Exclusive: Citi Rewards+ Card rebrands as Citi Strata Card — and revamps the card for the better

Editor’s note: Citi is a TPG advertising partner.

Citi has confirmed with TPG that the discontinued Citi Rewards+ Card is being fully refreshed as Citi expands its Strata family of cards.

As of May 22, the Citi Rewards+ Card is being rebranded as the Citi Strata℠ Card. There’s always uncertainty around changes to credit cards, especially when its predecessor is discontinued. However, in this case, the card changes are mostly positive, which may entice rewards credit card enthusiasts who previously did not have the Citi Rewards+ on their radar.

As a longtime Citi loyalist and die-hard Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see rates and fees) (formerly the Citi Premier) fan, I’m excited to see the issuer overhauling its lineup of Citi ThankYou Rewards-earning credit cards.

So, let’s jump into what changes existing cardholders and new applicants can expect.

The information for the Citi Rewards+ and Citi Premier has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. The Citi Premier Card is no longer available for new applications. 

Summary of changes

What isn’t changing:

• Annual fee (it will remain a no-annual-fee card)
• ThankYou Rewards transfer partners
• World Elite Mastercard benefits

What is changing:

• New name and card art
• New bonus categories
• Increased earning rates on existing bonus categories
• Elevated welcome bonus
• What the card is made of (it will be almost entirely recycled plastic)

Citi Rewards+ used to round up each purchase to the nearest 10 points. Sadly, this unique perk will be discontinued, along with the ability for each cardholder to receive 10% of the first 100,000 points redeemed per calendar year back.

In an exclusive interview with Pam Habner, Citi’s head of branded cards and lending, Habner highlighted Citi’s commitment to listening to customer feedback and engaging in focus groups to learn what current and prospective cardholders want from their credit cards. She mentioned how the current market showcases cardholders looking to be flexible with their reward earnings and how these findings drove Citi to make meaningful changes.

Existing Citi Rewards+ Card members will have access to the new Citi Strata Card on July 20, and new customers can apply later this summer.

New earning rates

The most exciting aspect of the new Citi Strata Card is the introduction of new bonus categories and improved earning rates from the now-discontinued Rewards+ Card. The changes include:

• New: 5 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on cititravel.com
• Increased: 3 points per dollar spent at supermarkets
• Increased and expanded: 3 points per dollar spent on select transit, gas and electric vehicle charging stations
• New: 3 points per dollar spent on eligible self-select category of fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons or pet supply stores.
• New: 2 points per dollar spent at restaurants
• Same: 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases

Previously, the Citi Rewards+ earned 2 points per dollar spent on grocery store and gas station purchases; however, the new earning rates are far more lucrative. The Rewards+ Card earned 5 points per dollar spent on hotel, car rental and attraction bookings through the Citi travel portal, but it had an end date of Dec. 31. Now, the earning rate for these purchases is a permanent addition to the card.

This is a total revamp of the card, and its earning rates bring it closer to the Citi Strata Premier Card, which has a $95 annual fee and got its own refresh in May 2024.

In my opinion, this can pave the path for Citi to have its own version of the Chase Trifecta, where Citi cardholders can carry multiple cards and maximize earning rates and benefits in combination with one another. The new earning rates make this card a worthy contender for everyday purchases and challenge long-standing rivals, such as the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees).

Habner emphasized Citi’s role in revamping the marketplace and staying competitive. It’s evident that Citi leaned in on customers’ desire to earn more across everyday spending categories. Therefore, the issuer simplified and increased opportunities with the Citi Strata Card in what I’d call essential categories of gas stations, supermarkets and restaurants, in addition to introducing the new self-select category.

The most exciting development, for me, is the new bonus category: 3 points per dollar spent on a self-select category.

With a wide range of options to choose from, it should be fairly easy to maximize. Cardholders can change their self-select category every quarter. I see this bonus category being a key driver for Citi because some of the eligible categories are not commonly offered on other cards at an elevated earning rate.

With some gym memberships costing more than $200 in cities such as New York and Los Angeles and live entertainment tickets costing a couple of hundred dollars, this can be extremely useful for many folks. To me, this gives the Chase Freedom Flex® (see rates and fees) a run for its money because some of its quarterly bonus categories in the past have included fitness clubs or streaming services, but reward earnings are always capped at $1,500 each quarter you activate. 

Related: How to earn over 300,000 points in 2025

New welcome bonus

For a limited time, new customers approved for the Citi Strata Card will earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 within the first three months of account opening. Keep in mind that existing Citi Rewards+ Card holders will automatically be converted to the Citi Strata Card on July 20. Therefore, cardholders will not be able to apply for the Citi Strata Card, as they’ll already hold the card.

The welcome bonus is not available to applicants who received a new account bonus for a Citi Rewards+ account in the past 48 months or those who converted another Citi account on which they earned a new account bonus in the last 48 months into a Citi Strata or Citi Rewards+ account.

Another welcoming piece of news is that approved applicants will have instant authorization and, therefore, access to their new credit card right away.

Bottom line

The Citi Strata Card is a refreshing change in the credit card space, and I welcome it. A complete overhaul to the earning rates and inclusion of new categories make this card a competitive option for those looking to earn ThankYou Rewards. The changes to this card have made it more useful as an everyday spending credit card and provide a strong value proposition.

If you’re a Citi Strata Premier Card holder, you can combine your Strata Card points to transfer them to Citi’s travel partners for maximum value.

Now, with changes to two Citi cards and their inclusion into the Strata family, all eyes are on the successor to the Citi Prestige (discontinued in 2021). If Citi maintains this upward trend of card refreshes and enhancements, I expect the “Strata Elite” to give other premium cards a run for their money.

The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: What I’m looking forward to seeing in Citi’s upcoming premium credit card