First-year winner
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
$1,329 Year 1 edge
$2,688 vs $1,359
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 Premier Card
Counted benefits
$100
Credits
$100
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Credit
$100 Annual Hotel Benefit
Travel Credits · Listed $100/yr
Eligible hotel stays booked through Citi Travel can receive a $100 benefit once per calendar year.
Perk
Citi Entertainment
Other · No listed cash value
Eligible cardholders can access select tickets, experiences, and presales through Citi Entertainment.
Perk
Trip Cancellation and Interruption Protection
Travel Insurance · No listed cash value
Can reimburse covered prepaid travel expenses when a qualifying trip is canceled or interrupted for a covered reason.
Perk
Trip Delay Protection
Travel Insurance · No listed cash value
Can reimburse eligible out-of-pocket expenses when a covered trip is delayed beyond the issuer's threshold.
Perk
Baggage Delay Protection
Travel Insurance · No listed cash value
Can reimburse essential purchases when baggage is delayed on a covered trip.
Perk
Car Rental Protection
Rental Car · No listed cash value
Can provide coverage for eligible rental car damage or theft on qualifying rentals.
Card B
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
Counted benefits
$0
Credits
None
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Perk
IHG Award-Night Perks
Other · No listed cash value
IHG co-brand cards are built around hotel-program value such as elite-style perks and award-night enhancements on eligible stays.
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
IHG One Rewards Premier wins year 1 and long term.
Winner after year 1
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
$629 ongoing edge
$1,288 vs $659
Long-term breakeven: the higher-reward option needs roughly $4,136 per year in this spend mix to overcome the fee and benefit gap.
Citi
Citi Strata Premier Card
Year One
$1,359
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$659
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$654
2.24% effective return
Welcome Offer
$700
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
$100
$100 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
$4,000
3 mo window · $1,333/mo pace · Comfortable
Why it wins
- • Still delivers meaningful first-year upside from the welcome offer.
- • Your expected credit usage offsets most of the annual fee.
- • Stays usable for international purchases.
Watch for
- • The points value case is thinner without transfer-partner flexibility.
Chase
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
Year One
$2,688
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$1,288
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$1,387
4.76% effective return
Welcome Offer
$1,400
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
None
$0 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
$3,000
3 mo window · $1,000/mo pace · Comfortable
Why it wins
- • Comes with a particularly strong 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 Premier
$162
3.00%
IHG One Rewards Premier
$270
5.00%
Groceries
3x
$7,800
Citi Strata Premier
$234
3.00%
IHG One Rewards Premier
$390
5.00%
Travel
3x
$3,000
Citi Strata Premier
$90
3.00%
IHG One Rewards Premier
$300
10.00%
Gas
3x
$1,920
Citi Strata Premier
$58
3.00%
IHG One Rewards Premier
$96
5.00%
General
1x
$11,040
Citi Strata Premier
$110
1.00%
IHG One Rewards Premier
$331
3.00%
Total annual spend
$29,160 across this mix
Citi Strata Premier$654
IHG One Rewards Premier$1,387
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 Premier Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Costs | ||
| Annual fee | $95 | $99 |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None |
| Rewards | ||
| Dining rewards | 3x 3 ThankYou Points per $1 at restaurants. | 5x |
| Gas rewards | 3x 3 ThankYou Points per $1 at gas and EV charging stations. | 5x |
| Groceries rewards | 3x 3 ThankYou Points per $1 at supermarkets. | 5x |
| Travel rewards | 10x 10 ThankYou Points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel. | 10x 10x points on eligible IHG hotel purchases. |
| All rewards | 1x | 3x |
| Offer | ||
| Welcome offer | 70,000 bonus points Earn 70,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening. | 140,000 bonus points Spend $3,000 in 3 mo |
| Benefits | ||
| Estimated benefits | ~$100/yr | 3 listed |
| Benefit highlights | $100 Annual Hotel Benefit · Citi Entertainment · Trip Cancellation and Interruption Protection · +3 more | IHG Award-Night Perks · No Foreign Transaction Fees · Travel Rewards Ecosystem |
| Profile | ||
| Credit needed | Good | Good |
| Network | mastercard | mastercard |
| Reward type | Points | Points |
Costs
Annual fee
Citi Strata Premier Card
$95
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
$99
Foreign transaction fee
Citi Strata Premier Card
None
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
None
Rewards
Dining rewards
Citi Strata Premier Card
3x
3 ThankYou Points per $1 at restaurants.
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
5x
Gas rewards
Citi Strata Premier Card
3x
3 ThankYou Points per $1 at gas and EV charging stations.
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
5x
Groceries rewards
Citi Strata Premier Card
3x
3 ThankYou Points per $1 at supermarkets.
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
5x
Travel rewards
Citi Strata Premier Card
10x
10 ThankYou Points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel.
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
10x
10x points on eligible IHG hotel purchases.
All rewards
Citi Strata Premier Card
1x
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
3x
Offer
Welcome offer
Citi Strata Premier Card
70,000 bonus points
Earn 70,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
140,000 bonus points
Spend $3,000 in 3 mo
Benefits
Estimated benefits
Citi Strata Premier Card
~$100/yr
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
3 listed
Benefit highlights
Citi Strata Premier Card
$100 Annual Hotel Benefit · Citi Entertainment · Trip Cancellation and Interruption Protection · +3 more
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
IHG Award-Night Perks · No Foreign Transaction Fees · Travel Rewards Ecosystem
Profile
Credit needed
Citi Strata Premier Card
Good
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
Good
Network
Citi Strata Premier Card
mastercard
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
mastercard
Reward type
Citi Strata Premier Card
Points
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
Points