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Citi Double Cash Card review Great for filling cash back gaps

The Double Cash card is a top choice for picking up a little extra cash back for purchases that aren’t included on tiered cash back cards. Written by Editor, Product Claire Dickey is a product editor for Bankrate, CreditCards.com and To Her Credit. Before joining Bankrate, Claire worked as a copywriter for brands within the telecommunications Written by Credit Card Reviews Writer Bankrate expert Garrett Yarbrough strives to make navigating credit cards and credit building smooth sailing for his readers. After regularly featuring his credit card, Nov. 8, 2022 Edited by Credit Cards Editor Nouri Zarrugh is a writer and editor for CreditCards.com and Bankrate, focusing on product news, guides and reviews. His areas of expertise include credit card strategy, rewards Nov. 8, 2022

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4.3 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon on Citi's secure site

Best for up to 2% cash back

Citi® Double Cash Card

Rewards rate Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. Annual fee Intro offer For a limited time, earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. Regular APR Recommended Credit Score A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product. Citi is an advertising partner

Citi® Double Cash Card Overview

"Practical" comes to mind when analyzing the Citi® Double Cash Card. This offers a few concrete ways you can simplify your financial responsibility, improve your credit card habits and enjoy cash back rewards without the fuss of tracking rotating categories. Here's a breakdown of the Citi Double Cash's card offerings, who it's ideal for, the best cards to pair it with and more.

What are the pros and cons

Pros

Generous flat cash back rate of 1 percent when you buy, 1 percent when you pay off purchases No annual fee 18-month introductory 0 percent APR on balance transfers (17.74 percent to 27.74 percent variable APR after)

Cons

Sign-up bonus spending requirement is higher than you’ll find on many no-annual-fee cash back cards A 3 percent foreign transaction fee makes this card a poor choice for taking abroad No introductory APR on new purchases, a feature that’s readily available on the Double Cash card’s closest competitor

A deeper look into the current card offer

Quick highlights

Rewards rate: Unlimited 1 percent as you buy, plus another 1 percent when you pay for your purchases Welcome offer: For a limited time, earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. Annual fee: $0 Purchase intro APR: None Balance transfer intro APR: 0 percent introductory APR for 18 months Regular APR: 17.74 percent to 27.74 percent (variable)

Current welcome offer

Until recently, the Citi Double Cash card didn't come with a sign-up bonus - a fact that arguably kept it from being the on the market. That's because the card's biggest competitor, the , not only earns 2 percent cash rewards on purchases, but also offers a $200 cash rewards bonus after you spend $1,000 in your first three months. While a sign-up bonus shouldn't be the only thing you consider when weighing card options, it's important to keep in mind the outsized value these bonuses can offer. After all, earning $200 in cash rewards on a 2 percent cash rewards card would require $10,000 in spending if it had no sign-up bonus. But the tide has turned. For a limited time, new Citi Double Cash cardholders can earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 in their first six months. Assuming you reach the spending requirement and pay off all of your purchases, you can earn a total of at least $230 in your first six months ($200 from the bonus and $30 from cash back earned on purchases). This bonus is not only on par with offers you'll find on several no-annual-fee cash back cards, but it's potentially easier to reach. While the $1,500 spending requirement is high (triple the spending requirement of the bonus and $500 more than the Active Cash card's bonus spending requirement), you'll have twice as much time to reach the spending requirement. Most cards give you just three months to reach the spending requirement. The Citi Double Cash gives you six. This may make it easier to plan out large purchases and give you better odds of securing the bonus, even as a modest spender. This is a limited-time offer with no current expiration date. There's also no telling whether Citi will offer it again anytime soon. If you've been on the fence about the Double Cash card, now is a better time than any to apply. If not for the welcome offer, then especially for the card's terrific long-term value from its ongoing rewards rate.

Rewards rate

Besides being one of the best flat-rate cash back cards on the market with its up to , the Citi Double Cash can help keep your spending habits in check with its earn-as-you-pay rewards structure. In order to receive an additional 1 percent cash back for your purchases (on top of the automatic 1 percent cash back you earn), you must pay off the balance you owe. This is a unique feature tied to a benefit that other cash back cards share. It makes the Double Cash card a great option for cardholders who are tempted by rewards, but who also want to be responsible credit users.

How you earn

The value you extract from the Citi Double Cash depends on how wisely you use it. In other words, make sure you're paying at least the minimum due on time each month or, ideally, the full amount. You'll only earn the if you pay off what you owe, and incurring interest can quickly eat through the rewards you earn and then some. There's no cap on the amount of cash back rewards you can earn with the Citi Double Cash, so it's the perfect card if you're the type of cardholder who wants to put every purchase on one card.

How you redeem

Redemption options for your cash back rewards include statement credits, direct deposit, check and . If you choose to redeem your rewards for points, a ThankYou account is automatically created for you. This opens the opportunity for you to redeem your points for gift cards, travel through Citi or Shop with Points on Amazon or PayPal. Just keep in mind that these are considered and can't be transferred to a Citi travel partner without a premium Citi . You can redeem rewards by logging into your online account or calling Citi at 1 (855) 473-4583. Cash back rewards expire after 12 months of card inactivity, meaning you haven't earned cash back on purchases or payments for one year.

How much are rewards worth

Generally, you can expect 1 cent per percentage point back. In the case of the Citi Double Cash card, if you spend $500 a month with the card and pay off the full amount, you'll earn $120 in cash back rewards by the end of 12 months. The Citi Double Cash isn't marketed as a ThankYou point-earning , considering you earn cash back, not points. You can, though, easily convert your cash back to ThankYou points as a redemption option. However, ThankYou points earned from Citi's no annual fee cards are considered "basic" and can't be transferred to travel partner programs for a rate higher than Citi's base 1 cent value. In order to make the most of "basic" points, you can pool them with one of Citi's premium travel cards, like the . Based on Bankrate's latest , this could increase the value of your points to around 1.9 cents each on average when you take advantage of its best transfer partners.

Other cardholder perks

The Citi Double Cash is pretty simplistic in terms of additional card , but there are a few conveniences that, without, would make this card fairly uncompetitive with other options.

0 percent APR offer

In addition to being a cash back card, the Citi Double Cash functions as a . The 18-month 0 percent introductory APR offer on balance transfers (17.74 percent to 27.74 percent, variable, APR after) is one of the longest balance transfer periods currently available. If you take advantage of the offer you'll still pay the greater of either a $5 or a 3 percent intro balance transfer fee. This fee is only for transfers completed within the first four months. A balance transfer fee of 5 percent of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after four months of account opening. For reference, if you had $2,000 in credit card debt and , you could pay just over $111 a month for 18 months and completely wipe out your debt - all without paying a dime in interest. Bear in mind, you'd also owe a $60 balance transfer fee.

Security and protection perks

In addition to a solid flat-rate rewards structure and lengthy introductory APR offer, the Citi Double Cash extends plenty of security and fraud protections to cardholders. Get $0 fraud liability, 24-hour fraud protection, Citi Identity Theft Solutions and Lost Wallet Service - meaning Citi will replace your lost card within 24 hours and provide you with emergency cash in the meantime.

Citi Entertainment

gets you access to presale tickets, events and more, whether it be a music festival, professional football game or high-end restaurant experience. For more information, read Citi Entertainment's .

Rates and fees

Typically, it's important that your spending garners enough rewards to justify paying an annual fee, but the Citi Double Cash doesn't charge an annual fee, meaning there's no recurring yearly cost to offset. As discussed above, the Citi Double Cash offers a lengthy 0 percent introductory APR on balance transfers for 18 months with a 17.74 percent to 27.74 percent (variable) APR thereafter. The ongoing APR is below the and could be one of the lowest rates for a flat-rate cash back card of its caliber that we've seen so far this year. Just keep in mind if you fail to pay off your balance within the given 0 percent window, you'll be subject to the card's variable APR for the rest of your card ownership. Frequent travelers should know the Citi Double Cash charges a foreign transaction fee of 3 percent of each purchase. If you travel outside the U.S., be sure to bring along an additional credit card that offers .

How the Citi Double Cash compares to other cash back cards

In the current economy, it isn't uncommon to notice issuers lowering the time period of introductory balance transfer offers from their cards' offerings or removing them altogether. Luckily, the issuer trend of adding extra bonus categories or geared toward and home-based needs has also continued into 2022. The Citi Double Cash card is excellent for earning more cash back on these homebound purchases that typically aren't covered in other bonus categories - such as online specialty merchants, bills and digital products - but competing cards might offer more features and an intro APR for purchases. With all that in mind, here are a few solid or balance transfer options to consider before deciding on the Citi Double Cash.

Citi® Double Cash Card

star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon Bankrate Score Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. on Citi's secure site Annual fee Intro offer For a limited time, earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. Rewards rate Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. Recommended credit A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Citi Simplicity® Card

on Citi's secure site Annual fee Intro offer Intro offer is not available to this Citi credit card Rewards rate Recommended credit A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

on Wells Fargo's secure site Annual fee Intro offer Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months Rewards rate Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases Recommended credit A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Citi Double Cash Card vs. Citi Simplicity® Card

The is a balance transfer credit card that's great for cardholders with a chunk of debt to transfer from another card. It has a longer introductory balance transfer period than is offered on the Double Cash Card with a slightly higher regular variable APR of 17.74 percent to 28.49 percent. There is no annual fee, no welcome offer and the Citi Simplicity card does not earn rewards. The Simplicity functions much better than the Double Cash as a dedicated balance transfer credit card, however. In addition to its balance transfer period, it includes a 12-month 0 percent introductory APR period for new purchases, after which the card's regular APR applies. This means you'll curb interest on both your debt and any new purchase you make for the first year you hold the card. It's a much better choice for cardholders climbing out of debt than it is for those focused on cash back earnings.

Citi Double Cash Card vs Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

The is the Double Cash card's strongest competitor but falls short in a few areas worth mentioning. It's only until recently that the Double Cash didn't measure up to the Active Cash, but it has the upper hand now that it includes a welcome offer. Plus, the Double Cash has a slightly lower regular variable APR and its introductory APR period on balance transfers is three months longer. However, the Double Cash does not include an introductory APR on new purchases. The Active Cash card does. If you're the type of cardholder who has a fair amount of debt and you still need room to make new purchases while avoiding interest, then the Active Cash sets you up for success. This is especially true if you don't want to sacrifice a solid cash back rate just for the interest free cushion you'll have.

Best cards to pair with Citi Double Cash Card

When it comes to pairing credit cards, it's best to choose a card that supplements and even makes up for what the initial card is lacking. In the case of the Citi Double Cash, consider pairing it with a that can help you earn a higher rate of rewards in categories you tend to spend more in. Additionally, if you know you have a big purchase coming up, a low introductory APR on purchases may be helpful. Tiered rewards or cash back cards that earn highly in specific categories you regularly make purchases in are perfect supplementary options to the Double Cash card. If you value the flexibility of earning a decent cash back rate on your most frequent spending category, you might consider the . This is naturally one of the best cards to partner with the Double Cash. It offers 5 percent cash back for one of your each billing cycle (up to $500 each billing cycle, then 1 percent). Plus you can pool your Custom Cash and the Double Cash points with the Citi Premier Card. This will let you transfer points to to potentially increase the value of your ThankYou reward points. Overall, any card that earns a rate higher than 2 percent for purchases in named categories you spend frequently in can fit alongside the Citi Double Cash. This is primarily because the Double Cash Card is included in one of the .

Bankrate s Take - Is Citi Double Cash worth it

The Citi Double Cash is a great choice for those looking for an everyday credit card that earns a solid cash back rate on each purchase, with no rotating categories or cash back calendars to keep up with. Those who are in the market for a balance transfer credit card can also benefit greatly from the Citi Double Cash thanks to its long introductory APR period on balance transfers. Further, you can continue to get use out of the card after your debt is paid off, thanks to its no-hassle rewards structure. The earn-as-you-pay caveat may even act as encouragement to stay out of debt. That said, the Citi Double Cash is only if you can pay back what you owe and avoid carrying a balance for an extended time; if you don't pay them off, each purchase only earns 1 percent cash back. Should you have a history of skipping credit card payments or paying bills late, it might be best to consider a different cash back card.

Frequently Asked Questions

What credit score do you need for the Citi Double Cash Card

You'll want to have a good to excellent credit score (a 670 to 850 FICO score or a 661 to 850 VantageScore) for the best chance to qualify for the Citi Double Cash Card).

What purchases don' t earn cash back with the Citi Double Cash Card

Most purchases you can think of will earn cash back, but Citi notes items you return for credit, balance transfers, cash advances, interest and account fees aren't eligible for cash back. You should read your credit card's terms carefully to be sure, but gambling purchases and convenience checks also aren't likely to earn rewards.

Does the Citi Double Cash Card have virtual account numbers

Most of Citi's main credit cards offer virtual account numbers, including the Citi Double Cash Card. More widely known as virtual credit card numbers, virtual account numbers are randomly generated, temporary credit card numbers that you can use while shopping online in order to protect your real account number. In fact, Citi is one of the few major issuers that still offer virtual card numbers. Capital One also provides virtual credit card numbers through its Eno assistant tool, but many issuers no longer provide this extra security layer since mobile wallets essentially accomplish the same function.

Is the Citi Double Cash Card a World Elite Mastercard

Previously just a standard Mastercard, the Citi Double Cash Card was upgraded to a World Elite Mastercard in late 2020. That means you'll receive the highest tier of Mastercard benefits, including favorites like cellphone protection, luxury hotel perks and exclusive deals with subscription services like DoorDash and Lyft.

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