Citi Double Cash Card vs Citi Strata Credit Card
Both cards cost $0/yr. The Citi Double Cash Card leads on hotels; the Citi Strata Credit Card on hotels.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
Citi Double Cash CardCiti · No annual fee
Citi Strata Credit CardCiti · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- Citi Double Cash Card$0Citi Strata Credit Card$0
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Citi Double Cash Card$200 cash backCiti Strata Credit Card20,000 points
- Rewards
- Citi Double Cash CardCash backCiti Strata Credit CardCiti ThankYou Rewards
- Foreign transaction fee
- Citi Double Cash Card3%Citi Strata Credit Card3%
- Network
- Citi Double Cash CardMastercardCiti Strata Credit CardMastercard
Earn ratesPer $1 spent · points and cash back aren’t ranked against each other
- Beauty
- Citi Double Cash Card2%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Fitness
- Citi Double Cash Card2%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Gas Stations
- Citi Double Cash Card2%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Grocery Stores
- Citi Double Cash Card2%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Live Entertainment
- Citi Double Cash Card2%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Pet
- Citi Double Cash Card2%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Streaming
- Citi Double Cash Card2%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Top Spend Category
- Citi Double Cash Card2%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Transit
- Citi Double Cash Card2%Citi Strata Credit Card3x
- Dining
- Citi Double Cash Card2%Citi Strata Credit Card2x
- Everything else
- Citi Double Cash Card2%Citi Strata Credit Card1x
Perks & access— means none on record
- Other perks
- Citi Double Cash Card
- Early access to concerts, sports, and theater tickets
- Tap to pay with contactless and digital wallets
- Pay no interest on balance transfers for 18 months
- No annual fee ever on this card
Citi Strata Credit Card- Citi Entertainment
- Points transfer
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Purchase & returns
- Citi Double Cash Card
- Zero Liability on unauthorized transactions
Citi Strata Credit Card- Mastercard® ID Theft Protection
- Zero Liability on unauthorized transactions
- Purchase Protection up to $1,000 per claim
- Extended warranty
- Citi Double Cash Card
- Extended warranty (secondary coverage)
Citi Strata Credit Card— - Other protections
- Citi Double Cash Card
- Check your FICO score free every month
- 24/7 fraud monitoring with zero liability protection
- Free help resolving identity theft issues
- Quick card replacement if your wallet is lost or stolen
- Free identity monitoring service from Mastercard network
- Create virtual card numbers for safer online shopping
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- 24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
Citi Strata Credit Card- Citi Travel®
- FICO score monitoring
- 24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Citi Double Cash Card
- 2% flat rate on all purchases with no caps
- No annual fee
- 0% intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers
- Simple earning structure - no tracking categories
- Points can combine with other Citi ThankYou cards
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
- Citi Double Cash Card
- 3% foreign transaction fee
- Must pay bill to earn second 1% cash back
- No travel insurance or trip protection
- Relatively modest $200 welcome bonus
- No bonus categories for high spenders
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 4 categories. The Citi Double Cash Card leads in 1. 6 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Grocery Stores
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 2X
Gas Stations
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 2X
Transit
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 2X
Top Spend Category
Depends: Must select category at citi.com/selfselect
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X when conditions are met; Citi Double Cash Card earns 2X (2X 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; Citi Double Cash Card earns 2X (2X 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; Citi Double Cash Card earns 2X (2X 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; Citi Double Cash Card earns 2X (2X 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; Citi Double Cash Card earns 2X (2X 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; Citi Double Cash Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
Everyday purchases
Citi Double Cash Card earns 2X on all other spending vs 1X
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.
The better card depends on how much you spend.
| Scenario | Citi Double Cash Card | Citi Strata Credit Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $384 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $384 Year one: $584 | Rewards: $317 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $317 Year one: $637 | Citi Double Cash Card | Citi Strata Credit Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,536 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $1,536 Year one: $1,736 | Rewards: $1,267 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $1,267 Year one: $1,587 | Citi Double Cash Card | Citi Double Cash Card |
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Citi Double Cash Card if you:
- +Prefer a high flat rate across all spending
Get the Citi Strata Credit Card if you:
- +Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
The Bottom Line
The better card depends on how much you spend.
Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 2X on the Citi Double Cash Card vs 1X on the other card.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which card earns more rewards, the Citi Double Cash Card or Citi Strata Credit Card?
- The Citi Double Cash Card has a higher base earn rate (2X vs 1X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
- Should I get the Citi Double Cash Card 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.