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When it comes to cash-back credit cards, it’s hard to find anything that surpasses the value of the Citi® Double Cash, from our partner Citi. It’s not only a rewarding card for everyday purchases but also incredibly easy to rack up points. You’ll earn 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay your statement credit -- for a total of 2% cash back on all purchases.
With no bonus categories to memorize and no annual fee to worry about, the Citi Double Cash Card is an excellent go-to card, whether you’re filling up your tank, shopping online or paying your monthly bills. Below, we’ll do a deeper dive into who should -- and shouldn’t -- apply for the Citi Double Cash Card.
Citi Double Cash Card®
- Our Rating 4.5/5 How our ratings work
- APR18.49% - 28.49% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$0
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Sign-Up Bonus
$200Cash Bonus
Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
The Citi Double Cash® Card, from our partner Citi, is among the top cards on the market for general spending. Forget the cards that offer 1% and 1.5% cash back. The Citi Double Cash Card offers you a whopping 2% cash back for all spending. Earn 1% back when you make a purchase and 1% back when you pay your account balance.
Overview
The Citi Double Cash® Card, from our partner Citi, offers attractive and uncomplicated cash back for people who value a flexible credit card reward program. The Citi Double Cash Card gives you the chance to earn 2% cash back on your purchases. You can receive 1% cash back when you make a purchase and an additional 1% cash back once you pay your bill.
Pros
- No category bonuses to remember, unlimited 2% cash back on everything
- Earns ThankYou Points, which gives the potential to unlock valuable travel rewards
Cons
- Foreign transaction fees are applied
- Limited perks
Benefits of the Citi Double Cash Card
With the card’s 2% cash back rewards rate, this translates into 2 ThankYou points per dollar spent on all eligible purchases. Fortunately, it’s just as easy to redeem your rewards with the Citi Double Cash Card.
You can exchange your points for cash back, with the choice between a statement credit, direct deposit or a check. Additionally, you can redeem your points for gift cards, on Amazon.com, travel and more.
Plus, the Citi Double Cash Card comes with a balance transfer offer for new applicants. You’ll enjoy a 0% introductory APR for 18 months, although balance transfers must be completed within the first four months of account opening. Afterward, a 18.49% - 28.49% (Variable) APR will apply.
Finally, your Citi Double Cash Card acts as a golden ticket to unlock presales and seats to thousands of concerts, sporting games and other events worldwide through the Citi Entertainment program.
Who should get the Citi Double Cash Card?
Someone who needs a trusty credit card for all purchases
Let’s face it -- there are tons of rewards credit cards on the market. Some cards advertise its unique travel perks, while others offer bonus points on select purchases.
But if you don’t want to keep up with more than two to three credit cards, the Citi Double Cash Card is a reliable pick for a standalone card. While some cards may offer a better return in certain bonus categories, the Citi Double Cash will always earn 2% cash back -- no matter the purchase.
Someone who already carries a Citi travel credit card
If you happen to be a cardholder of the Citi Premier® Card or the Citi Prestige® Card (which is no longer available for new applicants), adding the Citi Double Cash Card makes for the perfect pair.
Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
- Our Rating 4.5/5 How our ratings work
- APR20.49% - 28.49% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$95
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Sign Up Bonus
75,000Citi ThankYou® Points
Earn 75,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $750 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com. Dollar Equivalent: $1,350 (75,000 Citi ThankYou® Points * 0.018 base)
The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, from our partner Citi, is worth considering if you’re looking for accelerated travel rewards but don’t want to pay a huge annual fee. It’s easy to quickly rack up lots of points on this card. While you can redeem ThankYou points for gift cards, you’ll get more value when you redeem points for flights and hotels, and potentially even better value when you transfer points to travel partners.
Overview
This credit card offers its members a range of incentives, such as bonus points, gift cards and 1:1 point transfers with airline partners. One of the more unique features of the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card from our partner Citi is that it offers 3x ThankPoints for every dollar spent at supermarkets, gas stations, EV charging stations, restaurants and travel purchases. You also get an annual hotel credit of $100 off your reservation of $500 or more when booked through CitiTravel.com.
Perks
- Earn 3x ThankYou Points per dollar spent on travel, grocery stores, restaurants, EV charging stations and gas stations
- Annual $100 hotel savings benefit. Just book a hotel stay of $500 or more through CitiTravel.com to earn the discount.
- No foreign transaction fees
- Easily transfer your points to Citi's airline partners
Pros
- High reward rate on common categories of consumer spending
- Points are easily transferable to airlines and hotel partners
- No foreign transaction fees
- Points never expire
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- No standout rewards category
For instance, the Citi Premier Card is a fantastic travel card that comes with 3x points per dollar on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels, but its base rewards rate is just 1x points per dollar spent outside of bonus categories. That’s where the Citi Double Cash Card comes in—you’ll leverage its 2x earning rate to earn extra points outside of the Citi Premier’s bonus categories. This strategy alone can make the difference in accruing thousands more points per year.
Finally, Citi’s travel credit cards give you exclusive access to more than a dozen airline transfer partners, from Air France/KLM Flying Blue to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer. You can combine your points balance to maximize your rewards even further, particularly with award redemptions in premium cabins worldwide.
Who shouldn’t get the Citi Double Cash Card?
If your credit card spending is predictable
The 2% rewards rate on all purchases is a good solution if you don’t want to keep up with the mental gymnastics of earning credit card points. But there’s a downside: you may not be necessarily maximizing every dollar spent on your credit card by solely using the Citi Double Cash Card.
If your monthly spending is predictable, it may work in your favor to open multiple credit cards that offer bonus points on select categories. For example, let’s say your family spends $1,000 per month on restaurants and $500 per month on groceries. With the Citi Double Cash Card, you’ll earn 3,000 points every month, or $30 in cashback rewards, from these purchases.
On the other hand, the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a no-annual fee card that offers 3% on groceries and dining, among other bonus categories. With a $1,500 monthly spend on these categories, you’ll earn $45 in cashback rewards.
While $15 in rewards may not seem like much, that’s a difference of $180 in cashback every year. That’s why many credit card gurus will often get the Citi Double Cash Card to earn points on non-bonus purchases, and leverage other rewards cards for dining, groceries, gas and more.
10 Ways to Redeem 60,000 Citi ThankYou Points for Travel
Someone who travels internationally
If you plan on traveling abroad, you’ll want to avoid paying with the Citi Double Cash Card, which charges a 3% transaction fee on the U.S. dollar amount of each purchase made in a foreign currency.
In other words, a $100 purchase will actually cost you $103 -- so you can start to imagine how quickly these fees will add up for frequent travels. Fortunately, there are plenty of other credit cards that waive these pesky foreign transaction fees you may want to consider using instead.
Someone with a history of missing credit card payments
The Citi Double Cash Card’s rewards rate encourages cardholders to spend wisely on the card and only spend what they can afford to pay off, with 1% cash back when you buy and 1% cash back when you pay your statement.
If you miss a payment, you’ll still earn the other half of your cashback rewards -- but you’ll accrue interest and other penalty fees. The Citi Double Cash Card comes with a steep APR, which can really sting if you miss a credit card payment. The APR for purchases is 18.49% - 28.49% (Variable) , depending on your creditworthiness.
However, this principle applies to any rewards credit card on the market, and not just to the Citi Double Cash Card. If you risk missing a monthly payment, you’ll effectively negate the value of any rewards earned from the card.
Bottom line
The Citi Double Cash Card has always been a crowd-pleaser, whether you’re looking for a starter credit card or a one-stop shop for all of your everyday purchases.
Related Article
A Dynamic Duo: Why the Citi Double Cash and Citi Premier Cards Make Such a Powerful Combination
Marielle Lee
Marielle Lee is a digital nomad, working as a freelance writer in personal finance and travel rewards. Her first job was as a tour guide in France for several years, specializing in the country's great wine regions. After that, Marielle continued on to travel to more than 40 countries, all made possible by leveraging the 10-plus credit cards in her wallet.
