Chase Sapphire Preferred® vs. Citi Strata Premier®

There are quite a few competing travel credit cards on the market today, some of which come with luxury benefits and have annual fees over $500 per year. There are also several mid-tier travel credit cards with annual fees under $100, which is where you’ll find the Chase Sapphire Preferred(R) Card and the Citi Strata Premier(SM) Card. Both of these travel cards have generous rewards rates, plenty of built-in features and points that transfer to airlines and hotels, yet they each come with a manageable annual fee. Citi is a CardRatings advertiser.

Which of these cards is best? That really depends on the rewards categories you spend the most in and the transfer partners you want access to. Then again, you could always carry both of these cards and use them strategically to earn more rewards that can be used in different ways. Let’s break down the benefits of each of these cards to help you decide.

Rewards rates

Rewards rates on the Chase Sapphire Preferred(R) Card credit card work well for consumers who want a card for everyday purchases. This card earns 5X points on travel through the Chase Travel℠; 3X points on dining (including eligible takeout and delivery); 3X on select streaming services; 3X points on online grocery store purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs); 2X points on other travel; and 1X point on other purchases. Users also earn 5X points on Lyft rides through September 30, 2027.

The Citi Strata Premier(SM) Card really shines in terms of its earning rates since it offers 3X points in so many categories including air travel and other hotel purchases, restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations and EV charging stations. Amazingly, cardholders also earn 10X points on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com. All other purchases earn a basic rate of 1X point per dollar spent.

Bonus offers

These two travel credit cards have similar bonus offers, although they can both be worth more or less depending on how you redeem your rewards. The Chase Sapphire Preferred(R) Card comes with signup_reward bonus points after you spend signup_bonus_spend_amount on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

The Citi Strata Premier(SM) Card earns signup_reward bonus ThankYou® Points after spending signup_bonus_spend_amount in the first three months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.

Redemption options

Rewards from either program are incredibly flexible, and that’s true for both travel and non-travel redemptions. Chase Travel points can be redeemed for non-travel options like cash back, statement credits, gift cards and merchandise. Rewards also transfer to 14 different airline and hotel partners.

Citi ThankYou points earned with the Citi Strata Premier(SM) Card can also be redeemed for non-travel options like gift cards and online purchases through Amazon.com, CVS.com and other retailers. Points transfer to 18 different airline and hotel partners as well, and rewards can be used to book travel through CitiTravel.com.

At the end of the day, the choice of transfer partners you want access to can help you determine the right card between these two. Where Chase offers more domestic airline partners to choose from, Citi offers more transfer partner options altogether.

Travel benefits

When it comes to travel benefits, both cards offer similar perks. The Chase Sapphire Preferred(R) Card automatically comes with a $50 hotel credit annually for a stay booked through Chase Travel, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, travel accident insurance and travel and emergency assistance services.

That said, one standout feature of the Chase Sapphire Preferred(R) Card is its primary rental car coverage. This insurance works in place of your own auto insurance and is worth up to the actual cash value of most rental cars. This coverage applies to damage and theft, plus applicable loss of use charges.

 ➤  LEARN MORE:What does credit card rental car insurance cover?

The Citi Strata Premier(SM) Card offers a more robust $100 annual hotel benefit on eligible bookings of $500 or more made through CitiTravel.com (excluding taxes and fees). Included travel protections come in the form of trip cancellation/interruption insurance, trip delay protection, lost and damaged luggage protection and MasterRental car rental coverage. Cardholders also get access to Luxury Collection hotel properties and on-property benefits like breakfast for two and early check-in.

To learn more about how these two cards stack up, review our table below for details on rewards, benefits, features and fees associated with each card.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® vs. Citi Strata Premier®

For a full synopsis of each card, be sure to check out our Chase Sapphire Preferred(R) Card and Citi Strata Premier(SM) Card reviews.