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Citi Strata Elite vs Chase Sapphire Reserve

At our sample profile ($31,100/yr spend, only “easy” credits counted), the Citi Strata Elite comes to $1,625 in the first year and $350 a year after that; the Chase Sapphire Reserve comes to $2,559 and $559. Annual fees are $595 and $795, against $730 and $2,414 a year in stated credits. Figures from the issuers’ pages, checked October 23, 2026; your spending will change the result.

Data checked by Chris Manns · Last updated October 23, 2026

	Citi Strata Elite® Card	Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card
Issuer	Citi	Chase
Annual fee	$595	$795
Welcome bonus	75,000 points≈ $1,275after $6,000 in 3 months	100,000 points≈ $2,000after $6,000 in 3 months
Rewards currency	Citi ThankYou Points	Chase Ultimate Rewards
Value per point	~1.7¢ each, median of 6 published valuations	~2.0¢ each, median of 7 published valuations
Earning	12x Travel booked on the card’s own travel site 3x Dining & takeout 1.5x everything else	8x Travel booked on the card’s own travel site 4x Flights (booked with the airline), Hotels (booked with the hotel) 3x Dining & takeout 1x everything else
Fee vs stated credits	$595 vs $730stated credits a year (face value)	$795 vs $2,414stated credits a year (face value) · + $120 one-time (yr 1)
Yearly cost after year 1	$565fee − $30 of “easy” credits (our default)	$465fee − $330 of “easy” credits (our default)
Year 2+ value*	$350 each year after the first, after the annual fee	$559 each year after the first, after the annual fee
First-year value*	$1,625	$2,559
Credits & perks	Annual Hotel Benefit niche $300/yr · up to $300 off once per calendar year Splurge Credit niche $200/yr · up to $200 per calendar year Blacklane credit niche $200/yr · up to $100 Jan–Jun + $100 Jul–Dec Global Entry / TSA PreCheck / NEXUS application fee credit easy $120 every 4 yrs ≈ $30/yr · up to $120 once every 4 years	Annual travel credit easy $300/yr · up to $300 each account anniversary year The Edit hotel credit niche $500/yr · up to $250 per prepaid booking, max $500 per calendar year Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables dining credit niche $300/yr · $150 Jan–Jun + $150 Jul–Dec Apple TV + Apple Music subscriptions niche $324/yr · complimentary subscriptions (Chase states $324/yr value) DoorDash promos for DashPass members niche $420/yr · up to $35/mo: one $15 restaurant promo + two $10 non-restaurant promos StubHub / viagogo credit niche $300/yr · $150 Jan–Jun + $150 Jul–Dec Lyft in-app credit niche $120/yr · $10/mo Peloton membership credit niche $120/yr · $10/mo Complimentary DashPass membership niche $120 once · membership (Chase states “a $120 value”) Global Entry / TSA PreCheck / NEXUS application fee credit easy $120 every 4 yrs ≈ $30/yr · up to $120 once every 4 years
Perks (no $ unless the issuer states one)	Priority Pass Select membership ($469/yr issuer-stated) 4 Admirals Club passes each calendar year ($300/yr issuer-stated)	Chase Sapphire Lounges + 1,300+ Priority Pass lounges, up to two guests; Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges ($850/yr issuer-stated) IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status through 12/31/2027 Reserve Travel Designers After $75,000 spend in a calendar year: Hyatt Explorist, IHG Diamond, $250 Shops at Chase, $500 Southwest credit, Southwest A-List
Source	Issuer page	Issuer page

Face value isn’t real value: a credit only saves you money if you’d have spent it anyway. *Year 2+ and first-year values use our sample profile and default credit ticks. Add a third card · How we calculate

Citi Strata Elite vs Chase Sapphire Reserve: quick answers

Which has the bigger welcome bonus, Citi Strata Elite vs Chase Sapphire Reserve?

The Chase Sapphire Reserve has the bigger headline bonus in dollars: 75,000 points (≈$1,275) vs 100,000 points (≈$2,000), at median published point values, checked October 23, 2026.

Which has the lower annual fee?

The Citi Strata Elite: $595 vs $795 a year.

Which costs less after year 1, once credits are counted?

Yearly cost after year 1 (annual fee minus the easy credits we count by default): Citi Strata Elite $565, Chase Sapphire Reserve $465. Tick the credits you’d really use on each card page to get your own figure.