Link: Learn more about the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
Citi has launched its new premium credit card, the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (review). We’ve known for a long that this was coming, so it’s fantastic to finally see it “live.” Was it worth the wait, though?
Separately, we’ve also seen the launch of the new no annual fee Citi Strata℠ Card (review), which could make a great complement to this card. Citi ThankYou has also added American AAdvantage as a transfer partner, so it’s an exciting time for this points ecosystem.
Citi Strata Elite Card details: fee, bonus, and perks
Premium credit cards are all the rage nowadays, with American Express, Capital One, and Chase, all having well established products in that market segment. In the Citi ThankYou ecosystem, the Citi Strata Premier® Card (review) is currently the mid-range product, and we’ve now seen Citi launch a more premium card in the collection, the Citi Strata Elite.
Back in the day, there was the popular Citi Prestige, which was probably the closest competitor to the current premium cards on the market. That card closed to applicants back in 2021, though existing cardmembers continue to be able to use this card. Obviously the Citi Strata Elite is intended to be the new version of this (though interestingly, at least for now, the card won’t automatically be product changed, and Citi Prestige card members are even eligible for this product).
So, what’s the Citi Strata Elite like? While I’ll have a more detailed review soon, let’s go over the basics. The Citi Strata Elite has a $595 annual fee, with a $75 annual fee per authorized user. Cost wise, that puts it right in the middle, compared to existing premium cards.
As far as the welcome bonus goes, the Citi Strata Elite is offering a welcome bonus where you can earn 75,000 ThankYou bonus points after spending $6,000 within three months. This is a great bonus, as those points can be converted into American AAdvantage miles, or a variety of other currencies.
The Citi Strata Elite has the following rewards structure:
- 12x ThankYou points on hotels, rental cars, and attractions, booked through Citi Travel
- 6x ThankYou points on air travel booked through Citi Travel
- 6x ThankYou points on restaurants on Citi Nights purchases, on Fridays and Saturdays between 6PM and 6AM ET (regardless of where in the world you are)
- 3x ThankYou points per dollar spent at restaurants any other time
- 1.5x ThankYou points on all other eligible purchases
The Citi Strata Elite also offers what’s described as “nearly $1,500 in value,” including the following:
- Up to $300 annual hotel benefit — each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of 2 nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
- Up to $200 annual “Splurge Credit” — every calendar year, receive a credit for purchases with 1stDibs, American Airlines, Best Buy, Future Personal Training, and Live Nation, with the ability to register for two merchants at a time
- Up to $200 annual Blacklane credit — every calendar year, receive up to $200 in statement credits when booking with chauffeur service Blacklane, in the form of a $100 credit semi-annually (January through June, and July through December)
- A Priority Pass™ membership, offering access to 1,500+ lounges worldwide (authorized users on the card receive a membership as well)
- American Admirals Club lounge access passes — every calendar year, receive four Admirals Club lounge passes, each valid for a period of 24 hours across multiple lounges (one pass is required for each person 18+ years of age, but those under 18 can be brought as guests, without requiring additional passes)
- A Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit — once every four years, receive up to a $120 statement credit toward a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application
Is the Citi Strata Elite Card worth it? Here’s my take…
What’s my take on the Citi Strata Elite? This card isn’t making any sort of a splash that’s going to blow people away, with some absolutely amazing value proposition. Then again, when we do see those kinds of cards launched, the value proposition usually doesn’t last. As they say, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
So I’d say this card seems pretty sustainable for Citi, and also follows the general industry trend we’ve seen with premium credit cards — it’s possible to make the math on the card work if you put in the effort. Here are the things that stand out to me:
- The value proposition on the card is fine, and I like the ability to earn 1.5x points on all purchases, but there aren’t really any bonus categories that are going to rock the boat; the 6x points on dining with Citi Nights is a cool concept, but it’s also limiting
- The $200 “Splurge Credit” can be used on American flights, so I’d consider that to basically be good as cash
- The Blacklane credit could encourage some people to try the chauffeur service, though I don’t think most people will value that at anywhere close to face value
- While I don’t love booking through credit card travel portals, I appreciate the lack of restrictions on the type of hotels you can book, so you can book a hotel that’s $150 per night for two nights, and then get a $300 credit
- The American Admirals Club lounge passes will do the trick for someone who is an occasional American flyer, but will probably not offer much value for a more frequent American flyer, who values having a full membership (the passes can’t be gifted to others, unless they’re traveling with the primary cardmember)
- One weakness of this card is that Citi doesn’t have its own network of proprietary lounges in the United States, unlike American Express, Capital One, and Chase; I wonder if that could change over time, given the competitive dynamics
- One challenge here is that for American flyers, Citi also has the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Legend Mastercard® (review), so it’s going to take some thought to figure out which card makes more sense, or if there could be value in having both cards
- Perhaps the most overall exciting thing about the Citi Strata Elite is that it’s part of an overall strengthening of the partnership between Citi and American, so it’s awesome that ThankYou points can now be moved to American AAdvantage; some people might find it appealing to use this card to earn 1.5x American miles per dollar spent
Personally, I think the first year value proposition on this card is excellent, given the huge welcome bonus. Best of all, you’re eligible for the welcome bonus on this card as long as you haven’t had this exact card before, so having other Citi cards doesn’t preclude you from picking this one up.
Bottom line
The new Citi Strata Elite has launched, which is Citi’s reentry into the premium card market in the US. The card has a $595 annual fee, and offers some interesting bonus categories, benefits, and credits. I think some people will be able to make the math on the card work, though I don’t necessarily think it’s a card that everyone has to rush to apply for.
On the plus side, I think the value proposition is pretty sustainable, so this isn’t a card that’s likely to be devalued in a short timeframe. If you ask me, the most exciting Citi ThankYou development is that American AAdvantage has been added as a transfer partner.
Personally, I think this card is worth giving a try, given the strong first year perks, including the bonus. Then you can decide if the card makes sense for you in the long run or not.
What do you make of the new Citi Strata Elite?
Membership is free and takes no more information than commenting as a guest. Earn status points for good contributions, and see fewer ads as your status grows.