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Getting 2% back (1 point per dollar at the time of purchase and 1 point per dollar when you pay your bill) without an annual fee is an excellent deal. And because the Citi® Double Cash Card has added a rare welcome bonus of Citi® Double Cash Card for a limited time, it’s an even better value.
Review: Is the Citi Double Cash the best credit card for you?
While there are many cash-back credit cards that give you 1.5% back on your spending without an annual fee, few surpass that earning threshold. That’s why the Citi® Double Cash Card is so exceptional.
With the Citi® Double Cash Card, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar (1 point per dollar when you make a purchase, and 1 point per dollar when you pay it off) on all purchases, with no limit to what you can earn. It’s an ideal card for those who want a solid rewards-earning rate without having to keep track of bonus categories or spending caps.
The Citi® Double Cash Card almost never offers a welcome bonus, but right now, it’s offering Citi® Double Cash Card. If you’ve been on the fence about this card, now’s the time to apply.
Because it has no annual fee, the Citi® Double Cash Card is a great option as a long-term “keeper card” — both for its strong earning and because your average account age is a factor in determining your credit score. The Citi® Double Cash Card offers a Citi® Double Cash Card, then a 13.99% – 23.99% (Variable) APR, which can save you money if you’re looking to consolidate debt or move a balance from a high-interest credit card.
Because the Citi® Double Cash Card now earns Citi ThankYou Rewards points instead of straight cash back, you can redeem rewards for travel through the Citi travel portal, gift cards, merchandise, and more.
If you also have a Citi Premier® Card or Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available to new applicants), you can combine your rewards and transfer Citi ThankYou points to over a dozen airline and hotel partners, including Singapore Airlines, Air France-KLM, and Wyndham.
Redeeming your points this way can often translate into even more value, especially if you book business- or first-class award flights that would otherwise cost a fortune.
Before you decide on the Citi® Double Cash Card, be sure to consider other no-annual-fee cards that offer a similar earning rate. For example, the Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card offers 2% cash rewards on purchases, and comes with a welcome bonus of Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
How to earn rewards from the Citi Double Cash
The Citi® Double Cash Card is simple in that it doesn’t require you to keep track of bonus categories — you’ll earn the same rewards rate on every purchase you make.
Instead of awarding points all at once as most cards do, the Citi® Double Cash Card works a little differently. You’ll earn 1 point per dollar (worth 1% cash back) when you make a purchase and 1 point per dollar (1% cash back) when you pay it off. This delayed return shouldn’t be a factor if you pay your bill in full every month, but if you’re someone who carries a balance, it’s something to consider.
The Citi® Double Cash Card is one-third of the Citi Trifecta — a trio of Citi cards that can supercharge your ThankYou Rewards balance by earning anywhere from 2x to 5x rewards on every single purchase.
Again, as of March 28, 2022, the Citi® Double Cash Card earns Citi ThankYou points instead of cash back, at a rate of 1 point per dollar when you make a purchase, and 1 point per dollar when you pay it off. Points are worth 1 cent apiece when you redeem for cash back, so the effective earning rate hasn’t changed.
How to use Citi Double Cash rewards
You can redeem rewards from the Citi® Double Cash Card in more ways than you might think.
You can redeem your Citi ThankYou points for a check, a statement credit, or a credit to your linked account with no minimum requirement for statement credits or direct deposit; check redemptions have a minimum of $5. You can also use points toward travel, gift cards, merchandise, and more.
The Citi® Double Cash Card now lets you transfer Citi ThankYou points to one airline partner, JetBlue, at a transfer ratio of 5:4 (1,000 Citi ThankYou points to 800 JetBlue points), and to hotel partners Wyndham (5:4 ratio) and Choice Privileges (2:3 ratio).
If you also hold the Citi Prestige® Credit Card or the Citi Premier Card, however, you can combine your points and transfer them at a 1:1 ratio to all of Citi’s airline partners, including Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Cathay Pacific, and Etihad Guest, and at an improved ratio to Citi’s hotel partners.
Citi ThankYou points are worth, on average, 1.6 cents each based on Insider’s latest points and miles valuations — but the exact value you’ll get depends on how you redeem your rewards.
Citi Double Cash benefits and features
As a no-annual-fee card, the Citi® Double Cash Card doesn’t come with a ton of cardholder benefits. However, there are a couple that can be very helpful in the right circumstances.
Introductory 0% APR on balance transfers for 18 months
With the Citi® Double Cash Card, you’ll qualify for a Citi® Double Cash Card (balance transfers must be completed in the first four months from account opening), followed by a 13.99% – 23.99% (Variable) APR. A 5% balance transfer fee applies with a minimum charge of $5.
Using a 0% APR credit card for balance transfers can save you money if you’re carrying high-interest debt on other cards. It can also be a good opportunity to simplify paying down your debt by consolidating everything in one place. Just be sure you’re able to make at least the minimum payment each month and have the means to pay the entire balance before the introductory period expires.
Pair the Citi Double Cash with the Citi Premier or Citi Prestige
If you also have the Citi Premier Card or Citi Prestige® Credit Card, it’s a smart move to pair one of those cards with the Citi® Double Cash Card. This would make it possible to extract the maximum return from your rewards, because the Citi Premier Card and Citi Prestige® Credit Card open the door to transfers to all of Citi’s airline partners.
If you travel often but like saving money by booking award flights, this is an important factor to consider. But before applying, you should check out Citi’s transfer partners to make sure they work for your travel plans. Keep in mind that you can redeem points from these airlines for award flights on partner airlines; for example, because Singapore Airlines is part of the Star Alliance, you can use its miles to book award flights on United (also a Star Alliance member).
Most of the current Citi ThankYou transfer partners all offer a 1:1 points transfer ratio, with exceptions noted below:
Citi ThankYou transfer partners
Aeromexico Club PremierAir France-KLM Flying BlueAvianca LifeMilesCathay Pacific Asia MilesChoice Privileges (1:2 ratio; if you don’t have the Citi Premier Card or Citi Prestige® Credit Card, the transfer ratio is 1,500 Choice points for every 1,000 ThankYou points you convert)Emirates SkywardsEtihad GuestEva Air Infinity MileageLandsJetBlue TrueBlue (if you don’t have the Citi Premier Card or Citi Prestige® Credit Card, the transfer ratio is 800 JetBlue points for every 1,000 ThankYou points you convert)Qantas Frequent FlyerQatar Airways Privilege ClubSingapore Airlines KrisFlyerThai Airways Royal Orchid PlusTurkish Airlines Miles & SmilesVirgin Atlantic Flying ClubWyndham Rewards (if you don’t have the Citi Premier Card or Citi Prestige® Credit Card, the transfer ratio is 800 Wyndham points for every 1,000 ThankYou points you convert)
You can also transfer Citi ThankYou points to Sears Shop Your Way rewards at a rate of 1 Citi ThankYou point to 10 Shop Your Way rewards points.
Unlocking the ability to transfer points to travel partners with the Citi Premier Card and Citi Prestige® Credit Card echoes the rules of other transferable points programs. For example, to transfer points to airline and hotel partners with Chase Ultimate Rewards, you’ll need an annual-fee card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card in your wallet.
Fees and costs
While the Citi® Double Cash Card doesn’t charge an annual fee, there are other fees to be aware of.
For example, you’ll pay a foreign transaction fee on all purchases you make outside the US. If you’re heading abroad, use a card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees instead.
You’ll also pay a minimum interest charge whenever you carry a balance, and a fee will apply any time you use your credit card for a cash advance. Also, consider the balance transfer fee we already mentioned, which is 5% (minimum $5) of each balance you transfer over.
Comparison: Citi Double Cash vs other Citi cards
Citi® Double Cash Card
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Citi Premier® Card
Annual fee
Citi® Double Cash Card
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Citi Premier® Card
Rewards rate
1 point per dollar when you buy, plus 1 point per dollar when you pay your bill
5% cash back on up to $500 spent in your top eligible spending category* each billing cycle (then 1%)
1% cash back on all other purchases
3x points on air travel, gas stations, restaurants, supermarkets, and hotels
1 point per dollar on everything else
Welcome bonus
Citi® Double Cash Card
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Citi Premier® Card
Card benefits
Access to Citi Entertainment
Citi® Double Cash Card, then a Citi® Double Cash Card APR
Access to Citi Entertainment
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card (then a Citi Custom Cash℠ Card APR)
$100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) booked through thankyou.com once per calendar year
Purchase protection
Extended warranty
Access to Citi Entertainment
No foreign transaction fees
Review
*eligible 5% cash back categories on the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card are restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment
Citi Double Cash vs other cash-back credit cards
Citi® Double Cash Card
Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Annual fee
Citi® Double Cash Card
Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Rewards rate
1 point per dollar when you buy, plus 1 point per dollar when you pay your bill
2% cash rewards on purchases
5% cash back (5x points) on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3% cash back (3x points) on dining and drugstore purchases
1.5% cash back (1.5x points) on everything else
Welcome bonus
Citi® Double Cash Card
Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Card benefits
Access to Citi Entertainment
Citi® Double Cash Card, then a Citi® Double Cash Card APR
Visa Signature Concierge
Roadside dispatch
Travel and emergency assistance services
Emergency cash disbursement and card replacement
Access to the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection
Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card (then a Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card variable APR)
Extended warranty
Car rental insurance (secondary in the US, primary otherwise)
Trip interruption/cancellation insurance
Travel and emergency assistance services
Chase Freedom Unlimited®, then a 14.99%–23.74% variable APR
Review
Wells Fargo Active Cash card review
Chase Freedom Unlimited card review
Citi Double Cash frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is the Citi Double Cash a Mastercard or a Visa?
The Citi® Double Cash Card is a Mastercard.
What credit score do you need for the Citi Double Cash?
Typically, to get approved for the Citi® Double Cash Card, you’ll a credit score in the good to excellent range. This means a FICO score of at least 670, or a VantageScore of at least 700.
Do rewards from the Citi Double Cash expire?
Your Citi® Double Cash Card rewards will not expire as long as your account is open.
What if I had cash back in my Citi Double Cash account when it switched to earning points?
If you already had cash back in your Citi® Double Cash Card account, they’ve been converted to ThankYou points at a rate of 1 point = 1 cent. For example, if you had $25 in cash back sitting in your account, it converted into 2,500 ThankYou points.
Does the Citi Double Cash have travel insurance or purchase protection?
The Citi® Double Cash Card doesn’t come with travel protections like primary rental car insurance or trip delay insurance, nor does it offer perks like purchase protection or extended warranty. If you’re looking for a card with more benefits, check out our guide to the best travel rewards credit cards for top options.