Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant 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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• It offers a robust rewards structure that earns bonus points on travel and a wide range of everyday purchases like groceries and gas.
• The card's annual hotel credit can easily offset its annual fee, making its premium perks highly accessible.
• Cardholders receive a solid suite of travel protections, including coverage for trip cancellations, delays, and lost luggage.

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Pros

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• Features a versatile rewards structure that earns bonus points on both travel and a broad range of everyday spending categories.
• Includes an annual hotel credit and a suite of travel protections that add peace of mind to your trips.
• ThankYou® Points can be transferred to numerous airline and hotel partners, offering flexible and potentially high-value redemption options.

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Cons

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• The annual hotel credit, meant to offset the annual fee, has strict booking requirements that may limit its usefulness.
• It lacks premium travel benefits like airport lounge access, which are available on some competing cards.
• The car rental insurance is secondary within your country of residence, offering less coverage than the primary insurance provided by some rivals.

Citi Strata Premier® vs Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express®

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Categories

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Deciding which is better, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant or Citi Strata Premier, depends entirely on your travel style and spending habits. Each card excels in a different area, catering to distinct types of cardholders.

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• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is best for frequent travelers, particularly those loyal to the Marriott brand who want to maximize elite status perks.
• Citi Strata Premier® Card is ideal for those seeking flexible rewards, offering strong earning rates across both travel and everyday spending categories.

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Redemption

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Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Points are primarily redeemed for award nights at hotels and resorts within the extensive Marriott Bonvoy portfolio. You can also transfer points to dozens of airline loyalty programs.

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Citi Strata Premier® Card: ThankYou® Points provide significant flexibility, allowing transfers to a wide array of airline and hotel partners. Cardholders can also redeem points for gift cards, statement credits, or travel booked through the Citi portal.

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Travel Perks

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• Lounge Access: The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card includes a Priority Pass™ Select membership, granting access to a global network of airport lounges. The Citi Strata Premier® Card does not offer complimentary lounge access.
• Hotel-Specific Benefits: As a premium hotel card, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant provides significant brand-specific perks, including an annual Free Night Award and automatic Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status. The Citi Strata Premier offers a broader travel benefit: an annual credit for a single hotel booking of $500 or more made through its travel portal.
• Application Fee Credits: Cardholders of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant can receive a statement credit to cover the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. This benefit is not available with the Citi Strata Premier.
• Foreign Transaction Fees: Both cards are excellent choices for international travel, as neither charges a foreign transaction fee on purchases made abroad.
• Travel Portal & Flexibility: The Citi Strata Premier shines with its versatile ThankYou® portal, allowing cardholders to book a wide range of travel or transfer points to numerous airline and hotel partners. While the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant allows point transfers to airlines, its ecosystem is primarily designed to maximize value for hotel stays within the Marriott Bonvoy program.

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Compare Top Rated Credit Cards with Kudos

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To make the right choice, a tool like Kudos can help you compare top-rated cards based on your own spending.

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• Test drive credit cards: Before you apply, you can test drive any card to see personalized reward projections based on your actual spending history.
• Approval odds analysis: Get a detailed breakdown of your approval chances for different cards, helping you apply with more confidence.
• Kudos Boost: Earn extra rewards on top of your regular credit card points when shopping at participating stores.
• Welcome offer guarantee: If you find a better public welcome offer within three months of getting a card through Kudos, the platform will match it.
• Personalized recommendations: The platform analyzes your spending to match you with cards that will actually maximize your rewards.

Who Should Choose the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express®?

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The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® card is designed for frequent travelers who are loyal to Marriott properties and seek top-tier benefits like automatic Platinum Elite status. Its value is maximized by cardholders who dine out often enough to take advantage of the monthly dining credits and appreciate luxury travel perks such as airport lounge access and hotel credits. In essence, this premium card is best for those who can fully leverage the Marriott ecosystem and its associated travel benefits, as detailed in this comprehensive review.

Who Should Choose the Citi Strata Premier®?

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The Citi Strata Premier® is designed for frequent travelers and jet-setters who want to earn premium rewards on their journeys. It's particularly well-suited for those who spend regularly on air travel, hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets, allowing them to accumulate points on both big trips and daily expenses. Ultimately, individuals seeking a flexible rewards program with comprehensive travel protections will find this premium travel rewards card to be a valuable addition to their wallet.

Alternatives to Consider

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Perhaps our Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant vs Citi Strata Premier comparison has shown that neither card is quite right for you. If that's the case, let's explore a few other top-tier travel cards that could be a better match.

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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.
• Plan for the Welcome Offer - Make sure you can meet the minimum spending requirement without overspending.
• Review application rules - Issuers often 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 - Align your application with a large planned purchase to help meet the spending requirement naturally.
• Know the issuer’s welcome offer eligibility rules - Issuers may have "once-per-lifetime" policies or time-based restrictions, like Citi's 48-month rule on some cards.
• Evaluate benefits beyond the welcome offer - Consider if perks like the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® card's monthly dining credits will be easy for you to use.

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 hotel points?

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The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is tailor-made for earning Marriott Bonvoy points, making it the clear winner for travelers loyal to the brand. The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card earns flexible ThankYou® Points, which can be used across various travel partners, not just one hotel chain.

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Can I transfer points from the Citi Strata Premier Card to Marriott Bonvoy?

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Yes, Citi allows you to transfer ThankYou® Points from your Strata Premier card to the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. Just be sure to verify the current transfer ratio before you move your points, as it is subject to change and may not be 1:1.

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Is the high annual fee on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card worth it?

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For frequent Marriott guests, the card's $650 annual fee can be a worthwhile investment when you maximize its suite of premium benefits like statement credits and the annual Free Night Award. If you don't stay with Marriott often, you may find it difficult to offset the cost.

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