Citi Double Cash card review 2024
Published 5:47 PM EDT, Thu July 18, 2024
The CNN Underscored Money editorial team has developed a star rating so you can see the best card for specific categories. While we believe this card excels in this category, its overall star rating may differ.
CNN Underscored Money awarded this card 4 stars out of 5 as the best cash back credit card for balance transfers.
The Citi Double Cash? Card * The information for the Citi Double Cash? Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. is one of the best cash back credit cards on the market thanks to its substantial return on all spending.
Pros and cons of the Citi Double Cash
Pros:
- Earns a high rate of cash back with no caps
- Offers a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After that, the standard variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.24%, based on creditworthiness. An intro balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, applies to transfers completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, the fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
- Doesn’t charge an annual fee
Cons:
- Doesn’t have bonus categories
- Doesn’t offer travel or purchase protections
- Charges foreign transaction fees
Digging into the Citi Double Cash
The Citi Double Cash can put money back in your pocket in a few important ways.
First is the card’s welcome bonus of $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening, fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou? Points. That’s on par with the offers available on other top no annual fee credit cards. You’ll also earn 2% cash back on all purchases — 1% when you make a purchase, and another 1% when you pay it off. Plus, through the end of the year, the card earns 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Citi’s travel portal.
The card even has a fantastic introductory interest-free window for balance transfers: 0% intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers (then a 19.24% - 29.24% Variable APR). If you’re trying to escape interest from balances on your other credit cards, the Citi Double Cash can be a great way to consolidate high-APR debt.
Advantages
Respectable earning rate on all purchases
Again, the Citi Double Cash earns 1% back when you make a purchase and 1% back when you pay off that purchase — effectively 2% back on all purchases. This makes the card a great option for those who don’t want to mess with multiple credit cards that offer bonus categories.
If you’re someone who carries a balance on your credit cards, the split earning rate could be a negative, since you’ll only earn 1% back on purchases until you pay them off. Interest on a card balance will grow much faster than your rewards balance, whether you’re earning 1% or 2%.
Above-average intro APR offer
The Citi Double Cash stands out among rewards credit cards with its balance transfer offer. It comes with a 0% intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers (then a 19.24% - 29.24% Variable APR).
Credit cards with longer interest-free periods typically don’t earn rewards for spending — rendering them mostly impotent after the 0% APR window closes. This makes the Citi Double Cash stand out in a big way.
Rewards can be converted into airline miles and hotel points
The rewards you earn with the Citi Double Cash aren’t technically cash — they’re a currency called Citi ThankYou Rewards points, which you can redeem for cash or travel booked through Citi at a rate of 1 cent each. That means the card effectively earns 2 Citi ThankYou points per dollar on all purchases.
Here’s why that’s important: If you also hold the Citi Strata Premier? Card * The information for the Citi Strata Premier? Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. (Citi’s travel credit card), you can convert your rewards into airline miles and hotel points for travel. Citi partners with over a dozen loyalty programs, including Wyndham Rewards, JetBlue TrueBlue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
This is the primary way I use the Citi ThankYou points I earn from my Citi Double Cash. For example, I recently converted 33,000 ThankYou points into Virgin Atlantic points for a fancy lie-flat “Upper Class” seat between London and Tel Aviv for later this year. The seat otherwise cost over $1,000, giving me a value of more than 3 cents per point. That’s a significantly better value than simply cashing out my rewards for 1 cent each.
Other Citi cards besides the Citi Strata Premier still allow some points transfers, though they may come at a less useful ratio.
Easier to get than most rewards credit cards
The Citi Double Cash has lower approval standards than the vast majority of rewards credit cards. While most require at least a good credit score (670 or above, according to the FICO scoring model), this card may accept applicants with fair credit scores (as low as 580, per FICO, though issuers can use their own models). That’s a big deal for those with less-than-stellar credit looking for a solid cash back option.
Disadvantages
No bonus categories
The Citi Double Cash doesn’t offer bonus rewards for everyday purchases, such as gas and dining. You’ll earn the same effective 2% return for everything. Many other credit cards offer more than 2% for such expenses.
This feature may be a benefit instead of a hindrance, depending on your credit card strategy.
No travel benefits
Though the Citi Double Cash credit card earns rewards that have the potential to be converted into airline miles and hotel points, the card itself is an abysmal option for spending on travel. It offers no travel protection, such as rental car insurance or trip delay insurance, and it even charges a 3% foreign transaction fee. Leave it at home during your next international trip.
No purchase protection
The card’s lack of insurance is also glaring when it comes to everyday purchases. Many cards, including no annual fee options, offer some sort of extended warranty protection, return protection or purchase protection. This card has none of these.
How the Citi Double Cash stacks up
Citi Double Cash vs. Citi Custom Cash
The Citi Custom Cash? Card * The information for the Citi Custom Cash? Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. is a no annual fee sibling of the Citi Double Cash. The Citi Custom Cash Card does offer bonus categories — specifically, 5% back on up to $500 in spending per billing cycle (then 1%) for the one eligible category you use most. Eligible categories include restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, home improvement stores and streaming services.
Though the Citi Custom Cash Card offers a high-octane return on a portion of your monthly spending, its base earning rate is 1% — half what you can get with the Citi Double Cash. In other words, the Citi Double Cash may still net more rewards each year, depending on your spending habits.
Citi Double Cash vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash
Perhaps the most direct competitor of the Citi Double Cash is the Wells Fargo Active Cash? Card (terms apply, see rates and fees). It earns a flat 2% cash rewards on purchases and even comes with a 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers (then a 19.74%, 24.74%, or 29.74% Variable APR).
While that’s a shorter window than the Citi Double Cash offers, the fact that it applies to new purchases (instead of just balance transfers) may work better for your situation. The card also offers protections such as secondary rental car insurance and cell phone insurance.
Similar to the Citi Double Cash, you can convert the cash back you earn with the Wells Fargo Active Cash into Wells Fargo Rewards (Wells Fargo’s travel rewards currency) if you also have a qualifying Wells Fargo travel card, such as the Wells Fargo Autograph? Card (terms apply, see rates and fees).
Citi Double Cash vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited
The Chase Freedom Unlimited? offers a great balance of bonus categories with a respectable base earning rate of 1.5% back for any purchases that don’t fall into a bonus category. You’ll have to estimate your monthly expenses to determine which card will net you the most rewards.
You’ll also receive a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (followed by a 19.99% - 28.74% Variable APR). And similar to the Citi Double Cash, the Chase Freedom Unlimited actually earns Chase Ultimate Rewards? points (Chase’s travel points currency), which you can redeem for cash back, travel booked through Chase Travel? and more.
If you also hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred? Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve? or the Ink Business Preferred? Credit Card, you can transfer your points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners, such as United Airlines MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards and World of Hyatt.
Should you get the Citi Double Cash?
No matter your specific spending patterns, the Citi Double Cash is a strong option. A card that effectively earns 2% back on all purchases can be a useful part of your wallet if you’re serious about maximizing rewards. This is true whether you don’t want to exert the mental energy to use a card that offers bonus categories or you’re looking to complement credit cards that do have bonus categories.
I personally use my Citi Double Cash in tandem with my bonus category-toting credit cards as a catch-all for expenses that aren’t bonused by any other card (think oil changes and medical bills).
All to say, the Citi Double Cash? Card * The information for the Citi Double Cash? Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. is one of the few credit cards where it’s hard to go wrong. Even if your credit card strategy evolves, it’ll likely still be useful.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
The Citi Double Cash requires at least a fair credit score for approval. Fair credit on the FICO scale is any score between 580 and 669.
The Citi Double Cash has a 3% foreign transaction fee. If you’re looking for a credit card to use internationally, pick one that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.
The credit limit you receive will be based on your creditworthiness, income and other factors. There’s no way to predict exactly the limit you’ll receive, even if you’ve got a stellar credit profile. The minimum credit limit is $500.
You can check to see if you pre-qualify for the Citi Double Cash (and some other Citi credit cards) by navigating to the credit cards section of Citi’s website and clicking on “See If You’re Pre-Qualified” in the dropdown menu. You may also receive a targeted mailer if Citi thinks you’re a good candidate for the card. Credit card pre-qualification doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be approved, however.
You can request a balance transfer to your Citi Double Cash online by heading to the “Payments and Transfers” menu in your Citi online account and selecting a balance transfer. Citi says balance transfers typically take 10 days or fewer to process, but if you’re a new card holder, it won’t process a balance transfer until at least 14 days after your account opening date.
All information about Citi Custom Cash? Card, Citi Double Cash? Card and Citi Strata Premier? Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.
