[Now Live] Citi Strata Elite℠ Details (Launch date, Bonus, Annual / AU fee, Bonus Categories, Benefits)

The Citi Strata Elite℠ is now live online to apply for [direct link] however the online bonus offer is 80,000 points. Recall that I learned from a Citi banker (with a printout!) last week that everyone will be able to get 100,000 points in branch, at least for a limited time.

We originally thought it would only be 100k for CitiGold but their sheet showed 100k for every tier in-branch. What I am not clear about is if you need at least any level Citi banking relationship for the 100k. That’s possible and we’ll need data points from someone without a Citi banking relationship to try.

Bonus Offer

The in-branch offer will be 100,000 points when you spend $4,000 within 3 months. Online it’s 80,000 points for the same spend. As mentioned above, I’m not yet sure if the 100,000 point in-branch offer requires a Citi bank account.

Notably, The Citi Strata Premier and the Citi Strata℠ (formerly Rewards+) cards will now offer an additional 5,000 bonus points in-branch (again, maybe only for Citi banking customers). That’s 65,000 for Strata Premier and 35,000 for the no annual fee Strata. The Citi Strata℠ Student card will launch as well with a 5,000 point bonus for $500 in spend in 3 months.

Eligibility Rules

This offer may not be available if you leave this page. Offers may vary and this offer may not be available in other places where the card is offered. Bonus ThankYou^®Points are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi Strata Elite^℠ account in the past 48 months or if you converted another Citi credit card account on which you earned a new account bonus in the last 48 months into a Citi Strata Elite.

Annual Fee

$595 and $75 for authorized users.

Citigold ($200,000 in assets on deposit) gets $145 off the annual fee. Citi Private Client ($1MM in assets on deposit) gets the first year completely free (save $595) and then $145 off the fee in subsequent years. 

The bonus category structure and key benefits are exactly as Doctor of Credit had been saying.

Bonus Categories

• 12x on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked at cititravel.com
• 6X on air travel booked at cititravel.com
• 6X at restaurants and food delivery services from 6pm to 6am ET Friday and Saturday nights and then 3x points at restaurants any other time frame. Note that it clarifies Eastern time, so West Coasters can start at 3pm their time.
• 1.5X on all other purchases

Benefits

• $300 annual hotel benefit that must be redeemed on cititravel.com for a 2 night or longer stay
• $200 annual Blacklane credit as $100 per half year.
• Priority Pass Select (It appears to include 2 guests but NOT Priority Pass Dining)
• Up to $200 Annual Splurge Credit: every calendar year, earn up to $200 in statement credits on your choice of up to 2 of the following: 1stDibs, American Airlines (exclusions apply), Best Buy, Future Personal Training, and Live Nation (exclusions apply)
• Up to $120 in Global Entry® or PreCheck® credits every 4 years
• Four American Airlines Admirals Club® Citi Strata Elite℠ Passes Annually

I’ll be curious what everyone thinks.

For me, personally, not having any bonus categories for travel unless you use the Citi Travel portal is a bold move. I do understand wanting people to use the portal, but I don’t understand trying to strong-arm those that absolutely do not like portals for all the reasons we always talk about here into it by offering no bonus categories at all for travel booked directly. To even use the $300 annual hotel credit, you need a two night stay and to book at cititravel.com. That’s an even tougher travel credit than the Venture X which allows you to use the credit on literally anything in the portal until you hit $300 in a year. 

With this earning and benefit structure, I kind of feel like the card needs AA transfers to have mass appeal. Otherwise, a $595 fee is a tough sell for a card that has no proprietary lounge access (just Priority Pass at a time that Chase, Capital One, and Amex all have their own lounge networks) outside of 4X / year AA Admirals Club visits and no bonus earn rate on travel booked directly (the new Chase Sapphire Reserve® pushes you to the portal with 8X, but still respects if you don’t want to use the portal with 4X on air and hotel booked directly). 

Keep in mind that the Citi Strata℠ Premier Credit Card, with just a $95 annual fee, earns 3X points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.

As well, ThankYou points now transfer to American Airlines AAdvantage® as of July 27, 2025. It’s not just for this new Strata Elite card, as rumored, however, Citi Prestige and even Citi Strata℠ Premier cardholders can transfer to AAdvantage.

Thoughts?

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