Citi Strata℠ vs Wells Fargo Active Cash®
Side-by-side comparison
| Citi Strata℠ | Wells Fargo Active Cash® | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | No annual fee | No annual fee |
| Welcome offer | 20,000 ThankYou® Points ($200 value) | $200 cash rewards bonus |
| Dining | 2x | 2x |
| Groceries | 3x | 2x |
| Gas | 3x | 2x |
| Travel | 1x | 2x |
| Streaming | 3x | 2x |
| Everything else | 1x | 2x |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $511 | $583 |
| Points type | Pools with Citi → transferable | Pools with Wells Fargo → transferable |
| Network | Mastercard | Visa |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified June 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
The verdict
On a typical year of household spending, the Citi Strata℠ earns about $511 a year in rewards and the Wells Fargo Active Cash® about $583, valuing every point at a flat 1 cent. The Citi Strata℠ has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. The Wells Fargo Active Cash® has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. Counting rewards and any credits, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® delivers more total value, about $72 a year more for a typical spender, mostly because it earns more where you spend most, on everything else and travel. Both earn points that only unlock airline and hotel transfers once you pair them with a premium card in the same family, so it comes down to which ecosystem you are building: Citi for the Citi Strata℠, Wells Fargo for the Wells Fargo Active Cash®. On the sign-up bonus, the two are currently comparable in size. A welcome bonus is a one-time event, so weigh it apart from the ongoing rewards.
Pick the Citi Strata℠ if your spending leans toward groceries, gas, streaming. Pick the Wells Fargo Active Cash® if your spending leans toward travel, everything else.