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Amex Green vs Citi Strata Premier: Which Is Better In 2025?
July 1, 2025
Editor's Picks
- American Express® Green Card: This card is ideal for earning rewards on a broad range of travel and dining purchases.
- Citi Strata Premier®: This card is great for maximizing rewards across various everyday categories like travel, restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations.
American Express® Green Card Breakdown
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Why We Like It
Here's a breakdown of the key features that make the American Express® Green Card (See Rates & Fees) a compelling choice for modern travelers.
- It offers generous rewards on a wide variety of travel and transit purchases, plus dining worldwide (Terms Apply).
- Cardholders receive annual statement credits for popular travel services and pay no foreign transaction fees on international purchases (Terms Apply).
- The points you earn are flexible and can be transferred to a variety of airline and hotel partners, which can maximize their value (Terms Apply).
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
Pros
- Offers strong rewards on a broad range of travel, transit, and dining purchases.
- Provides annual statement credits for popular travel services and has no foreign transaction fees (Terms Apply).
- Features a flexible rewards program with a long list of airline and hotel transfer partners.
Cons
- The annual fee is relatively high for a card that isn't in the premium travel category.
- Maximizing rewards requires effort, as some redemption options offer poor value.
- The card’s travel credits may not be as broadly useful as those offered by competitors, and some benefits are being discontinued.
Citi Strata Premier® Breakdown
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Why We Like It
Here's a closer look at the features and benefits that make the Citi Strata Premier® card a strong choice.
- The card offers a versatile rewards structure that earns points on both travel and common everyday purchases.
- It comes with a suite of travel protections and perks that can enhance your trips and provide peace of mind.
- You can redeem your points with a wide array of airline and hotel partners, offering great flexibility for booking award travel.
Pros
- High rewards rates across a broad mix of travel and everyday spending categories.
- Valuable travel benefits, including an annual hotel credit and comprehensive travel insurance coverage.
- Flexible redemption options, with the ability to transfer points to a wide variety of airline and hotel partners.
Cons
- Key benefits, like the annual hotel credit, come with restrictive terms and require booking through the Citi travel portal, which can limit their value and flexibility.
- The included car rental insurance is secondary, meaning it only kicks in after your personal insurance policy.
- Some airline and hotel transfer partners have less favorable conversion rates, diminishing the value of your points.
Citi Strata Premier® vs American Express® Green Card
Categories
Deciding between the Citi Strata Premier® and the American Express® Green Card can be tough, as both are strong contenders in the travel rewards space. To determine which is better, Amex Green or Citi Strata Premier, it's helpful to look at what each card is designed for.
- American Express® Green Card is a top choice for travel and dining rewards. It's designed for those who spend heavily in these areas and want to earn flexible points on a wide range of travel-related purchases.
- Citi Strata Premier® Card excels in the flexible rewards category. This card is ideal for users who value the ability to earn points across many everyday categories and transfer them to various travel partners.
Redemption
American Express® Green Card: You can redeem your points for travel through the American Express portal or transfer them to various airline and hotel loyalty programs. This makes it easy to book flights and stays directly or top off your existing loyalty accounts.
Citi Strata Premier® Card: Points offer great flexibility, allowing you to transfer them to numerous travel partners, which often yields the highest value. Alternatively, you can redeem your points for gift cards, statement credits, or travel booked through the Citi portal.
Travel Perks
- Lounge Access: The American Express® Green Card provides a credit toward LoungeBuddy access, allowing you to purchase day passes at various airport lounges (Terms Apply). The Citi Strata Premier® Card does not offer any lounge access benefits.
- Travel Credits: With the American Express® Green Card, cardholders receive a statement credit for a CLEAR Plus membership, which helps expedite airport security screening (Terms Apply). The Citi Strata Premier® Card offers an annual hotel savings benefit on a single hotel stay of $500 or more, booked through the Citi travel portal.
- Foreign Transaction Fees: Both the Citi Strata Premier® Card and the American Express® Green Card are great for international travel, as neither charges a foreign transaction fee on purchases made abroad.
- Travel Booking Portal: Both cards provide access to their respective travel portals—American Express Travel and the Citi ThankYou Portal—where you can book flights, hotels, and car rentals, often with the option to pay with points or a combination of points and cash.
Compare Top Rated Credit Cards with Kudos
If you're still undecided, a tool like Kudos can help you compare thousands of credit cards based on your actual spending habits.
- Test drive credit cards: The platform lets you simulate how much you'd earn with a new card by analyzing your real spending data before you apply, giving you a personalized calculation of potential earnings.
- Personalized recommendations: Based on your spending history, Kudos can match you with the best cards for your wallet.
- Stacked rewards: Kudos Boost allows you to earn extra rewards on top of your regular credit card points when shopping online.
- Approval odds analysis: Get a detailed analysis based on your credit report to better understand your chances of being approved for a new card.
- Comprehensive card comparison: You can explore and compare nearly 3,000 different credit cards to find the perfect fit.
Who Should Choose the American Express® Green Card?
The American Express® Green Card is an excellent choice for frequent travelers and diners who are willing to put in the effort to maximize rewards and credits. This cardholder is someone who can take advantage of the valuable transfer partners for high-value redemptions and use the statement credits for services like CLEAR® Plus to offset the annual fee (Terms apply). Ultimately, it's a great fit for individuals whose spending habits align with the card's 3X bonus categories—travel, transit, and restaurants—making the $150 annual fee a worthwhile investment.
Who Should Choose the Citi Strata Premier®?
The Citi Strata Premier® Card is tailored for frequent travelers and jet-setters who prioritize earning significant travel rewards and benefits. It's also an excellent fit for individuals looking to maximize points on everyday spending, including at supermarkets, restaurants, and gas stations. This card is best suited for consumers with good to excellent credit who want a single, versatile card that rewards both their travel adventures and daily purchases.
Alternatives to Consider
So, the Amex Green vs Citi Strata Premier comparison didn't yield the perfect card for you? No problem—let's look at a few other travel rewards cards that offer compelling value and might be a better match for your goals.
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Tips for Application Success
Before You Apply
- Check your credit score – Most premium travel cards require good to excellent credit for approval.
- Review bonus eligibility rules – Issuers often have restrictions based on your history with their cards.
- Plan your spending – Ensure you can meet the welcome offer's spending requirement with your normal expenses.
Application Strategy
- Know the issuer's rules – Some issuers, like Citi, restrict new bonuses if you have received one in the past.
- Evaluate the card’s credits – Ensure you can use the available perks to help offset any annual fee.
- Search for the best offer – Some cards may not be available through all channels or may have better offers elsewhere.
Our Methodology
We evaluate nearly 3,000 credit cards across the U.S. market — far more than the ~150 cards commonly featured on sites that focus only on products tied to affiliate commissions. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive, unbiased view of the credit card landscape so you can make confident, data-driven decisions.
Our editorial team combines deep industry experience with rigorous verification standards. While our experts surface the most relevant recommendations in our guides, you can also explore the full dataset yourself through our card explorer tool, which includes thousands of cards — more than 95% of which do not provide us with commissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the annual fees for the Amex Green and Citi Strata Premier cards?
The American Express® Green Card has a $150 annual fee, while the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card has a $95 annual fee.
Can I transfer points from both cards to travel partners?
Yes, both cards allow you to transfer points to a variety of airline and hotel loyalty programs. The specific transfer partners and ratios vary between the American Express Membership Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards programs.
Do the Amex Green and Citi Strata Premier offer annual travel credits?
The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card offers a $100 annual hotel savings benefit, while the Amex Green card provides statement credits for CLEAR® Plus membership and LoungeBuddy access. For the American Express benefits, Terms Apply.
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are those of Kudos alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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