First-year winner
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
$865 Year 1 edge
$1,459 vs $594
Compare Cards
Stack up the better credit card
Compare two cards side by side with your real spend, credits, fees, and rewards.
Card A
Card B
Monthly spend
Start with spending categories
Monthly Total
$2,430/mo
Reward assumptions
Credits & benefits
Count the credits and perks you actually expect to use. Credit rows start with conservative default values; edit them for your own merchant, timing, or travel friction.
Card A
Citi Strata Card
Counted benefits
$0
Credits
None
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Perk
Citi ThankYou Rewards Access
Other · No listed cash value
Strata cards keep you in Citi’s ThankYou-style rewards ecosystem for travel or statement-credit redemptions.
Perk
Everyday Category Coverage
Other · No listed cash value
The card is designed to deliver stronger value on everyday spend categories without carrying an annual fee.
Perk
No Annual Fee
Other · No listed cash value
You can keep the card long term without paying a recurring annual fee.
Perk
Travel Rewards Ecosystem
Other · No listed cash value
The card is designed to fit into a broader travel-rewards setup through issuer redemptions, hotel stays, flights, or travel-portal bookings.
Card B
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
Counted benefits
$0
Credits
None
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Perk
Wyndham Hotel Program Perks
Other · No listed cash value
The Wyndham Earner family is built around hotel-program value such as elite-style perks and anniversary-points style benefits.
Perk
Hotel Status and Award Value
Other · No listed cash value
Wyndham co-brand cardholders can turn ongoing spend into stronger hotel-stay value across the Wyndham ecosystem.
Perk
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Other · No listed cash value
Eligible international purchases do not incur an added foreign transaction surcharge.
Perk
Travel Rewards Ecosystem
Other · No listed cash value
The card is designed to fit into a broader travel-rewards setup through issuer redemptions, hotel stays, flights, or travel-portal bookings.
Verdict
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus wins year 1 and long term.
Winner after year 1
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
$115 ongoing edge
$709 vs $594
Long-term breakeven: the higher-reward option needs roughly $11,535 per year in this spend mix to overcome the fee and benefit gap.
Citi
Citi Strata Card
Year One
$594
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$594
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$594
2.04% effective return
Welcome Offer
None
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
None
$0 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
No listed offer
No spend threshold in dataset
Why it wins
- • No standout edge under the current assumptions.
Watch for
- • Foreign transaction fees make it weaker for international spend.
- • There is no meaningful active welcome offer in the current dataset.
- • The points value case is thinner without transfer-partner flexibility.
Barclays
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
Year One
$1,459
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$709
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$784
2.69% effective return
Welcome Offer
$750
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
None
$0 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
$2,000
3 mo window · $667/mo pace · Comfortable
Why it wins
- • Still delivers meaningful first-year upside from the welcome offer.
- • Earns well on the spend mix you entered.
- • Stays usable for international purchases.
Watch for
- • The annual fee is harder to justify if you do not use the credits and perks consistently.
- • The points value case is thinner without transfer-partner flexibility.
Spend Mix Math
Where the value actually comes from
Category returns are based on the spend mix you entered, your point-value assumption, and the benefits you chose to count.
Dining
3x
$5,400
Citi Strata
$162
3.00%
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus
$216
4.00%
Groceries
3x
$7,800
Citi Strata
$234
3.00%
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus
$312
4.00%
Travel
1x
$3,000
Citi Strata
$30
1.00%
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus
$30
1.00%
Gas
3x
$1,920
Citi Strata
$58
3.00%
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus
$115
6.00%
General
1x
$11,040
Citi Strata
$110
1.00%
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus
$110
1.00%
Total annual spend
$29,160 across this mix
Citi Strata$594
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus$784
Raw Breakdown
Full side-by-side details
Use the spec table below when you want the literal field-by-field differences in rewards, benefits, transfer partners, fees, and approval profile.
| Metric | Citi Strata Card | Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card |
|---|---|---|
| Costs | ||
| Annual fee | Free | $75 |
| Foreign transaction fee | 3% | None |
| Rewards | ||
| Dining rewards | 3x | 4x |
| Gas rewards | 3x | 6x |
| Groceries rewards | 3x | 4x |
| All rewards | 1x | 1x |
| Offer | ||
| Welcome offer | — | 75,000 bonus points Spend $2,000 in 3 mo |
| Benefits | ||
| Estimated benefits | 4 listed | 4 listed |
| Benefit highlights | Citi ThankYou Rewards Access · Everyday Category Coverage · No Annual Fee · +1 more | Wyndham Hotel Program Perks · Hotel Status and Award Value · No Foreign Transaction Fees · +1 more |
| Profile | ||
| Credit needed | Good | Good |
| Network | — | mastercard |
| Reward type | Points | Points |
Costs
Annual fee
Citi Strata Card
Free
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
$75
Foreign transaction fee
Citi Strata Card
3%
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
None
Rewards
Dining rewards
Citi Strata Card
3x
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
4x
Gas rewards
Citi Strata Card
3x
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
6x
Groceries rewards
Citi Strata Card
3x
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
4x
All rewards
Citi Strata Card
1x
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
1x
Offer
Welcome offer
Citi Strata Card
—
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
75,000 bonus points
Spend $2,000 in 3 mo
Benefits
Estimated benefits
Citi Strata Card
4 listed
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
4 listed
Benefit highlights
Citi Strata Card
Citi ThankYou Rewards Access · Everyday Category Coverage · No Annual Fee · +1 more
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
Wyndham Hotel Program Perks · Hotel Status and Award Value · No Foreign Transaction Fees · +1 more
Profile
Credit needed
Citi Strata Card
Good
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
Good
Network
Citi Strata Card
—
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
mastercard
Reward type
Citi Strata Card
Points
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
Points