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Advertiser disclosure
The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Reviews
Citi Double Cash Card review: Simple rewards and 2% cash back on everything
Katie Genter is a digital nomad who has traveled full time since June 2017. She writes and edits stories about points and miles, and loyalty programs, often letting her personal experiences color these stories.
Compliance manager Stanley Sanford has years of compliance experience in the credit card industry dating back to 2017. He's reviewed content for several reputable sites, including CreditCards.com, Bankrate, CNET. and even thepointsguy.com before leading the compliance team for The Points Guy full time in early 2022.
When Ryan worked as a TPG credit cards writer, he oversaw refreshes of card reviews and card offer stories. He enjoyed racking up cash back and helping readers maximize their points and miles for their next big trip.
also contributed to this story
January 16, 2025 • 10 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Editorial note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. Citi is a TPG advertising partner.
Quick summary
This card provides a straightforward way to earn cash-back rewards at a consistent rate for all purchases, with additional value when paired with select premium cards.
Rewards are issued as points that can be redeemed for statement credits, direct deposit, gift cards or travel bookings, with the best value typically found in cash-back redemptions.
Cardholders can transfer points to a limited set of loyalty partners, but access to more transfer options is available if combined with certain other cards.
The card is well-suited for those seeking simplicity and no annual fee, though it offers limited additional perks.
What to consider
A welcome bonus is currently available after meeting a minimum spend within six months, though this is not always offered.
Foreign transaction fees apply, making it less ideal for use outside the U.S.
To maximize point transfer flexibility, pairing with a premium card is necessary.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed comparison of competing cash-back cards and strategies to optimize point redemptions for greater value.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Related stories
Citi Double Cash® Card
TPG Editor's Rating4 / 5
at Citi's secure site. Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
Rewards rate
2%
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.
5%
Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
The (see rates and fees) is one of the simplest and most rewarding cash-back rewards cards. It earns 2% cash back on all purchases — 1% when you make a purchase and another 1% when you pay it off — making it a hard-to-beat card, especially when you factor in no annual fee. Plus, you can convert your rewards to fully transferable ThankYou points if you also have other select Citi cards. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
The Citi Double Cash Card is the cash-back card I recommend most to friends and family. If you’re earning less than 2% back on your credit or debit card purchases, you can benefit from how the Citi Double Cash Card earns up to 2% cash back on all purchases (given as 1% when you make a purchase, plus 1% as you pay that purchase off).
We recommend applicants have a good credit score of 670 or higher to increase their chances of getting approved for the Citi Double Cash Card.
You’ll automatically earn cash-back rewards in the form of ThankYou points that you can redeem for statement credits and more. But you’ll unlock higher-value redemption options if you also hold a (see rates and fees) or Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available to new applicants), as you can then convert your rewards to fully transferable ThankYou points.
Best of all, the Citi Double Cash doesn't charge an annual fee, so keeping it in your wallet year after year is a no-brainer. Let’s take a closer look at this simple yet valuable card.
The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Citi Double Cash welcome offer
Right now, the is offering $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening.
The Citi Double Cash Card doesn’t offer many other standout benefits or perks as a no-annual-fee card. However, it does offer:
A chip-enabled card to use at merchants that support contactless pay
$0 liability on unauthorized charges
Access to Citi Entertainment, which offers special access to purchase tickets to thousands of events
Enrollment in complimentary ID theft protection that monitors your information and alerts you if suspicious activity is found
PEKIC/GETTY IMAGES
Note that the Citi Double Cash also has a 3% foreign transaction fee. As such, you’ll want to have an alternate card without foreign transaction fees to use when traveling outside the U.S.
You’ll earn cash back in the form of ThankYou points with limited transferability when you make purchases with the Citi Double Cash. Cardmembers earn 1% cash back when they buy and 1% when they pay for their purchases.
PROSTOCK STUDIO/GETTY IMAGES
Citi Double Cash cardmembers can earn 5% total cash-back rewards — 3% cash back on top of that standard 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay — on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through the Citi Travel site.
Your card account must be current to earn rewards. This means you must pay at least the minimum payment due by the first day of each billing period — although it’s best practice to pay your statement in full whenever possible.
The earns ThankYou points with limited transferability. The value you’ll get when redeeming these ThankYou points will vary depending on your chosen redemption. Here’s a look at redeeming the ThankYou points you earn with the Citi Double Cash Card.
Redeem for cash back
If you want the simplest redemption option that still provides good value, you can redeem for cash-back rewards at a rate of 1 cent per point. You can request this cash back as a statement credit or direct deposit of any amount. Alternatively, you can request a check in the mail if you redeem for at least $5 in cash-back rewards.
Redeem for gift cards
You can also redeem your ThankYou points for gift cards, although the redemption rate will vary depending on the merchant. You’ll usually find the highest redemption rates in the sale section, where I found a $25 Red Lobster gift card on sale for 2,250 points (a redemption rate of 1.11 cents per point).
THANKYOU.COM
Book travel
You can redeem Citi ThankYou points earned with the Citi Double Cash Card toward hotels, flights, rental cars and attractions you book through the Citi Travel portal. In the example searches I did for each type of travel booking, I could get 1 cent per point each when redeeming points from my Citi Double Cash account.
Shop with points
You can also redeem Citi ThankYou points at the following merchants through the Shop with Points program:
1-800-Flowers
Amazon
Best Buy
BP/Amoco
CVS
Dollar General
Giant Eagle
HomeGoods
Marshalls
Murphy USA
Paypal
Schnucks
Shell
TJ Maxx
Walgreens
Walmart
However, when you Shop with Points, you’ll usually get a redemption rate of less than 1 cent per point. We recommend redeeming for a statement credit or direct deposit instead of using Shop for Points.
Donate your points
You can also donate your ThankYou points to various charities, starting at 1,000 points per donation. However, it will usually be better to get a statement credit or direct deposit and then donate to a charity of your choice if you feel generous.
Transfer your points
As discussed in the next section, you can redeem your points by transferring them to other Citi ThankYou Rewards members or travel loyalty programs.
You can transfer points you earn with your in two primary ways. Firstly, you can transfer up to 100,000 ThankYou points per calendar year to other ThankYou members. However, know that points transferred to other members expire 90 days after receiving them.
MOMO PRODUCTIONS/GETTY IMAGES
You can also transfer Citi ThankYou points to select loyalty partners. If you don’t have the or Citi Prestige card, you’ll only have the option to transfer to four loyalty partners:
Choice Privileges: 1,000 ThankYou points can be converted to 1,500 Choice points
JetBlue TrueBlue: 1,000 ThankYou points can be converted to 800 JetBlue points
Shop Your Way: 1 ThankYou point can be converted to 10 Shop Your Way points
Wyndham Rewards: 1,000 ThankYou points can be converted to 800 Wyndham points
If you also have the or Citi Prestige, you can combine the ThankYou points from your Citi Double Cash Card with the ThankYou points from one of these cards. When you do this, you’ll be able to use your ThankYou points as if you earned them with your Citi Strata Premier or Citi Prestige, including transferring them to all of the standard Citi ThankYou Rewards partners.
The Citi Double Cash Card is a great choice to earn 2% cash back (1% when you make a purchase and another 1% when you pay it off). But, there are three primary situations where a different cash-back rewards card might be better for you:
If you want more benefits: The has no annual fee (see rates and fees) and offers 2% cash rewards on all purchases, and includes valuable cellular telephone protection. For more information, read our Wells Fargo Active Cash review.
If you already have (or plan to get) a Chase Ultimate Rewards card: The (see rates and fees) has no annual fee and is worth considering if you already have (or plan to eventually get) a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. The card earns at least 1.5% cash-back rewards on all purchases and offers the opportunity to convert your cash-back rewards to transferable points if you have a Chase Ultimate Rewards card. For more information, read our full review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited.
If you want a card with bonus categories, The (see rates and fees) has no annual fee and earns 5% on the first $1,500 spent each quarter in select rotating categories. Like the Freedom Unlimited, you can convert your cash back to Ultimate Rewards if you hold an Ultimate Rewards earning card. For more information, read our full review of the Chase Freedom Flex.
The Citi Double Cash is a great choice if you’re looking for simple cash-back rewards without worrying about spending categories. You can also use it as part of a larger Citi credit card strategy. After all, you can get more value from Double Cash rewards when you have a premium Citi ThankYou card and can utilize the full set of Citi ThankYou transfer partners.
If you're looking to earn cash back in a straightforward way without paying an annual fee, the Citi Double Cash could be worth adding to your wallet.
If you’re looking for a cash-back credit card where you don’t have to worry about bonus categories, the Citi Double Cash Card may very well be the right card for you.
But even if you do like to maximize bonus categories with other cards, it can also serve as an everyday spending card for your non-bonus category purchases. If you have a premium Citi credit card like the , you can unlock more transfer partners for the rewards you earn with your Citi Double Cash Card.
