United Gateway 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 what makes the Citi Strata Premier® Card a compelling choice.

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• It offers a robust rewards structure with numerous bonus categories, including travel, dining, and everyday essentials like groceries and gas.
• Cardholders gain access to valuable travel protections and perks that can easily offset the card's annual fee.
• Using the annual $100 hotel credit for a single eligible stay of $500 or more effectively negates the annual fee (publisher-formulated estimate).

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Pros

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• Earns bonus points on a wide array of everyday purchases, including at restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations.
• Provides a suite of travel insurance protections, covering issues like trip delays, cancellations, and lost luggage.
• ThankYou® Points can be transferred to numerous airline and hotel loyalty programs, unlocking potentially valuable redemptions.

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Cons

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• The annual hotel credit has strict requirements, including a high minimum spend on a single stay booked through the Citi travel portal.
• Car rental insurance is secondary within your country of residence, meaning it only kicks in after your personal insurance.
• Some airline and hotel transfer partners have less favorable transfer ratios, which can devalue your points.

Citi Strata Premier® vs United Gateway

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Categories

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When deciding which is better, United Gateway or Citi Strata Premier, it's crucial to examine where each card excels. Both cards offer unique benefits tailored to different spending habits and travel styles.

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• United Gateway℠ Card: This card is ideal for occasional United flyers, offering bonus miles on United purchases, gas, and local transit.
• Citi Strata Premier® Card: This card provides the most value on travel booked through the Citi portal and has broad bonus categories including air travel, hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets.

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Redemption

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United Gateway℠ Card: Rewards are earned as United MileagePlus miles, which are primarily redeemed for flights with United and its partners, seat upgrades, and other travel-related experiences within the United ecosystem.

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Citi Strata Premier® Card: Points can be transferred to a variety of airline and hotel partners, offering significant flexibility, or used to book travel directly through the Citi portal.

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Travel Perks

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• United Gateway℠ Card: This card is deeply integrated with the United Airlines ecosystem. Key travel features include no foreign transaction fees and a statement credit on in-flight purchases like food, beverages, and Wi-Fi on United-operated flights. However, it does not offer airport lounge access.
• Citi Strata Premier® Card: The Citi Strata Premier offers a more flexible travel ecosystem through its ThankYou Rewards program. Cardholders benefit from no foreign transaction fees and an annual hotel savings credit on bookings made through the Citi travel portal. While it lacks airport lounge access, its strength lies in the ability to transfer points to numerous airline and hotel partners, providing broader travel options beyond a single airline.

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Compare Top Rated Credit Cards with Kudos

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Kudos is an advanced financial platform that helps you compare nearly 3,000 credit cards using your real spending data to find the perfect match.

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• Test drive a credit card: Before you apply, you can simulate your potential earnings with any card based on your actual transaction history, giving you a clear picture of its value.
• Approval odds analysis: Get a detailed breakdown of your chances of being approved for different cards based on your credit report.
• Welcome offer guarantee: If you find a better welcome offer for a card within three months of getting it through Kudos, they will match it.
• Kudos Boost: Earn additional rewards on top of your regular credit card rewards by shopping with Kudos.
• Autofill at checkout: The platform’s browser extension automatically suggests and fills in the best card to use for each online purchase, ensuring you always maximize your rewards.

Who Should Choose the United Gateway?

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The United Gateway℠ Card is an excellent choice for occasional United Airlines flyers and beginners to travel rewards who want a straightforward way to earn miles without committing to a premium card. It's particularly well-suited for budget-conscious travelers, as it carries no annual fee and waives foreign transaction fees, making it a cost-effective option for international trips. Existing Chase customers can also benefit by integrating this entry-level option into their existing financial ecosystem to manage accounts in one place.

Who Should Choose the Citi Strata Premier®?

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The Citi Strata Premier® Card is an excellent choice for frequent travelers who also want to maximize rewards on everyday spending categories like supermarkets, restaurants, and gas stations. Cardholders can earn an impressive 10x points on hotels and car rentals booked through the Citi Travel portal and 3x points on a wide range of other travel and daily purchases. This makes the card a great fit for consumers with good to excellent credit who want to accumulate ThankYou® Points for future trips, solidifying its place as a premium travel rewards option.

Alternatives to Consider

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Perhaps neither card in our United Gateway vs. Citi Strata Premier® comparison feels like the perfect match for your wallet. Let's explore a few other excellent travel cards that could be a better choice.

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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 travel rewards cards require good to excellent credit for approval.
• Review bonus eligibility rules – Many issuers have restrictions based on cards you've recently opened or bonuses you've received.
• Plan your spending – Ensure you can meet the minimum spending requirement for the welcome offer through your normal purchases.

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Application Strategy

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• Research transfer partners – Understanding where you can transfer your points or miles is key to maximizing their value.
• Time your application – Apply before a planned large purchase to help meet the spending requirement naturally.
• Know the issuer’s rules – Be aware of specific application rules, like Chase's 5/24 rule or Citi's 48-month bonus eligibility window.

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 earning rewards on everyday spending?

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The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card generally offers more value on everyday spending with its broad bonus categories like restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations. The United Gateway℠ Card's rewards are more focused on United purchases, local transit, and gas stations.

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Can I transfer points from the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card to United MileagePlus?

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While you cannot transfer Citi ThankYou Points directly to United MileagePlus, you can transfer them to other Star Alliance partners, such as Avianca LifeMiles or Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, to book United-operated flights.

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Does the United Gateway℠ Card have an annual fee?

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No, the United Gateway℠ Card is a no-annual-fee credit card, making it a cost-effective option for earning United miles without a yearly commitment.

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