Citi Double Cash^® Card Review

The Citi Double Cash^® Card is a great option for people that want a simple and flat earnings rate on all purchases without having to worry about earning different amounts in different spending categories. While the Citi Double Cash^® Card doesn’t come with a lot of other perks, it does have a $0 annual fee and earns cash back at a high rate.

Plus, the cash back that you earn is paid in the form of valuable Citi ThankYou^® Points. You can redeem your ThankYou^® Points as cash or transfer them to Citi’s hotel and airline transfer partners. The Citi Double Cash^® Card also comes with a good balance transfer offer, so it can be a great option for someone looking to pay down a balance on another card.

• One of the highest earning, flat-rate rewards cards

  Unlike some other credit cards that offer different earning rates in different spending categories, the Citi Double Cash^® Card has a flat-rate earning structure, where you will earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25. This is one of the highest rates of cash back you can get for a card with no annual fee.

• Rewards are easy to redeem

  The rewards that you earn with the Citi Double Cash^® Card are fairly easy to redeem as well. Although it’s marketed as a cash back card, your rewards are actually paid out as 2 Citi ThankYou^® Points per $1 spent, rather than 2% cash back. You can redeem your points for:

  • Cash back as a statement credit
  • Direct deposit
  • Check
  • Travel
  • Transfer to a few of Citi’s hotel and airline partners
  • Merchandise, gift cards and more

  There are no minimums when you redeem your rewards for a statement credit or direct deposit.

• You can transfer rewards to other Citi cards

  The rewards that you earn with the Citi Double Cash^® Card are actually paid out in Citi’s valuable transferable currency — ThankYou^® Points. With just the Double Cash card, you can transfer your points to Choice Hotels, Wyndham Rewards and JetBlue TrueBlue. But if you also have a premium Citi credit card like the Citi Strata Premier^℠ Card, you’ll get a better transfer ratio with these partners and unlock many other hotel and airline transfer partners.

  In fact, the Citi Strata Premier^℠ Card and Citi Double Cash^® Card make a powerful duo, thanks to their complementary earning categories. This makes the Citi Double Cash^® Card one of Citi’s best kept secrets for travel card enthusiasts.

• Long intro APR for balance transfers

  One of the benefits that comes with the Citi Double Cash^® Card is its long intro APR on balance transfers. You’ll get a 0% intro APR for 18 months on Balance Transfers. After, a 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable) APR applies. The long intro period makes Citi Double Cash^® Card one of the best balance transfer cards. It’s an attractive option if you’re looking to save money by transferring a balance from another credit card.

• You don't earn 2% cash back immediately

  With the Citi Double Cash^® Card, you don’t earn the 2% cash back immediately when you make a purchase. Instead, you’ll earn unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. You don’t get the second half of your cash back until you pay what you’ve charged to the card. You’ll also forfeit the additional 1% when you redeem rewards for statement credits. As a comparison, the Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card earns unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases right away.

• No intro APR for purchases

  While this card has an introductory APR on balance transfers, it lacks a 0% intro APR for new purchases. Many balance transfer credit cards, including the Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card, offer an introductory APR on both purchases and balance transfers. In other words, the Citi Double Cash^® Card isn’t the best choice if you have a big purchase coming up.

• Charges a foreign transaction fee

  Because the Citi Double Cash^® Card charges a 3% foreign transaction fee, you’ll want to leave it at home when traveling outside the United States. Opt for a card with no foreign transaction fee instead.

• Few other benefits

  The Citi Double Cash^® Card is light on benefits outside its rewards program, especially when compared to similar cards. For example, the Chase Freedom Unlimited^® also has a flat-rate earning structure and offers purchase protection, extended warranty protection, car rental insurance and various trip and travel insurances.

Citi Double Cash^® Card vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card

The Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card offers a similar rewards rate to the Citi Double Cash^® Card, but exceeds it in almost every way.

The Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card has no annual fee and lets you earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. It also offers a sign-up bonus and an introductory APR on both balance transfers and new purchases. Plus, it has cellphone protection of up to $600. Not to mention, it pays the 2% cash back as soon as you make a purchase, rather than making you wait for half of your rewards. This may make the Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card an all-around better option for simple, flat-rate cash back.

If you want to earn cash back on new purchases without rotating categories, the Citi Double Cash^® Card has one of the best flat-rate cash back programs on the market. Additionally, this card is a good option if you have credit card debt and need a while to pay it off interest-free by means of a balance transfer. If you’re looking for similar cash back credit cards, you can also consider the Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card as another card that earns 2%.