Chase Sapphire Preferred and Citi Strata Premier (formerly Citi ThankYou Premier) are the two strongest $95 travel cards in the market. Both earn transferable currency on dining, travel, and grocery; both have 15+ airline and hotel transfer partners. Sapphire Preferred wins on Hyatt partnership value and U.S. issuer familiarity. Strata Premier wins on broader category coverage (3X on gas, groceries, dining, flights, and hotels) and a lower fee relative to earnings for high-spend multi-category spenders. Source: chase.com, citi.com, Q2 2026.
Chase
Best overall travel rewards card under $100 annual fee.
Pros
Citi
3x on hotels, air, restaurants, groceries, and gas — the broadest 3x earning category footprint of any $95 travel card.
Pros
| Spec | Chase Sapphire Preferred | Citi Strata Premier® Card |
|---|---|---|
| Origination fee | $95 | $95 |
| Best for | Regular travelers who want transferable points, strong dining rewards, and a manageable fee. | Everyday spenders who want a $95 travel card that earns 3x across more categories than any competitor. |
◈ marks the stronger option for that row.
Pick Chase Sapphire Preferred if: Regular travelers who want transferable points, strong dining rewards, and a manageable fee.
Pick Citi Strata Premier® Card if: Everyday spenders who want a $95 travel card that earns 3x across more categories than any competitor.
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See all picks, methodology, and side-by-side comparison in Best Personal Credit Cards 2026.
Chase wins for most U.S.-based travelers because of World of Hyatt — widely considered the highest-value hotel transfer program, particularly for luxury redemptions. Chase also partners with United, Southwest, and British Airways (useful for domestic AA flights via Avios). Citi ThankYou transfers to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles (exceptional value for Star Alliance business class) and Air France/KLM Flying Blue. Chase's domestic partner depth is generally stronger; Citi's is stronger for specific international itineraries. Confirm current partner lists at chase.com and citi.com.
Yes. Citi Strata Premier earns 3X ThankYou points on air travel, hotels, dining, supermarkets, and gas stations — five categories. Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 3X on dining, 2X on all other travel, and 5X on Chase Travel portal bookings, with 3X on Lyft and select streaming. Strata Premier's 3X at gas stations and supermarkets is a genuine advantage for everyday spenders; Sapphire Preferred's 5X on Chase Travel beats Strata Premier's 3X on hotel bookings for portal users.
Chase Sapphire Preferred includes a $50 annual statement credit for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel. This credit automatically applies when you book an eligible hotel through the Chase Travel portal — it does not cover hotels booked directly. The $50 credit effectively reduces the net annual fee from $95 to $45 for cardholders who book at least one hotel stay per year through Chase. Verify current credit terms at chase.com. (Verify current terms/offers at chase.com)
Yes — Citi Strata Premier includes trip cancellation and interruption protection. If your covered trip is canceled or cut short due to a covered reason (illness, severe weather, and other specified events), you may be reimbursed for non-refundable prepaid expenses. Coverage limits and eligible reasons are defined in the card's benefit guide. Verify current trip cancellation benefit terms at citi.com — benefit terms are subject to change. (Verify current terms/offers at citi.com)
It depends on how you book. Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 5X Ultimate Rewards points on hotels booked through the Chase Travel portal, but only 2X on hotels booked directly with the hotel. Citi Strata Premier earns 3X ThankYou points on hotels regardless of how you book — direct or through a portal. If you book hotels directly (to earn hotel loyalty points), Strata Premier's 3X beats Sapphire Preferred's 2X. If you book through Chase Travel, Sapphire Preferred's 5X wins. Verify current earning rates at chase.com and citi.com.
Neither card charges foreign transaction fees. Both Chase Sapphire Preferred and Citi Strata Premier waive foreign transaction fees entirely, earning their full reward rates on international purchases. This makes both cards strong choices for international travel — a key advantage over many no-fee cards that charge 3% on foreign transactions. Source: chase.com, citi.com. (Verify current terms/offers at each issuer)
Citi Strata Premier earns 3X ThankYou Points at supermarkets — Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 1X on most grocery purchases (Preferred's 3X applies to dining, not supermarkets). For grocery-heavy households spending $500+/month at supermarkets, Strata Premier returns 3x more per dollar in that category. Chase still holds an advantage for World of Hyatt hotel transfer redemptions and primary rental car CDW, but on pure grocery earning Strata Premier is the clear winner. Source: citi.com; chase.com; Q2 2026.
Both cards have offered substantial welcome bonuses — typically 60,000–75,000 ThankYou Points for Citi Strata Premier and Chase Sapphire Preferred is currently running an elevated 100,000 Ultimate Rewards limited-time offer after meeting a spending threshold in the first 3 months. Each point currency transfers to airline partners at approximately 1:1, with the Sapphire bonus worth roughly $1,000–$1,250 in travel redemptions at standard transfer value. Verify current offers at citi.com and chase.com before applying — bonuses change frequently. Source: citi.com; chase.com.
Chase Sapphire Preferred includes primary auto rental collision damage waiver (CDW) — it pays before your personal auto insurance when you rent for personal travel, decline the rental company's collision waiver, and charge the full rental to the card. Citi Strata Premier offers secondary CDW, which typically requires filing with your personal auto insurance first. For frequent renters who decline the rental company's CDW, Preferred's primary coverage is a meaningful advantage. Verify current rental coverage terms at chase.com and citi.com.
Both cards typically approve applicants with good to excellent credit — generally 700+ FICO. Chase also enforces the 5/24 rule: if you have opened 5 or more personal credit cards from any issuer in the past 24 months, Chase will typically decline regardless of credit score. Citi has no public 5/24 equivalent. Use pre-qualification tools at chase.com and citi.com before applying to avoid unnecessary hard inquiries. Source: chase.com; citi.com.
Independent editorial comparison. ClearValue Lending is not the issuer of any product compared here; affiliate links may pay a referral commission at no cost to you — selection is independent of compensation.