Chase Freedom Flex vs Citi Strata Premier Card

A detailed side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right card for your spending.

Chase Freedom Flex

Chase

Citi Strata Premier Card

Citi

Annual Fee

$95

Welcome Bonus

200 Cash

60,000 Flex point

Base Earn Rate

Top Earn Categories

5X Rotating Quarterly

5X Travel

3X Drugstores

10X Hotels

10X Car Rentals

10X Attractions

3X Hotels

Network

MASTERCARD

Key Benefits

✓Travel insurance

✓Purchase protection

None

Pros

+5% on rotating categories up to $1,500/quarter when activated
+3% on dining and drugstores with no annual cap
+5X on Chase Travel portal purchases
+$0 annual fee with Mastercard World Elite benefits
+Transfer points 1:1 to travel partners with Sapphire card

+3X points on 6 everyday categories (dining, gas, groceries, flights, hotels, all travel)
+10X points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions through Citi Travel portal
+Lowest $95 annual fee among premium travel cards with transfer partners
+Transfer to 18+ airline and hotel partners including JetBlue TrueBlue and Turkish Miles&Smiles
+No foreign transaction fees for international purchases

Cons

−Must activate quarterly categories or miss 5% bonus
−$1,500 quarterly cap on 5% categories ($300 max bonus/quarter)
−3% foreign transaction fee
−Points worth only 1 cent without Sapphire card pairing
−Welcome bonus lower than Sapphire cards

−No airport lounge access included
−Transfer partners weaker than Chase or Amex (no United, Delta, or Hyatt)
−10X portal bonus requires booking through Citi Travel, limiting flexibility
−Welcome bonus lower than competing premium cards (60K vs 75K-90K)
−Points worth less than competitors when redeemed for cash back (1 cent each)

The Bottom Line

The Chase Freedom Flex has a lower annual fee ($0 vs $95), making it the more accessible option.

Explore More

Chase Freedom Flex — Full Review All Chase Cards

Citi Strata Premier Card — Full Review All Citi Cards

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Chase Freedom Flex vs Citi Strata Premier Card

A detailed side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right card for your spending.