Citi is giving cardholders access to Fashion Week, Formula 1, and award-winning chefs. Tickets start at $100

For years, premium credit card issuers competed with increasingly generous welcome bonuses, airport lounge access, and travel credits. Today, many of those perks have become table stakes. The next battleground is proving harder to copy: exclusive access. Citi’s expansion of its Curated Table dining series, announced Thursday in partnership with Mastercard, is the latest example of how issuers are trying to transform premium credit cards into lifestyle memberships. Rather than simply rewarding spending, banks are investing in invitation-only dinners, fashion events, Formula 1 weekends, and c...