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: Citi Strata Premier Card $95/yr, USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express Card $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Citi Strata Premier Card on hotels, USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express Card on gas stations.
Card data as of September 27, 2026.
Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
| Category | Citi Strata Premier Card | USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express Card |
|---|---|---|
| Gas Stations | 3X | 5X |
| Military Base | 1X |
The Citi Strata Premier Card wins in 4 of 6 categories. The USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express Card leads in 2. 2 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Hotels
Citi Strata Premier Card earns 10X vs 1X
10X via issuer travel portal
Car Rentals
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Premier Card earns 10X when conditions are met; USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Attractions
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Premier Card earns 10X when conditions are met; USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Dining
Citi Strata Premier Card earns 3X vs 1X
Gas Stations
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express Card earns 5X vs 3X
Flights
Citi Strata Premier Card earns 3X vs 1X
Grocery Stores
Citi Strata Premier Card earns 3X vs 2X
Both scenarios favor the Citi Strata Premier Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Published annual fees: Citi Strata Premier Card $95/yr, USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express Card $0/yr — a $95 difference before welcome offers and credits.
| 5X |
| Dining | 3X | 1X |
| Flights | 3X | 1X |
| Grocery Stores | 3X | 2X |
| Hotels | 3X | 1X |
| Everything Else | 1X | 1X |
Network
Key Benefits
Pros
Cons
Military Base
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express Card earns 5X 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 Citi Strata Premier Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | Citi Strata Premier Card | USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $346 Credits (our usable estimate): $125 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $376 Year one: $1,336 | Rewards: $186 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $186 Year one: $186 | Citi Strata Premier Card | Citi Strata Premier Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,382 Credits (our usable estimate): $125 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $1,412 Year one: $2,372 | Rewards: $744 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $744 Year one: $744 | Citi Strata Premier Card | Citi Strata Premier Card |
The Citi Strata Premier Card costs $95/yr — that's $95 more than the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express 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 Citi Strata Premier Card needs roughly $95 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on hotels and car rentals and everyday spend.
Get the Citi Strata Premier Card if you:
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.
