Why I Recommended the Citi Double Cash Card to My Parents for Simple 2% Cash-Back Rewards

Since retiring from a big city to a smaller community, my parents’ spending habits have changed. The Costco Anywhere Visa^® Card by Citi had been their primary everyday card, but after moving to an area without a Costco, they wanted to investigate a new card.

As seniors, they’re now shopping more online and at Sam’s Club, and dining out less. They have medical-related spending at doctors’ offices and at pharmacies. Their expenses generally fall outside of traditional bonus categories, as they are considered everyday expenses.

For folks who rank simplicity and easy rewards over chasing points and miles for premium flights, I had the perfect no-fuss suggestion for them: the Citi Double Cash^® Card.

My Cash-Back Card Recommendations

My parents were not interested in a premium luxury card or a travel rewards card, so I started simple by comparing some of my favorite cash-back credit cards that didn’t carry an annual fee.

I’ve had the Double Cash card before myself. It’s an easy catch-all card that earns 2% cash-back on purchases: 1% when you buy and 1% as you pay, with no categories, caps, or annual fee.

I advised my parents that if a lot of their spending was shifting to Amazon or online retailers, adding the Prime Visa card for 5% back at Amazon (with an eligible Prime membership) or the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card for 3% cash-back on U.S. online retail purchases (on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%) would help maximize those purchases.

My alternate card recommendations were the Sam’s Club card, to earn 5% back in Sam’s Cash on gas and Sam’s Club purchases (as my parents are Plus members), and the Freedom Unlimited card or Freedom Flex card, for 3% cash-back on drugstores and dining.

Why the Double Cash Card Is a Winner

The Double Cash card earns 2% cash-back on every purchase; 1% cash-back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. 

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Citi Double Cash^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

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

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Citi Double Cash^® Card

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

Welcome Offer

Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou^® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.

$200 cash back

Annual Fee

$0

APR

18.49% to 28.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

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 & Cons

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

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Card Highlights

• Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus 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. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
• Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.49% – 28.74%, 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).

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 18.49% to 28.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of the U.S. dollar amount of each purchase

Rewards Center

Citi ThankYou Rewards

The Double Cash card has several additional benefits for a $0-annual-fee card:

• Earn 5% cash-back on hotel, car rentals, and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
• Receive a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.49% to 28.74%.
• Citi Merchant Offers showcase targeted cash-back bonuses at certain merchants.
• Citi Entertainment provides access to ticket presales and exclusive experiences for concerts and sporting events.

ThankYou Points Set the Double Cash Card Apart

A handful of cards offer 2% cash-back with no annual fee, like the Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card, but what makes the Double Cash card unique is that it earns its cash-back as ThankYou Points. This opens redemption opportunities beyond basic cash-back through Citi ThankYou Rewards transfer partners, such as Air France-KLM Flying Blue, American Airlines AAdvantage, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

On its own, the points earned with the Double Cash card can transfer to travel partners at a reduced rate. However, when a Double Cash card is paired with a premium Citi ThankYou Rewards card like the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card or the Citi Strata Premier^® Card, you can pool points together between the cards and transferred at the highest ratio.

I appreciate that my parents can transfer their points to travel partners, even though they generally stick to basic cash-back. There is no limit to how much cash-back they can earn, and it can be redeemed as a statement credit, direct deposit, or check.

Final Thoughts

A new home base meant my parents would no longer benefit as much from using their primary credit card, so they kicked their Costco Anywhere card into the sock drawer and got the Double Cash card. They won’t maximize earnings in their primary spending categories with a wallet full of new cards, but they will save time and hassle by using 1 card that broadly delivers a great 2% cash-back return on their expenses.