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Card vs Card Comparison

Amex Platinum
vs
Citi Strata Premier.

Updated

Two cards, head-to-head. We break down earning rates, perks, transfer partners, and the real scenarios where each one wins.

American Express

Amex Platinum

Annual fee

$695

Points

Membership Rewards

Signup bonus

175K points after $8K in 6 months (highest published)

Top earning rates

  • →5x on flights booked direct or on Amex Travel
  • →5x on prepaid hotels on Amex Travel
  • →1x everywhere else (the weakest baseline of the premium cards)

Top perks

  • →$200 hotel credit (Fine Hotels + Resorts and Hotel Collection)
  • →$200 airline incidental credit
  • →$200 Uber credit
See Amex Platinum detailsarrow_forward

Citi

Citi Strata Premier

Annual fee

$95

Points

Citi ThankYou

Signup bonus

60K points after $4K in 3 months

Top earning rates

  • →3x on flights, hotels, restaurants, gas, EV charging, grocery, and streaming
  • →1x everywhere else

Top perks

  • →$100 annual hotel credit on stays of $500+
  • →No foreign transaction fee
  • →Citi transfer partners including Singapore, Cathay, Avianca, and Etihad
See Citi Strata Premier detailsarrow_forward

The verdict

When each card wins.

Amex Platinum wins if

Pick this if you travel internationally a few times a year, stay at higher-end hotels, and will actually use the monthly credits.

Honest downside: Weak everyday earner. The $695 fee only pencils out if you use the credits, otherwise it is the most expensive card to carry.

Citi Strata Premier wins if

Pick this if you want the best 3x-on-everything-travel card at a $95 fee, plus access to Asia-region airline partners.

Honest downside: Smaller transfer partner list than Chase or Amex. Less prestige, but strong value for the money.

At a glance

Side-by-side spec sheet.

SpecAmex PlatinumCiti Strata Premier
Annual fee$695$95
Points currencyMembership RewardsCiti ThankYou
Signup bonus175K points60K points
Top earn category5x on flights booked direct or on Amex Travel3x on flights, hotels, restaurants, gas, EV charging, grocery, and streaming
Second earn category5x on prepaid hotels on Amex Travel1x everywhere else
Third earn category1x everywhere else (the weakest baseline of the premium cards)Standard 1x earn
Signature perk$200 hotel credit (Fine Hotels + Resorts and Hotel Collection)$100 annual hotel credit on stays of $500+
IssuerAmerican ExpressCiti

Questions

Frequently asked.

Which is better, Amex Platinum or Citi Strata Premier?

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Amex Platinum wins if you travel internationally a few times a year, stay at higher-end hotels, and will actually use the monthly credits. Citi Strata Premier wins if you want the best 3x-on-everything-travel card at a $95 fee, plus access to Asia-region airline partners.

Can I have both the Amex Platinum and the Citi Strata Premier?

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Yes. These are issued by different banks (American Express and Citi), so they don't conflict on application rules. Many travelers carry both to stack the strongest benefits from each card's ecosystem.

Which has the higher annual fee, Amex Platinum or Citi Strata Premier?

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Amex Platinum has the higher annual fee at $695, compared to $95 for Citi Strata Premier. Whether the pricier card is worth the difference depends on which credits and perks you use each year.