Citi Strata Premier replaces the Premier Card

The Citi Premier® Card just got a new look and some extra perks. Citi announced the Citi Strata Premier Card in early May 2024, refreshing the popular mid-tier travel card with more value for cardholders without hiking the annual fee. 

Whether you’ve had your eye on applying for the Premier Card or you’re an existing cardholder, here’s what you need to know about the revamp.

The Strata Premier offers more rewards and protections

Before the announcement, the Citi Premier Card offered 10 points per dollar on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through the Citi Travel portal through June 30, 2024. With the redesigned Strata Premier Card, that rewards rate will become permanent. 

The new card also offers 3 points per dollar spent at electric vehicle charging stations. 

These bonus categories are offered in addition to the 3 points per dollar cardholders already earn on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

Additionally, the card now offers more travel protection perks, making it a better choice to cover your travel purchases. New and existing cardholders will get the following benefits:

• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: Provides a reimbursement for certain non-reimbursable expenses charged by a common carrier if your trip is canceled or cut short due to a covered reason.
• Trip delay insurance: Offers reimbursement for certain expenses, such as food and hotel accommodations, if your trip is delayed by a common carrier for a qualifying period of time.
• Lost or damaged luggage insurance: Provides coverage for personal belongings that are lost or damaged by a common carrier.
• MasterRental coverage: Offers collision damage waiver coverage if you get in an accident with a rental car (when you pay with this card and decline the rental company’s coverage at the counter).

The new Strata Premier Card is also retaining the original card’s hotel credit perk, which gives cardholders $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through the Citi Travel portal. You can get the benefit once per calendar year.

Apply now and get an increased welcome offer

To celebrate the card relaunch, Citi is offering an elevated welcome bonus for a limited time: 75,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in the first three months from account opening. 

For context, the card’s standard bonus is 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in the first three months. In other words, you’ll get $150 more value in the form of travel, cash back or gift cards if you apply before the offer ends. 

Keep in mind, too, that you can potentially get even more value from your redemptions by transferring your ThankYou points to one of Citi’s numerous airline and hotel loyalty program partners and booking award travel.

Should you apply for the new Citi Strata Premier Card?

If you already have the Premier Card, you’ll automatically get the Citi Strata Premier Card’s new rewards rates and trip protection benefits. If you want the new card design, however, you’ll need to wait until your current card expires. The $95 annual fee is remaining unchanged with this revamp. 

If you’re not a cardholder yet, the new welcome bonus is attractive—though Citi has offered as much as 80,000 bonus points in the past. 

If you’re thinking about applying for the new Citi Strata Premier Card, though, it’s important to look at the full picture. Take a look at your spending habits and travel plans to evaluate whether the card’s rewards rates and benefits are the right fit for you. 

Also, take some time to shop around and compare the card with other top travel credit cards. Whether you’re looking for a card with no annual fee or one that offers more premium perks, there could be options available that are better suited to your habits and needs. 

Those who don’t want to pay an annual fee might prefer a card like the Bilt Mastercard®, which rewards spending on dining, travel, and rent payments. Meanwhile, those seeking a truly premium experience and willing to pay an annual fee in exchange for them might want a card like the The Platinum Card® from American Express with its extensive airport lounge access.

To view rates and fees of the The Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page 

The takeaway

The biggest winners with the new Citi Strata Premier are existing cardholders, who don’t need to do anything to enjoy the new rewards rates and travel perks. However, new applicants will appreciate the limited-time welcome offer that accompanies the card relaunch. 

If you’re considering the new Strata Premier Card, carefully review the card’s features and research alternatives to ensure you get the very best card for you.

In any case, it’s refreshing (pardon the pun) to see a card revamp that adds value without increasing an annual fee, as that bucks the trend we’ve seen in many recent credit card overhauls.

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