It’s been a busy summer for credit card issuers with all the changes and introductions of new credit cards.
And now, Citi joined the party and finally released the successor to the Citi Prestige® Card — the all-new Citi Strata Elite℠ Card.
This card has been anticipated for years, and now that it’s finally here, it’s surely surprised everyone with its $595 annual fee and some unique benefits.
Here’s a rundown of the new Citi Strata Elite, a card with some flexible offerings and Citi’s attempt to align a premium card with its long-standing airline partner, American Airlines.
The information for the Citi Prestige Card and Citi Strata Elite Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
At a glance
The new Citi Strata Elite has a $595 annual fee, substantially higher than that of its Citi Strata counterpart, the Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees), which comes in at $95.
Citi Prestige cardholders will not be converted to the new Citi Strata Elite and can continue carrying their Prestige card. In addition, Prestige cardholders can apply for and be eligible to earn the welcome offer on the Citi Strata Elite, assuming they are within Citi’s eligibility rules.
The card offers over $800 in statement credits, several travel protections and Priority Pass lounge access. It is also the only card on the market to offer Admirals Club access in the form of four yearly lounge passes.
The Citi Strata Elite will be issued as a Mastercard World Legend card, the first of its kind, whose perks include priority reservations at high-demand restaurants abroad and tickets to music, theater and sporting events globally.
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Related: How long does it take to get statement credits from issuers?
New transfer partner unveiled
Coinciding with the launch of the Citi Strata Elite, Citi added American Airlines AAdvantage as a transfer partner to the ThankYou Rewards program.
Eligible cards that can take advantage of this exciting new partner are the Citi Strata Elite, Citi Strata Premier and Citi Prestige. Citi is the only major credit card issuer to have American Airlines as a transfer partner. The points transfer ratio is 1:1, meaning 1,000 ThankYou points will become 1,000 AAdvantage bonus miles.
The Citi Strata Elite also has access to the rest of the transfer partners of the Citi ThankYou Rewards program.
Related: Best uses of American Airlines AAdvantage miles
Authorized users
Cardholders will have the ability to add authorized users for $75 each.
Authorized users will have access to their own Priority Pass Select memberships, including the ability to bring two guests. They will also have access to all travel and shopping protections offered by the card.
Related: Everything you need to know about authorized credit card users
Surprising earning rates
The new Citi Strata Elite has earning rates that are a little different from what you’d expect from a premium credit card. Cardholders will earn:
- 12 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through the Citi Travel portal.
- 6 points per dollar spent on airfare booked through the Citi Travel portal.
- 6 points per dollar spent at restaurants, including restaurant delivery services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Eastern time. Cardholders earn 3 points per dollar spent on restaurant purchases outside of these days and hours.
- 1.5 points per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Citi is heavily prioritizing cardholders’ use of its own travel portal to earn the most rewards. Although this is similar to what other issuers are offering, the card lacks any other bonus category for travel, such as booking airfare or hotels directly.
This is a real painpoint, as competitors such as The Platinum Card® from American Express and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) both offer bonus points when booking directly.
On the other hand, the elevated earning rate on Fridays and Saturdays is a unique perk for those who dine out often on the weekends.
Unique lifestyle credits and travel perks
The Citi Strata Elite offers enough statement credits and benefits to offset the card’s annual fee, and some of the offerings are distinctive compared to other credit cards.
For starters, Citi and American Airlines are edging closer and closer with their partnership, and cardholders will receive four Admirals Club passes each calendar year in addition to Priority Pass lounge access with the ability to bring two guests.
As a premium travel card, it also has no foreign transaction fees.
The card offers several statement credits:
- $300 annual hotel benefit: Each calendar year, cardholders receive up to $300 off a prepaid hotel stay (minimum two-night booking) when booked through Citi Travel.
- $200 Splurge credit: Each calendar year, cardholders receive up to $200 in statement credits on their choice of two brands: 1stDibs, American Airlines, Best Buy, Future Personal Training and Live Nation.
- $200 Blacklane credit: Receive a biannual statement credit of up $100 (up to $200 annually) for Blacklane chauffeur bookings.
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit: Up to a $120 statement credit every four years toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
The statement credits and Admirals Club access are worth about $1,100. Some of the statement credits are easy to maximize, such as the hotel benefit, which instantly discounts eligible bookings by $300 at the time of checkout. The Splurge credit can easily be used to purchase American Airlines airfare or upgrades.
As a frequent traveler, I find the Blacklane credit useful; however, as a chauffeur service, the pricing can be quite high and bookings may exceed $100.
Cardholders will also have access to premium hotels through The Reserve by Citi Travel. This includes access to a collection of 4.5-5-star hotels on Citi Travel and provides perks such as complimentary breakfast for two, free Wi-Fi, a $100 experience credit (varies by property), early check-in, late checkout and room upgrades (subject to availability).
Related: American joins ‘grab-and-go’ rush, will open new lounge concept in Charlotte
Bottom line
The Citi Strata Elite is the latest premium card to join the ranks dominated by Chase, American Express and Capital One.
Depending on your spending and travel habits, it may have been worth the wait to have access to American Airlines as a transfer partner, Admirals Club passes and unique statement credits. Unfortunately, Citi lacks its own branded airport lounges, and Priority Pass lounges aren’t too spectacular nowadays, but it does come with a Priority Pass Select membership.
Cardmembers will enjoy high earning rates for Citi Travel bookings; however, travel booked directly will only earn 1 point per dollar spent, which makes it hard for travelers to maximize their reward earning potential.
The niche earning rate for restaurant purchases is innovative and may be a nice welcome for those who enjoy dining on the weekends.
If you’re not a frequent traveler with American Airlines or other Oneworld airlines, or prefer to book travel directly, you may need to explore a different card.
Related: New Citi Strata Card now accepting applications