It was only about a month ago that Citi quietly closed applications for the Citi Rewards+® Card, and now they’ve announced a new addition to the ThankYou Points lineup to take its place. While the Rewards+ wasn’t flashy, it had some standout features for a no-annual-fee option. It earned ThankYou Points that could be combined with other Citi accounts, and more importantly, it offered a 10% rebate on redeemed points, up to 10,000 points back per year. Not bad for a card that cost nothing to keep, which is why many people were content to leave it in the sock drawer.
Now, Citi has officially unveiled the replacement for the Rewards+, and the rumors were correct: introducing the Citi Strata℠ Card, Citi’s new no-annual-fee ThankYou Points-earning card.
Citi Strata Card Benefits
With the Citi Strata Card, cardmembers will earn:
- 5x points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through cititravel.com
- 3x points at supermarkets
- 3x points on select transit, as well as at gas stations and EV charging stations
- 2x points at restaurants
- 1x point on all other purchases
Citi is also adding a new twist with a Self-Select Category. Cardmembers can choose one additional bonus category to earn 3x points from the following options:
- Fitness clubs
- Select streaming services
- Live entertainment
- Cosmetic stores, barber shops, or hair salons
- Pet supply stores
When Will the Card Be Available?
Existing Citi Rewards+ cardmembers will have access to the Citi Strata Card starting July 20, 2025, according to Citi. Applications for new customers will open later this year.
What This Means for Existing Rewards+ Cardholders
Citi shared that starting July 20, 2025, existing cardholders will receive the new Strata Card benefits. A new card with the updated design will be sent out when the current card expires, and members can keep using their existing card until then.
If you opened your Rewards+ card between July 20, 2024 and July 19, 2025, you’ll still get the Round Up feature, which rounds purchases to the nearest 10 points, and 10% Points Back on the first 100,000 ThankYou Points you redeem each year. These benefits will last through July 19, 2026.
For those who opened the card before July 20, 2024, both the Round Up and 10% Points Back features will end on July 20, 2025, when the new Strata Card benefits go into effect.
So, yes — the Rewards+ card and its 10% rebate are going away. If you’ve had the card for more than a year, now’s the time to take advantage of that rebate while you still can. After that, your card will switch to the new Strata benefits.
My Take
(This section reflects my editorial opinion and not confirmed news from Citi.)
The Citi Strata Card looks like a very solid choice for a no-annual-fee card, and it holds up well against competitors like the Chase Freedom Unlimited. The bonus categories are broad enough to be useful, and the Self-Select Category is a fun addition, especially since it includes some less common options. While categories like salons or gyms will appeal to some, I’m personally happy to see live entertainment making a return as a full earning category. I often hit the $500 monthly cap on that category with the Citi Custom Cash, so having another way to earn more points there is a welcome change.
It’s also hard not to notice that this announcement comes just days after Citi reduced the value of cashing out points from the Strata Premier. It makes you wonder if there’s a bigger shift happening behind the scenes in Citi’s points ecosystem.
And with the Rewards+ being phased out, I’m still left wondering what’s going on with the Citi Prestige. Will we finally see a refreshed premium card in the Strata lineup? That’s been rumored for quite a while now.
We’ll have to wait and see, but if you don’t already have the Rewards+ in your sock drawer, the Strata Card might be worth checking out when applications open later this year.
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