Citi Strata Premier Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: Which One Is Right for You?
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Written by
Harrison Pierce
The Citi Strata Premier® Card, an advertising partner, and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card are popular mid-tier travel rewards cards. They have more similarities than differences — both have a tiered earning structure, an annual credit on hotel stays, the ability to transfer points to travel partners and the opportunity to earn a welcome bonus. The annual fees are also identical, so it might be hard to tell which is better.
Having both cards, I can confirm they are each worthy of a place in your wallet. However, when you look at the fine print, one may make more sense for your travel and financial goals. Here’s everything you should know about the Citi Strata Premier Card vs. the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
How the Cards Compare: Citi Strata Premier Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Side By Side Comparison
Annual Fee
Purchase and Balance Transfer APR
Welcome Bonus
Ongoing Rewards
Pros & Cons
- Huge welcome bonus worth $600
- Elevated rewards in several high-value categories
- $100 annual hotel benefit that can negate the annual fee
PROS
- The top rewards rate is limited only to Citi Travel purchases
- No introductory APR
- No airport lounge access
CONS
- Generous intro bonus
- Primary rental car coverage
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
PROS
- Lounge access or free checked bags are not available
- No intro APR for purchases or balance transfers
- Complicated rewards
CONS
Learn More
Welcome Bonuses
Both cards allow new cardholders to earn a welcome bonus after meeting a minimum spending requirement. Note that these welcome offers change frequently, so if you see a higher-than-normal offer, consider applying quickly.
Citi Strata Premier Welcome Bonus
New Citi Strata Premier Cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. If you redeem your points through Citi Travel, the welcome offer is worth $600. You could receive outsized value from your points by maximizing airline and hotel transfer partners.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Welcome Bonus
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offers 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Cardholders receive up to 75% more value when redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards® points through Chase Travel℠. That means that 75,000 bonus points can be equal to up to $1,312 when redeemed through the travel portal.
CardCritics™ Opinion
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is the winner when comparing welcome offers. Although it requires $1,000 more spending in the same time frame, you can redeem Ultimate Rewards points at a higher value in some cases.
Earning Rewards
Before applying for a new credit card, you should analyze your spending habits to see if they align with the bonus earning categories of the cards you’re considering. Since the Citi Strata Premier Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred Card both have a tiered earning structure, you’ll want to look closely at which card allows you to earn more points.
How To Earn Rewards With the Citi Strata Premier Card
One of the most compelling arguments for the Strata Premier Card is its earning potential, which makes it one of the best Citi credit cards. The earning rates in popular categories rival several premium credit cards with much higher annual fees.
The Strata Premier Card earns Citi ThankYou® points at the following rates:
- 10x points on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3x points on air travel, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations and EV charging stations
- 1x points on all other purchases
How To Earn Rewards With the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is a fan favorite, but not because of its earning potential. It offers great rates on dining purchases, but you’ll find better cards for most other categories.
I only use my Sapphire Preferred Card for select travel purchases and at restaurants. Since I don’t typically place online grocery orders and use my digital entertainment credit on The Platinum Card® from American Express (an advertising partner) for streaming, I don’t have many purchases to put on the card.
Here’s how the earning breaks down with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card:
- 5x points on travel booked through Chase Travel
- 3x points on dining, online grocery and select streaming services
- 2x points on other travel purchases
- 1x points on all other purchases
CardCritics™ Opinion
For most people, the Citi Strata Premier Card is the clear winner in earning rewards. Although both cards have a 3x points category, you likely spend much more on travel and at supermarkets and gas stations than on online grocery orders and streaming services.
Redeeming Rewards
Once you’ve earned your welcome offer and points through day-to-day spending, it’s time to redeem your rewards. With both cards, you have several redemption options. Depending on your redemption method, you’ll receive different valuations for your points, so be sure to compare before redeeming.
How To Redeem Rewards With the Citi Strata Premier Card
Citi has several valuable transfer partners, whether you’re flying domestic with JetBlue or halfway across the world with Singapore Airlines. You can also redeem for travel purchases through Citi Travel, gift cards, cash back or use at checkout with various retailers:
- Transfer to travel partners: You can transfer your points to 14 airline partners and five hotel partners, including Turkish Airlines, Avianca and Cathay Pacific.
- Purchase travel: You can book flights, hotels, rental cars and attractions through Citi Travel using your points at a value of 1 cent per point.
- Cash rewards: You can redeem your points as a statement credit to your account, direct deposit or check at a value of 1 cent per point
- Gift cards: You can purchase gift cards to a variety of retailers, including Apple, Airbnb, Saks Fifth Avenue, Pottery Barn and more. Redemption rates will vary depending on the retailer.
- Shop with points: You can pay for your online purchase at several retailers using your points, including Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy.
How To Redeem Rewards With the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offers many of the same redemption methods. There’s some overlap in transfer partners, but both Chase and Citi have unique airline and hotel partners to consider. Look at the complete list to see which ones are more useful to you:
- Transfer to travel partners: You can transfer your points to 11 airline partners and three hotel partners, including Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt.
- Purchase travel: You can use your points to purchase flights, hotels, cruises and experiences through Chase Travel. Points are worth 1.75 cents per point when you choose this redemption method
- Pay Yourself Back®: Cover eligible purchases within the previous 90 days at an elevated rate.
- Cash rewards: You can receive a statement credit to your account or direct deposit to most U.S. checking and savings accounts.
- Gift cards: Use points to purchase gift cards to over 175 different brands.
- Shop with points: You can use your points at checkout at Amazon.com or when you shop with PayPal at a value of 1 cent per point. You can also shop at the Apple Ultimate Rewards store.
- Chase Dining: Use points for various dining purchases, including takeout, reservations and exclusive culinary experiences.
CardCritics™ Opinion
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is the better option when redeeming rewards. Ultimately, the transfer partners are more valuable for most U.S. travelers, and the opportunity to redeem at 1.75 cents per point through the travel portal allows you to stretch your points farther.
Card Benefits
As travel credit cards, the Citi Strata Premier Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offer several travel-related benefits to cardholders. Since these are mid-tier cards, they don’t provide luxury benefits like elite status, lounge access or a credit for the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee. Still, you can likely find enough benefits to outweigh the annual fee for both cards.
Citi Strata Premier Benefits
Citi Strata Premier Card benefits might not be wide-ranging, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t lucrative. They include:
- Annual $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through Citi Travel
- Travel insurance, including trip delay protection, trip cancellation and interruption protection, lost or damaged luggage and rental car coverage
- Access to Citi Entertainment®
Remember that the Citi Strata Premier Card annual fee is just $95, so it’s easy to cover that cost with the annual hotel credit.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Benefits
The Sapphire Preferred Card is one of the best Chase credit cards, mainly due to its generous benefits for a relatively modest $95 annual fee.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card benefits include the following:
- Up to $50 in statement credits each year for hotels booked through Chase Travel
- An annual bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year
- DoorDash DashPass subscription for a minimum of one year when you enroll by Dec. 31, 2027
- A variety of travel and purchase coverage, including trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, auto rental coverage, trip delay reimbursement, purchase protection and extended warranty protection
Chase rental car insurance is typically superior to the insurance offered by many other issuers. It’s great to see comprehensive, primary coverage on a sub-$100 annual fee card.
CardCritics™ Opinion
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card has an edge over the Citi Strata Premier Card. Even though the Strata Premier Card offers a higher statement credit on hotel stays, the spending threshold makes it more challenging to use. I typically use my Sapphire Preferred Card credit for a one-night stay and my Strata Premier Card credit for a weekend trip. Plus, the travel and purchase coverage offered by the Sapphire Preferred Card is among the best in the industry.
Fees and Costs
It’s always important to consider the cost of holding a credit card before applying. Fortunately, these two cards have nearly identical fees.
Citi Strata Premier Card Fees and Costs
Here are the costs and fees of being a cardholder of the Strata Premier Card:
- Annual fee: $95
- Late fee: Up to $41
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Purchase APR: 20.24% - 28.24% (Variable)
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Fees and Costs
Here are the costs and fees associated with the Sapphire Preferred Card:
- Annual fee: $95
- Late fee: Up to $40
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Purchase APR: 19.99% - 28.24% Variable
CardCritics™ Opinion
The fees and costs are so similar between these two cards that it’s a tie. Neither the Citi Strata Premier Card nor the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card charges foreign transaction fees, making both excellent options for your next trip abroad.
How To Choose Between the Citi Strata Premier Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card won in most categories, but that doesn’t mean it’s the perfect option for everyone. You could argue that both cards deserve a spot in your wallet. They are different enough that you don’t need to worry about overlapping benefits. Each card allows you to earn points in different bonus categories and then redeem points by transferring them to different travel partners.
If you have to choose just one, the Sapphire Preferred Card might be the better all-around option. It’s a bit more versatile, and Ultimate Rewards points are generally more valuable. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card annual fee is just $95, so you get plenty of value in exchange.
That said, the Strata Premier Card is a strong contender, especially for its earning potential. To choose between them, analyze your travel and financial goals to see which card more closely aligns.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Citi Strata Premier vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred
Should I have both the Citi Strata Premier Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?
For some travelers, holding the Citi Strata Premier Card and Sapphire Preferred Card can make sense. You’ll earn bonus points on different types of purchases and unlock access to different transfer partners. Just be sure you’ll stay at hotels at least twice per year to utilize both hotel statement credits.
Is the Citi Strata Premier Card better than the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?
One card isn’t necessarily better than the other. The Citi Strata Premier Card offers better bonus earning categories, but the Sapphire Preferred Card is better when redeeming your points.
Are Chase or Citi points better?
If you are a frequent traveler, want higher redemptions in a travel portal, and prioritize domestic travel, choose the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. If you like to earn points across a wider variety of everyday categories like gas and groceries, the Citi Strata Premier Card may be more suitable for your needs.
Why is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card so popular?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offers bonus rewards for travel and dining and access to numerous transfer partners. The Sapphire Preferred Card also gives cardholders extended purchase protections.
Is the Citi Strata Premier Card worth it?
Whether the Citi Strata Premier Card is worth it will depend on several factors, including your spending habits and travel goals. Many travelers can justify the annual fee in exchange for the benefits and earning potential that the Strata Premier Card offers.
