There have been rumors for a long time that Citi would be releasing a new “Strata” card, and there was a lot of speculation about what this card would be. The card finally released this week, and it wasn’t quite what I expected.
Basically, the Citi Premier Card has been replaced with the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card with some tweaks. Let’s take a look at all the details.
City Premier becomes City Strata Premier
The Citi Strata Premier Card is Citi’s new mid-range personal credit card that lets you earn transferable points. This card replaces the Citi Premier Card.
- Citi Premier Card is no longer accepting new applications
- If you have a Citi Premier Card, it has been automatically converted to the new Citi Strata Premier Card.
- Effectively, the Citi Strata Premier Card is considered the same product as the Citi Premier Card. For example, eligibility for a welcome bonus is determined by whether you own a Citi Premier card.
The Citi Strata Premier Card has the same annual fee of $95 as the Citi Premier Card, and for that matter, not much has changed about the card. The card also offers a nice welcome bonus (but note that in this case you’ll get a better deal if you apply directly through Citi’s website rather than via the OMAAT link).
What’s the difference between Citi Strata Premier?
So what makes the Citi Strata Premier Card different from the previous Citi Premier Card? The Citi Strata Premier Card includes all the same benefits that were available with the Citi Premier Card.
On top of that, the introduction of the Citi Strata Premier Card adds some small new benefits.
- This card now offers 3x points on EV charging in addition to gas
- The card now permanently offers 10x points on hotels, rental cars, and attractions booked through the City Travel Portal. Previously, 10x Points was sold as a limited-time promotion.
Read my full review of the Citi Strata Premier Card to learn more.
What is Citi’s motivation for Strata branding?
When rumors started flying around sometime about a Citi Strata Premier card, I didn’t know what exactly to expect, but I thought one of two outcomes was most likely.
- Was Citi going to make major changes to the Citi Premier Card, perhaps increasing the annual fee and changing the perks and benefits structure?
- Given that the Citi Prestige Card hasn’t been accepting new applicants for years, Citi intended to introduce a new ultra-premium card while other card issuers have focused on cards with high annual fees. Is it?
I was surprised when I learned that the Citi Strata Premier Card is basically the Citi Premier Card with a few changes. I can’t help but be curious about City’s motivations for this and whether we should wait for another shoe to come out.
Could we see a more premium product using the Citi Strata branding, perhaps a Citi Strata Prestige? Could we see a Citi Strata Premier Business?
The term “Strata” is also interesting when it comes to credit cards. It refers to the layers of something, such as rocks, soil, and even dishes (including bread, cheese, meat, etc.). The card art probably reflects that concept as well.
I’m interested to see how this evolves, as I don’t understand City’s motivations for these changes. Perhaps the motive will become clear soon, or perhaps this is the extent of the change and we will be left wondering. Just rebranding the City Premier to the City Strata Premier seems like an odd change.
conclusion
The long-awaited Citi Strata Premier Card is finally available. It looks very similar to the Citi Premier card. This is essentially just a rebrand of the product as we know it, with 3x points on EV charging and 10x points on hotels, rental cars, and attractions booked through the City Travel Portal Added permanent functionality.
I’m curious if this is the scope of the “Strata” credit card portfolio, or if it’s just the beginning of something much bigger.
What do you think about the “new” Citi Strata Premier Card? What do you think motivated Citi to make this change?
