Citi Strata Premier vs. Amex Green: Which Travel Card Reigns Supreme?

Hey everyone, Philip here with Points of Phillip! Today, I'm tackling a common question: Which is the best travel card, the Citi Strata Premier or the American Express Green Card?

The truth? It depends! So, let's dive deep, compare the cards, and see which one aligns best with your travel style.

Card #1: Citi Strata Premier – The Budget-Friendly Traveler

• Annual Fee: $95

• Sign-Up Bonus: 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in 3 months.

Earning Structure:

• 10x points per dollar: on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on citytravel.com

• 3x points per dollar:

  • Air travel and other hotel purchases.

  • Restaurants.

  • Supermarkets.

  • Gas and EV charging stations.

• 1x point per dollar: on everything else.

Key Perks:

• $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Spend $500 or more on a hotel stay booked through citytravel.com and receive $100 off.

• Transfer Partners: Access to various transfer partners, including JetBlue (1:1) and American Airlines (1:1).

Card #2: American Express Green Card – The Versatile Explorer

• Annual Fee: $150

• Welcome Offer: 40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first 6 months.

• Free Clear Plus: Up to $209 towards Clear membership. (Ideally paired with TSA PreCheck or Global Entry for optimal experience).

Earning Structure:

• 3x Membership Rewards points per dollar on travel. This wide-open travel category includes:

  • Airfare

  • Hotels

  • Cruises

  • Car rentals

  • Campgrounds

  • Trains

  • Taxis

  • Ride sharing

  • Tours

  • Ferries

  • Tolls

  • Parking

  • Buses

  • Subways

  • Third-party travel sites

  • AmexTravel.com

• 3x points per dollar: at restaurants worldwide

• 1x point per dollar: on everything else.

Key Strengths of Each Card:

Why Choose the Citi Strata Premier?

• Budget-Conscious Travel: Lower annual fee makes it attractive.

• Frequent Road Tripper: 3x on gas is appealing.

• Airline & Hotel Focused: Strong earning on airfare and hotels covers the basics.

• Comfortable with Travel Portals: 10x earning on citytravel.com is a huge draw for those who don't mind using travel portals.

Why Choose the American Express Green Card?

• Diverse Travel Preferences: If you enjoy cruises, trains, RVing, or unique accommodations like Airbnbs, the Green card's broad travel category is a winner.

• Urban Dweller: The Green card also earns 3x on transit, tolls, and parking – a major benefit if you live in a city.

• Flexibility with Transfer Partners: Membership Rewards points are highly valuable and transferable to many airlines and hotels, including Delta (an exclusive partner). *Clear benefit is appealing for time-saving in airports.

The Verdict: Which Card is Right for YOU?

If you're someone looking to minimize their annual fees, but also is totally okay with just staying at a hotel somewhere and doing airlines, then the City Shine Premier might be the best fit for you.

But if you're someone who's looking for other modes of travel, like you want to do a cruise ship or if you want to do a train or if you want to stay at an Airbnb or a Verbbo or do something like that or even take a private jet, then the American Express green card will be your go-to. So, it has a much much much more wide open travel category, at least in terms of different things that it covers. Now, it also has a transit category as well.

Both are compelling cards, and which one you choose depends on your priorities.

Now, I'm eager to hear your thoughts in the comments!