It's out with the old and in with the new.
Starting Thursday, May 9, Citi will no longer accept new credit card applications for the *citi premier* – its popular $95 annual fee travel rewards credit card.
The reason? Starting on May 16, Citi will be replacing and rebranding the Premier card as the Citi Strata Premier card. While Citi hasn't officially released the details of the new Strata Premier card just yet, Doctor of Credit is reporting that the card will come with almost the exact same benefits as the current Citi Premier card.
One exciting change? The refresh is expected to come with a souped-up welcome offer bonus offer of 75,000 Citi ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of card membership. That's much better than the current 60,000 point bonus for the same spending requirement you'll currently find on the Citi Premier card.
That big bonus and some lucrative and unique ways to use Citi ThankYou points should officially put the Strata Premier card on your radar if you're in the market for a new travel card , and you're eligible to open it.
Let's look at what's coming with the launch of the Citi Strata Premier card next week.
Citi Strata Premier Card: Benefits Overview
Welcome Offer: Earn 75,000 Citi ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of card membership.
Earn 3x Citi ThankYou Points for every dollar spent on air travel and hotels.
Earn 3x Citi ThankYou Points for every dollar spent at restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations (including EV charging).
Earn 10x Citi ThankYou Points for every dollar spent on hotels and car rentals when you book through the Citi Travel portal
Earn 1x Citi ThankYou Points for every dollar spent on all other purchases.
Save $100 annually on a single hotel stay of $500 or more when you book through the Citi Travel portal.
No foreign transaction fees.
Annual Fee: $95 (not waived)
What's New With the Strata Premier Card?
Strata Premier card benefits are largely unchanged from the current and soon-to-be-discontinued Citi Premier card, except for two underwhelming updates.
The Citi Premier card has long been a great way to earn 3x points at gas stations, and with the new Strata Premier card, cardholders can now earn 3x on EV charging, too – something not currently offered with the Premier card.
The other change concerns earning 10x points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions when you book through the Citi Travel portal. This benefit on the Premier card was set to expire on June 30, but with the new Strata Premier card, it will be a permanent benefit.
Beyond that, the Strata Premier card will have the same $95 annual fee as the Premier card and practically all of the same card benefits. It simply comes with a higher sign-up bonus, which is worth paying attention to.
Who's Eligible to Apply for the Citi Strata Premier Card?
If you've received a new account bonus for a Citi Premier or a Citi Strata Premier account in the past 48 months (4 years), you won't be eligible to earn the welcome offer bonus on the new Citi Strata Premier come next week.
Other than that restriction, earning welcome bonus offers on other Citi cards should not affect your eligibility to apply for this card.
As for what's to happen to current Premier cardholders on whether or not they get to keep their current cards or will receive the updated Strata Premier, we'll have to buckle in and see what Citi decides to do.
Read our master guide to credit card applications with all the rules you need to know bank by bank!
Bottom Line
Citi is back with a new(ish) travel card and a welcome bonus offer to replace the Citi Premier Card. Starting tomorrow, May 9, Citi will discontinue the Citi Premier Card and it will no longer be available for new applications. On May 16, the bank will launch the new Citi Strata Premier card which will mostly be the same card – just with a new name.
What is rumored to follow later this year is the introduction of a more premium travel card dubbed the Citi Strata Prestige. This card is expected to replace the currently discontinued Citi Prestige card and compete with the premium credit card offerings from Chase, American Express, and Capital One.
Stay tuned.
All Rights Reserved Travel