Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
Annual fees: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card $95/yr, Citi Strata Credit Card $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card on travel, Citi Strata Credit Card on travel.
Card data as of September 27, 2026.
Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
| Category | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Citi Strata Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Beauty | 1X | 3X |
| Dining | 3X |
The Citi Strata Credit Card wins in 5 of 8 categories. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card leads in 3. 1 more category depend on booking channel or caps.
Dining
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 2X
Electric Vehicle Charging
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 1X
Vacation Rentals
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 1X
Transit
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; Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Beauty
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 1X
Fitness
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 1X
Live Entertainment
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 1X
Both scenarios favor the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Published annual fees: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card $95/yr, Citi Strata Credit Card $0/yr — a $95 difference before welcome offers and credits.
| 2X |
| Electric Vehicle Charging | 3X | 1X |
| Fitness | 1X | 3X |
| Gas Stations | 3X | 3X |
| Grocery Stores | 3X | 3X |
| Live Entertainment | 1X | 3X |
| Pet | 1X | 3X |
| Streaming | 3X | 3X |
| Top Spend Category | 1X | 3X |
| Transit | 1X | 3X |
| Vacation Rentals | 3X | 1X |
| Travel | 2X | 1X |
| Everything Else | 1X | 1X |
Network
Key Benefits
Pros
Cons
Pet
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 1X
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 Chase Sapphire Preferred Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Citi Strata Credit Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $410 Credits (our usable estimate): $109 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $424 Year one: $1,774 | Rewards: $317 Credits (our usable estimate): $50 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $367 Year one: $687 | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,642 Credits (our usable estimate): $109 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $1,656 Year one: $3,006 | Rewards: $1,267 Credits (our usable estimate): $50 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $1,317 Year one: $1,637 | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card |
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card 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 Chase Sapphire Preferred Card needs roughly $95 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on travel and dining and everyday spend.
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
