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The high-end credit card wars are heating up in 2025. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® raised its annual fee and refreshed its benefits. Amex has announced that changes are coming to The Platinum Card® from American Express. Now, Mastercard is making moves of its own with a series of updates that anyone who participates in the luxury card space should take note of.
Most notably, Mastercard is rolling out new lifestyle benefits for many cardholders and introducing a new premium tier called World Legend, positioned above its existing World and World Elite card types.
So, what do all these changes mean? Let's dig into the details.
New Benefits and Tiers Coming to Mastercard
Mastercard is introducing new lifestyle perks across its World, World Elite, and new World Legend card tiers. If you already have a Mastercard in your wallet, chances are it’s a World or World Elite card. These tiers come with a set of benefits that are layered on top of the card-specific perks from your issuer.
Mastercard is branding the new perks as “The Mastercard Collection,” which spans dining, entertainment, and travel. Here’s a look at what’s included:
- Dining: Priority reservations at top restaurants, along with curated menus and experiences
- Entertainment: Access to tickets, including presales and premium seating through Live Nation, plus select sporting event access
- Travel: Use of 190 fast-track security lanes at over 30 airports and entry to more than 1,350 lounges in 600 cities and nearly 150 countries. Some lounges also feature Mastercard-exclusive dining area
When I logged into the Priceless website with my AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®, the Fast Track program currently shows just three participating airports in Italy:
- Catania International Airport (CTA)
- Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB)
- Turin Airport (TRN)
Related: Credit Card Benefits You May Not Realize You Already Have
The new World Legend card type
Mastercard has also introduced a new premium tier called the World Legend card. Positioned above World Elite, this card is aimed at higher-spending customers and promises “exceptional and exclusive experiences.” Mastercard plans to launch World Legend in the U.S. in Q3 2025.
While details are still limited, Citi confirmed during its July 15 earnings call that it will launch the Citi Strata Elite card soon and target luxury customers with it. It’s likely this will be the first World Legend product in the U.S.
We’ll learn more once Citi formally unveils the full suite of benefits. But given the current competition in the luxury card market, this move is hardly surprising.
Moreover, it'll be interesting to see whether the Mastercard® Black Card™ transitions from World Elite to World Legend. We haven't heard anything to support this, but it would make sense given the card's target market.
Our Take
This is a notable move from Citi and a clear indication of how aggressively the premium card market is evolving. With top-tier card annual fees continuing to climb following each benefit refresh, it’s reasonable to expect a World Legend card to come with an annual fee north of $700.
The expanded benefits for existing World and World Elite cardholders are also a nice touch, though their value will depend on how well they align with each cardholder’s lifestyle.
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