Prime Visa vs Citi Strata Credit Card
Both cards cost $0/yr. The Prime Visa leads on gas stations; the Citi Strata Credit Card on hotels.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
Prime VisaChase · No annual fee
Citi Strata Credit CardCiti · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- Prime Visa$0Citi Strata Credit Card$0
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Prime Visa$150 gift cardCiti Strata Credit Card20,000 points
- Rewards
- Prime VisaCash backCiti Strata Credit CardCiti ThankYou Rewards
- Foreign transaction fee
- Prime VisaNoneLowestCiti Strata Credit Card3%
- Network
- Prime VisaVisa SignatureCiti Strata Credit CardMastercard
Earn ratesPer $1 spent · points and cash back aren’t ranked against each other
- Beauty
- Prime Visa1%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Fitness
- Prime Visa1%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Gas Stations
- Prime Visa2%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Grocery Stores
- Prime Visa1%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Live Entertainment
- Prime Visa1%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Pet
- Prime Visa1%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Streaming
- Prime Visa1%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Top Spend Category
- Prime Visa1%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Transit
- Prime Visa2%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Dining
- Prime Visa2%Citi Strata Credit Card2x
- Everything else
- Prime Visa1%Citi Strata Credit Card1x
Perks & access— means none on record
- Other perks
- Prime Visa—Citi Strata Credit Card
- Citi Entertainment
- Points transfer
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Prime Visa
- Up to $500,000 travel accident coverage
Citi Strata Credit Card— - Purchase & returns
- Prime Visa
- $500 per claim on damage or theft
Citi Strata Credit Card- Mastercard® ID Theft Protection
- Zero Liability on unauthorized transactions
- Purchase Protection up to $1,000 per claim
- Other protections
- Prime Visa—Citi Strata Credit Card
- Citi Travel®
- FICO score monitoring
- 24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Prime Visa
- 5% back at Amazon.com, Audible.com, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel with an eligible Prime membership
- 5% back on Chase Travel portal bookings with no cap
- 2% back at restaurants, gas stations, and transit - solid everyday categories
- $150 Amazon Gift Card welcome bonus with no minimum spend required
- No annual fee on the card itself (Prime membership separate)
Citi Strata Credit Card- No annual fee
- 20,000 point welcome bonus
- 5X points on travel booked via Citi Travel
- 3X points on groceries, transit, gas, and Self-Select category
- Self-Select category flexibility (change quarterly)
- Cons
- Prime Visa
- Requires an eligible Amazon Prime membership to earn 5% (3% without Prime)
- Rewards locked to Amazon ecosystem - cannot transfer to airlines/hotels
- Only 1% back on non-category purchases - below average for catch-all spending
- No premium travel protections like trip delay insurance or lounge access
- Sign-up bonus is gift card, not flexible cash or points
Citi Strata Credit Card- 3% foreign transaction fee
- 5X rate requires booking through Citi Travel portal
- Self-Select category can only change quarterly
- Lower transfer value compared to premium ThankYou cards
Category-by-Category Winner
The Citi Strata Credit Card wins in 3 of 3 categories. The Prime Visa leads in 0. 9 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Gas Stations
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 2X
Transit
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 2X
Hotels
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Prime Visa earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Car Rentals
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Prime Visa earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Attractions
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Prime Visa earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Grocery Stores
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 1X
Top Spend Category
Depends: Must select category at citi.com/selfselect
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X when conditions are met; Prime Visa earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Beauty
Depends: 3X applies only if cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons is chosen as the one Self-Select Category (fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons, or pet supply stores), changeable once each calendar quarter; the default is Select Streaming Services.
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X when conditions are met; Prime Visa earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Fitness
Depends: 3X applies only if fitness clubs is chosen as the one Self-Select Category (fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons, or pet supply stores), changeable once each calendar quarter; the default is Select Streaming Services.
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X when conditions are met; Prime Visa earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Live Entertainment
Depends: 3X applies only if live entertainment is chosen as the one Self-Select Category (fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons, or pet supply stores), changeable once each calendar quarter; the default is Select Streaming Services.
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X when conditions are met; Prime Visa earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Pet
Depends: 3X applies only if pet supply stores is chosen as the one Self-Select Category (fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons, or pet supply stores), changeable once each calendar quarter; the default is Select Streaming Services.
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X when conditions are met; Prime Visa earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Streaming
Depends: 3X applies while Select Streaming Services is the one Self-Select Category (fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons, or pet supply stores), changeable once each calendar quarter; it is the default at account opening.
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X when conditions are met; Prime Visa earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Year One vs Ongoing Value
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Both scenarios favor the Citi Strata Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | Prime Visa | Citi Strata Credit Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $150 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $150 Year one: $300 | Rewards: $317 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $317 Year one: $637 | Citi Strata Credit Card | Citi Strata Credit Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $600 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $600 Year one: $750 | Rewards: $1,267 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $1,267 Year one: $1,587 | Citi Strata Credit Card | Citi Strata Credit Card |
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Citi Strata Credit Card if you:
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
The Bottom Line
Both scenarios favor the Citi Strata Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which card earns more rewards, the Prime Visa or Citi Strata Credit Card?
- Both cards earn 1X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- Should I get the Prime Visa or the Citi Strata Credit Card?
- Both cards have the same $0/yr fee. Choose based on which bonus categories match your spending — check the earn rate comparison above.
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published October 12, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.