Dedicated comparison page

Citi Strata Card vs Discover it Student Cash Back

Citi Strata Card vs Discover it Student Cash Back on Luminxo. Compare annual fees, rewards, welcome offers, credit requirements, and who each card is best for.

Lowest annual feeCiti Strata CardNo annual fee
Highest reward rateCiti Strata Card5.0%
Lowest starting credit rangeDiscover it Student Cash Back580+

Quick Take

Citi Strata Card

by Citi

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Citi Strata Card is a cashback card from Citi with no annual fee, 20,000 bonus points after $1,000 in 3 months, and fair to good credit.

Best for: People focused on cashback rewards who want to avoid an annual fee and who typically have fair to good credit.

  • 5% on Travel-portal
  • 20,000 bonus points after $1,000 in 3 months
  • Foreign transaction fee: 3%
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Discover it Student Cash Back

by Discover

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Discover it Student Cash Back is a student card from Discover with no annual fee, cashback match - all cash back earned in first year is doubled, plus $20/year good grade reward, and fair credit.

Best for: People focused on student rewards who want to avoid an annual fee and who typically have fair credit.

  • 5% on Dining
  • Cashback Match - all cash back earned in first year is doubled, plus $20/year good grade reward
  • No foreign transaction fee
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Side-by-Side Facts

MetricCiti Strata CardDiscover it Student Cash Back
Annual FeeNoneNone
Reward Rate5.0%5.0%
Signup Bonus20,000 bonus points after $1,000 in 3 monthsCashback Match - all cash back earned in first year is doubled, plus $20/year good grade reward
Foreign Transaction Fee3.0%None
Recommended CreditFair to good creditFair credit
Rewards SummaryEarn elevated rewards with 5% on Travel-portal, 3% on Gas and 3% on Groceries, plus 1% on other purchases.Earn elevated rewards with 5% on Dining (up to $1500/quarter) (rotating quarterly), 5% on Gas (up to $1500/quarter) (rotating quarterly) and 5% on Groceries (up to $1500/quarter) (rotating quarterly), plus 1% on other purchases.

Who Should Pick Which Card?

Citi Strata Card

Its strongest earning category is Travel-portal at 5%, backed by 1% on general spending.

Best for: People focused on cashback rewards who want to avoid an annual fee and who typically have fair to good credit.

Pros

  • 20,000 bonus points after $1,000 in 3 months
  • No annual fee to offset rewards
  • Earns 5% on Travel-portal
  • Earns 3% on Groceries

Tradeoffs

  • Foreign transaction fee of 3% can hurt value abroad
  • Base rewards on non-bonus spending are relatively modest

Discover it Student Cash Back

Its strongest earning category is Dining at 5%, backed by 1% on general spending. It also avoids foreign transaction fees.

Best for: People focused on student rewards who want to avoid an annual fee and who typically have fair credit.

Pros

  • Cashback Match - all cash back earned in first year is doubled, plus $20/year good grade reward
  • No annual fee to offset rewards
  • Earns 5% on Dining
  • Earns 5% on Gas

Tradeoffs

  • Base rewards on non-bonus spending are relatively modest

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between Citi Strata Card and Discover it Student Cash Back?

The biggest tradeoffs are annual fee, reward concentration, and the level of credit usually needed to qualify. This page compares those inputs directly so you can choose the card that fits your spending and tolerance for annual fees.

Which card is easier to qualify for?

Discover it Student Cash Back has the lowest published starting credit range in this comparison at 580.

Which card has the lowest annual fee?

Citi Strata Card has the lowest annual fee in this comparison at no annual fee.