Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card vs. Citi Double Cash Card [Detailed Comparison]

Updated: February 9, 2024, 3:23pm CST

Edited by:

Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card vs. Citi Double Cash Card [Detailed Comparison]

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We’re a fan of everyday-spending cards. After all, what’s not to like about earning rewards on the purchases you make daily?

And, while earning rewards for purchases you’re already making may sound like a smart decision, selecting a card that earns the most rewards possible for your spending mix is even smarter.

This is one of the primary reasons we compare popular cards. This can help you learn how similar cards work and thus find the best card for your specific situation.

Today, we’ve selected 2 popular everyday purchasing cards: the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express and the Citi Double Cash Card®. Each card has its strengths when it comes to earning cash-back, redeeming rewards, features, and benefits.

Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card vs. Citi Double Cash Card — Overview

We’ll be covering the details of the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card and Citi Double Cash card next.

But first, let’s look at an overall comparison of our featured cards.

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Card	Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express	Citi Double Cash^® Card
Welcome Offer	Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 6 months.	Earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 in the first 6 months.
Annual Fee	$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 (rates & fees)	$0
Earning	6% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets, up to $6,000 in purchases each year, then 1% 6% cash-back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions 3% cash-back at U.S. gas stations and on parking and transit 1% cash-back on all other purchases	2% unlimited cash-back (1% when the purchase is made, 1% when the balance is paid)
Redemption Options	Statement credits, gift cards, merchandise	Transfer to select travel partners, redeem for travel, statement credits, check, bank transfer, gift cards, Amazon
Statement Credits (enrollment required)	Up to $120 each year (up to $10 per month) for qualifying Equinox+ purchases Up to $7 per month on a Disney Bundle subscription of $9.99 or more, up to $84 each year	None
Top Travel Protections and Benefits	Secondary car rental insurance Global Assist Hotline	Lyft credits
Top Shopping Protections and Benefits	Purchase protection, extended warranty, return protection Amex Offers	DoorDash Citi Merchant Offers
Authorized Users	No charge to add authorized users (rates & fees)	No charge to add authorized users

The Value of a Welcome Offer

Once you’re approved for the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card, you can qualify for the welcome offer after meeting minimum spending requirements within a specified period after card approval. The Citi Double Cash card does not currently have a welcome offer.

Because welcome offers can vary over time, we’ve included a card snapshot that includes the current welcome offer for the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card and more information on each of our featured cards:

HIGHEST CASH BACK

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express

U.P. Rating

This card is great for those who want to earn cash-back with U.S. supermarkets, U.S. streaming subscriptions, transit, and U.S. gas stations.

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express

This card is great for those who want to earn cash-back with U.S. supermarkets, U.S. streaming subscriptions, transit, and U.S. gas stations.

Welcome OfferEarn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
$250

Annual Fee

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.

APR

19.24%-29.99% Variable,0% on purchases for 12 months

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

The Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express is a stellar cash-back credit card for those looking to maximize every purchase they make.

With bonus categories like U.S. supermarkets, select streaming services, U.S. gas stations, and transit purchases, this card rewards you for the items you spend the most on in a big way! For those looking to earn up to 6% cash-back on their purchases, this could be the card for you!

Pros

6% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year) and on select streaming services
6% cash-back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
3% cash-back on U.S. gas stations and transit (including rideshares, parking, etc.)
1% cash-back on all other purchases

Cons

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 annual fee (rates and fees)

Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Buy Now, Pay Later: Enjoy $0 intro plan fees when you use Plan It^® to split up large purchases into monthly installments. Pay $0 intro plan fees on plans created during the first 12 months from the date of account opening. Plans created after that will have a monthly plan fee up to 1.33% of each eligible purchase amount moved into a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors.
Low Intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 19.24% - 29.99%. Variable APRs will not exceed 29.99%.
6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations.
3% Cash Back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more).
1% Cash Back on other purchases.
Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
Get up to $120 in statement credits annually when you pay for an auto-renewing subscription to Equinox+ at equinoxplus.com with your Blue Cash Preferred^® Card. That’s $10 in statement credits each month. Enrollment required.
Thinking about getting the Disney Bundle which can include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+? Your decision made easy with $7/month back in the form of a statement credit after you spend $9.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription (subject to auto renewal) with your Blue Cash Preferred^® Card. Enrollment required.
Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

APR: 19.24%-29.99% Variable,0% on purchases for 12 months
Foreign Transaction Fees: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Redeem cash-back through your American Express account

Citi Double Cash^® Card

U.P. Rating

Great card for the average spender with no specific focus category; worry-free cash-back earning on everything!

Learn More(at our partner's secure site)

Citi Double Cash^® Card

Great card for the average spender with no specific focus category; worry-free cash-back earning on everything!

Welcome OfferEarn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening.
$200 cash back

Annual Fee

APR

0% Intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers, then 19.24% - 29.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Fair to Excellent (580-850)

The Citi Double Cash^® Card has long been one of the top cash-back credit cards on the market, and the card now has the ability to earn Citi ThankYou Points!

This means that cardholders of the Double Cash card will now earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. Cash back is earned in the form of ThankYou Points. This means each billing cycle, you will earn 1 ThankYou point per $1 spent on purchases and an additional ThankYou point for every $1 paid on your purchase balance as long as there is a corresponding balance in your Purchase Tracker.

Citi has turned the Double Cash card into a top choice for those who are looking for an everyday, no-fuss credit card.

Pros

Uncapped 2% for every $1 spent (1% when you buy and another 1% when you pay)
Flexible redemption options
No annual fee

Cons

No bonus categories
3% foreign transaction fees
Lack of premium travel benefits

Bonus Offer: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou^® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
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.
Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% – 29.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
Citi Double Cash^® Card Travel Portal Limited Time Offer: Earn a total of 5 ThankYou Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rental, and attractions, excluding air travel, when booked through the Citi Travel^SM portal on ThankYou.com or by calling 1-800-Thankyou and saying “Travel.” Offer is valid through 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) 12/31/2024.

Financial Snapshot

APR: 0% Intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers, then 19.24% - 29.24% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of the U.S. dollar amount of each purchase

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Citi ThankYou Rewards

Bottom Line:

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card includes a welcome offer that can be earned after card approval by meeting minimum spending requirements. The Citi Double Cash card does not have a welcome offer.

Earning Potential

Referral Bonus Opportunites

Once you’ve been approved for your Amex Blue Cash Preferred card, you can earn additional cash-back by referring friends or family members. American Express is unique in that your referral can select any offered American Express card, and once they’re approved, you’ll receive a referral bonus.

The current referral bonus is $100 in cash-back for each approved referral, up to $550 per year.

Citi does not currently offer referral bonuses for U.S. credit cards.

Spending on the Card

Citi Double Cash Upgraded Points LLC 5 Large — Earning rewards on everyday purchases becomes automatic when you use a rewards-earning card. Image Credit: Upgraded Points

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card earns cash-back in the form of Reward Dollars, and the Citi Double Cash card earns cash-back in the form of ThankYou Points.

We’ll expand on redeeming the different rewards currencies next, but first, let’s look at how you earn rewards on each of our featured cards.

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Spending Category	Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card	Citi Double Cash Card
U.S. Supermarkets	6% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases each year, then 1%	2% cash-back (1% cash-back at the time of purchase and an additional 1% cash-back when the balance is paid)
Select U.S. Streaming Services	6% cash-back
U.S. Gas Stations and Transit	3% cash-back
All Other Purchases	1% cash-back

You’ll earn best on the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card when you spend an average of $500 monthly at the grocery store and have high expenses for dining, streaming services, gas, and transit. The Citi Double Cash card earns just 2% cash-back (1% at time of purchase and 1% when you pay) in those bonus spending categories compared to as much as 6% on the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card.

If you spend more in non-bonus categories (such as tuition, household repairs, medical/legal bills, or insurance, for example), earning a total of 2% cash-back (1% at time of purchase and 1% when you pay) with the Citi Double Cash card could be a sound decision. The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card earns just 1% cash-back in these categories.

Bottom Line:

If your household spending mix includes grocery stores, streaming services, gas stations, and transit, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card is likely the better rewards card. If your spending is heavy in non-bonus categories, you may do better earning with the Citi Double Cash card.

Redemption Options

Although the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card and Citi Double Cash Card are both cash-back rewards earning cards, you’ll find differences in redemption options at redemption time.

Here’s how our featured cards compare when it’s time to redeem your rewards.

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Redemption Option	Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card	Citi Double Cash Card
Travel	Redeem Reward Dollars as a statement credit for previous travel purchases	Transfer ThankYou Points to Choice Privileges, JetBlue TrueBlue, or Wyndham Rewards Redeem for travel via Citi Travel Redeem as a statement credit for previous travel purchases
Additional Redemption Options	Statement credits, gift cards, merchandise, Amazon.com checkout	Statement credits, bank transfers, a check, gift cards, Amazon

Cash-back earned on the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card is earned as Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for a statement credit. The benefit of Reward Dollars is that you can save up and use your rewards for an emergency, a vacation, or as a statement credit to offset additional expenses — it’s your choice. You can also redeem Reward Dollars for gift cards or merchandise, but you may not receive good value.

The Citi Double Cash card earns cash-back as ThankYou Points. ThankYou Points are valuable flexible rewards that can be transferred to select airline and hotel partners to redeem for award flights and free hotel nights. Additionally, you can use your points to purchase travel via Citi Travel. You can also redeem your ThankYou Points for statement credits, direct deposit to your bank, a check, gift cards, or shopping at Amazon.com.

Travel Protections and Benefits

Though neither of our featured cards comes with a strong collection of travel protections or benefits, there are a few potentially useful ones.

Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card

Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance

Pay for your entire car rental with the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card, decline the rental agency’s CDW/LDW coverage, and receive secondary coverage for damage and theft of the rental card. Secondary coverage requires first filing a claim with any other applicable insurance before card coverage applies.

As a cardholder, you’ll also have access to Amex Premium Protection, which provides primary car rental insurance for 1 low price ($12.25 to $24.95) that covers the entire rental period, up to 42 days. Primary protection does not require filing a claim before card coverage kicks in.

Global Assist Hotline

It’s comforting to know you’ll have 24/7 access to help when traveling. With 1 call to the Global Assist Hotline, you can receive assistance finding English-speaking medical/legal referrals, translation services, help to arrange emergency transportation, directions for finding lost luggage, replacing lost passports, and more.

Citi Double Cash Card

Lyft Credits

Pay for 3 eligible Lyft rides with your Citi Double Cash card and receive $5 in Lyft credits.

Bottom Line:

Neither the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card nor the Citi Double Cash card is considered a travel rewards card, and neither is strong on travel protections and benefits. Additionally, both cards charge foreign transaction fees, making either card a poor choice for use when traveling internationally.

Shopping Protections and Benefits

Woman with Laptop — Purchasing eligible items with your card could offer additional protection. Image Credit: Polina Tankilevitch via Pexels

Shopping protections that come with your card may provide coverage if something should go wrong with your eligible purchase. Shopping benefits offer an opportunity to earn additional cash-back rewards on select purchases.

Here are the shopping protections and benefits that come with the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card and the Citi Double Cash card.

Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card

Purchase Protection, Extended Warranty, and Return Protection

If you purchase an eligible item with your card, purchase protection will provide coverage for damage and theft for up to 90 days from the purchase date. Coverage limits are $10,000 per item and up to $50,000 per card account each calendar year.

For eligible items purchased with your card, the extended warranty protection will add 1 additional year to an item’s manufacturer’s warranty of 5 years or less.

With return protection, if an eligible item is not accepted for return by the merchant within 90 days of the purchase date, you could receive up to $300 per item, up to $1,000 per card account per calendar year.

Amex Offers

Amex Offers can be money savers — you could earn hundreds of dollars each year in additional cash-back with offers from select retailers and service providers. Log in to your online card account, scroll down to the list of up to 100 Amex Offers, select those you like, and then make the required purchase. You’ll receive a statement credit for the amount of the offer.

Hot Tip:

Both the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card and Citi Double Cash card come with complimentary ShopRunner membership. Enjoy free 2-day shipping, free returns, and special deals from dozens of merchants.

Citi Double Cash Card

DoorDash DashPass

Cardholders receive 3 free months of DoorDash DashPass membership plus a $5 credit each month after activating the complimentary DashPass membership.

Citi Merchant Offers

Log in to your online Citi card account, select the Citi Merchant Offers you like, add those offers to your card, and earn additional cash-back when making the associated purchase.

Bottom Line:

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card comes with shopping protections and benefits such as purchase protection, extended warranty, return protection, and Amex Offers. The Citi Double Cash card comes with Citi Merchant Offers that help you earn additional cash-back.

Additional Features and Benefits

Introductory 0% APR Periods and $0 Plan It Fees

If you have large purchases to make and want to pay it back over time, you could save money with the 0% APR periods and $0 Plan It fees benefits that come with the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card.

If you have credit cards with high-interest balances, the introductory 0% APR for balance transfers on the Citi Double Cash card could allow you to pay it back without interest charges.

Amex Blue Cash Preferred card:
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable APR, 19.24% to 29.99%
- $0 Buy Now, Pay Later intro Plan It fees on plans created during the first 12 months from the date of account opening. Plans created after that will have a fixed monthly plan fee up to 1.33% of each purchase amount moved into a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors.
Citi Double Cash card:
- 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.24%.

Annual Fees and Authorized Users

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 (rates & fees). The Citi Double Cash card has a $0 annual fee.

There is no additional fee to add authorized users to either card.

Recommended Credit Levels for Approval

You will need a good to excellent credit score to qualify for the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card. A good to excellent score is generally considered 670 and above, although we recommend a score of 700 or greater to increase your chances of approval.

While the Citi Double Cash card may be easier to qualify for than the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card (fair to excellent credit score), a good to excellent score improves the likelihood of approval.

In addition to your credit score, your income and credit history will also be considered.

Additional Card Recommendations for Everyday Spending

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card and Citi Double Cash card are both fine choices for everyday spending cards.

If you’re interested in broader choices for travel redemptions and no foreign transaction fees, you may want to consider these 2 additional cards that earn on common everyday purchases.

Citi Premier^® Card

U.P. Rating

Frequent flyers will enjoy 3x ThankYou Points at restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels.

Learn More(at our partner's secure site)

Citi Premier^® Card

Frequent flyers will enjoy 3x ThankYou Points at restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels.

Welcome OfferEarn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$960

Annual Fee

$95

APR

21.24% - 29.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

The Citi Premier^® Card is an excellent option for anyone looking for an all-around travel rewards credit card. The card helps you earn points fast with great 3x bonus categories such as restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotels. Plus, it offers access to airline and hotel transfer partners, doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, and has a reasonable annual fee!

Pros

3x points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotel purchases
Access to Citi transfer partners
Annual hotel credit
No foreign transaction fees

Cons

$95 annual fee

Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou^® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou^® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels
Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
60,000 ThankYou^® Points are redeemable for $600 in gift cards redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com
No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases

Financial Snapshot

APR: 21.24% - 29.24% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Citi ThankYou Rewards

With the Citi Premier card, you can earn 3x ThankYou Points for many daily purchases, including dining, gas stations, and supermarkets. Plus, travelers will enjoy the 3x earnings on air travel and hotel purchases.

At redemption time, the ThankYou Points you’ve earned on your card can be used to purchase travel via Citi Travel or transferred to airline or hotel partners for even greater potential value.

American Express^® Gold Card

BEST FOR DINING

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

American Express^® Gold Card

U.P. Rating

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

American Express^® Gold Card

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Welcome OfferEarn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months.
60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,320

Annual Fee

$250

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

The American Express^® Gold Card is a game-changer.

With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x.

There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are several other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.

Pros

4x points per dollar at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
4x points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases; and 1x thereafter
3x points per dollar on flights purchased directly from airlines or at Amex Travel
Up to $120 annual dining credit: up to $10 monthly statement credit when you pay with the Amex Gold card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations
Up to $120 in annual Uber Cash: get $10 monthly in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. when you add your Gold Card to your Uber account
No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)
Access to Amex’s The Hotel Collection
Access to American Express transfer partners

Cons

$250 annual fee (see rates and fees)
No lounge access

Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
Earn 3X Membership Rewards^® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
$120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express^® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
Get a $100 experience credit with a minimum two-night stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel. Experience credit varies by property.
Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $250.
Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

APR: See Pay Over Time APR
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

The Amex Gold card is a smart choice for an everyday spending card. The card earns flexible Membership Rewards points that can be transferred to airline and hotel partners for excellent potential value.

With strong 4x earnings on restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., 4x earnings at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases; and 1x thereafter), and statement credits for select purchases, the card can make economic sense. Plus, you’ll earn bonus points on flight purchases via AmexTravel.com and directly from the airline.

Final Thoughts

It’s a smart choice to have an everyday spending card for purchases you’re making daily. The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card could be a strong choice for you if your spending includes dining, streaming services, gas, and around $6,000 each year at the supermarket.

But if you don’t spend a lot in those bonus categories and you prefer a no-annual-fee card, the Citi Double Cash card could better reward a broader mix of spending. The Citi Double Cash card is also a good choice if you have high-interest credit card balances you would like to pay off over time by utilizing the introductory 0% APR for balance transfers.

If you travel frequently, you may want to consider having a travel rewards card in addition to an everyday spending card. Our recommendations can work for the avid traveler who values earning well on travel purchases, wants flexible travel redemption options, and can use the accompanying premier travel benefits.

For the return protection benefit of the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

For the purchase protection benefit of the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by Card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the global assist hotline benefit of the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.

For the extended warranty benefit of the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the car rental loss and damage insurance benefit of the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express^® Gold Card, click here.

Featured Image Credit: Upgraded Points

Frequently Asked Questions

Which card is better, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card or the Citi Double Cash card?

The better card for you will depend on your spending mix, how you would like to redeem your rewards, and whether you are comfortable paying an annual fee. The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card earns well on dining, select streaming services, grocery stores, transit, and air travel/hotels. If your household spending is more on non-bonus categories such as tuition, home repairs/remodeling, medical bills, and tax payments, for example, you may fare better with the Citi Double Cash card.

Does the Citi Double Cash card have car rental insurance?

No, the Citi Double Cash card does not come with car rental insurance.

Does the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card earn Membership Rewards points?

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card earns Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, and merchandise. The card does not earn Membership Rewards points.

Does the Citi Double Cash card have purchase protection or extended warranty?

No, the Citi Double Cash card does not come with purchase protection or extended warranty coverage.

Where is the Citi Double Cash card accepted?

The Citi Double Cash card is a Mastercard and is welcome anywhere Mastercard is accepted.

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About Christine Krzyszton

Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.

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Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card vs. Citi Double Cash Card [Detailed Comparison]

Upgraded Points: Expertise You Can Trust

The U.P. Rating System

Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card vs. Citi Double Cash Card — Overview

The Value of a Welcome Offer

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

Pros

Cons

Financial Snapshot

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Pros

Cons

Financial Snapshot

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Earning Potential

Referral Bonus Opportunites

Spending on the Card

Redemption Options

Travel Protections and Benefits

Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card

Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance

Global Assist Hotline

Citi Double Cash Card

Lyft Credits

Shopping Protections and Benefits

Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card

Purchase Protection, Extended Warranty, and Return Protection

Amex Offers

Citi Double Cash Card

DoorDash DashPass

Citi Merchant Offers

Additional Features and Benefits

Introductory 0% APR Periods and $0 Plan It Fees

Annual Fees and Authorized Users

Recommended Credit Levels for Approval

Additional Card Recommendations for Everyday Spending

Citi Premier® Card

Pros

Cons

Financial Snapshot

Card Categories

Rewards Center

American Express® Gold Card

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

Pros

Cons

Financial Snapshot

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Final Thoughts

Frequently Asked Questions

Which card is better, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card or the Citi Double Cash card?

Does the Citi Double Cash card have car rental insurance?

Does the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card earn Membership Rewards points?

Does the Citi Double Cash card have purchase protection or extended warranty?

Where is the Citi Double Cash card accepted?

About Christine Krzyszton

Citi Premier^® Card

American Express^® Gold Card