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The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card are two of the top mid-tier rewards cards. Both earn flexible points that can be redeemed for travel at a fixed value or transferred to more than a dozen hotel and airline partners.
These cards charge affordable annual fees under $100 and feature great welcome offers, so now is a great time to compare the bonus, earning potential, and benefits of these cards to decide which one deserves a spot in your wallet.
Citi Strata Premier vs. Sapphire Preferred at a Glance
| Card Details | Citi Strata Premier℠ Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card |
|---|---|---|
| Signup Bonus | Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening |
| Bonus Categories | • 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com • 3X points per $1 spent on airfare and other hotels • 3X points per $1 spent at gas and EV charging stations • 3X points per $1 spent on dining at restaurants, including cafes, bars and lounges • 3X points per $1 spent at supermarkets • 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases | • 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027 • 5X points on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ • 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide • 3X points on eligible streaming services • 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs) • 2X points on travel which is not purchased through Chase Travel℠ • 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
| Value of Points | • 1.0¢ per point for airfare through Citi Travel Center • Transfer points to 21 airline and hotel partners | • 1.25¢ per point for travel through the Chase Travel℠ Portal • Transfer points to 14 airline and hotel partners |
| Key Benefits | • Hotel credit - $100 annual credit eligible on hotel reservations of $500 or more made through ThankYou.com. • World Elite Mastercard benefits • Free FICO score • Lost or Damaged Luggage protection • MasterRental Coverage (Car Rental) • Trip Delay reimbursement if your trip is delayed more than six (6) hours due to a covered loss • Common Carrier Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption | • Primary CDW insurance on car rentals worldwide • Trip delay reimbursement up to $500 for delays 12+ hours or overnight • Trip cancellation and interruption insurance up to $10K per covered trip • Lost luggage reimbursement and baggage delay coverage • Hotel credit – $50 annual credit eligible on hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel℠ • 10% anniversary bonus – Each year, cardmembers will receive 10% of the points earned in the previous year as a bonus |
| Eligibility | Won't be approved if you: • Have received a new account bonus for a Citi Premier® or a Citi Strata PremierSM account in the past 48 months | Won't be approved if you: • Currently hold a Sapphire card, or have received a signup bonus on one in the previous 48 months. • Have opened 5 or more new credit card accounts in the previous 24 months (Chase's 5/24 Rule) |
| Annual Fee | $95 | $95 |
60,000 ThankYou® Points vs. 60,000 Ultimate Rewards Points
- 3X points per $1 on airfare and hotels and at gas stations, restaurants, and supermarkets
- Annual Hotel Benefit: Save $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when you book through CitiTravel.com
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X points per $1 spent on airfare, and other hotel purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent at gas and EV charging stations
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining at restaurants, including cafes, bars and lounges
- 3X points per $1 spent at supermarkets
- 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The Citi Strata Premier is currently running a bonus of 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. While this is less than the best bonus we've seen on this card, it can still provide a ton of value when transferred to airline partners.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
The Sapphire Preferred is offering its standard new cardmember bonus of 60,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
We value Ultimate Rewards points and ThankYou® points at roughly the same value, so this is an even race for the best signup bonus.
Bonus Categories and Earning Potential
With the earning-rate improvements that took effect in 2021, the Sapphire Preferred made up a lot of lost ground against the competition—including the Citi Strata Premier card.
Prior to these changes, the Sapphire Preferred earned 2X points on dining and travel (and just 1X on everything else). Now, Sapphire Preferred earns 3X on dining out, 3X on eligible streaming services, and 3X on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs). The card also improved its earning rate to 5X on travel, but only for purchases made directly through Chase Travel℠ Portal.
The Citi Strata Premier earns 3X points across a wide range of bonus categories including airfare, hotels, dining & restaurants, and at gas & EV charging stations and supermarkets. Those are all useful bonus categories on which many cardholders will spend a lot every year.
Even with the Sapphire Preferred improvements, the Citi Strata Premier still holds a slight edge in earning through everyday spending. Most prospective cardholders will benefit more from the Citi Strata Premier‘s 3X earnings at gas and EV charging stations than the Sapphire Preferred‘s 3X on streaming services. Citi's 3X earnings on in-person grocery purchases (rather than Chase's category for online grocery) will be much more attractive for those who like to pick out their own produce.
Key Benefits and Highlights
Understandably for sub-$100 annual fee cards, the Citi Strata Premier and Sapphire Preferred are relatively light on big-ticket perks.
In 2019, Citi pulled most of its travel and purchase protection benefits from the Citi Strata Premier. However, in early 2020, Citi introduced a new annual $100 hotel credit and new bonus categories. In the latest update to the card, Citi reinstated many travel protection benefits, including trip delay coverage, trip interruption and cancellation protection, car rental insurance, and lost/damaged luggage coverage. For more details, you can read our comprehensive Citi Strata Premier Card review for details.
Along with the increased earning rates announced in August 2021, Chase also added two brand new benefits to the Sapphire Preferred. Cardholders will receive an annual $50 statement credit for a hotel stay booked through Chase Travel. They will also receive an annual bonus equal to 10% of the points earned in the previous year.
Fortunately, Chase hasn't made any major changes to the Sapphire Preferred‘s industry-leading travel and purchase protection benefits—which remain one of the key reasons to get and keep this card. You can find more details in our full Chase Sapphire Preferred review.
Who's Eligible for the Welcome Bonuses?
To qualify for the Citi Strata Premier 60,000-point bonus, you can't have received a new bonus on this card in the previous 48 months.
“Bonus ThankYou® Points are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi Premier® or a Citi Strata PremierSM account in the past 48 months..”
New Sapphire Preferred applicants have a few extra hurdles to jump through to get the increased 60,000-point bonus. In addition to Chase's 5/24 policy, you can't currently be a Sapphire card member and cannot have received a signup bonus on a Sapphire card in the previous 48 months.
“This product is available to you if you do not have any Sapphire card and have not received a new cardmember bonus for any Sapphire card in the past 48 months.”
Final Thoughts
When you factor in the 60,000-point signup bonus, we think the Citi Strata Premier should be on the radar of anyone that qualifies for the bonus. The card is a staple for ThankYou® Rewards fans and offers the cheapest way to earn transferrable Citi points.
- 3X points per $1 on airfare and hotels and at gas stations, restaurants, and supermarkets
- Annual Hotel Benefit: Save $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when you book through CitiTravel.com
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X points per $1 spent on airfare, and other hotel purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent at gas and EV charging stations
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining at restaurants, including cafes, bars and lounges
- 3X points per $1 spent at supermarkets
- 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Over the long term, the Citi Strata Premier will likely help you build a more substantial balance of rewards points, given it has a much higher earning potential on everyday spending categories. If you spend a lot in the Citi Strata Premier bonus categories, or you don't qualify for the Sapphire Preferred, this is a great card to add to your wallet.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
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