I recently signed up for the Citi Strata Elite Card and plan to earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening. This special in-branch only offer is easy to get with a shared email link (I found a Reddit thread with it).
Citi Stata Premier Application Process
Once I logged in, the application process was very easy and I was approved instantly for the card and it arrived in the mail after 3 business days in a pretty box.
Citi Strata Elite’s easy to earn annual credits
Citi Stata Elite
| Parameter | Annual fees & annual credits | Notes | Net Annual Cost |
| Annual Fee | $595 | -$595 | |
| $200 Calendar Year Splurge Benefit | $200 x 2 during the first year | Easy to buy Amazon GCs from BestBuy.com | +$400 |
| $300 Calendar Year Hotel Savings Benefit | $300 x 2 during the first year | Relatively easy to find a 2-night stay on Cititravel.com | +$600 |
| $200 Calendar Year Blacklane Credit | $100 x 3 during the first year | Difficult to redeem for full value | +$100 |
| Final Cost | Net positive $500 plus 100k Citi points |
Activate Your Splurge Credit under the Card Benefits
Splurge Credit Rules
- Once selected, a merchant is activated as of 12:00 AM ET on the day the merchant is selected. For example, if you select a merchant at 11:00 PM ET on a Wednesday, all purchases made with that merchant from 12:00 AM ET on Wednesday may qualify for a Splurge Credit.
- In order to receive a Splurge Credit, the Splurge Credit merchant must be activated when the purchase is authorized by the merchant.
- If the Splurge Credit merchant was activated when the purchase was authorized but is no longer activated when the purchase posts to the account, the purchase will still be eligible for a Splurge Credit.
- Purchases made by either the primary cardmember or Authorized Users are eligible for Splurge Credits.
- Splurge Credits are applied after the purchase posts to your account.
- Eligible purchases that are authorized before December 31st, 11:59 PM each calendar year are eligible for statement credits within that year, even if the purchase posts to your account the following year.
How long does it take for Citi to post the splurge credit?
It took a surprisingly long time for the splurge credit to post to my account (see image below).
Citi Strata Elite’s point earnings when booked via Citi Travel
- Rental cars booked via Citi Travel: 12 points per dollar.
- Activities booked via Citi Travel: 12 points per dollar.
- Hotels booked via Citi Travel: 12 points per dollar.
- Air Travel booked via Citi Travel: 6 points per dollar.
Citi Strata Elite’s point earnings for dining
- Restaurants and restaurant delivery on Friday and Saturday nights: 6 points per dollar.
- Restaurants and restaurant delivery at other times: 3 points per dollar.
My bonus meter
Conclusion
I am happy to see that Citi has finally introduced the Strata Elite Card and I was able to get the 100K bonus approved for 3 players in my household. While it is super easy to buy Amazon gift cards from BestBuy.com every 6 months, I may have trouble finding hotel rooms for a 2-night stay on Cititravel.com split between 3 cards over the next year. Unless there is a way to split the ride between two of the Strata Elite cards, I am finding it difficult to redeem the $200 Annual Blacklane Credit since each ride (from JFK or ORD to the city center) is priced around $150. In my opinion, the card is worth it for the sign-on bonus miles even if you don’t make use of the hotel credits.