Citi has joined within the ultra-premium rewards card class with the Citi Strata Elite bank card. As with comparable playing cards, there are a number of travel-related perks, some related “way of life” perks, and a hefty annual charges. But our “way of life” is extra about sneaking the third child right into a Hampton Inn and reserving reasonably priced Airbnbs so we will hike in a nationwide park with our free 4th grader move.
I not too long ago completed up the spending necessities for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, and I spotted that whereas I’ll get a number of first-year worth out of the cardboard, I will even go away lots of the advantages fully unused. And that’s okay! I don’t need to spend $200+ on a flowery dinner solely to then have to fret about it not being reimbursed after which spend further time arguing with customer support about it. I’ll decide up the straightforward stuff, and transfer on. So that’s the lens for this assessment, as I take into account my subsequent bank card.
(Facet observe: You possibly can examine some the drama surrounding this card (WSJ present article) throughout its preliminary launch. Not the easiest way to deal with “premium” prospects… I hope Citi has ironed out these kinks.)
Perk highlights:
- Restricted-time provide: 100,000 ThankYou factors after spending $6,000 within the first 3 months.
- $300 annual lodge credit score for pay as you go stays of no less than two nights booked by way of Citi Journey portal.
- $200 annual “Splurge Credit score” at choose websites (contains Finest Purchase, Apple, Airbnb, American Airways, Delta Airways).
- $200 annual Blacklane chauffeur credit score ($100 January–June, $100 July–December).
- As much as $120 World Entry or TSA PreCheck credit score, as soon as each 4 years.
- Precedence Go Choose membership for entry to 1,500+ airport lounges worldwide.
- 4 annual American Airways Admirals Membership lounge passes.
- Journey and buy protections together with journey cancellation/interruption, delay safety, misplaced/broken baggage, MasterRental protection, prolonged guarantee, and buy assurance.
- $595 annual charge.
Rewards construction highlights:
- 12X factors lodges, automobile leases, and points of interest booked by way of the Citi Journey portal.
- 6X factors on air journey booked by way of the Citi Journey portal.
- 6X factors at eating places (together with supply) each Friday and Saturday from 6p to 6a ET (“Citi Nights”).
- 3X factors at eating places in any other case.
- 1.5X factors per greenback on all different purchases.
Getting low-effort worth out of Citi ThankYou factors. In the event you choose “money again” rewards, then you definitely may have already got the Citi Double Money card because it means that you can earn a flat 2% money again on all of your purchases. (Discover the Double Money nonetheless beats this fancy card for many purchases!) Nevertheless, technically you earn 2X Citi ThankYou factors on all of your Double Money purchases, which you might be then permit to redeem at a price of $0.01 per level. Due to this fact, when you’ve got each this Strata Elite and the Double Money, then you possibly can mix the factors and redeem that 100,000 ThankYou level bonus for $1,000 money (assertion credit score). With out the Double Money, you might be solely going to get 75% of that quantity ($750 for 100,000 factors.)
(My second-favorite possibility would most likely be to switch to American Airways miles, that are most likely probably the most versatile and useful possibility for a US home traveler. You should utilize their “Money + Miles” possibility when reserving a flight and reliably get greater than 1 cent per mile worth with out having to make use of them in large blocks. Lastly, you may wait to redeem for a present card throughout a promo, or you possibly can redeem ThankYou factors at Amazon at 0.80 cents per level utilizing their “Store with Factors” function. 100,000 factors = $800 to spend at Amazon.)
Getting low-effort worth out of the $200 “Annual Splurge Credit score”. Right here’s their textual content:
Each calendar 12 months, earn as much as $200 in assertion credit in your selection of as much as 2 of the next manufacturers: 1stDibs, American Airways (exclusions apply), Finest Purchase®, Future Private Coaching, and Dwell Nation (exclusions apply).
I’d merely decide Finest Purchase as my possibility after which promptly purchase an Amazon present card from Finest Purchase for $200 and cargo it straight into my Amazon account stability. (Airbnb and Apple present playing cards could be my subsequent selections.) Straightforward. Performed. Gained’t overlook to make use of up. Discover additionally that the credit score relies on calendar 12 months. In the event you apply for this card earlier than the top of 2025, you will get $200 in 2025 and likewise $200 in 2026 in the course of the first 12 months of paying that vast $595 annual charge.
The remaining is gravy on prime. For instance, I may use the annual lodge credit score, however I additionally have already got a ton of lodge factors and never that a lot journey deliberate. I don’t need to spend $1,000 to “save” $300. I most likely received’t use the Blacklane credit score; I appeared up my house/airport combo and it value $165 vs beneath $50 for Uber/Lyft. The airport lounge entry is good however actually most of those Precedence Go lounges are so crowded these days. I’ll most likely use the $120 World Entry credit score relying on expiration timing, however received’t depend it for now.
The principle level is that you just usually nonetheless do effectively with out maximizing each potential profit. With simply the simplest non-travel rewards listed above, I’m already at $1,000 assertion credit score + $400 in Amazon present playing cards – $600 annual charge = $800 internet first-year worth.