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You might have heard the rumors that the Citi Premier Card could be refreshed. Now we are able to affirm that these rumors are true.
As of Might 12, the Citi Premier Card has been rebranded because the Citi Strata Premier Card.
Bank card modifications can both be optimistic or adverse — or a mixture of each — however hardly ever do they evoke such a impartial response. In our opinion, the modifies are lackluster and don’t warrant a change of the cardboard’s title.
So, let’s dive deep into what modifications present cardholders and new candidates can count on.
The knowledge for the Citi Premier and Citi Strata Premier playing cards 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.
Abstract of the modifications
What isn’t altering:
- Annual payment (staying the identical at $95)
- Most bonus classes, together with air journey, motels, gasoline stations, supermarkets and eating
- ThankYou Rewards switch companions
- $100 annual lodge credit score
- No overseas transaction charges
- Entry to Citi Leisure
- World Elite Mastercard advantages
What’s altering:
- New title and card artwork
- New digital car charging stations bonus class
- Ongoing Citi Journey portal bonus class
- Reintroduction of journey protections
- Elevated sign-up bonus
Current Citi Premier cardmembers will obtain the improved advantages on the Strata Premier card efficient instantly. They’ll obtain a brand new card with the brand new Strata Premier title and card artwork when their present card expires.
New incomes charges
The brand new card has two modifications to its incomes construction:
- New: 3 factors per greenback spent at digital car charging stations
- Prolonged: 10 factors per greenback spent on motels, automobile leases and sights booked by way of the Citi Journey portal
All different bonus-earning classes are staying the identical.
Incomes bonus factors per greenback spent on EV charging is an efficient addition, seeing how the cardboard already earns 3 factors per greenback spent on gasoline purchases.
Because the refreshed Citi Journey portal launched in March 2023, eligible cardholders (together with these with the Premier) have been capable of earn bonus factors on motels, automobile leases and sights booked by way of the portal.
This perk was slated to finish June 30 however is now an ongoing good thing about the Strata Premier. Whereas this will present worth to cardholders and enhance their ThankYou Rewards factors steadiness, there are various the reason why reserving instantly is often higher.
It might need been good to see the introduction of recent bonus classes like streaming providers, on-line retail purchases or drugstores. Nonetheless, this card already has robust bonus classes.
Associated: earn over 300,000 factors in a single 12 months
Reintroducing journey protections
The following set of advantages is sort of fascinating. Citi will introduce — or, slightly, reintroduce — 4 new journey safety advantages for cardholders:
- Journey cancellation and interruption
- Journey delay
- Misplaced or broken baggage
- Automobile rental protection
In 2019, Citi eliminated journey and buy protections throughout a number of playing cards; the Citi Premier misplaced 10 journey and buy protections.
That is the place issues get fascinating as a result of again then, Citi inserted the next assertion within the continuously requested questions for the Citi Premier:
Citi repeatedly evaluates our merchandise to make sure that related advantages greatest meet the wants of our prospects. As such, we are going to not provide choose safety advantages in your card so we are able to proceed offering key advantages that our prospects use and worth most at no extra price. As a cardmember, you’ll proceed to obtain a spread of invaluable card advantages together with FICO Credit score Rating, Citi Id Theft Options, and Citi Leisure.
This begs the query, what modified? Maybe it was the COVID-19 pandemic, throughout which individuals who booked their journey on the Citi Premier card weren’t coated by modifications, and buyer satisfaction decreased.
Regardless, including again advantages that have been eliminated about 5 years in the past is a welcome change. Nonetheless, it actually simply brings the Strata Premier again as much as the usual of lots of its opponents, just like the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card.
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Elevated sign-up bonus
For a restricted time, new prospects who apply for the Citi Strata Premier can earn 75,000 bonus ThankYou factors after spending $4,000 throughout the first three months of account opening. Current Premier cardholders aren’t eligible for the bonus on the brand new card.
The highest provide we’ve seen on the Citi Premier card is 80,000 bonus factors, which was final provided in January 2023. The common provide on the Citi Premier has been 60,000 factors for some time now, so selecting up 75,000 factors now is an efficient deal.
Backside line
The brand new Citi Strata Premier doesn’t range a lot from the Citi Premier.
Though we anticipated extra elevated advantages or maybe the addition of recent switch companions, sustaining present bonus classes for a similar $95 annual payment is (considerably unexcitingly) welcome.
We’re seeing one new bonus class with EV charging, an extension of bonus factors on choose Citi Journey bookings and the reintroduction of journey protections.
All in all, not a lot is altering — this card nonetheless has a robust worth proposition.
We’re rather more within the Citi Status‘s successor. This premium card stopped accepting functions in mid-2021, and it’s anticipated that Citi will launch a “Strata Elite” card later this 12 months, which can hopefully give the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card and The Platinum Card® from American Categorical a severe run for his or her cash. Keep tuned.
The knowledge for the Citi Status 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.
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