscious travelers looking to accumulate points for special trips, leveraging benefits like automatic Gold status and a strong rewards structure (Terms apply), as detailed in our full card review.

Who Should Choose the Citi Strata Premier®?

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The Citi Strata Premier® Card is an excellent choice for frequent travelers and jet-setters who want to maximize rewards on their journeys. It's also well-suited for individuals who spend significantly on everyday categories like supermarkets, restaurants, and gas stations, as the card offers accelerated points in these areas. Ultimately, this card appeals to those who value a flexible rewards program with a wide array of airline and hotel transfer partners for premium travel redemptions.

Alternatives to Consider

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If our Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® vs. Citi Strata Premier® showdown didn't crown a winner for your wallet, don't worry. There are plenty of other excellent travel rewards cards that might be a better fit.

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_{Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company}

Tips for Application Success

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Before You Apply

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• Check your credit score, as most premium travel cards require good to excellent credit for approval.
• Plan your spending to ensure you can naturally meet the requirements for the welcome offer.
• Review issuer rules, as many have restrictions on earning a welcome offer if you've had the card before.

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Application Strategy

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• Time your application strategically - Apply before a large planned purchase to help meet spending requirements naturally.
• Know the issuer's rules - Be aware of restrictions, as some issuers limit welcome offers based on your card history.
• Consider the card's ecosystem - Choose a card that aligns with your spending habits and travel loyalty to maximize its value.

Our Methodology

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We evaluate nearly 3,000 credit cards across the U.S. market — far more than the ~150 cards commonly featured on sites that focus only on products tied to affiliate commissions. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive, unbiased view of the credit card landscape so you can make confident, data-driven decisions.

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Our editorial team combines deep industry experience with rigorous verification standards. While our experts surface the most relevant recommendations in our guides, you can also explore the full dataset yourself through our card explorer tool, which includes thousands of cards — more than 95% of which do not provide us with commissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Can I transfer Citi ThankYou Points to Hilton Honors?

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Yes, you can transfer points earned with the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card to the Hilton Honors program. However, the transfer ratio can vary, so it's wise to check the current rate on Citi's ThankYou Rewards portal before making a transfer.

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Which card is better for earning hotel status?

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The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is the clear winner for hotel status, as it comes with complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status (Terms Apply). The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card does not offer automatic hotel elite status with any chain.

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What are the annual fees for these cards?

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The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card has a $150 annual fee, while the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card has a $95 annual fee.

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