Citi Strata Elite℠ Card vs Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card: Which Card Wins for Your Spending?

Which earns more for you?

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 Citi Strata Elite℠ Card ($595/yr) and the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ 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.

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Meet the Contenders

Citi Strata Elite Card

Strongest in dining at 3%. 12x on hotels/car rentals via Citi Travel, 6x on flights via Citi Travel, 3x on dining. Earns a solid 1.5% on everything else.

Annual fee: $595 Sign-up bonus: 75,000 points after $6,000 spend in 3 months Foreign fees: 0%

Perfect if: You spend enough in bonus categories to easily offset the annual fee.

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Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card

Strongest in travel at 3%. 5x on hotels, 4x on airlines, 3x on restaurants and other travel.

Annual fee: $95 Sign-up bonus: 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in 3 months Foreign fees: 0%

Perfect if: You want a strong rewards rate with no spending caps to worry about.

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Head-to-Head Comparison

Feature Citi Strata Elite Card Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card
Annual Fee $595 $95
Sign-Up Bonus 75,000 points after $6,000 spend in 3 months 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in 3 months
Foreign Transaction Fee 0% 0%
Base Reward Rate 1.5% 1.0%
Travel Rewards 1.5% 3%
Dining Rewards 3% 3%
Rates with conditions
not counted in the rows above
12% through Citi Travel
Earns 12% only on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through Citi Travel, Citi's own booking site. Travel booked anywhere else earns the flat 1.5%.
6% on flights through Citi Travel
Earns 6% only on flights booked through Citi Travel. Flights booked direct with an airline earn the flat 1.5%.
5% on hotels
Earns 5% only on hotel stays. Other travel earns 3%.
4% on airlines
Earns 4% only on airline purchases. Other travel earns 3%.
Key Benefits 12x on hotels/car rentals via Citi Travel, 6x on flights via Citi Travel, 3x on dining. 5x on hotels, 4x on airlines, 3x on restaurants and other travel.

The Verdict

Citi Strata Elite Card pulls ahead for groceries, gas spending.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card wins on travel.

The $500/year fee difference means Citi Strata Elite Card needs to earn about that much more in rewards to justify its cost.

Citi Strata Elite Card carries $300/year in credits (mostly tied to specific merchants or bookings), while Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card carries $50/year in credits (mostly unlocked by everyday bonus-category spending). 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.