Three U.S. consumer cards publish a $95 annual fee and transferable points: Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Venture Rewards, and Citi Strata Premier. Issuer pages supply the fees, earn rates, and credits in this comparison, as of October 2026.
The $95 Fee Tier
Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Venture Rewards, and Citi Strata Premier each publish a $95 annual fee. The set is U.S. consumer cards under $100 with points that transfer to airline or hotel programs. Cards with a $0 annual fee are outside this set.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee. Points transfer to airline and hotel partners. World of Hyatt is 4:3 as of October 2026. The other partners on the benefits page transfer at 1:1.
Earning structure:
- 5x on Chase Travel purchases, including flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, activities, and tours
- 3x on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery
- 3x on gas stations and EV charging
- 3x on vacation homes booked directly with Airbnb, Vrbo, Plum Guide, HomeAway, Homestay.com, or Vacasa
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online groceries, excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs
- 2x on other travel
- 1x on other purchases
Bookings through FROSCH by Chase Travel and Valerie Wilson Travel by Chase Travel earn 2x, per the pricing terms. Lyft earns 5x through September 30, 2027. Eligible Peloton equipment and accessories over $150 earn 5x total points through December 31, 2027.
The card pays up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotels booked through Chase Travel. The pricing terms say those qualifying hotel purchases do not earn points. A separate credit of up to $120 covers one Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee every four years.
Chase ended the 10% anniversary points bonus for applications on or after June 15, 2026. Cardmembers who applied earlier earn that bonus on eligible purchases through October 1, 2026. Chase says those bonuses are awarded by January 31, 2027.
Auto rental coverage is primary and pays up to $60,000. The renter declines the rental company’s collision insurance and charges the rental to the card. For New York residents, coverage inside the United States is secondary.
Trip delay reimbursement applies after a delay of more than 12 hours or an overnight stay, up to $500 per covered traveler. Lost luggage reimbursement is up to $3,000 per covered traveler. Emergency evacuation and transportation coverage is up to $100,000 on a trip 100 miles or more from home. The card page does not list lounge access.
Capital One Venture Rewards
The Capital One Venture Rewards card has a $95 annual fee. Miles transfer to airlines and hotels. Most airline partners are 1:1. Hotel partners include Choice Privileges and Wyndham Rewards at 1:1.
Earning structure:
- 5x on hotels, vacation rentals, rental cars, and activities booked through Capital One Travel
- 5x on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- 2x on other purchases, including flights booked through Capital One Travel
The Venture page describes 52,800 miles as a $528 value, which is 1 cent per mile. The same terms say redemption rates can change.
A credit of up to $120 covers a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee once every four years. Lifestyle Collection bookings through Capital One Travel can include an experience credit of up to $50. The page lists Hertz Five Star status after enrollment, and Capital One says that offer can change. Capital One’s lounge guide names Capital One Venture X and Venture X Business for complimentary lounge access. The Venture Rewards page does not list lounge visits.
Capital One’s rental-car page says Venture X coverage is primary and that other covered Capital One cards are secondary. The Venture page also lists travel accident insurance when the card pays the common-carrier fare. It does not list a trip-delay hour threshold or a lost-baggage dollar cap.
Citi Strata Premier
The Citi Strata Premier has a $95 annual fee in Citi’s pricing details. ThankYou Points transfer to the partners named on that page, including American Airlines. The page does not publish a transfer ratio.
Earning structure:
- 10x on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on cititravel.com
- 3x on air travel and other hotel purchases
- 3x at restaurants
- 3x at supermarkets
- 3x at gas stations and EV charging
- 1x on other purchases
Once per calendar year, the card takes $100 off one prepaid hotel stay of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through cititravel.com or Citi’s travel phone line. Packaged air-and-hotel rates do not qualify. The portion offset by the $100 does not earn points. The card page does not list lounge access or a Global Entry credit.
Citi lists trip delay, lost or damaged luggage, and MasterRental car coverage. Its Guide to Protection Benefits sets trip delay at more than 6 hours, up to $500 per trip, and lost or damaged luggage at $3,000 per trip ($2,000 per bag for New York residents). MasterRental coverage is secondary in the cardmember’s country of residence and primary outside it. A May 2024 Citi release states the in-country coverage is secondary.
Dimension 1: Earning Mechanics
Chase Sapphire Preferred and Citi Strata Premier pay 3 points per dollar in named categories. Capital One Venture Rewards pays 2 miles per dollar on purchases, with 5x on some Capital One Travel and Capital One Entertainment bookings.
Category multipliers and the flat rate
A Chase or Citi purchase in a listed 3x category earns 3 points per dollar. The same purchase on Venture earns 2 miles per dollar unless it is a 5x Capital One Travel or Entertainment booking.
Chase’s 3x grocery rate applies to online groceries and excludes Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs. Citi’s 3x supermarket rate is not limited to online orders on the product page. Chase added 3x on gas, EV charging, and named vacation-home brands on June 15, 2026. Citi lists 3x on gas, EV charging, supermarkets, and air travel.
Venture pays 2x on purchases outside those 5x bookings. Flights booked through Capital One Travel stay at 2x on Capital One’s March 2026 earn table. Hotels, vacation rentals, rental cars, and activities booked there earn 5x.
Portal bookings
Chase pays 5x on Chase Travel purchases. Points Boost offers on that portal can price points at up to 1.5x on selected hotels and flights, and Chase says the offers rotate. The $100 hotel credit applies to Chase Travel hotel stays and those purchases do not earn points.
Capital One pays 5x on hotels, vacation rentals, rental cars, and activities in Capital One Travel, and 2x on flights booked there. Citi pays 10x on hotels, car rentals, and attractions on cititravel.com, and 3x on air travel and other hotel purchases. The higher earn rate applies only to the bookings each issuer names.
Dimension 2: Transfer Partner Networks
Each card transfers points to a published partner list. Chase uses 1:1 except for World of Hyatt at 4:3. Capital One publishes several ratios besides 1:1.
Chase Ultimate Rewards partners
The Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits page lists Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air France/KLM, British Airways, Iberia, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, Southwest, United, and Virgin Atlantic at 1:1. Hotel partners are IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt, and Wyndham Rewards. Hyatt is 4:3, so 1,000 points become 750 Hyatt points.
Chase’s June 15, 2026 announcement applied that Hyatt rate immediately to new applications. For cardmembers who applied earlier, the 4:3 rate started on October 1, 2026. The page does not name American Airlines.
Capital One miles partners
The Capital One Venture Rewards January 2026 transfer guide lists most airline partners at 1:1. Two miles become 1.5 miles with Emirates, EVA Air, and Japan Airlines. Five miles become 3 JetBlue points. Hotel transfers are Choice Privileges and Wyndham Rewards at 1:1, I Prefer Hotel Rewards at 1:2, and Accor Live Limitless at 2:1. The guide does not name United, Hyatt, or American Airlines.
Citi ThankYou partners
The Citi Strata Premier page names American Airlines, JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic, Cathay, Eva Air, Choice Hotels, and The Leading Hotels of the World, and it says the list includes others. That page does not name United or Hyatt in the list. The Chase benefits page and Capital One’s transfer guide do not name American Airlines. Citi does not state the transfer ratio on the product page.
Dimension 3: Travel Benefits
The three cards list different rental-car coverage, trip-delay rules, baggage limits, credits, and lounge access.
| Benefit | Chase Sapphire Preferred | Capital One Venture | Citi Strata Premier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rental Car Coverage | Primary (secondary for New York residents in the U.S.) | Secondary | Secondary in country of residence, primary outside |
| Trip Delay Threshold | 12 hours or an overnight stay | Not listed | More than 6 hours |
| Lost Baggage Limit | $3,000 per traveler | Not listed | $3,000 per trip |
| Annual Credit | $100 hotel, plus $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS every 4 years | $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every 4 years | $100 hotel on a $500+ Citi Travel stay |
| Lounge Access | None | None | None |
Chase states primary auto rental coverage. For New York residents, Chase coverage inside the United States is secondary. Capital One states secondary coverage for covered cards other than Venture X and select small-business cards. Citi’s guide states secondary coverage in the country of residence and primary coverage outside it.
Chase’s trip-delay benefit uses a 12-hour or overnight trigger and a $500 cap per covered traveler. Citi’s guide uses a trigger of more than 6 hours and a $500 cap per trip. The Venture product page does not list either a trip-delay trigger or a baggage cap.
Dimension 4: No-Foreign-Transaction-Fee Structure
Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Venture Rewards, and Citi Strata Premier each list no foreign transaction fee on purchases outside the United States. Chase’s pricing example says a $5,000 purchase abroad avoids $150 in foreign transaction fees. On these cards, the published earn rate is the rate on those purchases.
What Category Rates and Partner Lists Change
A purchase earns the rate tied to its merchant category. A transfer earns the ratio on that issuer’s partner list.
What the 3x categories pay
Chase Sapphire Preferred pays 3x on dining, gas, EV charging, and select streaming. Online groceries also earn 3x, excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs. Vacation homes earn 3x when booked with Airbnb, Vrbo, Plum Guide, HomeAway, Homestay.com, or Vacasa.
Citi Strata Premier pays 3x at restaurants, supermarkets, gas, and EV charging, and on air travel and other hotel purchases. Capital One Venture Rewards pays 2x on those purchases unless the booking is a listed 5x Capital One Travel or Entertainment charge.
What the flat 2x rate pays
Venture pays 2 miles per dollar on purchases that are not in the 5x Capital One Travel or Entertainment rates. The everyday rate does not change with the merchant category. Chase and Citi pay 1x on purchases outside the categories they name.
Which partners each issuer lists
Sapphire Preferred transfers to United at 1:1 and to World of Hyatt at 4:3. Venture transfers to Choice Privileges and Wyndham Rewards at 1:1. Citi’s product page names American Airlines. The Chase benefits page and Capital One’s transfer guide do not name American Airlines.
Summary of System Constraints
Each card’s annual fee is $95. Earn focus, transfer access, and one published limit are in the table.
| Card | Annual Fee | Earning Focus | Transfer Access | Key Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | $95 | 5x Chase Travel, 3x dining, online grocery, gas, EV | United at 1:1, Hyatt at 4:3 | Online grocery excludes Target, Walmart, wholesale clubs |
| Capital One Venture | $95 | 2x purchases, 5x select Capital One Travel | Choice and Wyndham at 1:1 | Flights in Capital One Travel earn 2x |
| Citi Strata Premier | $95 | 10x Citi Travel hotels and cars, 3x air, dining, groceries, gas | American Airlines on the named list | $100 hotel credit requires a $500 Citi Travel stay |
Honorable Mention: No-Annual-Fee Alternatives
Three related cards publish a $0 annual fee. They sit outside the $95 set.
The Chase Freedom Flex has a $0 annual fee. It earns 5% on up to $1,500 in combined quarterly categories after activation, 5% on Chase Travel, 3% at restaurants and drugstores, and 1% on other purchases. Chase tracks that cash back as points. Chase’s transfer page says partner transfers are available from Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred.
Capital One VentureOne has a $0 annual fee. It earns 1.25 miles per dollar on purchases and 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. The product page says those miles can transfer to 15 or more hotel and airline loyalty programs.
The Citi Strata Card has a $0 annual fee. It earns 5 points per dollar on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on cititravel.com, 3 points at supermarkets, on select transit, and at gas and EV charging, 3 points in one self-selected category, 2 points at restaurants, and 1 point on other purchases. The self-selected choices are fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores, barber shops, hair salons, or pet supply stores. The default category is select streaming services.
