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Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover. SHARE: South_agency//GettyImages January 11, 2022 Checkmark Bankrate logo How is this page expert verified? At Bankrate, we take the accuracy of our content seriously. "Expert verified" means that our Financial Review Board thoroughly evaluated the article for accuracy and clarity. The Review Board comprises a panel of financial experts whose objective is to ensure that our content is always objective and balanced. Their reviews hold us accountable for publishing high-quality and trustworthy content. Ana Staples is a reporter for Bankrate and an expert on all things credit basics and personal finance for the younger generation. Liz Bingler is an Associate Editor for CreditCards.com and Bankrate, where she focuses on product news and reviews. As an editor, her goal is to produce content that will help people to make informed financial decisions. Claire Dickey is a product editor for Bankrate, and . Before joining Bankrate, Claire worked as a copywriter for brands within the telecommunications industry as well as a hybrid marketing and content writer. Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise
At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for how we make money. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise
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You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. Citi is an advertising partner. Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. If you’re looking for a no-annual-fee credit card, Citi has a few attractive products it offers, such as the Citi Diamond Preferred Card and the Citi Double Cash Card. But make sure to learn about them before making a choice: Both are excellent in their own ways, but they’re designed to serve very different purposes. Read on to compare the Citi Double Cash card and Citi Diamond Preferred card and see which one may be worth adding to your wallet. Citi Diamond Preferred vs Citi Double Cash highlights
Citi Diamond Preferred Card Citi Double Cash Card Welcome bonus None None Rewards rate None 2% cash back on general purchases (1% cash back when you make purchases and an additional 1% cash back when you pay off purchases) Intro APR 21-month intro 0% APR on balance transfers and 12-month intro 0% APR on purchases (15.24% to 25.24% variable APR thereafter) 18-month intro APR on balance transfers (15.49% to 25.49% variable APR thereafter) Annual fee $0 $0 Let’s take a closer look at these cards and see how they compare. Welcome bonus winner Tie
Many rewards credit cards come with valuable welcome offers that allow you to easily earn a cash bonus or large number of points. However, that’s not the case with Citi Double Cash and Citi Diamond Preferred—neither card offers a welcome bonus. These cards can offer plenty of value to the right cardholder, but if a sign-up bonus is a deal-breaker for you, we recommend looking into a no-annual-fee card like the (which offers $200 when you spend $500 within the first three months) or the (currently offers $200 in statement credits after you spend $2,000 within the first six months). Rewards rate winner Citi Double Cash
If you want a card that earns rewards, there’s no competition between the Citi Diamond Preferred and the Citi Double Cash—the Citi Diamond Preferred doesn’t earn any rewards. The Citi Double Cash credit card, on the other hand, is one of the best flat-rate cash back cards available. It offers 1 percent back on all purchases plus 1 percent back when you pay those purchases off, essentially earning you 2 percent back on everything. It’s a rare deal in the credit card market. Intro APR winner Citi Diamond Preferred
There are two types of a credit card can extend: zero interest on balance transfers and zero interest on purchases. The former allows you to from another credit card and not pay any interest for a certain period of time, and the latter comes with no interest on purchases for a specified term. The Citi Diamond Preferred is the winner here since it comes with both types of 0 percent intro APR offers. With this card, you’ll have 21 months of no interest on balance transfers and 12 months of no interest on purchases (15.24 percent to 25.24 percent variable APR thereafter). You must complete your balance transfer within four months of account opening, and you’ll be subject to a balance transfer fee of 5 percent or $5, whichever is greater. Still, if you’re not planning any big purchases but would like to transfer your credit card debt to avoid interest (plus earn rewards), the Citi Double Cash is worth considering. The Citi Double Cash offers an 18-month 0 percent intro APR on balance transfers (15.49 percent to 25.49 percent variable APR thereafter). Note: The Citi Double Cash doesn’t include an intro APR offer on purchases. Which card offers more value
Since the Citi Double Cash includes a generous cash back rate, it will undoubtedly provide great value in the long term, especially when compared to the Citi Diamond Preferred, which offers no rewards. For instance, if you spend $15,900 a year, which is the average annual consumer spend, you can earn $318 in cash back—earnings you’d miss out on if you went with the Citi Diamond Preferred. On the other hand, if you plan to carry a balance on your card within the first year and a half, interest payments would eat into your rewards. In this case, the Citi Diamond Preferred could save you more money than the Citi Double Cash. Why should you get the Citi Double Cash
The if you’re looking for a with a simple rewards system. It can also be a good choice if you’re transferring a balance: You’ll get to reduce your credit card debt while saving on interest, and you’ll continue to get decent value out of the card in the long term. Additional benefits
Besides an excellent rewards rate and balance transfer offer, the Citi Double Cash provides security and fraud protections, including $0 fraud liability, 24-hour fraud protection, Citi Identity Theft Solutions and Lost Wallet Service. Additionally, you can get access to presale tickets and events with Citi Entertainment. Redemption options
Redeeming cash back with the Citi Double Cash is just as straightforward as earning it. You can redeem your cash back for a statement credit, check or direct deposit once you have at least $25 in rewards. Alternatively, you can convert your cash back to , which you can use to purchase gift cards or travel through Citi, or shop on Amazon or PayPal. Recommended credit score
To be approved for the Citi Double Cash, you’ll most likely need a good to excellent credit score (670 to 850). Why should you get the Citi Diamond Preferred
The if you’re planning a large purchase or balance transfer. Just make sure to pay it off in full while the intro APR period lasts—otherwise, you’ll have to pay a rather high interest rate on the remaining balance. Additional benefits
With this card, you can get access to , which you can use to borrow money against your card’s credit line at a fixed rate and pay it back over a certain period. You can use this feature with no additional fees or credit inquiries. This can be a convenient option should you need a personal loan in the future. Note, however, that this feature is only available to select cardholders—the issuer must target you for the offer. Additionally, you may be able to use to pay them off in equal monthly payments. You’ll also get access to Citi Easy Deals where you can find discounts on various purchases, such as retail and restaurant deals. Finally, like with the Citi Double Cash, you’ll be able to take advantage of VIP access to events with Citi Entertainment. Learn more: Redemption options
The Citi Diamond Preferred doesn’t earn rewards, so there are no redemption options. Recommended credit score
You’ll most likely need a good to excellent credit score (670 to 850) to qualify for this card. The bottom line
The Citi Diamond Preferred and Citi Double Cash are both excellent cards with no annual fees, but they target different types of cardholders. If your goal is to earn rewards, the Citi Double Cash is an obvious winner. However, if you’re planning to carry a balance, the Citi Diamond Preferred takes the lead with its long 0 percent APR offer for balance transfers. SHARE: Ana Staples is a reporter for Bankrate and an expert on all things credit basics and personal finance for the younger generation. Liz Bingler is an Associate Editor for CreditCards.com and Bankrate, where she focuses on product news and reviews. As an editor, her goal is to produce content that will help people to make informed financial decisions. Claire Dickey is a product editor for Bankrate, and . Before joining Bankrate, Claire worked as a copywriter for brands within the telecommunications industry as well as a hybrid marketing and content writer. Related Articles