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.

What benefits does the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express have that the Citi Strata Credit Card doesn't?

The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express focuses on earn rates, while the Citi Strata Credit Card offers travel credits.

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.

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 travel.

Card data as of September 27, 2026.

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

American Express

Citi Strata Credit Card

Citi

Fees & Welcome Offer

Annual Fee

$95(waived year 1)

Welcome Bonus

As high as $300 cash back — offers vary

20,000 points

Earn Rates

Category	Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express	Citi Strata Credit Card
Grocery Stores	6X	3X
Streaming

Category-by-Category Winner

The Citi Strata Credit Card wins in 5 of 7 categories. The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express leads in 2. 3 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

Travel

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)

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

Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 1X

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?: The Citi Strata Credit Card has a higher base earn rate (1X vs 0X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
What benefits does the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express have that the Citi Strata Credit Card doesn't?: The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express focuses on earn rates, while the Citi Strata Credit Card offers travel credits.
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.

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Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express — Full Review All American Express Cards

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Official issuer pages: American Express cards · Citi cards

Pros & Cons

Pros

+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

+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

−$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

−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

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.