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.
Both cards cost $0/yr. The Citi Strata Credit Card leads on travel; the Discover it Cash Back on rotating quarterly.
Card data as of September 27, 2026.
Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
| Category | Citi Strata Credit Card | Discover it Cash Back |
|---|---|---|
| Rotating Quarterly | 1X | 5X |
| Beauty | 3X | 1X |
| Fitness | 3X | 1X |
| Gas Stations | 3X | 1X |
| Grocery Stores | 3X | 1X |
| Live Entertainment | 3X |
Network
Key Benefits
Pros
Cons
The Citi Strata Credit Card wins in 9 of 9 categories. The Discover it Cash Back leads in 0. 3 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Travel
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Discover it Cash Back earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Grocery Stores
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 1X
Gas Stations
Citi Strata Credit 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; Discover it Cash Back earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Dining
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 2X vs 1X
Beauty
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 1X
Fitness
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 1X
Both scenarios favor the Citi Strata Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Pet | 3X | 1X |
| Streaming | 3X | 1X |
| Top Spend Category | 3X | 1X |
| Transit | 3X | 1X |
| Dining | 2X | 1X |
| Everything Else | 1X | 1X |
Live Entertainment
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 1X
Pet
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 1X
Streaming
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 1X
Rotating Quarterly
Depends: up to $1,500/quarter; Must activate each quarter
Discover it Cash Back earns 5X when conditions are met; Citi Strata Credit Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
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 | Discover it Cash Back | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $317 Credits (our usable estimate): $50 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $367 Year one: $687 | Rewards: $120 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $120 Year one: $120 | Citi Strata Credit Card | Citi Strata Credit Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,267 Credits (our usable estimate): $50 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $1,317 Year one: $1,637 | Rewards: $480 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $480 Year one: $480 | Citi Strata Credit Card | Citi Strata Credit Card |
Get the Citi Strata Credit 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.