A solid travel card that I’ve used for years, the Citi Premier® Card, is officially no more. In its place, you’ll now find the new Citi Strata PremierSM Card, which is currently open for applications.
Let’s look at all it has to offer! 👇
The new Strata Premier card’s welcome offer
Who doesn’t love a good welcome offer, eh? I sure do—especially when that number is hovering around 70k.
And fortunately, the Strata Premier is offering just that.
For a limited time, you can earn 70,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. That’s redeemable for $700 in gift cards or travel rewards through thankyou.com.
However, you should know by now that you can get FAR more value for your ThankYou® Rewards by utilizing Citi’s transfer partners, and they’ve got some good ones 👇
Program Name | Transfer Ratio |
|---|---|
Accor Living Limitless | 2:1 |
Aeromexico Rewards | 1:1 |
Air France-KLM Flying Blue | 1:1 |
Avianca LifeMiles | 1:1 |
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1:1 |
Choice Privileges | 1:2 (2:3 for cards that earn limited ThankYou points) |
Emirates Skywards | 1:1 |
Etihad Guest | 1:1 |
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | 1:1 |
JetBlue TrueBlue | 1:1 (5:4 for cards that earn limited ThankYou points) |
Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1:1 |
Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 1:1 |
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 |
Thai Royal Orchid Plus | 1:1 |
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | 1:1 |
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (and Virgin Red) | 1:1 |
Wyndham Rewards | 1:1 (5:4 for cards that earn limited ThankYou points) |
Citi may not be the sexiest of bank issuers in the world of miles and points, but seriously… don’t sleep on their fantastic transfer partners.
For instance, last year, I used some of my Citi points to book my 15-hour flight on Emirates in their unbelievable business class—saving me over $4,000 in the process 🤯
So worth it.
However… Unfortunately, if you received a welcome bonus from the former Citi Premier card in the last 48 months, then you’re not eligible for the Strata’s current offer.
But to everyone else… I’d seriously consider the Strata.
The Strata Premier’s perks and benefits
Overall, the Strata’s earning structure is similar to what the Premier had:
10X points per dollar on hotel, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com (this is an ongoing benny from the Premier that will expire on June 30, 2024).
3X points per dollar on air travel, other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and EV charging stations
1X point per dollar on all other purchases
I have always used my Citi Premier card for gas purchases as it gets the highest earning rate compared to any other card that earns transferrable points.
It’s also been a solid backup for restaurant and supermarket purchases if a vendor doesn’t accept American Express (e.g. using the American Express® Gold Card, which gets 4X per dollar on these purchases 👀 — for global restaurants up to $50,000 per calendar year and for U.S. supermarkets up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x after.
Additionally, the 3X points per dollar for EV charging stations is brand new and quite interesting given the trend that more and more electric vehicles are on the road.
So you’re getting both a generous welcome offer plus some solid earning rates on everyday spending for a card that charges just $95 for its annual fee.
The new Citi Strata Premier also has these additional benefits and travel protections worth noting:
$100 off of a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com (valid once per calendar year).
No foreign transaction fees
Travel insurance coverage that includes trip delay, cancellation, and interruption; lost or damaged luggage, and MasterRental Coverage for car rentals
Interestingly enough, the OG Citi Premier dropped its travel protections in 2019. So the addition of this coverage back into its benefits is a nice bonus for both existing members like me as well as new applicants.
Crossover from the Premier to the Strata Premier
I’ve been able to confirm by looking at my own account that my Citi Premier card is now showing as the Citi Strata Premier 👇
So, those of you who had existing accounts with the Premier will automatically be switched over to this updated version.
And the next time your physical card renews, you’ll receive the new design 🤗
Since applications for the old Premier card are officially closed, the Strata Premier has become Citi’s highest-tiered card to earn you a boatload of ThankYou points.
Final thoughts
The new Citi Strata Premier is a solid travel credit card that is currently offering a welcome bonus of 70,000 bonus points after meeting spending requirements.
It also boasts 3X points per dollar on many everyday spending categories which feels good for those of us who also want a card that isn’t solely focused on travel purchases.
Citi also has some amazing transfer partners that give you the ultimate flexibility in finding an award redemption for your next trip—and all for just $95 a year.
💡Pro Tip: Currently, if you sign up directly with Citi, the welcome offer is 75,000 points (and we aren’t sure how long this will last). We would still be so grateful if you chose to use our links to support everyone at Daily Drop!
