Consumer complaint received 2025-12-21 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Closing your account — Company closed your account
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
Product : Credit card Company : Citibank Card : Citi Strata Elite Complaint Summary I am submitting this complaint regarding the unexplained closure of my Citi Strata Elite credit card account and forfeiture of over XXXX rewards points, without notice, explanation, or opportunity to cure. As a result of the timing of the closure, I was also prevented from using time-limited benefits and bonuses that expired at the end of the year.

Detailed Description I attempted to make a routine payment on my Citi Strata Elite credit card and, during that process, attempted to link an external bank account. This action immediately triggered a fraud alert and resulted in my account being locked. 

I contacted Citi customer service and was informed that my credit card account had been closed by the bank. Representatives stated they were unable to provide any reason for the closure and that no appeal, remediation, or review process was available. 

I was later transferred to my Citi checking account support team, through whom I regained access to my online profile. At that point, I discovered that my Citi Strata Elite card had been cancelled and that over XXXX rewards points associated with the account were missing. 

The account had always been paid on time and in full. There were no delinquencies, chargebacks, or violations communicated to me. No advance notice of closure was provided, and I was not informed that rewards points would be forfeited. 

Because the account was closed without notice near the end of the calendar year, I was prevented from using time-limited card benefits and bonus opportunities that were scheduled to expire at year-end. These benefits were part of the cards advertised value and could not be recovered once the account was abruptly closed. 

Why This Is a Problem The account was closed without advance notice or explanation Rewards points were forfeited without disclosure or opportunity to redeem Time-limited bonuses and benefits were irreversibly lost due to the timing of the closure No cure, appeal, or remediation was offered Customer service refused to provide transparency or resolution The account was in good standing at the time of closure Requested Resolution I am requesting a resolution consistent with fair consumer practices and with how similar cases have reportedly been handled following executive review.

As a result of the abrupt closure and forfeiture of rewards, I experienced measurable financial harm. Based on Citis published redemption values and the cards advertised benefits : 1. Forfeited Rewards Points XXXX Citi ThankYou points Conservative cash-equivalent value ( XXXX ) : {$1300.00} Reasonable travel redemption value ( XXXX ) : {$1900.00} {$2600.00} Estimated value lost : {$1300.00} {$2600.00} XXXX. Lost Annual / Time-Limited Card Benefits Due to the timing of the closure near year-end, I was unable to use benefits that expired and could not be recovered : Annual Travel Credit : ~ {$300.00} Splurge / Lifestyle Credit : ~ {$250.00} Other year-end promotional benefits or category bonuses : ~ {$100.00} {$200.00} ( conservative estimate ) Estimated value lost : {$650.00} {$750.00} 3. Missed Citi Travel Portal Points Multiplier I had a planned family stay costing approximately {$3000.00} that was intended to be booked through the Citi Travel Portal to earn a promotional points multiplier. 

Assumed portal earning rate : XXXX points per dollar ( representative of Citi travel portal promotions ) Points that would have been earned : XXXX points Conservative valuation ( XXXX ) : {$300.00} Reasonable travel redemption value ( XXXX ) : {$450.00} {$600.00} These points could not be earned once the account was abruptly closed and could not be recreated retroactively.

Estimated value lost : {$300.00} {$600.00} 4. Annual Fee Paid Citi Strata Elite annual fee : {$490.00} The annual fee was paid, and the account was closed before I could realize the cards full annual value. 

Estimated value lost : {$490.00} These losses were directly caused by the timing and manner of the account closure and could not be mitigated once the account was cancelled without notice. 

Specifically, I am requesting : Reinstatement of my Citi Strata Elite credit card account, with full restoration of the forfeited rewards points and associated benefits or an otherwise fair reconciliation that reflects the approximately {$3000.00} {$4500.00} in lost value, including : Restoration of all forfeited rewards points ( over XXXX points ) ; Refund of the annual fee ; A written explanation for the account closure and rewards forfeiture.

Additional compensation for the loss of time-limited year-end bonuses and benefits that I was unable to use due to the abrupt closure Additionally, I request written confirmation that : No negative credit reporting occurred as a result of this closure My consumer profile with Citibank has not been adversely flagged Closing I am seeking transparency, fair treatment, and remediation proportionate to the loss of earned rewards, contracted benefits, and time-sensitive opportunities caused by this unexplained account closure.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation