Both the Citi Strata Premier® Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) earn 3X points on travel and a variety of everyday spending categories. Plus, both their points can be transferred to airline and hotel partners for added value. But which $95 annual fee travel card is right for you?
With the Sapphire Preferred Card, you may have an easier time redeeming points for good value and will enjoy more travel protections and perks. However, you may prefer the Strata Premier based on the categories you spend the most on.
CNBC Select walks you through the benefits of both travel credit cards so you can choose the one that best aligns with your spending habits.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections, flexible rewards and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- Annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes, 3x on gas & EV charging, 3x on top streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026 - a value of $156.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card for a Global Entry, TSA Precheck® or NEXUS application.
- Transfer points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
The Citi Strata Premier® Card has competitive rewards rates and unlocks access to all of the Citi ThankYou® transfer partners, which boosts the value of your points.
- Unlocks point transfers to all of the Citi ThankYou® partners, including Emirates Skywards, Choice Privileges, Flying Blue and more
- Generous bonus spending categories include dining, supermarkets, hotels and flights
- Valuable welcome bonus
- Has an annual fee
- Car rental coverage is secondary, not primary
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
- Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
Balance transfer fee
Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Citi Strata Premier
Welcome bonus
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card recently overhauled its card offerings and, with that, reintroduced a record-high welcome bonus: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Chase Ultimate Rewards® points can be redeemed for 1 cent each as cash back, making this bonus worth at least $1,000.
New Citi Strata Premier® Card members can earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. ThankYou® Points are redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
With both cards, you can also transfer points to airline and hotel loyalty programs. This option allows you to book expensive hotels or flights with your points, which can greatly increase the value you receive for your rewards.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred
Annual fee
Both of these travel credit cards have a $95 annual fee.
Winner: Tie
Earning points
If you want to earn loads of points, either of these cards can help you meet that goal. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you'll earn:
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 5X points on Lyft rides through Sept. 30, 2027
- 5X total points on eligible Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $150 through Dec. 31, 2027
- 3X points on dining
- 3X points on select streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (not including Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- 3X on vacation homes
- 3X on gas and EV charging
- 2X points on all other travel purchases
- 1X points on all other purchases
The Citi Strata Premier earns:
- 10X points on hotels, car rentals and attractions when booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X points on air travel
- 3X points on hotels (not booked through CitiTravel.com)
- 3X points at restaurants
- 3X points at supermarkets
- 3X points at gas stations and EV charging stations
- 1X points on all other purchases
The Strata Premier earns more rewards on general air travel and hotels (not booked through the issuer's portal) and on supermarket purchases, rather than online grocery purchases.
But if you're partial to booking air travel through an issuer portal or want to earn a more generous rate on general travel purchases like passenger trains, business, taxis, ferries and parking garages, the Sapphire Preferred may be more appealing.
Winner: Citi Strata Premier
Redeeming points
Earning rewards is only half of the equation with a travel card; your redemption options matter just as much. Both of these cards offer a range of redemptions that provide 1 cent per point in value, including cash back and gift cards.
But if you want to get the most value out of either card, you'll want to look at the transfer partners. Rewards transfer at a 1:1 ratio, unless noted otherwise:
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Citi Strata Premier transfer partners
| Chase Sapphire Preferred transfer ratios | Citi Strata Premier transfer ratios |
| Aer Lingus AerClub | American Airlines AAdvantage |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Accor Live Limitless (2:1) |
| The British Airways Club | Avianca LifeMiles |
| Flying Blue (Air France and KLM) | Cathay Pacific |
| Iberia Plus | Choice Privileges (1:1.5) |
| IHG One | Emirates Skywards (5:4) |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | Etihad Guest |
| Marriott Bonvoy | EVA Air Infinity MileageLands |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Flying Blue (Air France and KLM) |
| Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards | JetBlue TrueBlue |
| United Airlines MIleagePlus | Leaders Club (5:1) |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | Preferred Hotels & Resorts (1:2) |
| World of Hyatt (4:3) | Qantas Frequent Flyer |
| Wyndham | Qatar Airways Privilege Club |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | |
| Thai Royal Orchid Plus | |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | |
| Wyndham Rewards |
Sapphire Preferred cardholders have access to several exceptionally valuable and useful loyalty programs. You can also transfer points to book flights with all three major airline alliances (Oneworld, Star Alliance, SkyTeam) and several non-alliance airlines, such as JetBlue, Southwest and Emirates. Unfortunately, the card's transfer ratio to World of Hyatt dropped from 1:1 to 4:3 for new cardholders, as of June 2026; existing cardholders can transfer at the 1:1 rate through Oct. 1, 2026.
Citi's transfer partners also unlock the ability to book rewards with all three of the biggest airline alliances, and you get access to non-alliance airlines such as Etihad, Emirates and JetBlue. However, Citi ThankYou® Points aren't as versatile when it comes to booking hotels. On top of that, ThankYou® Points are only worth 1 cent each if you prefer to keep things simple by using points to pay for CitiTravel.com bookings.
At the end of the day, the best card for redeeming points will depend on where you want to go and how you prefer to use travel rewards. That said, the Chase Sapphire Preferred provides cardholders more avenues for earning a value higher than 1 cent per point on their redemptions.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred
Additional perks
The Chase Sapphire Preferred comes with an annual $100 statement credit for hotels you book through Chase TravelSM, up to $120 in application fee credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS every four years and one year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by Dec. 31, 2026 (terms apply).
Preferred cardholders also enjoy strong travel and shopping protections, including:
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Primary rental car collision coverage
- Baggage delay insurance
- Trip delay reimbursement
- Travel and emergency assistance services
- Emergency evacuation and transportation coverage
- Purchase protection
- Extended warranty protection
Not to mention Chase's handful of partnerships that provide additional value for cardholders who use these services, including a complimentary DoorDash DashPass for a minimum of one year when you activate by Dec. 31, 2027.
The Citi Strata Premier has far fewer benefits, though cardholders do receive $100 off a single hotel stay costing $500 or more when booked through CitiTravel.com. You can use this perk once per calendar year. It also includes a handful of travel insurance benefits, including:
- Trip delay
- Trip cancellation and interruption
- Lost or damaged luggage
- Rental cars (MasterRental®)
Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred
Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox. Sign up here.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every personal finance article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of financial products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
Catch up on CNBC Select's in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and X to stay up to date.
