Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express vs Citi Strata Credit Card
Annual fees: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express $95/yr, Citi Strata Credit Card $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express on streaming, Citi Strata Credit Card on hotels.
Card data as of November 13, 2026.
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American ExpressAmerican Express · $95/yr
Citi Strata Credit CardCiti · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express$95Waived first yearCiti Strata Credit Card$0Lowest
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express$250 cash backCiti Strata Credit Card20,000 points
- Rewards
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American ExpressCash backCiti Strata Credit CardCiti ThankYou Rewards
- Foreign transaction fee
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express2.7%LowestCiti Strata Credit Card3%
- Network
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American ExpressAmerican ExpressCiti Strata Credit CardMastercard
Earn ratesPer $1 spent · points and cash back aren’t ranked against each other
- Grocery Stores
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express6%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Streaming
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express6%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Beauty
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express1%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Electric Vehicle Charging
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express1%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Fitness
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express1%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Gas Stations
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express3%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Live Entertainment
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express1%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Pet
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express1%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Ridesharing
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express3%Citi Strata Credit Card1x
- Top Spend Category
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express1%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Transit
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express3%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Dining
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express1%Citi Strata Credit Card2x
- Everything else
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express1%Citi Strata Credit Card1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Entertainment & streaming
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- $10 monthly Disney Bundle credit available · $10 monthly
Citi Strata Credit Card—
Perks & access— means none on record
- Hotel status & programs
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- Amex Travel Best Price Guarantee for hotels
Citi Strata Credit Card— - Other perks
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- Amex Offers
- Early access to concerts and events
- Global Assist Hotline available 24/7 worldwide
Citi Strata Credit Card- Citi Entertainment
- Points transfer
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Rental car
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- Hertz Car Rental Benefits with upgrades
- $50,000 car rental loss and damage insurance
Citi Strata Credit Card— - Purchase & returns
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- $1,000 purchase protection for eligible items
- $300 return protection per eligible item
Citi Strata Credit Card- Mastercard® ID Theft Protection
- Zero Liability on unauthorized transactions
- Purchase Protection up to $1,000 per claim
- Extended warranty
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- Extended Warranty up to one year
Citi Strata Credit Card— - Other protections
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
Citi Strata Credit Card- Citi Travel®
- FICO score monitoring
- 24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000/year ($360 max annual value)
- 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services with no annual cap
- $120 annual Disney Bundle credit effectively reduces fee to net-negative
- 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit with no spending cap
- 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers
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
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- $95 annual fee after first year (offset by $120 Disney credit if used)
- 2.7% foreign transaction fee makes it poor for international use
- 6% grocery cap at $6,000/year limits high-spending households
- Warehouse clubs (Costco, Sam's Club) do not code as supermarkets
- 1% back on non-category purchases is below average
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
Both cards win in 2 categories each — it comes down to which categories matter most to you. 9 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Streaming
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 6X vs 3X
Grocery Stores
Depends: up to $6,000/yr
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 6X when conditions are met; Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X (3X without restrictions)
Ridesharing
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 3X vs 1X
Hotels
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Car Rentals
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Attractions
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Electric Vehicle Charging
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; Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Dining
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 2X vs 1X
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; Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express 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; Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express 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; Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express 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; Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express 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 | Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express | Citi Strata Credit Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $144 Credits (our usable estimate): $24 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $73 Year one: $418 | Rewards: $337 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $337 Year one: $677 | Citi Strata Credit Card | Citi Strata Credit Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $576 Credits (our usable estimate): $24 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $505 Year one: $850 | Rewards: $1,346 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $1,346 Year one: $1,686 | Citi Strata Credit Card | Citi Strata Credit Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express costs $95/yr — that's $95 more than the Citi Strata Credit Card (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $95 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $95 fee gap means the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express needs roughly $95 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on streaming and grocery stores and everyday spend.
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Citi Strata Credit Card if you:
- +Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out
The Bottom Line
Both scenarios favor the Citi Strata Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Published annual fees: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express $95/yr, Citi Strata Credit Card $0/yr — a $95 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express worth the higher annual fee?
- The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express costs $95/yr vs $0/yr for the Citi Strata Credit Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $95 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use.
- Which card earns more rewards, the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express 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 Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express or the Citi Strata Credit Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Citi Strata Credit Card has a lower $0/yr fee; the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $95/yr.
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published November 13, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.