Credit Cards Travel Credit Cards

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card: Which Has Better Travel Rewards?

There’s not always a clear winner when comparing credit cards, and this matchup is no exception. Both cards hold their own and could be your next favorite card. (Citi is a FinanceBuzz partner.)

By Ben Walker, CEPF, CFEI®
and Harrison Pierce

Edited by Jess Ullrich

Updated Dec. 17, 2024

4.9

Generous welcome offer valued at $750 when redeemed via Chase Travel
High rewards on dining and bookings via Chase Travel
25% more value when redeeming points for travel through Chase Travel
Up to $50 in annual statement credits for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel
Receive valuable travel protections like trip delay reimbursement and primary rental car insurance

Our view

As a cardholder of the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (Rates and fees) and the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, I think they are worthwhile cards to add to your wallet. To start, you’ll use them on different purchases.

The Citi Strata Premier has a better earning rate on hotels and airfare when booked directly with the provider and at supermarkets and gas stations. The two cards are tied at restaurants, and the Sapphire Preferred is better for online grocery purchases and streaming services.

If you plan on booking through a travel portal, you’ll earn more booking a flight through Chase Travel than Citi, but you’ll earn more on hotels and car rentals booked through Citi Travel. If you’re a points and miles enthusiast and are looking for ways to maximize your earnings, it’s clear that you’ll need both cards to do so.

If you can only pick one, try to identify which card offers transfer partners or other benefits you’ll use more. However, there isn’t a clear winner between the two cards, as they are neck and neck in value. Just because the Sapphire Preferred gets significantly more press doesn’t mean it’s substantially better than the Citi Strata Premier, especially after Citi added travel protections during the recent revamp and name change.

How we evaluate products

Citi Strata Premier vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is undoubtedly more popular than the Citi Strata Premier, but which one provides more benefits? Here’s how the two cards stack up.

	Citi Strata Premier℠ Card	Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card
Star ratings	4.9 FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	4.9 FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
FinanceBuzz value calculation¹ <p class="">These values are based on the <a href="https://financebuzz.com/financebuzz-credit-card-valuation">FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model</a>, which takes a look at rewards earned via spending, the welcome offer, and the annual fee. We used a valuation of 1 cent/point unless otherwise stated above. These are estimated values - your actual earnings will depend on how much you spend and in what categories.<br></p>	Year one earnings: $1,680 Year two earnings: $930	Year one earnings: $1,486 Year two earnings: $789
Annual fee	$95	$95
Welcome bonus	For a limited time, earn 75,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $750 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Earning rate	10X points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com; 3X points on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas and EV charging stations; and 1X points on all other purchases	5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases
Statement credits	$100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com	Up to $50 in annual statement credits for hotels booked through Chase Travel
Other benefits	N/A	An annual points bonus equal to 10% of your previous year's total card spend Complimentary year of DashPass from DoorDash when you activate by Dec. 31, 2027
Foreign transaction fee	None	None
Credit score needed	Excellent, Good	Excellent, Good
	Learn more	Learn more

When to go with the Citi Strata Premier

The Citi Strata Premier Card is an ideal option if:

You want to maximize your earning potential
You can utilize the annual hotel credit
Your spending habits match the bonus categories

Earning potential

Many travel rewards cards earn points or miles on travel-related purchases. With the Citi Strata Premier, you can earn 10X points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com; 3X points on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas and EV charging stations; and 1X points on all other purchases.

With the Sapphire Preferred, you can earn 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases.

Overall, each card’s bonus categories are useful, but the Citi Strata Premier takes the edge with how much you can earn in common spending categories. Personally, I’ve never made an online grocery purchase, so I’ve never been able to utilize this category bonus on the Sapphire Preferred. I also don’t pay for streaming services, so I concentrate my card use on travel and dining purchases.

The Citi Strata Premier is an excellent card if you’re booking travel directly with a hotel or airline and don’t have a co-branded credit card with the provider. That extra point per dollar can allow you to accumulate a decent balance in your account pretty quickly.

Hotel benefit

Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Citi Strata Premier offer a hotel benefit, but they are slightly different. Citi Strata Premier cardholders can receive $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through Citi Travel. This benefit alone is enough to cover the annual fee, making it a solid benefit for cardholders.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred gives cardholders a $50 statement credit each account anniversary on hotel stays booked through Chase Travel. Note that there isn’t a spending requirement, which makes it much easier to use than the Citi Strata Premier.

However, the value of the statement credit is only half that of the Citi Strata Premier. If you’re staying at least a few nights, you’ll likely meet the spending requirement. The Citi Strata Premier is the better choice for travelers looking to benefit from discounted hotel stays.

When to go with the Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Chase Sapphire Preferred might be the better option if:

You like the transfer partners better
You want to book travel through the travel portal
You’re looking for an easy-to-use hotel credit

Transfer partners

Both the Citi Strata Premier and Chase Sapphire Preferred allow you to transfer points to various hotel and airline transfer partners, which can potentially yield outsized value from your earnings.

Citi transfer partners aren’t necessarily better than Chase transfer partners, and vice versa, as it all depends on which partners offer you more value. Citi transfer partners include over a dozen top loyalty programs like Avianca, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and Qatar Privilege Club.

On the other hand, Chase partners with a few major hotel brands, including IHG Rewards Club, Marriott Bonvoy, and World of Hyatt. Chase also has a number of domestic airline partners, such as JetBlue TrueBlue, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, and United MileagePlus.

Value of points

The Chase Sapphire Preferred gives cardholders a 25% bonus in the value of points when redeemed through Chase Travel. So, instead of one point being worth one cent, it is worth 1.25 cents. When you see this on a larger scale, you’ll need to spend far fewer points to book travel through the portal than the Citi Strata Premier.

Plus, cardholders will get a point bonus on each account anniversary of 10% of their total purchases from the previous year. If you spend $25,000 throughout the year, you’ll get 2,500 bonus points. Even if you don’t care about transferring your points for greater value, it’s clear that the Sapphire Preferred offers a better value proposition no matter which redemption method you choose.

A closer look at the welcome bonuses

The Citi Strata Premier allows new cardholders to, for a limited time, earn 75,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $750 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com. However, utilizing the available transfer partners can likely get outsized value from your points.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred allows new cardholders to earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Although this might sound like a worse deal, thanks to the 25% bump in value when you redeem points through Chase Travel, that welcome offer is worth $750.

Why not get both cards?

Ultimately, I think these cards work better together than they do individually. When you hold both cards, you’ll get statement credits toward hotel bookings each year, a fantastic earning potential across several bonus categories, and comprehensive travel insurance so you’re protected while on the road. You’ll also gain access to more transfer partners, allowing you to extend the value of your points.

I’ve never regretted holding both cards, and I know there’s room for both in my larger points and miles strategy. Keep in mind that Chase has the 5/24 rule, which means you’ll likely be automatically denied for a new card if you’ve gotten five cards in the past 24 months. If you want to apply for both the Citi Strata Premier and the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you might want to apply for the Sapphire Preferred first to avoid any issues.

FAQs

Is the Citi Strata Premier worth it?

The Citi Strata Premier card is well worth it if you need a travel rewards credit card with flexible points redemption options. Compared to other travel credit cards, the Citi Strata Premier may not have as many premium travel benefits, but it provides a wide range of ways to earn bonus rewards on your purchases.

Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred a good card?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the best travel credit cards available. It has a low $95 annual fee, earns valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points, and comes with helpful benefits like travel coverage and purchase protection. In addition, you’ll also earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

What credit score do you need for the Citi Strata Premier?

You'll likely need a good or excellent credit score to get approved for the Citi Strata Premier card. Good credit typically starts around 670 on the FICO model.

What credit score do you need for the Chase Sapphire Preferred?

You’ll likely need a good or excellent credit score to get approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred. A FICO credit score in the high 600s to the mid-700s is typically considered good, whereas credit above 800 is considered excellent.

Bottom line

The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Citi Strata Premier are two fantastic travel credit cards with annual fees below $100. Each has qualities that could make it a better option for a different type of consumer, so there isn’t a clear winner between the two. When deciding between them, analyze your spending habits and travel and financial goals to see which aligns better with your lifestyle.

A Slam-Dunk Welcome Offer!

AAdvantage^® Aviator^® Red World Elite Mastercard^®

4.6

AAdvantage^® Aviator^® Red World Elite Mastercard^®

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Current Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you make your first purchase and pay the annual fee in the first 90 days

Annual Fee

$99

Rewards Rate

2X miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases, and 1X mile per dollar spent on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

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