Citi Strata Credit Card vs Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
Both cards cost $0/yr. The Citi Strata Credit Card leads on hotels; the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card on everyday spending.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
Citi Strata Credit CardCiti · No annual fee
Wells Fargo Active Cash CardWells Fargo · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- Citi Strata Credit Card$0Wells Fargo Active Cash Card$0
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Citi Strata Credit Card20,000 pointsWells Fargo Active Cash Card$100 cash back
- Rewards
- Citi Strata Credit CardCiti ThankYou RewardsWells Fargo Active Cash CardCash back
- Foreign transaction fee
- Citi Strata Credit Card3%Wells Fargo Active Cash Card3%
- Network
- Citi Strata Credit CardMastercardWells Fargo Active Cash CardVisa Signature
Earn ratesPer $1 spent · points and cash back aren’t ranked against each other
- Beauty
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xWells Fargo Active Cash Card2%
- Fitness
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xWells Fargo Active Cash Card2%
- Gas Stations
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xWells Fargo Active Cash Card2%
- Grocery Stores
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xWells Fargo Active Cash Card2%
- Live Entertainment
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xWells Fargo Active Cash Card2%
- Pet
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xWells Fargo Active Cash Card2%
- Streaming
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xWells Fargo Active Cash Card2%
- Top Spend Category
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xWells Fargo Active Cash Card2%
- Transit
- Citi Strata Credit Card3xWells Fargo Active Cash Card2%
- Dining
- Citi Strata Credit Card2xWells Fargo Active Cash Card2%
- Everything else
- Citi Strata Credit Card1xWells Fargo Active Cash Card2%
Perks & access— means none on record
- Hotel status & programs
- Citi Strata Credit Card—Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
- 900+ luxury hotel properties with exclusive perks
- Other perks
- Citi Strata Credit Card
- Citi Entertainment
- Points transfer
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card- 24/7 Visa Signature Concierge service
- Extra cash back at select merchants with personalized deals
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Rental car
- Citi Strata Credit Card—Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
- Up to $50,000 rental car coverage when you decline the count
- Purchase & returns
- Citi Strata Credit Card
- Mastercard® ID Theft Protection
- Zero Liability on unauthorized transactions
- Purchase Protection up to $1,000 per claim
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card— - Cell phone
- Citi Strata Credit Card—Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
- Up to $600 coverage for damaged or stolen phones
- Other protections
- Citi Strata Credit Card
- Citi Travel®
- FICO score monitoring
- 24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card- 24/7 worldwide travel and emergency assistance
- Get emergency cash and card replacement worldwide
- Check your FICO score anytime for free
- 24/7 roadside help with free towing up to 5 miles
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)
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card- Unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase with no category limits
- No annual fee
- $100 welcome bonus after just $500 spend in 3 months
- 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers
- Cell phone protection up to $600 per claim when paying bill with 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
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card- 3% foreign transaction fee makes it poor for international use
- No bonus categories - heavy dining/travel spenders earn less than category cards
- Points have no transfer partners (cash back only)
- Requires good to excellent credit
- Penalty APR of 29.99% for late payments
Category-by-Category Winner
The Citi Strata Credit Card wins in 3 of 4 categories. The Wells Fargo Active Cash Card leads in 1. 9 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Hotels
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Wells Fargo Active Cash Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
Car Rentals
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Wells Fargo Active Cash Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
Attractions
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Wells Fargo Active Cash Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
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; Wells Fargo Active 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; Wells Fargo Active 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; Wells Fargo Active 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; Wells Fargo Active 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; Wells Fargo Active 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; Wells Fargo Active Cash Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
Everyday purchases
Wells Fargo Active 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.
Ongoing value favors the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card; year-one value favors the Citi Strata Credit Card.
| Scenario | Citi Strata Credit Card | Wells Fargo Active Cash 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: $348 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $348 Year one: $448 | Wells Fargo Active Cash 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: $1,392 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $1,392 Year one: $1,492 | Wells Fargo Active Cash Card | Citi Strata Credit Card |
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Citi Strata Credit Card if you:
- +Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
Get the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card if you:
- +Prefer a high flat rate across all spending
The Bottom Line
Ongoing value favors the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card; year-one value favors the Citi Strata Credit Card.
Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 2X on the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card vs 1X on the other card.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which card earns more rewards, the Citi Strata Credit Card or Wells Fargo Active Cash Card?
- The Wells Fargo Active Cash Card has a higher base earn rate (2X vs 1X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
- What benefits does the Citi Strata Credit Card have that the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card doesn't?
- The Citi Strata Credit Card focuses on earn rates, while the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card offers cell phone protection.
- Should I get the Citi Strata Credit Card or the Wells Fargo Active Cash 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.