The Citi® Double Cash Card is one of my favorite cash back cards because it earns up to 2% cash back on all purchases (1% when you make a purchase, plus 1% when you pay that purchase off) with no annual fee.
Cash back is in the form of Citi ThankYou points, which allows you to redeem points for cash back, gift cards, and travel.
The Double Cash gets even better when you combine it with the Citi Premier® Card, which unlocks the ability to transfer to airline and hotel partners.
This combo also allows you to earn a very competitive 2 airline miles per dollar on all of your spending.
Let’s dive right in.
- 2% Cash Back (1% on Purchases, 1% When You Pay)
- 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After That, reg_apr,reg_apr_type.
- No Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
The Citi Double Cash currently offers a welcome bonus of:
Earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening.
Unlimited 2% Cash Back
The Citi Double Cash is one of the best cash back cards on the market because you can earn 1% cash back when you buy and 1% when you pay for your purchases, for a total of 2% cash back.
Cash back will be automatically earned through ThankYou points, which can be redeemed for cash back, gift cards, and many other things (detailed below).
If you want to supercharge your rewards, you should also consider adding the Citi Premier® Card, which allows you to transfer the ThankYou points earned with the Citi Double Cash to the Premier card, which can then be transferred to Citi’s airline and hotel partners.
This would also allow you to earn 2x airline or hotel points on all of your purchases, making the Double Cash a powerful everyday spending card.
But the Double Cash is not a good option outside the United States, because it cards a 3% foreign transaction fee.
0% Intro APR for 18 Months on Balance Transfers
The Double Cash card offers 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months.
After that, the APR will be reg_apr,reg_apr_type, based on your creditworthiness.
No Annual Fee
The Citi Double Cash has no annual fee, making it one of the best cash back cards on the market.
Citi Double Cash Card Benefits
The Citi Double Cash doesn’t offer any major benefits or perks, but it does offer:
Citi Entertainment– Citi Entertainment gets Citi cardholders special access to purchase tickets to thousands of events, including pre-sale tickets, and exclusive experiences.
Citi Identity Theft Solutions– If your personal information has been stolen to commit fraud or theft, Citi has a team of specialists to help you restore your credit even if occurred on a non-Citi card.
Free FICO Score– Your FICO score is the most common credit score used by U.S. lenders, and Citi provides this for free to cardholders.
Redeeming Rewards
This card earns Citi ThankYou points, which can be redeemed in several different ways:
- Statement Credit = 1 cent per point
- Direct Deposit = 1 cent per point
- Check by mail = 1 cent per point with a minimum of $5
- Travel = 1 cent per point when you book travel through Citi.
- Gift Cards = 1 cent per point or above with minimum of 2,500 points
- Charitable Contributions = 1 cent per point
- Shop with Points: Amazon, PayPal, CVS, Best Buy, 1-800 Flowers, BP, Amoco, and Shell
Transferring to Airline and Points Partners
The Citi Double Cash is limited compared to other ThankYou points cards when it comes to the ability to transfer points to partners.
You can only transfer to Choice Privileges, JetBlue TrueBlue, Sears’ Shop Your Way, and Wyndham Rewards.
But the transfer rates are suboptimal: Choice (1 ThankYou to 1.5 Choice), JetBlue (1 ThankYou to 0.8 JetBlue), and Wyndham (1 ThankYou to 0.8 Wyndham).
But you have better transfer rates and more transfer options if you have the Citi Premier or Citi Prestige (not open to new applicants).
These cards unlock an additional 14 airline points programs that you can transfer 1 ThankYou point to 1 airline mile to maximize your travel.
Citi ThankYou Partners
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Accor
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AeroMexico
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Avianca LifeMiles
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Air France/KLM Flying Blue
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Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
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Choice Privileges (1 to 2)
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Emirates Skywards
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Etihad Guest
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EVA Air
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JetBlue TrueBlue
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Qantas
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Qatar Airways
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Singapore KrisFlyer
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Thai Airways
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Turkish Airlines
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Virgin Atlantic
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Wyndham Rewards
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Pros and Cons of the Double Cash
Here’s a quick overview of this card’s advantages and disadvantages:
Pros:
- 2% cash back everywhere (1% at purchase and then 1% when you pay for those purchases)
- No annual fee
- Ability to supercharge your rewards with the Citi Premier® Card.
Cons:
- Lack of shopping or travel protections
- 3% foreign transaction fee
Alternatives to the Double Cash
Now that you know about the pros and cons of this card and its benefits, it’s time to review the alternatives.
Or, if you are like me, who loves to maximize my rewards, here are other cards you should add to your wallet in addition to this card:
Citi Custom Cash
- bonus_miles_full
- 5% Cash Back on Purchases in Your Top Eligible Spend Category Each Billing Cycle up to $500 (1% after that)
- 0% Intro APR for 15 Months on Purchases and Balance Transfers ($5 or 5% fee). After that, reg_apr,reg_apr_type.
- No Annual Fee
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card is a no-annual-fee card that earns 5% cash back in your top spending category each billing cycle.
Eligible 5% cash back categories, among several others, include:
- Restaurants.
- Gas stations.
- Grocery stores.
- Select travel.
- Home improvement stores.
- Drug stores.
- Fitness clubs.
This allows you to turn the Custom Cash into your 5% cash back card for your favorite category.
Citi Premier
- bonus_miles_full
- 3x Points at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas Stations, Air Travel, and Other Hotels.
- $100 Off a Single $500 Hotel Stay Per Year
- Extended Warranty and Purchase Protections
- $95 Annual Fee
The Citi Premier® Card is the best card for earning points because it offers 3x points at:
The Premier card also comes with no foreign transaction fees, purchase protection, and an extended warranty for items purchased, adding an additional 24 months to the manufacturer’s warranty.
The Verdict
The Citi Double Cash is a very simple card with no annual fee. You don’t have to worry about quarterly categories or whether a merchant qualifies for additional points.
It can also be a great card for collecting travel rewards when paired with the Citi Premier® Card.
- 2% Cash Back (1% on Purchases, 1% When You Pay)
- 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After That, reg_apr,reg_apr_type.
- No Annual Fee
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Citi Double Cash?
The Citi Double Cash is a simple no annual fee credit card. You earn 2% cash back on all purchases (1% when you spend and 1% when you pay your balance).
What is the Citi Double Cash foreign transaction fee?
3% foreign transaction fee is charged on any transactions outside the U.S. using the Citi Double Cash card.
What is the credit score required for Citi Double Cash?
Typically, you need at least a 660 credit score to get approved for the Double Cash.
Does Citi Double Cash offer an extended warranty?
No. Citi eliminated that benefit in 2019.
What type of card is the Citi Double Cash?
The Citi Double Cash is a Mastercard.
What are the downgrade options to the Double Cash?
You can downgrade any personal Citi credit card to the Double Cash including co-branded cards after having the card for at least 12 months.
