Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card vs. Citi Strata Premier Card [Detailed Comparison]

When credit cards hit the market or popular standards are refreshed, it’s time to investigate the buzz.

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card and the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card perfectly resemble those descriptions. For this reason, we’ve chosen these 2 mid-level rewards-earning cards for our comparison today.

Both cards could be considerations for everyday spending, earning on travel purchases, and accumulating flexible rewards that offer value at redemption time. Complimentary travel insurance and shopping benefits would also be a plus.

In today’s comparison, we’ll look at all these card attributes, dive into the details, and make it easy to discover the better card for you.

Cards Comparison Summary

We’ll uncover all the details of the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card and Citi Strata Premier card coming up next.

First, here’s a preview of the features and benefits in a quick side-by-side comparison:

Welcome Offer

Immediately after approval for the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card or the Citi Strata Premier card, you have a unique opportunity to earn a welcome bonus offer.

Welcome bonus offers, which can be worth hundreds of dollars, can be earned by meeting minimum spending requirements within the specified period.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A powerful point earning card with access to transfer partners.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card

A powerful point earning card with access to transfer partners.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s $600 toward your next trip.

60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$900

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.49%, 25.49%, or 29.49% Variable APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey^SM Card is an excellent option for those looking for a great all-around travel rewards card that offers bonus categories on hotels, airfare, travel, and dining, giving you the opportunity to earn points on these purchases quickly.

Plus the card offers flexible redemption options including access to transfer partners, an annual statement credit with airfare purchase, and no foreign transaction fees (rates & fees).

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Earn 5x points on hotels
• Earn 4x points on airfare
• Earn 3x points on other travel and restaurants; 1x on other purchases

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• List of transfer partners is smaller than competing programs

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Select “Learn More” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
• Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s $600 toward your next trip.
• Earn unlimited 5X points on hotels, 4X points on airlines, 3X points on other travel and restaurants, and 1X points on other purchases.
• $95 Annual Fee.
• Book your travel with the Autograph Journey Card and enjoy Travel Accident Insurance, Lost Baggage Reimbursement, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Protection and Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver.
• Earn a $50 annual statement credit with $50 minimum airline purchase.
• Up to $1,000 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
• Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature^® Concierge.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.49%, 25.49%, or 29.49% Variable APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

Welcome Offer

For a limited time: Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $750 in gift cards or travel rewards on thankyou.com.

75,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,200

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.49% to 28.49% Variable APR

Why We Like This Card

The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is a great all-around travel rewards card that allows you to earn big rewards on a variety of purchases like air travel, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and more, along with flexible redemption options, all for a modest annual fee.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
• 3x points on air travel, other hotel purchases, restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and EV charging stations
• $100 annual hotel benefit

Cons

• $95 annual fee

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• For a limited time: Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $750 in gift cards or travel rewards on thankyou.com.
• Earn 10X points per $1 spent on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
• Earn 3X points per $1 on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas and EV charging stations.
• Earn 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
• $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
• No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card.
• No foreign transaction fees on purchases.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.49% to 28.49% Variable APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Bottom Line:

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card and the Citi Strata Premier card come with generous welcome offers worth hundreds of dollars or more. Welcome bonus offers can be earned on either card by meeting minimum spending requirements within the specified period after card approval.

Earning Potential

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card and Citi Strata Premier card earn rewards as points that can be redeemed in several ways. The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card earns Wells Fargo Rewards points, and the Citi Strata Premier card earns ThankYou Points.

Both cards earn well on select everyday purchases and travel with overall bonus category differences. How these categories match your spending mix determines which card is a better earning match for your situation.

Here are all the ways you could be earning on our featured cards:

Both cards have apparent robust earning structures. The Citi Strata Premier card stands out with 10x points per dollar spent on select travel via the card’s associated travel portal, Citi Travel. This could be a plus if you don’t mind using the portal for hotels, car rentals, and attractions.

Your earnings would likely come from general travel purchases rather than portal purchases. If you spend heavily on flights, hotels, and travel, the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card has the edge.

The Citi Strata Premier card shines on gas and supermarket purchases, with 3x earnings compared to 1x points with the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card. Consider the Citi Strata Premier card if you spend a considerable amount each year in these categories.

Both cards earn well on dining.

Bottom Line:

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card and the Citi Strata Premier card have robust earning structures; both earning well on flights, hotels, and dining. The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card is the better earner on general travel purchases. The Citi Strata Premier card will serve you well if your spending is high at supermarkets, gas stations, and EV charging.

Redemption Options

Once you’ve accumulated rewards points by spending on the Wells Fargo Autograph card or Citi Strata Premier card, you can have the pleasure of redeeming them.

Your choices are many, but some redemptions yield better value for your rewards than others. Let’s look at your choices when it’s time to redeem your rewards.

While you have several choices at redemption time, the best potential value for the rewards earned on either card is to transfer to airline or hotel partners.

Wells Fargo Rewards

Wells Fargo Rewards currently has 5 airline transfer partners, including Aer Lingus AerClub, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways Executive Club, and Iberia Plus. Rewards transfer at a ratio of 1:1. While there are only 5 airline partners, more are expected in the future. Plus, these key partners provide access to all 3 major airline alliances.

Wells Fargo Rewards has 1 hotel transfer partner, Choice Privileges. We like that rewards transfer at the ratio of 1 Wells Fargo Rewards point to 2 Choice Privileges points. You can easily book an excellent hotel for transferring just 8,000 Wells Fargo Rewards points (16,000 Choice Privileges points). Check out the Selma Spa+ Hotel in Sunne, Sweden, available for 16,000 Choice Privileges points, as an example of where your rewards can take you.

Citi ThankYou Rewards

Citi ThankYou Rewards has more airline and hotel partners than Wells Fargo, so you have more choices with it.

Our team members enjoy flying business class in Qatar Qsuite from the U.S. to Doha. Qatar Airways Privilege Club is a ThankYou Rewards transfer partner. A one-way Qsuite ticket costs just 70,000 Qatar Airways Privilege Club Avios. Wells Fargo Rewards points transfer at a ratio of 1:1 with all airline partners. Learn more about using ThankYou Points for great flight redemptions in this article.

In addition to more than a dozen airline transfer partners, Citi ThankYou Points can be transferred to hotel and retail partners, such as ALL – Accor Live Limitless, Wyndham Rewards, Choice Privileges, and Shop Your Way.

Bottom Line:

Wells Fargo Rewards has 5 airline partners and 1 hotel partner, while Citi ThankYou has more than a dozen airline partners, 4 hotel partners, and 1 retail partner. Both rewards programs offer plenty of good value at redemption time.

Travel Benefits

Travel benefits can save you money or deliver perks you can enjoy during your journey.

Take your card along when you travel, as neither of our featured cards charges foreign transaction fees.s of each separate card:

The travel benefits included separately on each card are:

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card

• $50 Airline Reimbursement: Use your card to purchase directly with the airline and receive a $50 statement credit.
• Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection Benefits: Receive elite benefits such as an automatic room upgrade upon arrival (when available), complimentary breakfast for 2, free Wi-Fi, a $25 food and beverage credit, late checkout upon request (when available), a best-rate guarantee, and VIP guest status. Book via VisaSignatureHotels.com using your card.

Citi Strata Premier Card

• $100 Hotel Credit: Book a hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding fees and taxes) via Citi Travel and receive $100 off. Discount is valid once per year.
• Luxury Collection and Hotel Collection Benefits: Enjoy elite benefits when booking a hotel stay via Citi Travel with Booking.com site for either the Luxury Collection or Hotel Collection properties. No minimum stay is required.
  • Luxury Collection: Receive complimentary breakfast for 2, free Wi-Fi, a $100 resort credit, early check-in, late checkout, and room upgrades, when available.
  • Hotel Collection: Receive complimentary breakfast for 2, free Wi-Fi, and early check-in and late checkout when available.

Travel Protections

Protections included on the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card and the Citi Strata Premier card can provide reimbursement should something go wrong during your trip.

Here are the travel protections and benefits of both cards and the additional perks of each separate card:

• Car Rental Insurance: Reserve and pay for your entire car rental with your card and decline the rental agency’s CDW/LDW insurance to receive coverage for damage and theft. The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card has an auto rental collision damage waiver and offers secondary coverage within the U.S. The Citi Strata Premier card also provides secondary coverage “within the eligible renter’s country of residence.” Otherwise, coverage is primary with both cards when outside of those areas. Primary coverage means you do not have to file a claim with other applicable insurance before card coverage applies.
• Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance: Pay for the entire trip with your card. If the trip needs to be canceled or is disrupted for a covered reason, you could receive reimbursement for nonrefundable expenses — up to $15,000 per covered person, per trip, with the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card and up to $5,000 per trip with the Citi Strata Premier card.
• Baggage Insurance: Charge the full amount of your transportation with your card and receive up to $3,000 per trip with the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card and up to $5,000 with the Citi Strata Premier card.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card

• Roadside Dispatch: Receive a roadside service call with just 1 call and 1 low, prearranged fee. Services include limited towing, standard winching, tire changing of your inflated spare, lockout and jump-start services, and emergency fuel delivery.

Citi Strata Premier Card

• Trip Delay Coverage: If your trip is delayed more than 6 hours for a covered loss, you could receive up to $500 for eligible expenses such as meals and lodging.

Bottom Line:

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card and Citi Strata Premier card both offer primary auto rental collision damage waiver/car rental insurance when traveling abroad, trip cancellation and interruption, baggage insurance, hotel collection benefits, and no foreign transaction fees. The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card has a $50 airline reimbursement credit, and the Citi Strata Premier card has a $100 hotel credit on a purchase of $500 or more. Terms apply.

Shopping Protections and Benefits

When you use your Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card or Citi Strata Premier card to purchase an eligible item, you receive additional protection with your card. You also have access to special shopping benefits.

Here are the shopping protections and benefits on each of our featured cards:

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card

• Cell Phone Protection: Pay your monthly cell phone bill with your card to receive coverage for damage or theft. You could receive up to $1,000 per claim with a maximum of 2 claims per 12 months. There is a $25 deductible per claim.
• My Wells Fargo Deals: Activate these special merchant deals in your online account and receive cash-back after making the required purchase.
• Autograph Card Exclusives: Cardmembers can purchase up to 6 tickets for each exclusive live event.

Citi Strata Premier Card

• Purchase Protection: If an eligible item purchased with your card is damaged or stolen within 90 days of the purchase date, you could receive up to $10,000 per item, up to $50,000 per account per year.
• Extended Warranty: Receive up to 24 additional months on the manufacturer’s warranty for eligible items purchased, even in part, with your card.
• Lyft Benefit: Add your card to your Lyft account and receive a $5 Lyft credit after taking 3 rides in a calendar month.
• Citi Merchant Offers: Log in to your online card account, select from merchant and service provider offers, make the required purchase, and get cash-back.

Bottom Line:

Cell phone protection is the key shopping protection on the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card. On the Citi Strata Premier card, purchase protection and extended warranty coverage can be potentially valuable benefits.

Annual Fees and Authorized Users

It’s important to consider any associated annual card fees when determining the value you’d receive with a specific card.

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card has an annual fee of $95 (rates & fees), and the Citi Strata Premier card has an annual fee of $95.

Final Thoughts

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card and the Citi Strata Premier card offer good value for the right consumer.

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card fares well if you’re spending heavily on general travel. The card also has valuable cell phone protection, a $50 airline statement credit, and several useful travel insurance benefits. While the card has fewer transfer partners, there’s access to all the major airline alliances and Choice Privileges.

If your greatest expenses are at the supermarket, gas stations, and EV charging, the Citi Strata Premier card is a better match for rewarding those purchases. The card also earns on travel and dining, offers flexible options at redemption time, and has travel insurance benefits.