Citi Strata Credit Card vs Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
Both cards cost $0/yr. The Citi Strata Credit Card leads on hotels; the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi on gas stations.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
Citi Strata Credit CardCiti · No annual fee
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by CitiCiti · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- Citi Strata Credit Card$0Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi$0
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Citi Strata Credit Card20,000 pointsCostco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi—
- Rewards
- Citi Strata Credit CardCiti ThankYou RewardsCostco Anywhere Visa Card by CitiCash back
- Foreign transaction fee
- Citi Strata Credit Card3%Costco Anywhere Visa Card by CitiNoneLowest
- Network
- Citi Strata Credit CardMastercardCostco Anywhere Visa Card by CitiVisa
Earn ratesPer $1 spent · points and cash back aren’t ranked against each other
- Gas Stations
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xCostco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi4%
- Beauty
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xCostco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi1%
- Dining
- Citi Strata Credit Card2xCostco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi3%
- Fitness
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xCostco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi1%
- Grocery Stores
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xCostco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi1%
- Live Entertainment
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xCostco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi1%
- Pet
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xCostco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi1%
- Streaming
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xCostco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi1%
- Top Spend Category
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xCostco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi1%
- Transit
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xCostco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi1%
- Travel
- Citi Strata Credit Card1xCostco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi3%
- Everything else
- Citi Strata Credit Card1xCostco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi1%
Perks & access— means none on record
- Other perks
- Citi Strata Credit Card
- Citi Entertainment
- Points transfer
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi- No foreign transaction fees
- Citi Entertainment®
- Roadside assistance dispatch service
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Rental car
- Citi Strata Credit Card—Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
- Worldwide car rental insurance
- Purchase & returns
- Citi Strata Credit Card
- Mastercard® ID Theft Protection
- Zero Liability on unauthorized transactions
- Purchase Protection up to $1,000 per claim
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi- Zero Liability on unauthorized charges
- Other protections
- Citi Strata Credit Card
- Citi Travel®
- FICO score monitoring
- 24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi- Free FICO® Score updated monthly
- 24/7 travel and emergency assistance
- 24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
Pros & cons
- Pros
- 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)
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi- No card annual fee (membership required separately)
- 4% cash back on gas (up to $7K annual spend)
- 3% cash back on restaurants and travel
- 2% cash back at Costco warehouse and Costco.com
- 1% on all other purchases
- Cons
- 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
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi- Requires Costco membership ($65/year Gold Star minimum)
- 4% gas rate capped at $7K/year ($280 max annual gas rewards)
- 1% fallback after gas cap is spent
- No premium travel benefits or insurance
- Limited to Visa network (some merchants may not accept)
Category-by-Category Winner
Both cards win in 2 categories each — it comes down to which categories matter most to you. 10 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Hotels
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Car Rentals
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Attractions
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Grocery Stores
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 1X
Gas Stations
Depends: up to $7,000/yr
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi earns 4X when conditions are met; Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X (3X without restrictions)
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; Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Dining
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi earns 3X vs 2X
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; Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi earns 1X (1X 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; Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi earns 1X (1X 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; Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi earns 1X (1X 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; Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi earns 1X (1X 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; Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Travel
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi earns 3X 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.
Both scenarios favor the Citi Strata Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | Citi Strata Credit Card | Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $317 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $317 Year one: $637 | Rewards: $180 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $180 Year one: $180 | Citi Strata Credit Card | Citi Strata Credit Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,267 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $1,267 Year one: $1,587 | Rewards: $720 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $720 Year one: $720 | Citi Strata Credit Card | Citi Strata Credit Card |
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Citi Strata Credit Card if you:
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
The Bottom Line
Both scenarios favor the Citi Strata Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which card earns more rewards, the Citi Strata Credit Card or Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi?
- Both cards earn 1X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- Should I get the Citi Strata Credit Card or the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi?
- 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.