Citi Strata vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred (2024)

There are two popular travel credit cards that won’t break the bank: the $95-annual-fee Citi Strata Premier℠Card*The information for the Citi Strata Premier℠Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. and the $95-annual-fee Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. The two cards’ sub-$100 annual fees make them cost-effective choices compared to many premium credit cards, which can often have fees that are three times higher.

It’s important to examine each credit card’s features and benefits further to determine which one is the best fit. While the Citi Strata Premier has a wider (and more generous) range of bonus categories, the Sapphire Preferred is part of a reputable rewards program that can help you stretch the value of your points for travel.

The Citi Strata Premier is the revamped version of the Citi Premier card, which is no longer available to new applicants. However, the Strata Premier now offers up to 10 points per $1 on select travel purchases. But even with the new features on the card, the Sapphire Preferred maintains its slight edge by offering one of the best-in-class travel insurance and purchase protections for consumers.

Citi Strata Premier Card vs Chase Sapphire Preferred Card overview

Rewards and benefits

Let’s conduct a deep dive into the rewards and benefits of the Citi Strata Premier and the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Earning rewards

The Citi Strata Premier earns 10 ThankYou® points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com, 3 points per $1 on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations and EV charging stations and 1 point per $1 on other purchases.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 5 points per $1 on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per $1 on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

Both cards offer elevated bonuses on various purchases. However, the Citi Strata Premier offers better returns on everyday spending with its rewards at restaurants, supermarkets and gas.

If you want to maximize your travel purchases, however, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a better earner in the long run, even though the Citi Strata Premier offers 10 ThankYou® points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com, 3 points per $1 on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations and EV charging stations and 1 point per $1 on other purchases.

Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers 5 points per $1 on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per $1 on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

Finally, the Sapphire Preferred also offers a 10% anniversary bonus on your entire year’s spending. For example, by spending $50,000 on the card, you’d get an anniversary bonus of 5,000 points.

Redeeming rewards

The Strata Premier is a Citi card that earns Citi ThankYou® points, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points. Each rewards program offers various redemption options, such as travel, gift cards and cash back.

With the Citi Strata Premier, your points will be worth a flat rate of 1 cent each. In other words, redeeming 10,000 points would be worth $100 for travel through Citi Travel Center, gift cards and more.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred has the same cash-back redemption of 1 cent per point, but points are worth more when redeeming them through the Chase Travel website. In fact, they’re worth 1.25 cents apiece, which is an excellent way to book flights, hotels and experiences.

Transfer partners

Both the Citi ThankYou Points and Chase Ultimate Rewards programs offer the ability to transfer rewards to a select group of airline and hotel partners. Most of your points will transfer at a 1:1 ratio, which means one Citi or Chase point will equal one airline mile or hotel point.

Here’s a look at the Citi ThankYou partners. All of your Citi ThankYou points transfer at a 1:1 ratio except for Choice Privileges, which as a 1:2 ratio:

• Aeromexico Club Premier
• Air France / KLM Flying Blue
• ALL – Accor Live Limitless
• Avianca Airlines Lifemiless
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
• Choice Privileges
• Emirates Skywards
• Etihad Guest
• EVA Air Infinity MileageLands
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Leaders Club
• Qantas Airways Frequent Flyers
• Qatar Airways Privilege Club
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
• Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• Wyndham Rewards

And here’s a look at Chase’s transfer partners, which all move over at a 1:1 ratio:

• Aer Lingus
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Air France / KLM Flying Blue
• British Airways Executive Club
• Emirates Skywards
• Iberia Plus
• IHG One Rewards
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Rapid Rewards
• United MileagePlus
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• World of Hyatt

While Citi ThankYou has more participating programs, Chase’s list of transfer partners is more relevant to U.S. travelers. You can transfer Chase points to three domestic airlines and a wider range of hotel programs.

Welcome bonus

The Citi Strata Premier offers a more rewarding welcome bonus for new applicants. With the Strata Premier, you can earn 75,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

New applicants of the Chase Sapphire Preferred will earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Hotel credit

The Citi Strata Premier offers a $100 annual hotel benefit for cardholders. You can save $100 off a single hotel stay of $500+ (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com each calendar year.

Similarly, the Chase Sapphire Preferred has an annual $50 hotel credit when booked through Chase Travel. While this is lower than the Citi Strata Premier, there’s no minimum spend requirement to trigger the $50 statement credit.

Travel benefits

With the launch of the new Citi Strata Premier, the card has boosted its suite of complimentary travel insurance benefits. By paying for travel expenses with the card, you’ll get access to the following:

• Trip delay protection: Up to $500 in incurred costs for delays longer than 6 hours.
• Auto rental collision damage waiver: Secondary insurance that offers protection after your primary rental car insurance and you decline coverage at the rental car counter.
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: Up to $5,000 maximum per person or $10,000 in total claims per 12 months.
• Lost and damaged luggage protection: Up to $3,000 in coverage with a limit of 2 claims per 12 months.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers many travel insurance benefits as well:

• Trip delay protection: Up to $500 in incurred costs for delays longer than 12 hours.
• Auto rental collision damage waiver: Primary insurance that offers protection when you decline coverage at the rental car counter.
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: Up to $10,000 per person or $20,000 per trip.
• Baggage delay insurance: Up to $100 per day (maximum of 5 days).
• Lost luggage reimbursem*nt: Up to $3,000 per passenger.
• Travel and emergency assistance services: Available 24/7 to coordinate referrals and services while traveling.

Overall, the Chase Sapphire Preferred provides significantly more comprehensive travel coverage, particularly for rental car insurance. The card covers most rental cars for up to 31 days, which is a substantial benefit of this rewards credit card. On the other hand, the Strata Premier does provide trip delay reimbursem*nt for delays exceeding 6 hours, compared to the 12-hour threshold on the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Winner for rewards and benefits: Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Fees and charges

When applying for any credit card, you’ll want to know how much you’ll be charged for holding the account open. In the case of the Citi Strata Premier and Sapphire Preferred, the fees and charges are comparable.

Annual fee

The Citi Strata Premier and the Sapphire Preferred both have an annual fee of $95 typically charged to your first credit card statement. Frequent travelers can justify this ongoing cost by taking advantage of the perks and strong rewards rates each card offers.

Foreign transaction fee

Either card is a great option for your travels abroad. Both the Citi Strata Premier and the Sapphire Preferred waive foreign transaction fees, which are surcharges on transactions made outside of the U.S.

Balance transfer fee

If you’re transferring credit card balances, you’ll have to pay the variable APR along with the following additional fees:

• Citi Strata Premier: either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

Winner for fees and charges: It’s a tie.

Additional perks

Both cards offer many ways to justify the ongoing annual fee. Let’s take a closer look at what’s available for everyday use.

Purchase protection

Extended warranty

The extended warranty benefit offers additional months of coverage beyond a given U.S. manufacturer’s warranty of an item you may purchase with the card. The Citi Strata Premier provides up to 24 months of additional coverage and provides up to $10,000 in reimbursem*nt for qualifying claims.

On the other hand, the Chase Sapphire Preferred provides an additional year of coverage on original eligible warranties of three years or less. The maximum reimbursem*nt amount is $10,000 per item and $50,000 per account.

Roadside assistance

The Chase Sapphire Preferred gives its cardholders access to its pay-per-use roadside dispatch program. The program is available 24/7 within the U.S., and no membership or enrollment in the benefit is required.

The Citi Strata Premier does not offer roadside assistance benefits.

Winner for additional perks: Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Citi Strata Premier card might be right for you if:

• You can take advantage of the outstanding earning rate on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through the Citi Travel Center, with up to 10 points per $1 spent.
• You travel occasionally and prefer to rack up a ton of bonus points on everyday purchases, from gas stations to supermarkets.
• You can save $100 on a single hotel stay of $500 or more booked through the Citi Travel Center each calendar year.

Chase Sapphire Preferred card might be right for you if:

• You want to earn some of the most valuable travel rewards points out there and have the ability to book flights, hotels and more with a 25% bonus through Chase Travel.
• You want a credit card with strong travel and purchase coverages, such as primary rental car insurance and extended warranty.
• You want access to Chase’s 1:1 transfer partners, which include IHG One Rewards, Southwest Rapid Rewards, United MileagePlus, World of Hyatt and more.

Bottom line

Both the Citi Strata Premier and the Chase Sapphire Preferred offer an array of benefits and features, whether you’re traveling internationally or renting a car closer to home.

Even so, the Chase Sapphire Preferred will stand out for most travelers as it offers a rewarding way to redeem points: Book travel with a 25% bonus through the Chase Travel portal. Coupled with its extensive list of airline and hotel transfer partners, the Chase Sapphire Preferred excels in nearly every category of our detailed card comparison.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)