Citi Strata Credit Card vs PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card
Both cards cost $0/yr. The Citi Strata Credit Card leads on hotels; the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card on gas stations.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
Citi Strata Credit CardCiti · No annual fee
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card
PenFed · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- Citi Strata Credit Card$0PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card$0
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Citi Strata Credit Card20,000 pointsPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card15,000 points
- Rewards
- Citi Strata Credit CardCiti ThankYou RewardsPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® CardPenFed Points
- Foreign transaction fee
- Citi Strata Credit Card3%PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® CardNoneLowest
- Network
- Citi Strata Credit CardMastercardPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® CardVisa Signature
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Gas Stations
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card5xHighest
- Beauty
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xHighestPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card1x
- Dining
- Citi Strata Credit Card2xPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card3xHighest
- Fitness
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xHighestPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card1x
- Grocery Stores
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card3x
- Live Entertainment
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xHighestPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card1x
- Pet
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xHighestPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card1x
- Streaming
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card3x
- Top Spend Category
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xHighestPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card1x
- Transit
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xHighestPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card1x
- Everything else
- Citi Strata Credit Card1xPenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card1x
Perks & access— means none on record
- Other perks
- Citi Strata Credit Card
- Citi Entertainment
- Points transfer
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card—
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Citi Strata Credit Card—PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card
- Travel Accident Insurance ($250,000)
- Purchase & returns
- Citi Strata Credit Card
- Mastercard® ID Theft Protection
- Zero Liability on unauthorized transactions
- Purchase Protection up to $1,000 per claim
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card— - Cell phone
- Citi Strata Credit Card—PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card
- Cell Phone Protection ($500/claim)
- Other protections
- Citi Strata Credit Card
- Citi Travel®
- FICO score monitoring
- 24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card—
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)
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card— - 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
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card—
Category-by-Category Winner
The PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card wins in 2 of 3 categories. The Citi Strata Credit Card leads in 1. 8 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Hotels
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Car Rentals
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Attractions
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Gas Stations
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card earns 5X vs 3X
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; PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Dining
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card 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; PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card 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; PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card 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; PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card 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; PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
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 | PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card | 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: $240 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $240 Year one: $240 | 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: $960 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $960 Year one: $960 | Citi Strata Credit Card | Citi Strata Credit Card |
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 PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card?
- Both cards earn 1X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- What benefits does the Citi Strata Credit Card have that the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card doesn't?
- The Citi Strata Credit Card focuses on earn rates, while the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card offers cell phone protection.
- Should I get the Citi Strata Credit Card or the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® 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.