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Citi Costco Anywhere Visa vs Strata Elite

Both are Citi cards. Here is every spend category, ranked by what each card actually returns.

Best card by category Card terms as of Oct 29

Everything else

  1. Strata Elite 2.9% 1.5x base rate
  2. Costco Anywhere Visa 1.0% 1% base rate

Dining

  1. Strata Elite 5.7% 3x
  2. Costco Anywhere Visa 3.0% 3%

Gas

  1. Costco Anywhere Visa 4.0% 4%, capped
  2. Strata Elite 2.9% 1.5x base rate

Costco gas

  1. Costco Anywhere Visa 5.0% 5%, capped
  2. Strata Elite 2.9% 1.5x base rate

Flights

  1. Costco Anywhere Visa 3.0% 3%
  2. Strata Elite 2.9% 1.5x base rate

Flights · portal

  1. Strata Elite · Citi Travel 11.4% 6x

Hotels

  1. Costco Anywhere Visa 3.0% 3%
  2. Strata Elite 2.9% 1.5x base rate

Hotels · portal

  1. Strata Elite · Citi Travel 22.8% 12x

Car rental · portal

  1. Strata Elite · Citi Travel 22.8% 12x

Attractions · portal

  1. Strata Elite · Citi Travel 22.8% 12x

What the numbers are doing

Costco Anywhere Visa's 4% on gas runs out: it applies to the first $7,000 of gas spend a year, and everything past that earns 1%.

Strata Elite tops dining at 5.7% only because this table values its points at 1.9 cents each. Value them at one cent and Costco Anywhere Visa wins that category instead.

The table is earn rate only — annual fees are not netted out of it. These cards charge Costco Anywhere Visa $0 and Strata Elite $595 a year, so a thin lead in one category may not cover the difference.

pointslipEveryday
Pass content preview
CategoryBest card
Everything elseStrata Elite2.9%
DiningStrata Elite5.7%
GasCostco Anywhere Visa4.0%
Costco gasCostco Anywhere Visa5.0%
FlightsCostco Anywhere Visa3.0%
Flights · portalStrata Elite · Citi Travel11.4%
HotelsCostco Anywhere Visa3.0%
Hotels · portalStrata Elite · Citi Travel22.8%
Car rental · portalStrata Elite · Citi Travel22.8%
Attractions · portalStrata Elite · Citi Travel22.8%

Content preview. Apple Wallet controls the layout; visible categories vary by device. Categories that rank the same as Everything else are left off; every other category is in pass details.

Every category, every card

Everything else

  1. Strata Elite — 2.9%
  2. Costco Anywhere Visa — 1.0%

Dining

  1. Strata Elite — 5.7%
  2. Costco Anywhere Visa — 3.0%

Gas

  1. Costco Anywhere Visa — 4.0%
  2. Strata Elite — 2.9%

Costco gas

  1. Costco Anywhere Visa — 5.0%
  2. Strata Elite — 2.9%

Flights

  1. Costco Anywhere Visa — 3.0%
  2. Strata Elite — 2.9%

Flights · portal

  1. Strata Elite · Citi Travel — 11.4%

Hotels

  1. Costco Anywhere Visa — 3.0%
  2. Strata Elite — 2.9%

Hotels · portal

  1. Strata Elite · Citi Travel — 22.8%

Car rental · portal

  1. Strata Elite · Citi Travel — 22.8%

Attractions · portal

  1. Strata Elite · Citi Travel — 22.8%
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