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There’s a new premium credit card on the market and CNBC Select has everything you need to know.
Recently, Citi announced the all-new Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, focused on travel and dining benefits. We think the $595 Strata Elite stands out most for its handful of statement credits and high 12X rewards rate on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on cititravel.com. A big plus, cardholders can also transfer their points to American Airlines.
In its recent announcement, Citi has also rebranded the Citi Rewards+ Card (no longer available) to the Citi Strata℠ Card. This no-annual-fee credit card is more of an everyday card that lets you choose your own rewards category from a list of options.
Read more about both “new” Citi cards below, including their welcome bonus offers.
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card aims to brings premium restaurant rewards and travel benefits to users, including an annual hotel benefit of $300.
- High rewards rate on travel
- Up to 6X on resturants
- Can transfer points to American Airlines at a 1:1 rate
- $200 annual splurge credit
- High annual fee
- Limited rewards categories
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- Earn 80,000 bonus Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com
- Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time
- Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
- Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
Balance transfer fee
Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
The Citi Strata℠ Card is a solid rewards credit card that earns in several everyday spending categories, with no annual fee.
- No annual fee
- Customizable earnings category
- Earns transferable rewards
- Has foreign transaction fees
- Fewer built-in benefits
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- Earn 30,000 bonus Points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months; after that, the variable APR will be 19.24% – 29.24%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
- Earn 3 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent in an eligible Self-Select Category of your choice (Fitness Clubs, Select Streaming Services, Live Entertainment, Cosmetic Stores/Barber Shops/Hair Salons, or Pet Supply Stores). Choose your eligible Self-Select Category on Citi Online or by calling customer service. The default Self-Select Category is Select Streaming Services.
- Earn 5 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals and Attractions booked on Citi Travel® via cititravel.com; earn 3 ThankYou Points for each $1 spent at Supermarkets, on Select Transit purchases, and at Gas & EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 2 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent at Restaurants; earn 1 ThankYou® Point for each $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
- No Annual Fee
Balance transfer fee
There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening.
Welcome bonuses
The revamped Citi Strata has a welcome offer of 30,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first three months of account opening.
The new Citi Strata Elite has a slightly higher offer of 80,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening.
Both of these Citi cards earn rewards in the form of Citi ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for a range of rewards at varying values.
Annual fees
The Citi Strata is a no-annual-fee card.
The Citi Strata Elite, on the other hand, comes with a $595 annual fee, in exchange for its more premium offerings. It’s pretty standard for a premium travel card to be this expensive; Chase just recently upped its lux Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) to $795 per year.
Now, the Citi Strata Elite does come with almost $1,500 in value annually, which helps offset the cost of the card. What’s most important is that the benefits fit easily into your lifestyle; more on that below.
Statement credits and other perks
The no-annual-fee Citi Strata doesn’t have any additional benefits itself, but does qualify for World Elite Mastercard benefits, including Lyft, Mastercard ID theft protection, priceless experiences and more.
With the Citi Strata Elite being a more premium card, it brings many perks that focus on elevated travel and dining options:
- Hotel benefits: Enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more booked through Citi Travel every calendar year
- Annual Splurge Credit: Earn up to $200 in statement credits from your choice of up to two of the following brands: 1stDibs, American Airlines, Best Buy, Future Personal Training and Live Nation, with the option to change your selection at any time
- Annual Blacklane Credit: Enjoy up to $200 in statement credits when booking with Blacklane, up to $100 from January through June and up to $100 from July through December
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® credit: Receive a statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee
- American Airlines Admirals Club passes: Every calendar year, you’ll receive four Admirals Club Citi Strata Elite passes, good for entry to 50+ Admirals Club lounges
- American Airlines point transfers: Can transfer Citi ThankYou® Points to American Airlines AAdvantage miles at a 1:1 ratio
- Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership: Access to 1,500+ airport lounges worldwide for the primary cardholder and authorized users, plus up to two guests
- Access to The Reserve by Citi Travel: A collection of 4.5- to 5-star hotels
- Citi Entertainment: Exclusive access to purchase tickets to thousands of events, with special experiences for the year’s most anticipated
- Access to “Fashioned:” Complimentary access to Death & Co’s lifestyle platform “Fashioned,” which has cocktail tutorials, mixology courses and more
- Travel and shopping protections: Perks like trip delay protection, enhanced trip cancellation and trip interruption protection and lost or damaged luggage protection, MasterRental coverage, extended warranty and purchase assurance plus
- No foreign transaction fees
The Strata Elite is also the first issued “World Legend” credit card, the newest premium tier to the Mastercard Collection, offering priority reservations at restaurants, including in Europe through Mastercard’s partnership with TheFork, ticketing access and more.
The ability to transfer ThankYou® Points to AAdvantage miles — a favorite perk of ours — is available to Citi Strata Elite, Citi Strata Premier℠ and Citi Prestige® Card customers (the last no longer open to new applicants).
Earning rates and redemption options
When it comes to earning Citi ThankYou® Points, the Citi Strata gives you the ability to choose one of your own categories:
- Earn 5X points on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on Citi Travel via cititravel.com
- Earn 3X points on an eligible self-select category of your choice (fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons or pet supply stores)
- Earn 3X points at supermarkets
- Earn 3X points on select transit purchases
- Earn 3X points at gas & EV charging stations
- Earn 2X points when spending at restaurants, including restaurant delivery services
- Earn 1X points on all other purchases
The self-select category defaults to streaming services, but you can change it once per quarter, either online or by calling customer service.
The Citi Strata Elite is more travel-focused, with its rewards offering:
- Earn 12X points on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on cititravel.com
- Earn 6X points on air travel booked on cititravel.com
- Earn 6X points at restaurants, every Friday and Saturday, from 6 PM to 6 AM ET; earn 3X points any other time
- Earn 1.5X points on all other purchases
What first jumps out about the new Strata Elite is the 12X rewards category, which is high compared to many credit cards these days, even among those with large annual fees. It’s worth noting that in order to earn this elevated rate, you’ll have to book through the Citi Travel portal, which may restrict your options.
The Strata Elite also has something rather unique about one of these rewards categories: a time frame. On Friday and Saturday nights, from 6 PM to 6 AM ET, you’ll earn double the normal rewards on restaurant spending, for a total of 6X points, with the time frame being dubbed “Citi Nights.” While the 3X points earned any other time are a solid return, the bump to your rewards on Friday and Saturday evenings could make weekend date nights a little more rewarding.
Redeeming your points
The ThankYou® Points that both the Citi Strata and Citi Strata Elite offer can be redeemed for a number of different rewards, with varying levels of value:
- Travel
- Gift cards
- Purchases at select merchants
- Cash back
- Point transfers and sharing for eligible customers
- Charitable contributions
You’ll likely receive the highest value from your ThankYou® Points when you transfer them to one of Citi’s 20 different transfer partners, including 14 airlines, 5 hotels and 1 retail option:
- ALL Accor Live Limitless (2:1 ratio)
- Aeromexico (1:1 ratio)
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue (1:1 ratio)
- Avianca LifeMiles (1:1 ratio)
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (1:1 ratio)
- Choice Privileges (1:2 ratio OR 2:3 with select Citi cards)
- Emirate Skywards (1:1 ratio)
- Etihad Guest (1:1 ratio)
- EVA Air (1:1 ratio)
- JetBlue TrueBlue (1:1 ratio OR 5:4 with select Citi cards)
- Leaders Club (5:1 ratio)
- Preferred Hotels & Resorts (1:4 ratio)
- Quantas Frequent Flyer (1:1 ratio)
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club (1:1 ratio)
- Shop Your Way (1:10 ratio)
- Singapore Airlines (1:1 ratio)
- Thai Royal Orchard Plus (1:1 ratio)
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles (1:1 ratio)
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club & Virgin Red (1:1 ratio)
- Wyndham Rewards (1:1 ratio OR 5:4 with select Citi cards)
Since Citi offers a wide range of transfer partners, you have increased flexibility with the points you’re earning, letting you pick the airlines and hotels that best fit your needs.
Alternative cards to consider
If you’re looking for more benefits than the Citi Strata offers but a less costly option than the Citi Strata Elite, here are some alternatives we love.
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is a great $0 annual fee card (see rates and fees) that earns a solid rate of rewards in everyday spending categories, like at U.S. supermarkets and on U.S. online retail purchases. If you have an eligible Disney streaming membership, you can receive a credit of up to $84 in $7 monthly chunks after using your enrolled Blue Cash Everyday Card to spend $9.99 or more each month (subject to auto renewal). The card earns cash back in the form of Reward Dollars, which can then be redeemed for statement credits to help pay your credit card bill.
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express has no annual fee and earns bonus rewards on a wide range of common expenditures.
- Up to $264 in streaming service and meal kit credits every year (subject to auto renewal)
- High cash-back rates in popular spending categories
- No annual fee
- The best bonus cash-back categories are capped
- Has a foreign transaction fee
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- No Annual Fee.
- Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening. After that, 20.24% to 29.24% variable APR.
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%.
- 3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
- Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
- Thinking about getting the Disney Bundle which can include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+? Your decision made easy with $7/month back in the form of a statement credit after you spend $9.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription (subject to auto renewal) with your Blue Cash Everyday® Card. Enrollment required.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you’re approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you’re approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase’s travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase TravelSM
- 10% anniversary points boost – each account anniversary you’ll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
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At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
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For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, click here.
Information about the Citi Rewards+ Card, Citi Prestige® Card has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
