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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at American Express's secure site
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.