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Citi Double Cash Card — Full Review [2023]

Name: Citi Double Cash Card — Full Review [2023]
Item: Citi Double Cash Card
Rating: 4.26
Author: Jarrod West

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"Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases."

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)

Jarrod West

- Updated: May 21, 2023, 10:37pm CDT|

2Comments

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

Citi Double Cash - Card Snapshot

Welcome Bonus & Info (Partner Content)
- 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 18.99% – 28.99%, 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).
Card Categories:
Rewards Center
Citi ThankYou Rewards
Customer Service Number
1-888-248-4226
Login Link
https://online.citibank.com
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Great Card If

You want a card with no annual fee
You prefer a card with a basic earning structure, so you don’t have to memorize bonus categories

Don't Get If

You want a card that offers premium travel perks
You want a card that does not charge foreign transaction fees
You want a card that offers bonus categories for the things you spend the most on

Double Cash Card — Fees

Foreign Transaction Fees
3% of the U.S. dollar amount of each purchase
Interest Rates
- 18.99% - 28.99% Variable
Late fees
- Up to $41
Balance Transfers
- 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.99% - 28.99%.
- Intro Fee: There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening.
- Ongoing Fee: A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening
Cash Advance APR
- 29.99% Variable
- Fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.

Double Cash Card - Is It Worth It?

The Double Cash card is an excellent option for those who are looking for a no-annual-fee card that offers a simple but strong earning structure and flexible redemption options.

Since you earn an uncapped 2% back on all purchases, without an annual fee, the Citi Double Cash is easily one of the best credit cards for monthly bills and other non-bonused purchases.

Double Cash Card Top Benefits

Introductory APR

Since the typical user of this card is not spending heavily in any given category, they may want to use this card as a way to float some cash.

0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.99% - 28.99%

There is absolutely no hassle as long as you pay the minimum fee each month (go to the Citibank login right away and set up autopay), allowing you to accrue some quick cash if you need it.

If you’re using the intro APR, just be sure you’ve got a plan to have the cash available by the end of the introductory offer; the APR will be retroactive for anything not paid off by that time.

Other Benefits of the Double Cash Card

While this card is a fairly simple, no-frills card, there are a few more benefits worth mentioning.

First, there is no maximum to the double rewards that you can earn. Whether you spend $1,000 or $100,000 a year, you’ll still earn a total of 2% on all purchases.

Plus, your Citi ThankYou Points can be redeemed for cash-back, travel, gift cards, and more.

Double Cash cardholders can transfer their ThankYou Points to Choice Privileges at a 1:1.5 ratio and Wyndham Rewards and JetBlue TrueBlue at a 1:0.8 ratio. But, if you have a premium Citi ThankYou Rewards card like the Citi Premier® Card or Citi Prestige® Card, you can pool your points together between the cards and then transfer them to any of the full suite of Citi ThankYou transfer partners.

Best Ways To Earn and Redeem Your Citi Points

While you’ll rack up Citi ThankYou Points fast thanks to earning 2% on all purchases (which is earned as points), there are lots of other great options that help you earn more Citi ThankYou Points, as well.

When it comes time to redeem, the best option goes to those who also hold a premium ThankYou Rewards card like the Citi Premier card or the Citi Prestige card, as they can transfer the points earned from your Double Cash card and have access to the full list of Citi transfer partners.

This will unlock all of the best ways to redeem Citi ThankYou Points, which include using your points to book luxurious first and business class award tickets!

Alternative Card to the Double Cash Card

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

The Freedom Unlimited card is another compelling no annual fee card but earns 5% back on travel through the Chase travel portal, 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases, plus 1.5% cash-back on all other purchases instead of 2% offered with the Double Cash card. The Freedom Unlimited card can also earn Chase Ultimate Reward points when paired with a premium chase card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

Read more about how these 2 cards compare: Double Cash card vs. Freedom Unlimited card

We’ve compared the Double Cash card to another popular card:

The information regarding the Citi Prestige® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Featured Image Credit: Citi

Frequently asked questions

Is the Double Cash card worth it?

The card is a great beginner card for those looking to get started in the credit card points world. Thanks to its uncapped 2% ThankYou Points per $1 on all purchases, flexible redemptions, and no annual fee, it makes a great addition to your wallet.

What is the Double Cash card annual fee?

$0 --- there is no annual fee on this card.

What is the Double Cash card foreign transaction fee?

The foreign transaction fee on the card is 3%.

What credit score is needed for the Double Cash card?

There is no specific credit score required to apply for the Double Cash card, nor is there one that will guarantee your approval should you decide to apply. Citi will take your credit score into consideration, along with other factors like your stated income, years of credit history, and the average age of your credit accounts.

But generally speaking, you should feel good about your approval odds on the Double Cash card if your credit score is at least 700 and you have a few years of credit history.

Which card is better: the Chase Freedom Flex℠ Credit Card or the Double Cash card?

Neither card is necessarily better than the other. But some will find one card to be much better suited for them based on their unique needs.

While neither card charges an annual fee, the Freedom Flex card earns 5% back on rotating quarterly categories, 5% back on travel purchased through the Chase travel portal, 3% back on dining and drugstores, and 1% back on all other purchases.

Meanwhile, the Double Cash card does not offer any bonus categories but earns an uncapped 2% back on all purchases.

So, if your spending patterns mainly fall within the bonus categories of the Freedom Flex card, then that would be a much better fit for you. If your spending habits are varied, or you don't want to be bothered with memorizing different categories, then go with the Double Cash card.

Is the Double Cash card a Visa or Mastercard?

The Double Cash card is a Mastercard and is accepted anywhere in the world that Mastercard is accepted.

Where can I transfer my ThankYou Points earned with the Double Cash card?

If you do not also hold a premium ThankYou Point earning card like the Citi Prestige card or Citi Premier card, then your only transfer partner options will be Choice Privileges at a 1:1.5 ratio and Wyndham Rewards and JetBlue TrueBlue at a 1:0.8 ratio.

If you do pair your Double Cash card with a premium ThankYou Rewards card, you will have access to all of Citi's transfer partners.

About Jarrod West

Jarrod has been writing about the ins and outs of credit cards and loyalty programs, along with airlines and hotels, for over 6 years. He is regularly called upon to share his expertise on the latest news within the space, and has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, RetailMeNot, and Yahoo! Finance. Jarrod has over 20 credit cards in his wallet and has tested out dozens more in order to vet the very best card options for readers. As he is constantly sampling new cards, Jarrod also earns (and redeems) over 1 million points and miles each year. This allows him to book luxury travel experiences the world over, and save tens of thousands of dollars in the process.

Avinash Mahajan March 14, 2018
I thought the Warranty is added by 2 Years. In fact, if you purchase an extended warranty from the shop then Citi’s warranty kicks off after extended warranty.
Connor June 3, 2019
Absolutely Terrible. Good luck with the dispute process – this company has horrible customer service that talks to you like you’re a piece of trash. They do not defend the customer. The process for a dispute is easily a full-time job. I had a receipt from the merchant handwritten and an email showing exactly how much money they owed and they still failed the dispute and gave it to the merchant which is more than enough evidence than any average person would have.
Horrible company that forwards calls overseas to rude people in other countries. I will never use them again. American Express and Visa, here I come all over again. I will never deal with Citi again and if that’s MasterCard’s process I will never deal with them either. Not worth the hassle for the 2%… better off sticking with a 1.5% card and not having to deal with them.

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