Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus 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 we’re fans of the Citi Strata Premier® Card.

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• The card offers a strong rewards structure across a wide range of everyday spending categories, including travel, dining, and supermarkets.
• While it comes with an annual fee, it also provides useful travel insurance protections like trip cancellation and lost luggage coverage.
• The annual $100 hotel credit for a single stay of $500 or more can completely offset the annual fee (publisher-formulated estimate).

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Pros

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• Earns bonus points across a broad range of spending categories, from travel to everyday purchases at supermarkets and gas stations.
• Includes valuable travel perks like an annual hotel credit and a suite of travel insurance protections.
• Points can be transferred to a wide network of airline and hotel partners, offering flexible and potentially high-value redemption options.

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Cons

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• Key benefits, like the annual hotel credit, come with restrictive terms and require booking through the Citi travel portal.
• Lacks certain premium travel perks found on competing cards, most notably airport lounge access.
• Some travel protections are secondary, meaning they offer less comprehensive coverage than the primary insurance offered by other cards.

Citi Strata Premier® vs Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus

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Categories

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Deciding which is better, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus or Citi Strata Premier, depends entirely on your travel habits and reward preferences. One is a co-branded airline card for loyalists, while the other offers broad flexibility for the globetrotting generalist.

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• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card: This card is ideal for occasional Southwest flyers, budget-conscious travelers, and those working toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass. It's a strong entry point for Southwest loyalists who fly several times a year.
• Citi Strata Premier® Card: This card is built for frequent travelers and jet-setters seeking flexible rewards and premium travel protections. It's well-suited for earning on everyday spending categories like restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations.

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Redemption

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Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card: Rewards are redeemed as Rapid Rewards points, which can be used for Southwest flights or other travel-related purchases through the airline's portal. The redemption process is straightforward and integrated directly into the Southwest ecosystem.

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Citi Strata Premier® Card: This card earns ThankYou® Points, which offer significant flexibility through transfers to numerous airline and hotel loyalty programs. Points can also be redeemed for travel through the Citi portal, gift cards, or statement credits.

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Travel Perks

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• Travel Portal & Redemption: The Southwest Plus card's points are redeemed through the Southwest Rapid Rewards portal, primarily for Southwest flights. The Citi Strata Premier offers more flexibility, allowing you to book travel through the Citi ThankYou® portal or transfer points to a wide array of airline and hotel partners.
• Foreign Transaction Fees: The Citi Strata Premier® Card has no foreign transaction fees, making it a better choice for international travel. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, however, does charge a foreign transaction fee.
• Anniversary Bonus: Southwest Plus cardholders receive bonus points each year on their cardmember anniversary. The Citi Strata Premier does not offer an equivalent anniversary point bonus.
• Airline-Specific Perks: As a co-branded card, the Southwest Plus card comes with perks specific to the airline, such as EarlyBird Check-In® credits each year and savings on inflight purchases. The Citi Strata Premier does not offer airline-specific benefits but provides a broader annual hotel savings credit on eligible bookings.
• Lounge Access: Neither the Citi Strata Premier nor the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus offers complimentary airport lounge access.
• Travel Protections: The Citi Strata Premier generally offers a more robust suite of travel protections. The Southwest Plus card's protections are more limited.

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Compare Top Rated Credit Cards with Kudos

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To make the most informed decision, you can use a tool like Kudos to compare top-rated cards based on your own spending habits.

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• Test drive credit cards: Use your real spending data to simulate how much you would earn with a new card before you apply, with no impact on your credit score.
• Personalized recommendations: Get matched with cards that will earn you the most based on your actual transaction history.
• Approval odds: Receive a detailed analysis of your approval chances for different credit cards based on your credit report.
• Incentives and guarantees: Unlock rewards like the $100 Kudos Kickstart+ on select cards and take advantage of a welcome offer guarantee.
• Maximize rewards: The platform helps you track spending, monitor perks, and can even autofill the best card to use at checkout to maximize your earnings.

Who Should Choose the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus?

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The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is an excellent choice for occasional Southwest flyers who want airline benefits without committing to a high annual fee. It is also particularly valuable for travelers working toward the coveted Southwest Companion Pass, since all points earned with the card count toward qualification. As detailed in a complete 2025 guide, budget-conscious travelers and those new to rewards will find it an accessible entry point into the Southwest ecosystem.

Who Should Choose the Citi Strata Premier®?

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The Citi Strata Premier® Card is primarily designed for frequent travelers, from jet-setters to road warriors, who want to earn significant rewards on their travel spending. It's also an excellent fit for those who want to maximize points on everyday purchases, as it offers accelerated earnings at restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations. Ultimately, this card is best for individuals who will take full advantage of its travel benefits and transfer partners, easily justifying the annual fee with their spending habits and redemptions, as detailed in this premium travel card review.

Alternatives to Consider

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So, you've reviewed the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus vs. Citi Strata Premier® comparison and decided neither is for you. Let's explore a few other top-tier travel cards that might be a better fit for your wallet.

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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 - Most premium travel cards require good to excellent credit for approval.
• Review the issuer's rules - Some issuers have restrictions on earning a welcome bonus if you've had the card before.
• Have a plan for your points - Researching redemption options beforehand ensures you'll maximize their value.

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Application Strategy

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• Time your application - Align it with a large planned purchase to help meet any spending requirements.
• Know the bonus rules - Issuers like Citi may restrict welcome offers if you've received a bonus in the past.
• Pace your applications - Be mindful of issuer guidelines, like Chase's 5/24 rule, which can impact approval.

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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Which card is better for international travel?

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The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is generally the stronger choice for international travel, as it charges no foreign transaction fees and its points transfer to several international airlines. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Card is primarily designed for domestic flights on Southwest Airlines.

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Can I transfer points to other airlines with these cards?

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You can transfer points from the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card to numerous airline partners, offering great flexibility. Points earned with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Card are deposited directly into your Southwest Rapid Rewards account and cannot be transferred to other airline loyalty programs.

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What are the annual fees for these cards?

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The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Card has a $69 annual fee, while the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card has a $95 annual fee.

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