Monthly spending. We rank on rewards minus the full annual fee, so statement credits and perks are listed separately and never counted for you.
Choosing between the The Platinum Card from American Express ($895/yr) and the Citi Strata Premier® Card ($95/yr) comes down to where you spend most. Both cards can deliver real value. Let’s break it down, then run your numbers to find the winner.
5X on flights and prepaid hotels through Amex Travel. Global Lounge Collection access.
Perfect if: You spend enough in bonus categories to easily offset the annual fee.
Apply NowStrongest in travel at 3%. 10x points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on cititravel.com; 3x on air travel, restaurants, supermarkets, gas & EV charging.
Perfect if: You're comfortable booking through the issuer's own site for the best rate.
Apply Now| Feature | The Platinum Card from American Express | Citi Strata Premier Card |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $895 | $95 |
| Sign-Up Bonus | 175,000 points after $12,000 spend in 6 months | 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in 3 months |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | 0% | 0% |
| Base Reward Rate | 1% | 1% |
| Travel Rewards | 1% | 3% |
| Dining Rewards | 1% | 3% |
| Groceries Rewards | 1% | 3% |
| Gas Rewards | 1% | 3% |
| Rates with conditions not counted in the rows above |
5% on flights Earns 5% only on flights booked direct with the airline or on amextravel.com, and on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com. Hotels booked direct, car rentals and cruises earn 1%. |
10% through Citi Travel Earns 10% only on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through Citi Travel, Citi's own booking site. Booking direct with a hotel or rental company earns 3%. |
| Key Benefits | 5X on flights and prepaid hotels through Amex Travel. Global Lounge Collection access. | 10x points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on cititravel.com; 3x on air travel, restaurants, supermarkets, gas & EV charging. |
Citi Strata Premier Card wins on travel, dining, groceries, gas.
The $800/year fee difference means The Platinum Card from American Express needs to earn about that much more in rewards to justify its cost.
The Platinum Card from American Express carries $1,174/year in credits (mostly tied to specific merchants or bookings), while Citi Strata Premier Card carries $100/year in credits (mostly tied to specific merchants or bookings). Those only count if you’d actually use them. Worth checking against your own habits before treating them as a discount on the fee.
Not sure which fits your life? Enter your spending below and we’ll do the math. The calculator ranks purely on rewards minus the full annual fee, so credits and perks are yours to judge.