Citi Strata Premier℠ Card vs Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Both cards cost $95 a year, both charge no foreign transaction fee, and both sit in the same tier, the first serious travel rewards card most people consider. The Citi Strata Premier earns Citi ThankYou Points; the Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Chase Ultimate Rewards. They overlap enough that the choice usually comes down to three things: how big a sign-up bonus you want, where you spend day to day, and which bank's approval rules you can clear.
| Spec | Citi Strata | Chase Sapphire |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $95/yr | $95/yr |
| Welcome bonus | 60,000 points bonus | 100,000 points bonus |
| Base rate | 1x | 1x |
| Top earn rates |
|
|
| Foreign tx fee | None | None |
| Statement credits | 1 credits | 3 credits |
| Rewards | Citi ThankYou Points | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Choose Citi Strata Premier℠
Choose the Citi Strata Premier if your everyday spending is broad. It earns 3x at supermarkets, on gas and EV charging, at restaurants, and on air travel, plus 10x on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel. The Sapphire Preferred has no in-store grocery category, so regular supermarket runs earn just 1x there (its 3x grocery is online only and excludes Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs). Heavy in-store grocery spenders come out ahead on the Citi card; gas is a wash, since the refreshed Sapphire Preferred also earns 3x on gas and EV charging. The sign-up bar is lower too, at 60,000 points (about $1,080) for $4,000 in the first 3 months, versus $5,000 on the Chase card. And if Chase's 5/24 rule has you locked out, Citi's approval math is different (its 1/8 and 2/65 rules, plus a 48-month bonus restriction). The tradeoff is a thin benefits sheet: one $100 hotel credit a year, and that's it.
Full details →Choose Chase Sapphire Preferred®
Choose the Chase Sapphire Preferred if you want the bigger headline and more recurring credits. The sign-up bonus is 100,000 points (about $1,250) after $5,000 in the first 3 months, and the card stacks real annual value on top: a $100 Chase Travel hotel credit, up to $10 a month in DoorDash grocery and retail credit with a DashPass membership, and a $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit every four years. It earns 5x on travel booked through Chase Travel, plus 3x on dining, select streaming, online groceries, and vacation home rentals. If you book travel through the issuer portal and eat out often, the categories fit. Just make sure you can absorb the $5,000 spend requirement and clear Chase's 5/24 rule first.
Full details →Verdict
Take the Sapphire Preferred for the fatter 100,000-point bonus and its stack of annual credits; take the Strata Premier if you want 3x on in-store groceries (where the Sapphire earns just 1x) with a lower $4,000 spend hurdle.