The Citi Strata Elite card came onto the premium / luxury credit card market in July 2025, and is one of the (many) credit cards that offer a Priority Pass Select membership
(SEE ALSO: Guide To Priority Pass Airport Lounges (Is This The Best Credit Card Benefit?))
(SEE ALSO: No, Sorry – You Can’t Get A “Free Priority Pass Membership”)
While the Strata Elite card has a number of interesting benefits that make the card worth getting (especially in the first year), today I wanted to focus on the Citi Strata Elite Priority Pass benefit. I got the Strata Elite recently after the Capital One Venture X drastically gutted their Priority Pass and lounge access benefits.
Priority Pass lounges aren’t the most amazing lounges out there, but it is one of my favorite credit card perks
(SEE ALSO: I may have found the worst Priority Pass lounge in the United States)
Citi Strata Elite Priority Pass Access
The Citi Strata Elite card offers a Priority Pass Select membership, which gives Priority Pass access to the cardholder and 2 guests. But one of the unique things about the Citi Strata Elite Priority Pass access is that it specifically says that you can access Priority Pass lounges with JUST your Strata Elite card. Registration with Priority Pass is not required.
Testing It Out – Can You REALLY Use Your Citi Strata Elite Card To Enter Priority Pass Lounges?
I was a bit skeptical about that, but I figured I would try it out to see if you could REALLY use just your Citi Strata Elite card to enter Priority Pass lounges. I do have to say that I did register an account with Priority Pass as a backup, just in case.
My first try was at The Club CVG. I presented my card, and the guy looked a little confused but said that he would try it. It worked with no problem – I could see my credit card information on the screen, and they did ask me to also verify the last 4 digits of the card.
After spending a few minutes there, we walked over to the Escape Lounge CVG, which was near our gate in Concourse B. There, I again showed only my Citi Strata Elite card, and it was even faster there. The lounge attendant happily accepted it and we were checked in within 30 seconds.
I have seen some reports online of people having trouble with this (though most anecdotal reports say it works fine), and I might be skeptical about trying this internationally, where lounge attendants might be used to the Priority Pass but have no idea what a Citi Strata Elite card is
The Bottom Line
The short answer to the question is yes, it does appear to be the case that you can just use your Citi Strata Elite card to enter Priority Pass lounges. You don’t appear to need to register with Priority Pass or carry your Priority Pass card as long as you have your physical Strata Elite card. To me, this seems like a bit of a your mileage may vary situation, and I’m not sure that I would be willing to risk not having a Priority Pass card (either the physical card or the digital / app version) just in case I got into a situation where the attendant wouldn’t take the Strata Elite card.
Have you tried using your Citi Strata Elite card to enter Priority Pass lounges? Or did you sign up for a new Priority Pass card? Leave your experience in the comments below
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at
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