After being deluged with Chase Sapphire Reserve and Reserve for Business speculation over the last few weeks, there’s a new topic catching steam in the blogosphere: the prospective launch of the long-awaited Citi Strata Elite card.
A source from Citi shared some details with us earlier this week, which Greg wrote about, and we’ve seen additional data shared with Doctor of Credit by someone else who claims to be a Citi employee. Dave over at MilesTalk took the novel approach of walking into a Citi branch and asking questions, and learned some more useful information…including that the card will be launching in-branch on Sunday.
None of the info below was officially provided by Citi (outside of what MilesTalk learned), but there’s enough specific detail here (that agrees with our source) to make me think that the broad outlines are accurate.
Citi Strata Elite Details
Launch Date and Welcome Offer
We were told earlier that the Strata Elite would be launching this weekend, and that was confirmed to MilesTalk by a New York Citi branch. In fact, it’s supposed to go live in-branch this Sunday. We don’t yet know whether or not that means it will be available online as well.
- The initial welcome offer will be 80,000 ThankYou points after $4k spend, unless you’re a CitiGold client, which will kick it up to 100,000 points after the same $4,000.
In a world of triple digits, an 80K offer doesn’t really capture the imagination, although folks looking for Citi points will be appreciate, given how long the Citi Strata Premier has been at 60K. Getting an extra 20,000 points and saving $145 on the annual fee will undoubtedly have folks looking at the requirements for CitiGold. It requires $200K in assets on hand with Citi (inclusive of securities)…a big ask for most folks.
Annual Fee
- $595, or $450 for CitiGold clients
Rumored Earning Details
The Citi employee posting on DOC gave the full bonus category info as follows:
- 12x on hotels, car rentals and attractions when booked on Citi travel
- 6X on air travel when booked on Citi travel
- 6X on restaurants on every Friday and Saturday between 6 pm to 6 am ET
- 3x points at restaurants outside of Fri/Sat nights
- 1.5X on all other purchases
It sounds like those who currently have the Citi Prestige card will be forcibly converted to Strata Elite, knocking the 5x on dining that they can currently earn 24 hours a day and 7 days a week to 3x anytime and 6x on Friday and Saturday nights.
Also, the 5x that the Prestige currently earns on travel agencies and flights goes down to 1x (unless you book through Citi). Earning 12x on hotels is great, but if that means no elite benefits or points because you have to book through the portal, it certainly loses some shine, especially since the Prestige earns 3x on hotels when booking directly.
This earning structure is a big disappointment to me, as it tries to funnel all travel booking through Citi’s portal, which is something I’d never want to do willingly. We were hoping that it would more or less mimic the current 5x/3x structure on the Prestige, but it sounds like a significant downgrade.
Rumored Credits
It’s an ultra-premium card, so of course, it has to have coupons credits. Lots of credits. Here’s what’s supposedly on the menu:
- $200 Blacklane Credit (bi-annual) – $100 in the first half of the year and up to $100 in the second half of the year
- $200 Splurge Credit (annual) – Earn up to $200 in statement credits at up to 2 of the following brands: 1stDibs, American Airlines, Best Buy*, Future Personal Training and Live Nation
- $300 Hotel Benefit (annual) – $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more booked through cititravel.com
Just like Chase and Amex, Citi has a hotel credit and, like Chase, it has to be used on a stay of two nights are more. Unlike Chase (and Amex), it sounds like it can be used on any hotel that can be booked through Citi Travel, as opposed to just properties that are part of the respective luxury hotel programs. That will make it easier to use without spending a ton of extra cash. Unfortunately, you still have to book through Citi Travel, and I find that many properties that I’ve seen are more expensive than what you find on Expedia or Booking.com.
The “Splurge” credit is a bit of an oddball, as you can use it for event tickets (through Live Nation), flights, electronics, personal training, or home furnishings (1stDibs). I probably wouldn’t have a hard time using that up between Best Buy and Live Nation, but what a random assortment of stores. At least it appears to be one lump sum that can be used throughout the year instead of another bi-annual split.
Speaking of bi-annual, you also get chauffeur credits! I almost forgot that Blacklane still exists. It’s effectively a black car service that you can either book by the hour or by origin and destination. It’s available around the world, so it could be reasonable to use for airport pickup or local transportation. In the US, rates seem to start at ~ $100 for an hour. Going from Seattle-Tacoma Airport to downtown Seattle, which is usually between $40-$70 using a normal rideshare, prices out at $125 when booked through Blacklane. So, that $100 credit may not get you far.
Additional Benefits
- Complimentary Priority Pass Select Membership – we don’t know whether or not restaurants are included
- Four American Airlines Admirals Club passes each year
- Up to $120 Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck® Application Fee Credit
This is pretty standard fare, although the Admiral’s Club passes will undoubtedly come in handy for some folks…especially if you’re not limited to using them when flying AA, like what Amex does with Delta SkyClub access on the Platinum cards.
I am curious to see what the Priority Pass will look like. It sounds like this will be a Mastercard, and the first of the new “Legend Elite” cards. Given that, we may see this being one of the rare Priority Pass subscriptions that includes restaurant access, as opposed to just lounges. For some folks, that won’t matter a lick. For others, like me, that would be a huge improvement, as my local airport has several worthwhile Priority Pass Restaurants, with more substantial meals than can be had in the lounges.
Quick Thoughts
Welp. If this is it, it’s very on-brand for Citi…a little more “meh” than “yeah.” I’ve been planning on picking up this card when it goes live, but looking at what’s on offer, I’m not so sure. Between Amex and Chase, I have a bad case of coupon fatigue and, at first glance, what’s on offer here doesn’t jump out at me as being worth the mental efforts of having more credits in my life…especially at $595/year. I’ll still be interested to see the final benefits (and their terms) spelled out in detail. For now, I can’t see running to my local Citi branch on Sunday to sign up.
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Yikes, what a disaster. I reckon I will downgrade my beloved Prestige to the Premier when the AF comes around. They completely nerfed the travel bonus category, partially nerfed the dining category, and replaced the existing very easy-to-use travel credit with a confusing patchwork of oddball credits.
The Friday and Saturday night dining thing is just goofy. And it’s absolutely baffling that it’s based on ET rather than on the user’s location. So if you happen to be in Asia it only works for breakfast or lunch?
Went into a branch today (7.19.25) and they told me it will be available on 7.27.25.
Details? Yes. Juicy? Not so much.
So I guess if you have a local restaurant you frequent the move is to buy gift cards after 6pm Fridays and saturdays and use the cards whenever you need
Citibank has branches in just 21 states. To make an offer branch-only is just insulting.
It will just be for a few weeks (or days) and will then roll out more widely.
How do you launch a credit card in a branch on a SUNDAY?? I’m not sure I’ve seen a bank branch open a Sunday since SunTrust (now Truist) closed its Publix branches in Georgia.
The original CSR was also launched in branch on a Sunday, with online apps the next day. And yes, most Chase branches are closed on Sundays. I ended up going in person to one of few open in NYC (in Chinatown) that day to apply
Anyone have a guess if food delivery apps will code for the 6x on fridays/saturdays?
yes
maybe also gift cards with the restaurant as chipotle does
I’ve had the Prestige for a long time, and I hate to see it go. I assume the fabulous fourth night free will be history as well, and that was a huge amount of savings for me.
Last observation: The card is available in-branch on Sunday? Banks aren’t open on Sundays! How “Citi-fied” of them!
On its own, this card is not that interesting. If you pair it with the rumors of the Citi Strata card, you have 2 cards that fit together pretty well to cover most of the major categories at 3x. It would be competitive. I just don’t see the appeal of the Elite over the Premier. But I feel the same about the CSR vs. the CSP.
I do wonder if the double cash and the custom cash will be removed from the TYP universe eventually. They earn pretty well and it seems like Citi wanted to devalue the cash value of some of the points. If AA is coming on as a partner, that would make sense. But who knows what they are thinking.
The double cash is good but not extraordinary and the custom cash is capped at $500 a month so I’d say that they’re both going to be around for a while.
I’m big on TYP but this holds little appeal …. Especially at that AF. Saying it is ‘Meh’ is being very generous.
Assuming Prestige holders are forced to product change to this, the strata elite appears to be the final nail in the coffin of a once great Prestige.
Overall a disappointment. If TY points eventually transfer to AA 1-to-1, that could be somewhat interesting. This card would effectively earn 1.5 AA miles per dollar – I value AA miles pretty highly. Otherwise this is meh.
What is Citi even thinking launching a premium card with less than a 100k SUB (for all applicants)? Not a competitive card without some kind of special benefit not yet listed.
that is what I am thinking but might be forced to get this because c1vx guests but still considering amex marriot briitant because csr and plat do not make enough net value and more than $95 effective fee and also comes 12x on portal for counter to inrto offer hope 185k marriot comes soon
The Brilliant is an excellent card – very easy to recoup the AF. That’s why I don’t get this Strata Elite at ALL, big fee but no big (consistent) accelerators. AA must be playing a big part in its allure upon launch.
Blacklane credit worth maybe $80/year to me (I guess I’d book it for two airport rides I’d normally spend $80 on round trip, but it would cost the full $200 with Blacklane)
Splurge – $200 (seems easy enough to use at Best Buy)
Hotel – maybe $200 on a good day? (it’s FAR worse than the FHR credit as it doesn’t include any benefits whatsoever, and makes sure we LOSE our elite benefits)
Nets out to a rough effective AF of $115?
Would never use it organically for any hotel or airline spend unless I had to, so the multipliers are largely useless. Not a go to card for restaurants; I’d rather use my BILT card for the possibility of a Rent Day transfer bonus.
The only use for it would be the transfer partners, and I have a small stash of Citi TYP which I will eventually use, so I guess I’m stuck with this card for that reason alone. But a big disappointment.
I went in this morning to Citi and didn’t get approved
Was it for Citi Strata Elite?
The original Prestige was my first high end card. I product-changed it to awards plus once they gutted the benefits. This isn’t tempting unless there are benefits we don’t know about yet.