The Strata cards are no longer offered at Citi's 'just made it harder' to sign up for a second welcome bonus.The Strata cards which Citi used to offer as one of its 'just made it harder' welcome bonuses no longer appear that way.

For those that enjoy reading the details of welcome offers for credit cards, there is a change that they need to understand. Citi has quietly implemented changes to the requirements for its Strata family of cards, and those changes may mean that those who have earned the card's perks may find that it becomes much harder to do so.

Citi for years has had a trend that many points and miles fans have been accustomed to: a 48-month rule. In short, if you had been issued a different card in that same four year period you could once again qualify for the same card's sign-up bonus. It wasn't endless but it was certain and certainty is valuable when you're trying to figure out what to open and what to wait for. That regularity has been thrown out of the window.

The Cards Affected

The change only impacts Citi's ThankYou-points-earning lineup:

• Citi Strata℠ Card
• Citi Strata Premier® Card
• Citi Strata Elite℠ Card

The three cards are one of Citi's most competitive travel programs for those seeking flexible rewards instead of miles or points from an airline or hotel. However, terms of how often you can earn a bonus on them just got a rewrite and not in card holders' favor.

From "Every Four Years" to "Maybe Never Again"

Here's where things get interesting. In the old days, for instance with the Strata Elite, it was a clear-cut rule: If you had already earned a bonus on that same card (or changed to the card from another card with a bonus) in the last 48 months, you were not eligible for another one.

This particular "48 months" language is now gone. Instead, it's something more nebulous and on its own terms more rigorous. In other words, if you don't have, or haven't had, the card you're looking for, you can't claim this bonus. It also includes a "catch-all" provision that Citi will consider your overall card-opening history when determining if you are even a candidate for the card.

The change was first noticed by deals-tracking site Doctor of Credit, and it's a type of change which can move rapidly throughout the travel rewards neighborhood after people notice denied bonuses.

So is this a “Once in a Lifetime” Rule now?

If you read the words literally, yes, that's what it says. Once opened, one Strata card, one Strata bonus. No "do-overs" in grade 5 or beyond or in any future grade.

However, before you dismiss the possibility of earning a Strata bonus for the umpteenth time, it is important to slow down a bit. There are still a couple of things that are not completely clear:

• Even if you had to change products to a Strata card from a different card that didn't have any bonus; the new terms appear to cover that scenario out too
• If Citi really has changed its internal bonus-tracking system, or merely sweet-talked the public's version in order to discourage serial applicants, is irrelevant, as I'm unsure which is the case.

The latter is more significant than it sounds. Card issuers routinely use intimidating language to deter people from gaming welcome offers, even when the real-world enforcement ends up being much looser. It's easy to see American Express as an example: while their cards are eligible to a "once per lifetime" bonus, many cardholders have learned that "lifetime" amounts to a six or seven year cooldown period. The terms seem like absolutes, but in reality, they're not.

Citi might be taking a leaf from that book too when it comes to language, as it tries to make bonus-seekers sit up and pay attention by tightening up the language, with the potential of loosening it up when the time is right, particularly for longtime and loyal cardholders.

What This Doesn't Affect

It is also significant that this change seems to be quite limited at present. At this point, the new rules appear to be limited to the Strata trio. There are no comparable language changes in other parts of Citi's card offerings, such as its co-branded American Airlines AAdvantage cards. You should still follow the rules you're familiar with at least for now, if you're looking for a bonus on an AAdvantage card.

However, not all issuers will update all of the families of cards at the same time. Sometimes, this change rolls out among one product and then trickles down to others later; it's not impossible to watch other Citi cards in the coming months.

If you're thinking about applying for your next job here's what it may mean

The safest bet for now is to play it safe with the new terms, and not play them optimistically if you have plans to earn a Strata bonus. In other words:

• Those who have never had one of the three Strata cards will not be at risk of not meeting the requirements for the bonus.
• Now even one year ago, there is genuine doubt if you will qualify for another bonus on it!

As more cardholders begin to provide actual approval and denial information, no one outside Citi will really know how this will be enforced. The terms and conditions will likely be a small part of what we learn over the next few weeks from the early data points we'll receive from readers and forums.

The Bottom Line

Citi has changed the eligibility rules for its welcome bonus for all its Strata, Strata Premier and Strata Elite cards, replacing the previous clear-cut 48-month requirement with a vague "for life per card, per cardholder" statement. Whether it will be strictly enforced will depend on the issuer, as policies have been known to read harder than they are applied.

However, even if this is an improvement for people who are hoping to redeem Strata bonuses on a regular basis, it is still a step back. When it comes time to make the most of your ThankYou points, it might be better to open them sooner than later, and while the rules are still new as implemented.