My Strata Elite Card Caused Travel Chaos – Should You Think Twice Before Getting One?

The Citi Strata Elite credit card is a pretty powerful high-end card when leveraged effectively. And while not everyone has had a good experience, such as this Reddit user who shed light on the troubles it gave them during their travel voyage, I do think that dismissing a card because of an anecdotal experience isn’t the best idea. However, I do think that learning from the experiences of others and preparing accordingly is always a smart move.

Undoubtedly, when travelling abroad, you should have a “Plan B” in mind should some unforeseen matter arise. Whether that entails having backup cards (this should be a given), plenty of cash, or something else, the important thing is to never let travel chaos have the opportunity to arise. Indeed, you can blame a credit card all you like. But at the end of the day, one must be prepared to roll with the punches should they arise.

Let’s have a closer look at this Reddit poster’s experience so that readers can steer clear of such pitfalls in the future. 

What happened with this Strata Elite cardholder?

“Don’t get the Strata Elite if travelling,” said our Reddit user in all caps. Undoubtedly, fraud alerts happened during their travels, and it was more complicated than calling them up. Indeed, things got inconvenient and complicated at a time when one should be unwinding. And while Citi could have made things a bit easier with verification and all sorts, I simply do not see the Strata Elite card solely to blame for the negative experience. Why?

Our user should have contacted Citi well ahead of their travels to let them know the dates they’ll be abroad. That way, a fraud alert wouldn’t have had the opportunity to happen. Indeed, it’s not just Citi cards that have fraud alerts on travel.

At the end of the day, it’s to protect the user and is viewed as a positive rather than a negative when it comes to picking a credit card. Personally, I find it to be a positive that there are multiple verification steps to prevent a fraudster from racking up the charges. In any case, I view the card user as unprepared, perhaps because they were unaware of complications that could arise.

In short, the user wasn’t aware of the implications of swiping abroad, and it caused a bit of inconvenience, to say the least. The moral of the story is to call before issues arise while at the beach! 

Bring alternative payment methods!

If you’re not going to call up a card issuer, you may as well bring one, two, or even more alternative payment methods. One can cover most bases by bringing a Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. And, of course, one should always bring cash, tons of cash, far more than one would think they’d need for the entirety of one’s trip.

Of course, such cash should go straight into the hotel safe upon arrival. And while it’s good to use cards first so that one gets all the points, it’s never a bad idea to have ample cash on hand, especially since some countries primarily transact in cash rather than cards.

This goes without saying: have alternative payment methods, or you’ll be left hanging if there’s a fraud alert, which can still happen, even after one has contacted their issuer. At the end of the day, we don’t know the inner workings of a fraud-detection algorithm. That’s why having multiple backup payment methods is an absolute must when traveling.

Strata Elite is a great card. And it is worth bringing travelling

The Strata Elite is a fantastic card when utilized effectively, especially for those who travel a lot. Whether we’re talking about point multipliers for hotels and restaurants or the slew of other travel perks and experiences (think airport lounges), the Strata Elite punches above its weight class. And as you now know, it also has ample fraud protection measures in place.

So, if you’re going to travel, please do contact the issuer and have a backup plan if a fraud alert happens. In short, expect such a disruption and you won’t be phased when and if it does happen. In short, the Strata Elite is worth getting if the multipliers and perks justify the annual fee. However, this goes without saying: don’t travel abroad with one card and no cash! 

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