Citi has introduced the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, a new premium credit card designed to offer enhanced rewards on travel and dining, alongside a suite of lifestyle benefits. The card aims to provide nearly $1,500 in annual value to cardmembers, including specific perks for American Airlines flyers.
The Citi Strata Elite Card rewards structure includes 12x points on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through the Citi Travel® platform, and 6x points on Air Travel booked via cititravel.com. Additionally, cardmembers earn 6x points at Restaurants, including Restaurant Delivery Services, specifically on Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. ET, with 3x points at other times. All other purchases receive 1.5x points.
According to Citi research conducted in June-July 2025, which surveyed 1,000 premium credit cardholders, 75% indicated that customization, such as opting for perks, is a critical factor in their card choice. In response, the Citi Strata Elite offers several flexible lifestyle benefits. These include up to $300 annually off hotel stays of two nights or more booked through Citi Travel, up to $200 annually in statement credits via the Splurge Credit℠ on a choice of up to two brands such as 1stDibs, American Airlines, Best Buy®, Future Personal Training, and Live Nation, and up to $200 annually in statement credits for Blacklane, a global chauffeur service (divided as $100 for January-June and $100 for July-December). Cardmembers can also receive up to a $120 statement credit every four years for Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck® application fees.
American Airlines has deepened its partnership with Citi to integrate additional benefits. Citi Strata Elite cardmembers receive four American Airlines Admirals Club® Citi Strata Elite Passes annually, providing access to nearly 50 Admirals Club® lounges worldwide. The card also allows for transferring Citi ThankYou® Points into American Airlines AAdvantage® miles.
Pam Habner, Head of U.S. Branded Cards & Lending at Citi, stated, “The new Citi Strata Elite Card is the smart choice for savvy premium cardmembers who want to earn high rewards on travel and dining while still earning generously on every dollar spent. We have curated flexible lifestyle benefits that we know our customers will want to use—because we asked them what they value. And, this is the only branded credit card that has American Airlines benefits built right into the card.”
Scott Long, American Airlines Senior Vice President of AAdvantage, commented on the collaboration, “American is deepening its partnership with Citi to deliver even more benefits that combine the best of American and Citi’s rewards offerings. We’re always looking for innovative ways to enhance our products and reward our customers for their loyalty. The new Citi Strata Elite Card provides Citi cardmembers an exciting opportunity to experience some of the fantastic benefits the AAdvantage program offers.”
Additional premium benefits for Citi Strata Elite cardmembers include complimentary Priority Pass Select™ membership, offering access for primary cardmembers, authorized users, and up to two guests to over 1,500 airport lounges globally. Cardmembers also gain access to The Reserve by Citi Travel, a collection of 4.5-5 star participating hotels providing on-property benefits like daily complimentary breakfast for two, free Wi-Fi, and a $100 experience credit, along with early check-in, late check-out, and room upgrades subject to availability. The card carries no foreign transaction fees and offers access to Citi Entertainment® for special ticket purchases and exclusive experiences.
The Citi Strata Elite is the first World Legend credit card issued featuring Mastercard’s new premium tier benefits, which include priority reservations at international restaurants and ticketing access for global music, theater, and sporting events. John Levitsky, U.S. co-president at Mastercard, noted, “We’re thrilled to introduce World Legend with Citi, a payment experience to meet people’s growing expectations of a payments card. Our new World Legend card tier will help deepen cardmember loyalty by offering elevated benefits, experiences and exclusive Priceless access in categories that people love—dining, entertainment, and travel.”
The card also provides comprehensive travel and shopping protections, including trip delay, enhanced trip cancellation and interruption, lost or damaged luggage protection, MasterRental coverage, extended warranty, and purchase assurance. The Citi Strata Elite Card has an annual fee of $595, with an additional $75 annual fee for each authorized user.
For Citi Wealth Clients, specific credits are available. Qualifying Citigold® Private Clients receive a $595 first-year banking relationship credit and a $145 annual credit thereafter if they maintain an open and current Citi Strata Elite Card account. Qualifying Citigold® clients receive a $145 Banking Relationship Annual Credit under the same conditions.
The Citi Strata Elite Card joins the existing Citi Strata Premier® and the new Citi Strata℠ Card in the Citi Strata credit card portfolio. The Citi Strata Card, an enhancement of the former Citi Rewards+® Card, offers increased point-earning opportunities. It provides 5x points on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com, 3x points at Supermarkets, on Select Transit, and at Gas & EV Charging Stations. It also includes a Self-Select category offering 3x points on an eligible category such as Fitness Clubs, Select Streaming Services, Live Entertainment, Cosmetic Stores/Barber Shops/Hair Salons, or Pet Supply Stores. Additionally, it offers 2x points at Restaurants and 1x points on all other purchases. The Citi Strata Card has no annual fee.
Further information on the Citi Strata credit card portfolio is available at www.citicards.com. Citi operates in over 180 countries, offering a range of financial products and services to corporations, governments, investors, institutions, and individuals.
