American Express® Green vs Citi Strata℠
Side-by-side comparison
| American Express® Green | Citi Strata℠ | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $150 | No annual fee |
| Welcome offer | 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points | 20,000 ThankYou® Points ($200 value) |
| Dining | 3x | 2x |
| Groceries | 1x | 3x |
| Gas | 1x | 3x |
| Travel | 3x | 1x |
| Streaming | 1x | 3x |
| Everything else | 1x | 1x |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $402 | $511 |
| Points type | Transfers to airlines & hotels | Pools with Citi → transferable |
| Network | Amex | Mastercard |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified July 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
Welcome bonus and value over time
| Over time | American Express® Green | Citi Strata℠ |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points | 20,000 ThankYou® Points ($200 value) |
| To earn it | $3,000 in 6 months | $1,000 in 3 months |
| Est. first-year value* | $851 | $711 |
| Est. ongoing value / yr* | $451 | $511 |
This one splits by time horizon. In year one the American Express® Green is ahead by roughly $140, thanks largely to its welcome offer. But the Citi Strata℠ earns more every year after, so if you keep it, it overtakes the American Express® Green after about 3 years. Chasing the sign-up bonus and open to canceling before the second annual fee? Take the American Express® Green. Planning to keep it for years? The Citi Strata℠ pulls ahead.
*First-year value counts the welcome bonus, estimated rewards, and annual credits, minus the annual fee; ongoing value is a typical year after. Every point at a flat 1 cent.
Perks, credits, and redemptions
| Perks | American Express® Green | Citi Strata℠ |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge access | None | None |
| Annual credits | ~$199/yr (1 credits) | None |
| Points & redemptions | Transferable to airline & hotel partners | Transferable (paired with a premium card) |
On perks and redemptions, the American Express® Green carries the heavier credit stack (about $199 a year). Weigh those against the fee, since credits and lounge access only count if you will actually use them.
Transfer partners and point value
The American Express® Green earns Amex Membership Rewards, which transfers to Delta, ANA, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic, plus Hilton and Marriott. The Citi Strata℠ earns Citi ThankYou, reaching American Airlines, Turkish, Avianca, and Air France-KLM. Most transfers are 1:1 on both, so the partners themselves, not the ratios, are what separate them.
The standout difference is the crown-jewel partner: for the American Express® Green it is ANA and Virgin Atlantic, the routes behind the famous business- and first-class sweet spots to Asia; for the Citi Strata℠ it is American Airlines AAdvantage at 1:1, one of the only ways to transfer points to AA. Pick the program whose best partners match the trips you would actually book.
One ratio note: on a few shared partners like Cathay Pacific and Emirates, Amex transfers at a slightly worse rate (5:4) than Citi, Capital One, and Bilt, which move 1:1, so those programs stretch a little further there.
Both earn transferable points with strong category rates, but the Green charges $150 and leans travel while the Strata is free and leans everyday categories.
The Green’s 3x on travel, dining, and transit feeds the deep Amex network. The Citi Strata earns 3x on groceries, gas, streaming, and transit for free, and its points become transferable with a Strata Premier. Paid travel-focused vs free everyday 3x.
Pros and cons
- 3x on travel, dining, and transit
- Transferable Membership Rewards
- A CLEAR Plus credit
- The broad Amex transfer network
- $150 fee, needs category spend to justify
- 1x on groceries and gas
- A year-one play unless you travel a lot
- 3x on groceries, gas, streaming, and transit; 2x dining
- No annual fee
- Broad everyday coverage
- Points transfer with a Strata Premier
- Lower travel earning than the Green
- Points need a Strata Premier for transfers
- A newer program than Amex’s network
Where each one wins
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday categories | Citi Strata | 3x groceries/gas/streaming free vs the Green’s 1x. |
| Travel & transit | Amex Green | 3x travel the Strata lacks. |
| Annual fee | Citi Strata | $0 vs $150. |
| Best for | Depends | Travelers vs everyday spenders. |
The verdict
If you travel and value the Amex network, the Green earns 3x on travel, dining, and transit, though $150 asks for real category spend past year one.
If you want free everyday earning, the Citi Strata is the smarter no-fee card, 3x across groceries, gas, streaming, and transit, transferable with a Strata Premier. For most people who won’t lean on the Green’s travel categories, the free Strata wins. Travelers lean Green; everyday spenders lean Strata.