United Quest 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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This section breaks down why we like the Citi Strata Premier® Card.

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• The card offers an impressive rewards structure, with bonus points on everything from travel and dining to supermarkets and EV charging stations.
• Despite its annual fee, the card comes packed with useful travel insurance benefits, including coverage for trip cancellation, trip delays, and lost luggage.
• The annual $100 hotel credit effectively cancels out the card's $95 annual fee, making it a great value proposition for travelers (publisher-formulated estimate).

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Pros

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• High rewards rates across a broad mix of everyday and travel categories.
• A strong package of travel insurance protections, including coverage for trip interruptions and lost luggage.
• Flexible redemption options with the ability to transfer points to a wide array of airline and hotel partners.

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Cons

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• The annual hotel credit has restrictive redemption requirements, and many benefits require booking through the Citi Travel portal.
• It lacks premium travel perks found on other travel cards, such as airport lounge access or credits for expedited security screening programs.
• Some travel protections are less comprehensive than competitors', and not all point transfer partners offer favorable value.

Citi Strata Premier® vs United Quest

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Categories

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Deciding which is better, United Quest or Citi Strata Premier®, depends entirely on your travel and spending habits. Both cards offer compelling rewards, but they cater to different types of consumers.

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• United Quest℠ Card is a mid-tier choice card best for frequent travelers, particularly those who often fly with United Airlines and want to maximize travel benefits.
• Citi Strata Premier® Card is best for those seeking flexible rewards, as it's a premium travel card that also excels in rewarding everyday spending categories.

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Redemption

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United Quest℠ Card: Points are primarily redeemed for flights with United and its airline partners, but can also be used for other travel-related purchases like hotels and car rentals.

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Citi Strata Premier® Card: ThankYou® Points offer great flexibility, allowing you to transfer them to numerous airline and hotel partners or redeem them for gift cards, statement credits, and travel through the Citi portal.

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Travel Perks

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• United Quest℠ Card: This card is deeply integrated into the United Airlines ecosystem. It offers perks like free checked bags for the cardholder and a companion, priority boarding, and statement credits for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Cardholders also receive two one-time United Club℠ passes each year after their account anniversary. It has no foreign transaction fees.
• Citi Strata Premier® Card: The ecosystem for this card revolves around the flexible Citi ThankYou® Rewards program. It features an annual hotel savings benefit when booking through the ThankYou travel portal. Like the Quest card, it also has no foreign transaction fees, making it a solid choice for international travel. However, it does not offer airline-specific perks like lounge access or free checked bags.

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Compare Top Rated Credit Cards with Kudos

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To simplify the decision-making process, you can use a tool like Kudos, which allows you to compare nearly 3,000 credit cards using your own spending data.

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• Test drive credit cards: The platform's Test Drive feature lets you see potential earnings from a new card based on your actual transaction history, without needing to apply or affect your credit score.
• Approval odds: Get a detailed analysis of your approval chances for each card based on your credit report.
• Welcome offer guarantee: If you find a better welcome offer within three months of approval, Kudos will match it.
• Rewards and perks: Unlock a $100 Kickstart+ reward for adding select cards to your Kudos Wallet, and earn extra Kudos Boost rewards when shopping at certain stores.
• Financial tracking: Monitor your credit score, track spending, and stay on top of your card perks all in one place.

Who Should Choose the United Quest?

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The United Quest℠ Card is tailor-made for frequent United Airlines flyers who can maximize its suite of travel-centric benefits. It's an excellent fit for travelers looking to earn Premier Qualifying Points toward status, enjoy perks like free checked bags and priority boarding, and gain peace of mind from comprehensive travel protections. While those who rarely fly United or prefer simple cash back might look elsewhere, dedicated MileagePlus members will find this premium travel card a valuable tool for enhancing their journeys.

Who Should Choose the Citi Strata Premier®?

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The Citi Strata Premier® Card is tailored for frequent travelers and jet-setters who also want to maximize rewards on everyday spending categories like supermarkets, restaurants, and gas stations. It's particularly beneficial for those who can take advantage of its accelerated earning rates on both travel and daily purchases. Ultimately, it's an excellent choice for anyone seeking a versatile premium travel rewards card that offers flexible point transfers and valuable travel perks without a top-tier annual fee.

Alternatives to Consider

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If our United Quest vs Citi Strata Premier comparison has you feeling like neither card is the perfect match, don't worry. There are several other excellent travel rewards cards on the market 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 a good to excellent credit history.
• Review bonus eligibility - Issuers often have rules that can affect your eligibility for a welcome offer.
• Plan your spending - Make sure you can naturally meet the minimum spend requirement for the welcome offer.

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Application Strategy

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• Time your application to align with large planned purchases to help meet spending requirements.
• Familiarize yourself with issuer-specific rules, like bonus restrictions on the United Quest℠ Card or Citi Strata Premier® Card.
• Research the card’s transfer partners and redemption options before you apply to ensure it fits your travel goals.

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 points from the Citi Strata Premier Card to United MileagePlus?

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No, you cannot directly transfer Citi ThankYou® Points to the United MileagePlus program. However, you can transfer ThankYou Points to other Star Alliance partners and book United-operated flights through them.

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Which card offers better travel protections?

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Both the United Quest℠ Card and the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card offer valuable travel protections, but the specifics of coverage like trip delay reimbursement and baggage insurance differ. You should review each card's guide to benefits to determine which provides a better fit for your travel habits.

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Is the United Quest Card worth its annual fee if I only fly United a few times a year?

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The United Quest℠ Card can still be worth its annual fee for infrequent flyers, especially if you can maximize benefits like the annual United purchase credit and free checked bags. Calculating the value of the perks you'll actually use is the best way to make a decision.

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