Amex EveryDay vs. Citi Strata: Valuable points for no annual fee
Editor's Note
The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express (no longer available) is a no-annual-fee alternative to some of Amex's other powerhouse products. Like Amex's more premium cards, it earns transferable American Express Membership Rewards points and offers category and transaction bonuses.
The information for the Amex EveryDay card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The no-annual-fee Citi Strata℠ Card (see rates and fees) also packs a punch, earning bonus Citi ThankYou points at supermarkets, gas stations and a self-select category. Plus, points earned are transferable to Citi's travel partners, albeit at a reduced ratio.
If you have another Citi card like the Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees), you can combine your points and have access to the standard transfer ratio.
Here's what you need to know about how these two cards match up.
Amex EveryDay vs. Citi Strata comparison
| Amex EveryDay | Citi Strata | |
|---|---|---|
Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
Welcome bonus | N/A | Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. |
Earning |
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Additional benefits |
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*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
**Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
Amex EveryDay vs. Citi Strata welcome offer
The Amex EveryDay is no longer available to new applicants, so there's no welcome offer.
New Citi Strata cardholders earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. This offer is worth $380 based on TPG's August 2025 valuations.
Winner: Citi Strata, since the Amex EveryDay doesn't have a welcome offer.
Related: The best credit card welcome bonuses of the month
Amex EveryDay vs. Citi Strata benefits
The Amex EveryDay offers relatively standard benefits like car rental loss and damage insurance and access to the Global Assist Hotline, plus access to Amex's Membership Rewards program. You'll also have the option to use the Pay with Points program to book your next flight or hotel stay.
Enrollment is required for select benefits; terms apply.
The Citi Strata is rather light on benefits. You won't find any statement credits or travel protections like those found on its big siblings, the Citi Strata Premier or Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see rates and fees)
You will receive access to Citi Entertainment, which can be useful in helping you snag concert tickets early, Mastercard® ID Theft Protection and $0 liability protection.
Winner: Amex EveryDay. It offers more benefits, including some travel protections.
Related: Your complete guide to travel protections on American Express cards
Earning points with the Amex EveryDay vs. Citi Strata
The two cards offer comparable and easy-to-comprehend earning rates.
The Amex EveryDay offers:
- Earn 2 points per dollar on purchases at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in spending each year; then 1 point per dollar) (4% return based on TPG's August 2025 valuations)
- Earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases (2%)
The Amex Everyday also offers 20% bonus points when you use your card 20 or more times on purchases. If you swipe your card a lot each month, this can be a nice way to rack up some extra points.
The Citi Strata earns:
- 5 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through the Citi Travel portal (9.5% return based on TPG's August 2025 valuations)
- 3 points per dollar spent at supermarkets and on select transit, EV charging and gas purchases (5.7%)
- 3 points per dollar spent on an eligible self-select category (which you can change each quarter) (5.7%), these include:
- Barber shops, cosmetic stores and hair salons
- Fitness clubs
- Live entertainment
- Pet supply stores
- Select streaming services
- 2 points per dollar spent at restaurants (3.8%)
- 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases (1.9%)
The Amex EveryDay shines by offering simplicity, but you can do better with other no-annual fee cards, as the grocery category is capped at just $6,000 in spending annually, and there are no other bonus categories. The 20% bonus points if you make 20 transactions is nice, but not all may benefit from it.
Meanwhile, the Citi Strata offers multiple everyday spending bonus categories with unlimited earnings. The Citi Strata will cover your bases in more categories, making it the better option for most.
Winner: Citi Strata. With the upper hand at gas stations and supermarkets, plus a self-select category, the Citi Strata takes the cake here.
Related: Best credit cards for everyday spending
Redeeming points with the Amex EveryDay vs. Citi Strata
Rewards earned with the Amex EveryDay can be redeemed for travel booked through Amex Travel, gift cards or for Amazon purchases at up to 1 cent each and can cover your charges at 0.6 cents each.
However, you'll typically get maximum value when you redeem your points for travel through Amex's airline and hotel partners.
Citi Strata points can be redeemed for travel in the Citi Travel portal at 1 cent each, for gift cards typically at 1 cent each, for purchases at Amazon and Best Buy at 0.8 cents per point or redeemed for cash back at a lowly 0.5 cents per point.
Redeeming for gift cards or travel through the Citi Travel Portal at 1 cent apiece is a better option, although transferring to partners is also a superior option.
Winner: Amex EveryDay. Its redemption options offer higher value.
Related: Best ways to redeem Citi ThankYou Rewards points
Transferring points with the Amex EveryDay vs. Citi Strata
Both cards allow you to transfer points to partners. Each issuer has 20 airline and hotel partners.
Amex allows transfers to popular U.S.-based programs like Delta SkyMiles and JetBlue TrueBlue, but you'll often get even more value by leveraging international airline programs.
TPG's valuations peg Amex points at 2 cents apiece, an extremely high rate, primarily because of the value of its points once transferred to its ample travel partners.
You can transfer points earned on your Citi Strata card to any of Citi's travel partners. However, most partners transfer at a ratio of 1:0.7. Some popular partners include American Airlines AAdvantage and Qatar Airways Privilege Club.
If you have the Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available) or Citi Strata Premier along with your Strata, you can move your points to your Prestige or Strata Premier account and transfer them to most partners at a 1:1 ratio. Transferring Citi points brings their value up to 1.9 cents each per our valuations. The information for the Citi Prestige card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
TPG lead writer Katie Genter enjoys transferring her Citi ThankYou points and leveraging transfer partners like Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Avianca LifeMiles for flights and Choice Privileges for hotels.
While both Amex points and Citi points are valuable, Amex gets the slight edge here. You also don't need another Amex card to transfer your points at the full ratio.
Winner: Amex EveryDay. You can transfer points to all partners at the same ratio as Amex's more premium cards.
Should I get the Amex EveryDay or Citi Strata?
If you're considering switching to the Citi Strata, think about what categories you spend the most in. The Strata provides a solid value and interesting category bonuses at both supermarkets, gas stations and a self-select category each quarter and offers flexibility with redeeming your rewards. Unless you intend to swipe your EveryDay at least 20 times each billing period, you'll likely be better off with the Strata.
Bottom line
Both cards have their strengths; however, the Amex EveryDay is no longer available to new applicants, making the case even more compelling for the Citi Strata. This could be a solid way to get started with Citi Thank You points while paying no annual fee.
To learn more, read our full reviews of the Amex EveryDay and Citi Strata cards.
Apply here: Citi Strata
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| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees