Citi launches long-awaited premium card, the Citi Strata Elite

It has been a busy summer time for bank card issuers with all of the adjustments and introductions of recent bank cards.

And now, Citi joined the occasion and eventually launched the successor to the Citi Status® 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 shocked 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 companion, 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 charges and costs), which is available in at $95.

Citi Status cardholders won’t be transformed to the brand new Citi Strata Elite and might proceed carrying their Status card. As well as, Status cardholders can apply for and be eligible to earn the welcome provide on the Citi Strata Elite, assuming they’re inside Citi’s eligibility guidelines.

The cardboard gives over $800 in assertion credit, a number of journey protections and Precedence Cross lounge entry. It is usually the one card in the marketplace to supply Admirals Membership entry within the type of 4 yearly lounge passes.

The Citi Strata Elite can be issued as a Mastercard World Legend card, the primary of its type, whose perks embody precedence reservations at high-demand eating places overseas and tickets to music, theater and sporting occasions globally.

Associated: How lengthy does it take to get assertion credit from issuers?

New switch companion unveiled

Coinciding with the launch of the Citi Strata Elite, Citi added American Airways AAdvantage as a switch companion to the ThankYou Rewards program.

Eligible playing cards that may make the most of this thrilling new companion are the Citi Strata Elite, Citi Strata Premier and Citi Status. Citi is the one main bank card issuer to have American Airways as a switch companion. The factors switch ratio is 1:1, that means 1,000 ThankYou factors will develop into 1,000 AAdvantage bonus miles.

The Citi Strata Elite additionally has entry to the remainder of the switch companions of the Citi ThankYou Rewards program.

Associated: Greatest makes use of of American Airways AAdvantage miles

Approved customers

Cardholders could have the power so as to add approved customers for $75 every.

Approved customers could have entry to their very own Precedence Cross Choose memberships, together with the power to carry two friends. They will even have entry to all journey and buying protections provided by the cardboard.

Associated: Every little thing you’ll want to find out about approved bank card customers

Shocking incomes charges

The brand new Citi Strata Elite has incomes charges which are a bit of completely different from what you’d anticipate from a premium bank card. Cardholders will earn:

• 12 factors per greenback spent on resorts, automobile leases and points of interest booked by means of the Citi Journey portal.
• 6 factors per greenback spent on airfare booked by means of the Citi Journey portal.
• 6 factors per greenback spent at eating places, together with restaurant supply companies 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 today 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 probably the most rewards. Though that is much like what different issuers are providing, the cardboard lacks some other bonus class for journey, corresponding to reserving airfare or resorts straight.

It is a actual painpoint, as opponents corresponding to The Platinum Card® from American Categorical and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and costs) each provide bonus factors when reserving straight.

Alternatively, the elevated incomes fee on Fridays and Saturdays is a novel perk for individuals who dine out typically on the weekends.

Distinctive life-style credit and journey perks

The Citi Strata Elite gives sufficient assertion credit and advantages to offset the cardboard’s annual price, and a few of the choices are distinctive in comparison with different bank cards.

For starters, Citi and American Airways are edging nearer and nearer with their partnership, and cardholders will obtain 4 Admirals Membership passes every calendar 12 months along with Precedence Cross lounge entry with the power to carry two friends.

As a premium journey card, it additionally has no international transaction charges.

The cardboard gives 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 means of Citi Journey.
• $200 Splurge credit score: Every calendar 12 months, cardholders obtain as much as $200 in assertion credit on their alternative of two manufacturers: 1stDibs, American Airways, Greatest Purchase, Future Private Coaching and Reside 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 World Entry or TSA PreCheck.

The assertion credit and Admirals Membership entry are value about $1,100. A few of the assertion credit are straightforward 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 may be fairly excessive and bookings might exceed $100.

Cardholders will even have entry to premium resorts by means of The Reserve by Citi Journey. This consists of entry to a set of 4.5-5-star resorts on Citi Journey and gives perks corresponding to 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 idea in Charlotte

Backside line

The Citi Strata Elite is the newest 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 companion, 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, but it surely does include a Precedence Cross Choose membership.

Cardmembers will get pleasure from excessive incomes charges for Citi Journey bookings; nonetheless, journey booked straight 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 modern and could also be a pleasant welcome for individuals who get pleasure from eating on the weekends.

In case you’re not a frequent traveler with American Airways or different Oneworld airways, or favor to guide journey straight, you might have to discover a completely different card.

Associated: New Citi Strata Card now accepting purposes