Travel Intelligence · Card issuer records 2026
Citi Review 2026: Strata Elite Fees, Lounges, Insurance and a Record Score of 66
Citi scores 66/100 as a card issuer record: for its one card in scope, the Citi Strata Elite, it puts fees, insurance, credits and Priority Pass guest rules in writing and answers a collect call from abroad around the clock, but publishes no assistance service, no emergency replacement or cash abroad and no complaint route. This record covers the issuer behind the Citi Strata Elite Card: who issues and regulates it, what it costs, what is in writing on lounges, insurance and help abroad, and what independent studies say. Which card is worth its fee is scored on our card pages, linked below.
Verified 26 September 2026 · citi.com card, benefits and Priority Pass pages, the product 920 pricing table and card agreement · cardbenefits.citi.com guide and service pages · the FDIC, OCC, CFPB and Federal Reserve · J.D. Power · ACSI · Trustpilot
Is this your company? Correct a fact. Citi can correct any line of this record through the contact page. Corrections are logged with the previous value kept, and the score moves only if the evidence does.
How Citi scores: 66 out of 100
Citi scores 66 out of 100: full marks for benefits and fees in writing, held back by the thinnest help abroad of the four issuers, no complaint route and satisfaction evidence that rests on a Trustpilot 1.1. That is third of the four card issuers scored on this rubric, two points behind American Express. Our premium cards page ranks the Strata Elite fourth of seven cards at 80 because it scores the card's value; this record scores the issuer, and what a cardholder can check before applying.
| Criterion | Points | Out of | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benefits in writing | 25 | 25 | Priority Pass for cardmembers and authorised users, two free guests and $35 for each extra guest, and four Admirals Club passes a year, on Citi's pages (8 of 8). A guide to protection benefits for the Strata Elite on Citi's benefits site names New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG company, and Sedgwick, with limits and exclusions (8 of 8). Every credit's value, period and conditions published (5 of 5). No 2025 or 2026 change to these benefits found since the card's launch, which Citi's own release dates 28 July 2025 (4 of 4). |
| Help abroad | 7 | 20 | Collect from abroad on 605-335-2222, "24 hours a day, 7 days a week" (7 of 7). No emergency replacement away from home on any Citi page read (0 of 5). No travel or medical assistance service; the guide's numbers are for benefit questions and claims (0 of 5). No emergency cash or temporary card (0 of 3). |
| Fees in writing | 20 | 20 | The card's own rates page refused our reader; Citi's pricing table for product 920, the Strata Elite's number, gives the $595 annual fee, $75 for each authorised user and no foreign transaction fee (8 of 8). No foreign transaction fee (6 of 6). Version "920 v9" (3 of 3). Purchase APR 20.49% to 28.49%, penalty APR up to 29.99% and late and returned-payment fees up to $41 in the same table (3 of 3). |
| Satisfaction evidence | 4 | 20 | J.D. Power 2026 names only the top three issuers in its text and Citi is not among them, so that line is n/r. ACSI publishes no credit card study for 2025 or 2026, so that line is n/r; its 2026 bank study puts Citibank last among national banks, at 75, which is not a card score. Trustpilot 1.1 on the www.citi.com listing (369 reviews) and on a Citibank listing under citibank.us (1,200 reviews) (1 of 5). Rescaled from 1 of 5. |
| Regulation and dispute rights | 10 | 15 | Citibank, N.A. (5 of 5). No body beyond Citi named in the product 920 agreement, and the complaints and contact pages we tried do not exist (0 of 5). "You will not be responsible for unauthorized charges", and a "Your Billing Rights" notice in the product 920 agreement (5 of 5). |
| Total | 66 | 100 | Card issuer record score, 26 September 2026. |
Citi puts the Strata Elite's pricing, insurance wording, credits and Priority Pass guest rules in writing, and its collect line from abroad is open around the clock. It publishes nothing on emergency replacement, emergency cash or medical help abroad, names no complaint route beyond Citi, and has no issuer rank in J.D. Power's 2026 text, so its satisfaction score rests on Trustpilot.
The evidence record
The record holds 20 facts about Citi, each with its source and grade. Grade A means the company's own site or terms; grade B means a regulator, court, satisfaction study, review platform or major press; grade C means a secondary source not confirmed elsewhere. Every line was read on 26 September 2026 unless its source says otherwise.
| Attribute | Value | Source · grade |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing bank | Citibank, N.A., named in the product 920 card agreement, version "920 v3" | Card agreement · A |
| Regulator and charter | A national bank under the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, charter 1461; FDIC certificate 7213 | OCC evaluation · B; FDIC record · B |
| Main office | 5800 South Corporate Place, Sioux Falls, SD 57108 (map) | FDIC record · B |
| Parent, chief executive and founding | Citigroup Inc.; Jane Fraser, chair and chief executive of Citi; Citibank's charter dates from 16 June 1812 in the FDIC's record | Citigroup leadership · A; FDIC record · B |
| Card in this record | The Citi Strata Elite Card, $595 a year, launched on 28 July 2025; a US card | Citi launch release · A; Pricing table · A |
| Authorised users | $75 a year each | Pricing table · A |
| Foreign transaction fee | "Foreign Purchase Transaction: None" | Pricing table · A |
| Rates and penalty fees | Purchases 20.49% to 28.49%; penalty APR up to 29.99%; late and returned payments up to $41; version "920 v9" | Pricing table · A |
| Lounges | Priority Pass Select, more than 1,500 lounges, for cardmembers and authorised users, each with their own membership, lounges only; four Admirals Club passes a calendar year for nearly 50 Admirals Club lounges | Priority Pass page, 20 April 2026 · A; Benefits page · A |
| Guests | Two free a visit at Priority Pass lounges, $35 for each extra guest; American Airlines requires same-day travel on an eligible flight to use a pass | Priority Pass page · A; American Airlines, Admirals Club access · B |
| Statement credits | Hotel up to $300 a calendar year on 2 nights or more through cititravel.com; Splurge Credit up to $200 a calendar year; Blacklane up to $100 each half-year; Global Entry or TSA PreCheck up to $120 every 4 years | Benefits page · A |
| Travel insurance | Trip delay $500 a trip after six hours; trip cancellation and interruption $5,000 a trip and $10,000 a year; lost or damaged luggage $5,000 a trip; MasterRental car cover; New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG company, administered by Sedgwick | Guide to Protection Benefits, 06/25 · A |
| Card service from abroad | Collect on 605-335-2222, "24 hours a day, 7 days a week" | Citi travel notice page · A |
| Replacement, assistance and cash abroad | None published on Citi's pages or in the Strata Elite guide | Using your card abroad · A; Guide · A |
| Fraud liability | "You will not be responsible for unauthorized charges (charges which were not made by you, or anyone allowed to use the account)." | Citi $0 liability page · A |
| Billing rights and complaints | "Your Billing Rights" notice in the card agreement; no complaint route beyond Citi | Card agreement · A |
| Satisfaction studies | Not among the three issuers J.D. Power's 2026 release names; ACSI's 2026 bank study puts Citibank last among national banks at 75 | J.D. Power · B; ACSI · B |
| Reviews | Trustpilot 1.1 on www.citi.com (369 reviews, unclaimed) and on a Citibank listing under citibank.us (1,200 reviews, 97% one star) | Trustpilot, citi.com · B; Trustpilot, citibank.us · B |
| Regulatory record | A CFPB order of 8 November 2023 over card applicants, under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, terminated on 16 October 2025; a $60.6 million Federal Reserve penalty on Citigroup on 10 July 2024 over data quality and risk controls | CFPB · B; Federal Reserve · B |
| Our other pages | Strata Elite fourth of seven at 80 on the premium cards page; sixth of seven at 60 on the lounge cards page | Premium cards · B; Lounge cards · B |
Who issues Citi cards, and who regulates the bank?
Citibank, N.A., a national bank chartered and supervised by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, issues the Citi Strata Elite; its parent is Citigroup Inc., and its main office is in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The FDIC's record gives Citibank's establishment date as 16 June 1812 and its certificate as 7213, and the OCC lists it as charter 1461. Jane Fraser is chair and chief executive of Citi, which says it serves clients in "More than 180 countries and jurisdictions" with "a physical presence in 90+ markets" (Citigroup). This record covers the US Strata Elite only.
In November 2023 the CFPB ordered Citibank to pay $25.9 million under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act for discriminating against credit card applicants it suspected were of Armenian descent; the order was terminated on 16 October 2025. On 10 July 2024 the Federal Reserve fined Citigroup $60.6 million over data quality and risk controls, a matter across the group rather than the card business.
Which Citi card this record covers, and what it costs
One US card: the Citi Strata Elite, at $595 a year with $75 for each authorised user and no foreign transaction fee. Read from Citi's pricing table for product 920; the card's own rates page refused our reader, and the table's fees and the product number on Citi's Strata Elite guide tie it to the card.
| Card | Annual fee | Extra cards | Foreign transaction fee | Rates and penalty fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citi Strata Elite | $595 | $75 each authorised user | None | Purchases 20.49% to 28.49%; penalty APR up to 29.99%; late and returned payments up to $41 |
Citi's launch release dates the card from 28 July 2025. Its benefits page lists up to $300 a calendar year off a hotel stay of two nights or more booked through cititravel.com; a Splurge Credit of up to $200 a calendar year on up to two of 1stDibs, American Airlines, Best Buy, Future Personal Training and Live Nation; up to $100 of Blacklane chauffeur credit from January to June and another $100 from July to December; up to $120 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years; and extra credits for clients who also hold a Citigold relationship. Whether credits like these cover a $595 fee is worked through on are premium travel credit cards worth it, and the seven flagship cards are ranked on value on our premium travel cards page.
What Citi publishes about lounge access and guests
Citi publishes the Strata Elite's Priority Pass guest rules in full, with two free guests and $35 for each extra, and gives four Admirals Club passes a year.
| Benefit | Access | Guests | Authorised users |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priority Pass Select | More than 1,500 airport lounges; lounges only, not the network's restaurants, cafes or markets | Two a visit at no charge; $35 for each extra guest | Their own Priority Pass Select membership |
| Admirals Club passes | Four passes each calendar year for nearly 50 Admirals Club lounges | Not stated by Citi | Not stated by Citi |
The Priority Pass terms are on Citi's Priority Pass page, dated 20 April 2026. Citi's pages do not say how a pass is used; American Airlines' own access page requires a boarding pass for same-day travel on an eligible flight. The Strata Elite has no lounges of its own, so how it compares with the Chase, Amex and Capital One cards on lounges is on credit cards with airport lounge access, and how Priority Pass and the Admirals Club rank as networks is on our airport lounge programme index.
What travel insurance the Citi Strata Elite carries, and who underwrites it
The Strata Elite carries trip delay, trip cancellation and interruption, luggage and car rental cover underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG company, in a guide Citi publishes online.
| Cover | Limit | Underwriter | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trip delay | $500 a covered trip after a delay of six hours; two claims per account in 12 months | New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG company | Guide to Protection Benefits |
| Trip cancellation and interruption | $5,000 a covered trip; $10,000 per account in 12 months | New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG company | Guide to Protection Benefits |
| Lost or damaged luggage | $5,000 a covered trip; $2,000 a bag for New York residents | New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG company | Guide to Protection Benefits |
| MasterRental car cover | The car's actual cash value, plus up to $500 of loss-of-use charges; rentals of up to 31 consecutive days | New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG company | Guide to Protection Benefits |
The guide, "CRE388 06/25", is written for World Legend Mastercard cardholders and administered by Sedgwick Claims Management Services; its file name ties it to the Strata Elite. It excludes pre-existing conditions from trip cancellation, and it says nothing about baggage delay or travel accident cover. How premium card cover compares across the four issuers is set out on our premium travel cards page. A card's delay cover reimburses expenses; it does not replace the compensation an airline may owe, which is set out in US flight delay compensation and the EU261 claim company comparison.
How Citi helps a cardholder abroad
Citi answers a collect call from abroad 24 hours a day, but publishes no emergency replacement, no emergency cash and no travel or medical assistance line for the Strata Elite.
| Need | What Citi publishes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Card lost or stolen, or an account problem | Call collect on 605-335-2222, "24 hours a day, 7 days a week" | Citi travel notice page |
| A replacement card | Lock the card in the Citi Mobile app and request a replacement; no emergency service or time for a card lost abroad | Using your card abroad; Losing a card |
| A medical, legal or travel emergency | No assistance service; the guide's lines, 1-833-251-6404 and 1-669-288-7027 from outside the US, are for benefit questions and claims | Guide to Protection Benefits |
| Emergency cash | None published | Using your card abroad |
Citi's travel notice page applies to "Select Citi® Cards". A traveller who wants an assistance line on the card itself will find one at Amex, Chase and Capital One, as the American Express record shows. Which cards cost nothing to use abroad, and which charge for cash, is on travel money cards compared.
Fraud, disputes and complaints: what Citi puts in writing
Citi says a cardholder is not responsible for unauthorised charges and prints the billing-rights notice in the card agreement, but names no complaint route beyond Citi.
The zero-liability line is on Citi's card benefits site: "You will not be responsible for unauthorized charges (charges which were not made by you, or anyone allowed to use the account)." The product 920 card agreement carries "YOUR BILLING RIGHTS: KEEP THIS DOCUMENT FOR FUTURE USE" but mentions no regulator, and the complaints and contact pages we tried on citi.com return errors. A route exists whatever the agreement says: the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau takes credit card complaints online or on (855) 411-2372 and sends them to the company for a response.
What J.D. Power, ACSI and Trustpilot say about Citi
J.D. Power's 2026 release does not place Citi among its top three issuers, ACSI's 2026 bank study puts Citibank last among national banks, and Citi holds 1.1 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
The J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study, published on 13 August 2026, names American Express (668), Chase (635) and Bank of America (630) as the top three issuers against an average of 613; the rest of its ranking is a chart our reader cannot open. Its only Citi mention is the Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi, third among co-branded cards with no annual fee, at 643. ACSI's 2026 finance study scores banks, not card issuers: "Citibank finishes last despite improving 1% to 75" among national banks, whose average is 79. On Trustpilot, the www.citi.com listing holds 1.1 from 369 reviews and a Citibank listing under citibank.us 1.1 from 1,200, 97% of them one star; neither profile is claimed. What review platforms can and cannot tell a buyer is set out in who reviews the reviewers.
Who the Citi Strata Elite suits, and who it does not
The Strata Elite suits an American Airlines flyer who wants Priority Pass with guests and authorised users included, and who will use a hotel credit booked through Citi Travel.
Its four Admirals Club passes are worth most to someone flying American, whose lounges rank on our lounge programme index and whose premium cabins are compared in the best business class airlines. The hotel credit needs a two-night stay booked through cititravel.com, so a traveller who books hotels direct, as weighed in Direct vs Amex FHR vs Virtuoso, gets less from it.
It suits less well a traveller who wants help from the issuer in an emergency abroad: Citi publishes no assistance line, emergency replacement or emergency cash. The press has reported two things since launch: eMarketer wrote on 17 October 2025 that some new Strata Elite accounts were frozen for weeks pending income checks, and Doctor of Credit reported on 20 September 2026 that the welcome offer is now limited to once per lifetime across the Strata cards, a change we found no date for on Citi's pages.
Citi: the decisions that come next
Which card, which lounges, how to use the points and what to do when a flight goes wrong are the next decisions, and each has its own page here.
| Decision | What matters | Where we cover it |
|---|---|---|
| Which premium card | The fee against the credits you will use, and the lounges where you fly. | Best premium travel credit cards; Are premium travel cards worth it |
| Lounges | The Strata Elite relies on Priority Pass and four Admirals Club passes. | Credit cards with lounge access; Airport lounge programme index |
| Flying American | Admirals Club passes need a same-day flight; premium cabins differ by aircraft. | Best business class airlines; Best first class airlines |
| Using the points | ThankYou points can be moved to airline programmes for business class awards. | How to fly business class on points; Award booking services |
| Hotel stays | The hotel credit needs two nights booked through Citi Travel. | Direct vs Amex FHR vs Virtuoso; Hilton Diamond vs Marriott Titanium vs Hyatt Globalist |
| A delayed or cancelled flight | Card delay cover reimburses expenses; compensation from the airline is a separate claim. | US flight delay compensation; Travel disruption recovery playbook |
Where Citi stands on Uncompromised Travel
Citi appears on four Uncompromised Travel pages, and its Strata Elite holds numbered ranks on two of them.
| Page | Position | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Best premium travel credit cards 2026 | Strata Elite 4th of 7, 80/100 | Scores the card's value; its $595 fee and $75 authorised user fee match Citi's pricing table |
| Credit cards with airport lounge access | Strata Elite 6th of 7, 60/100 | Scores lounge access; its guest rules match Citi's Priority Pass page |
| Are premium travel credit cards worth it | Named at $595, no score | Weighs the fee against the credits |
| The real airport lounge access wars of 2026 | Names the Strata Premier, not the Strata Elite | Dated 11 May 2026, it covers only the Strata Premier ($95, no lounge access), though the Strata Elite launched in July 2025; the post is being updated |
Alternatives to Citi to compare
The other three issuers on our card pages, Chase, American Express and Capital One, are scored on the same rubric.
| Company | Record score | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Chase | 71 | Nine Sapphire Lounges with two free guests and a 24-hour assistance line; no card service number from abroad on its pages |
| American Express | 68 | Centurion Lounges and a 24-hour assistance line that can wire emergency cash; no billing-rights statement in its agreements |
| Capital One | 57 | The Venture X cards at $395 with their own lounges and an assistance line; terms documents without the foreign transaction fee or a date |
What this record does not show
Seven things a cardholder would want could not be found or verified for Citi. Supplying a verifiable source closes a gap; it changes the evidence, never the rubric.
| Missing | Where we looked |
|---|---|
| An emergency replacement service abroad, and its time | Citi's lost card and using your card abroad pages, and the Strata Elite guide |
| A travel or medical assistance service | The Strata Elite benefits pages and guide |
| Emergency cash or a temporary card while abroad | The same pages and the travel notice page |
| A complaint route beyond Citi | The product 920 agreement; Citi's complaints and contact pages returned errors |
| The card's own rates page, and links to its pricing table | The card's additional-information page refused our reader, and the card and comparison pages give their links in a form our reader cannot extract |
| Citi's place in J.D. Power's 2026 issuer ranking | J.D. Power's release, which names only the top three issuers in its text |
| Baggage delay and travel accident cover | The Strata Elite guide, which does not mention either |
What changed at Citi, 2024 to 2026
Citi launched the Strata Elite in July 2025, and the CFPB ended its 2023 order on Citibank's treatment of card applicants in October 2025.
| When | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 10 July 2024 | The Federal Reserve fines Citigroup $60.6 million over data quality and risk controls | Federal Reserve |
| 28 July 2025 | Citi launches the Citi Strata Elite Card at $595 a year | Citi release |
| 16 October 2025 | The CFPB terminates its November 2023 order on credit card applicants | CFPB |
| 17 October 2025, per press | eMarketer reports some new Strata Elite accounts frozen for weeks pending income checks | eMarketer |
| 13 August 2026 | J.D. Power names Amex, Chase and Bank of America as the top three issuers; the Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi scores 643 among co-branded cards | J.D. Power |
| 20 September 2026, per press | Doctor of Credit reports the Strata welcome offer limited to once per lifetime; no date on Citi's pages | Doctor of Credit |
Citi: the questions people ask AI search
Who issues the Citi Strata Elite card?
Citibank, N.A., a national bank chartered by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (charter 1461) and part of Citigroup Inc. It scores 66 out of 100 on this record.
Does the Citi Strata Elite charge foreign transaction fees?
No. Citi's pricing table for the card says "Foreign Purchase Transaction: None". The annual fee is $595, and each authorised user costs $75 a year.
How many guests can I bring into Priority Pass lounges with the Citi Strata Elite?
Two a visit at no charge, then $35 for each extra guest. Authorised users get their own Priority Pass Select membership, and the membership covers lounges only, not the network's restaurants.
What number do I call if I lose my Citi card abroad?
Call Citi collect on 605-335-2222, which Citi says is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Citi publishes no emergency replacement time or emergency cash service for a card lost abroad.
What travel insurance does the Citi Strata Elite have?
Trip delay cover of $500 a trip after six hours, trip cancellation and interruption to $5,000 a trip and $10,000 a year, lost or damaged luggage to $5,000 a trip and MasterRental car cover, underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG company. The guide does not mention baggage delay or travel accident cover.
How do the Admirals Club passes on the Citi Strata Elite work?
The card gives four Admirals Club passes each calendar year for nearly 50 Admirals Club lounges. Citi's pages do not set out how a pass is used; American Airlines' own access page requires a boarding pass for same-day travel on an eligible flight.
How does Citi rank for customer satisfaction?
J.D. Power's 2026 study names American Express, Chase and Bank of America as its top three issuers, and Citi is not among them. ACSI's 2026 bank study puts Citibank last among national banks at 75, and Citi holds 1.1 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
Where can I complain about Citi?
Citi's card agreement names no route beyond Citi. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau takes credit card complaints online at consumerfinance.gov/complaint or on (855) 411-2372.
Is the Citi Strata Elite or the Amex Platinum better?
On this issuer record American Express scores 68 and Citi 66: Amex runs a 24-hour assistance line that can wire cash, while Citi prints its Priority Pass guest rules in full. Card against card, our premium cards page ranks the Platinum second at 88 and the Strata Elite fourth at 80.
Read next
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- Chase travel cards record: the highest-scoring issuer on this rubric