At typical spending, the Amex Gold Card comes out ahead by about $133 a year ($1,616 vs $1,483). The Amex Gold Card earns more on dining and groceries. The Citi Strata Premier earns more on flights & hotels and gas & transit. Which one wins for you depends on where your money actually goes.
| Amex Gold Card | Citi Strata Premier | |
|---|---|---|
| Est. value/yr at typical spending | $1,616 | $1,483 |
| Annual fee | $325 | $95 |
| Yearly credits | $424 | $100 |
| Fee after credits | −$99 | −$5 |
| Dining | 4x | 3x |
| Groceries | 4x | 3x |
| Flights & hotels | 3x | 4.6x |
| Rent | 1x | 1x |
| Gas & transit | 1x | 3x |
| Streaming | 1x | 1x |
| Online shopping | 1x | 1x |
| Everything else | 1x | 1x |
| Transfer partners | 11 | 17 |
| Lounge access | No | No |
Typical spending here means our quiz defaults: $4,830 a month, including $2,500 rent or mortgage. Points are valued at 1.5¢ each (travel portal redemption); transferring to airline or hotel partners can be worth more.
They share 5 partners. Only the Amex Gold Card: Delta SkyMiles, Air Canada Aeroplan, ANA Mileage Club, British Airways Avios, Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy. Only the Citi Strata Premier: Avianca LifeMiles, Cathay Pacific AsiaMiles, Choice Privileges, Eva Air Infinity MileageLands, JetBlue TrueBlue, Qantas Frequent Flyer, Qatar Privilege Club, Thai Royal Orchid Plus, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Wyndham Rewards, American AAdvantage, Japan Airlines Mileage Bank.