Citi refreshed its midtier travel card, now known as the Citi Strata Premier® Card. The upgrade was automatic for existing Citi Premier cardholders, and offers new bonus categories and expanded travel protections — all with the same $95 annual fee. The card’s changes strengthen its appeal for travel rewards, especially for American Airlines flyers and EV drivers.
[Read: Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards.]
What’s Changed With the Citi Strata Premier® Card?
Although the annual fee remains the same, the Citi Strata Premier® Card refresh expanded the card’s earning categories and travel coverage:
— New ways to earn. Cardholders will now earn 10 points per dollar on hotels, rental cars and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com, and three points per dollar at EV charging stations.
— Expanded travel protections. These include trip cancellation and interruption, trip delay, lost or damaged luggage and car rental benefits.
“It still has the same $95 annual fee, which is nice because most card rebrands and updates come with a fee increase,” says Sarah Silbert, managing editor at Points Path. “It also still earns three points per dollar on air travel, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations, which covers a lot of common spending.”
The card continues to offer an annual hotel benefit, which is $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) booked with Citi Travel. It also provides cardholders with access to The Reserve by Citi Travel hotels on the Citi Travel site with on-property benefits. These include complimentary breakfast for two, free Wi-Fi, a $100 resort credit, and early check-in, late check-out and room upgrades upon availability.
While the Citi Strata Premier® Card offers substantial value for its $95 annual fee, it’s imperfect. You have to book through Citi Travel to get the $100 hotel credit and earn 10 points per dollar on hotels, car rentals and attractions. Travel protections, while improved, still fall short of some competitors.
[See: Best Citi Credit Cards]
How Citi Strata Premier Compares
The Citi Strata Premier Card competes with other midtier travel rewards cards, with a modest annual fee and significant (but not extravagant) benefits. It’s comparable to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, both of which also have a $95 annual fee. Here’s how these three cards compare across travel benefits and rewards. “Citi is unique as they are the only ones that allows you to transfer their points to American Airlines,” says Melissa Cid, consumer savings expert for MySavings.com.
Who Should Get the Citi Strata Premier® Card?
The Citi Strata Premier® Card is best for:
— American Airlines loyalists who want to transfer points
— EV drivers seeking a rare three points per dollar rewards category
— Travelers who will book at least one $500 or more hotel stay annually with Citi Travel
— People who want a mix of high-earning categories without a premium card fee
“The Citi Strata Premier Card strikes a good balance between simple flat-rate cards and premium travel cards,” says Silbert. “If you can use the hotel credit, take advantage of its unique airline partners and tap into its new bonus categories, it’s one of the most rewarding $95 travel cards on the market.”
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The Citi Strata Premier Rebrand: New Perks and Earning Potential, but the Annual Fee Holds Steady originally appeared on usnews.com
