It has been a busy summer time for bank card issuers with all of the changes and introductions of new credit cards.
And now, Citi joined the get together and eventually launched 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 is lastly right here, it is absolutely stunned everybody with its $595 annual price and a few distinctive advantages.
Here is a rundown of the brand new Citi Strata Elite, a card with some versatile choices and Citi’s try and align a premium card with its long-standing airline associate, American Airways.
The data for the Citi Status Card and Citi Strata Elite Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
At a look
The brand new Citi Strata Elite has a $595 annual price, considerably greater than that of its Citi Strata counterpart, the Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees), which is available in at $95.
Citi Status cardholders won’t be transformed to the brand new Citi Strata Elite and may proceed carrying their Status card. As well as, Status cardholders can apply for and be eligible to earn the welcome supply on the Citi Strata Elite, assuming they’re inside Citi’s eligibility rules.
The cardboard provides over $800 in assertion credit, a number of journey protections and Precedence Cross lounge entry. It is usually the one card available on the market to supply Admirals Club entry within the type of 4 yearly lounge passes.
The Citi Strata Elite shall be issued as a Mastercard World Legend card, the primary of its form, whose perks embrace precedence reservations at high-demand eating places overseas and tickets to music, theater and sporting occasions globally.
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New switch associate 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 playing cards that may make the most of this thrilling new associate are the Citi Strata Elite, Citi Strata Premier and Citi Status. Citi is the one main bank card issuer to have American Airlines as a switch associate. The factors switch ratio is 1:1, that means 1,000 ThankYou factors will turn out to be 1,000 AAdvantage bonus miles.
The Citi Strata Elite additionally has entry to the remainder of the transfer partners of the Citi ThankYou Rewards program.
Associated: Best uses of American Airlines AAdvantage miles
Approved customers
Cardholders may have the flexibility so as to add approved customers for $75 every.
Approved customers may have entry to their very own Precedence Cross Choose memberships, together with the flexibility to deliver two visitors. They can even have entry to all journey and procuring protections supplied by the cardboard.
Associated: Everything you need to know about authorized credit card users
Shocking incomes charges
The brand new Citi Strata Elite has incomes charges which are somewhat totally different from what you’d count on from a premium credit card. Cardholders will earn:
- 12 factors per greenback spent on inns, automotive leases and sights booked by the Citi Travel portal.
- 6 factors per greenback spent on airfare booked by the Citi Journey portal.
- 6 factors per greenback spent at eating places, together with restaurant supply providers on CitiNights℠ purchases, each Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to six a.m. Japanese time. Cardholders earn 3 factors per greenback spent on restaurant purchases exterior of as of late and hours.
- 1.5 factors per greenback spent on all different purchases.
Citi is closely prioritizing cardholders’ use of its personal journey portal to earn essentially the most rewards. Though that is just like what different issuers are providing, the cardboard lacks another bonus class for journey, reminiscent of reserving airfare or inns immediately.
This can be a actual painpoint, as opponents reminiscent of The Platinum Card® from American Express and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) each supply bonus factors when reserving immediately.
Then again, the elevated incomes fee on Fridays and Saturdays is a singular perk for many who dine out typically on the weekends.
Distinctive life-style credit and journey perks
The Citi Strata Elite provides sufficient assertion credit and advantages to offset the cardboard’s annual price, and among the choices are distinctive in comparison with different bank cards.
For starters, Citi and American Airways are edging closer and closer with their partnership, and cardholders will obtain 4 Admirals Membership passes every calendar 12 months along with Precedence Cross lounge entry with the flexibility to deliver two visitors.
As a premium journey card, it additionally has no foreign transaction fees.
The cardboard provides a number of assertion credit:
- $300 annual lodge profit: Every calendar 12 months, cardholders obtain as much as $300 off a pay as you go lodge keep (minimal two-night reserving) when booked by Citi Journey.
- $200 Splurge credit score: Every calendar 12 months, cardholders obtain as much as $200 in assertion credit on their selection of two manufacturers: 1stDibs, American Airways, Greatest Purchase, Future Private Coaching and Stay Nation.
- $200 Blacklane credit score: Obtain a biannual assertion credit score of up $100 (as much as $200 yearly) for Blacklane chauffeur bookings.
- $120 World Entry/TSA PreCheck credit score: As much as a $120 assertion credit score each 4 years towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
The assertion credit and Admirals Membership entry are price about $1,100. A few of the assertion credit are simple to maximise, such because the lodge profit, which immediately reductions eligible bookings by $300 on the time of checkout. The Splurge credit score can simply be used to buy American Airways airfare or upgrades.
As a frequent traveler, I discover the Blacklane credit score helpful; nonetheless, as a chauffeur service, the pricing might be fairly excessive and bookings might exceed $100.
Cardholders can even have entry to premium inns by The Reserve by Citi Journey. This consists of entry to a group of 4.5-5-star inns on Citi Journey and gives perks reminiscent of complimentary breakfast for 2, free Wi-Fi, a $100 expertise credit score (varies by property), early check-in, late checkout and room upgrades (topic to availability).
Associated: American joins ‘grab-and-go’ rush, will open new lounge concept in Charlotte
Backside line
The Citi Strata Elite is the most recent premium card to hitch the ranks dominated by Chase, American Categorical and Capital One.
Relying in your spending and journey habits, it could have been well worth the wait to have entry to American Airways as a switch associate, Admirals Membership passes and distinctive assertion credit. Sadly, Citi lacks its personal branded airport lounges, and Precedence Cross lounges aren’t too spectacular these days, however it does include a Precedence Cross Choose membership.
Cardmembers will get pleasure from excessive incomes charges for Citi Journey bookings; nonetheless, journey booked immediately will solely earn 1 level per greenback spent, which makes it exhausting for vacationers to maximise their reward incomes potential.
The area of interest incomes fee for restaurant purchases is revolutionary and could also be a pleasant welcome for many who get pleasure from eating on the weekends.
In the event you’re not a frequent traveler with American Airways or different Oneworld airways, or desire to e book journey immediately, you could have to discover a different card.
Associated: New Citi Strata Card now accepting applications
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