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I’ve had the Citi Double Cash® Card for about a decade, which earns an unlimited 2% cash back on purchases — 1% when purchases are made and another 1% when they’re paid off, plus, for a limited time, 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/24. I initially applied for the card because I wanted to earn cash-back rewards on everyday spending that didn’t qualify for bonus categories on my other cards. Over the years, Citi has made significant improvements that have increased the card’s value proposition. Here’s why you should consider adding the Citi Double Cash Card to your wallet.
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Citi Double Cash® Card
How the Citi Double Cash Card has improved its value
Like most banks, Citi re-evaluates credit card benefits on a regular basis. It adds or subtracts rewards, benefits and other features over time to remain competitive and attract new cardholders. Here are a few of the major changes that have made it even more valuable to me over time.
The rewards no longer expire
For many years, if you didn’t earn or redeem rewards every 12 months with the Citi Double Cash Card, they’d expire. I hate to admit it, but I lost out on rewards because I wasn’t paying close enough attention to my card in 2020 during the pandemic. Thankfully, Citi amended these rules in March 2022, sunsetting an expiration date on rewards as long as your account remains open and in good standing.
There’s no longer a minimum redemption requirement
Previously, there was a minimum redemption requirement of $25 if you wanted to redeem rewards. Now, there are no minimums when redeeming rewards for cash back or statement credits.
Now earns ThankYou Points instead of straight cash back
As part of the card’s update in 2022, the Citi Double Cash Card earns ThankYou® Points instead of cash back. While it is still advertised as a cash-back credit card, you’ll earn flexible ThankYou Points with multiple redemption options.
Since 2019, cardholders have had the option of converting their cash-back rewards into ThankYou Points at a 1:1 ratio. This change eliminated the conversion step and unlocked flexible redemption options and the ability to combine rewards with other Citi cards that earn ThankYou points.
The ability to use transfer partners
While the Citi Double Cash Card earns ThankYou Points, it doesn’t have access to all of Citi’s transfer partners. Instead, cardholders can transfer points to just three of Citi’s 19 transfer partners. Eligible transfer partners (and the transfer ratios) include:
- Choice Privileges (1,000 TYP = 1,500 Choice Privileges points)
- JetBlue TrueBlue (1,000 TYP = 800 True Blue points)
- Wyndham Rewards (1,000 TYP = 800 Wyndham Rewards points)
It is nice that these points can be transferred to select airline and hotel partners. This introduces the power of transfer partners to people just learning about travel rewards. However, as you can see from the Citi ThankYou Points transfer matrix, transfers from the Citi Double Cash Card (and several other no-annual-fee Citi cards) have a lower transfer ratio than higher level cards like the Citi Prestige® Card (which is no longer open to new applications) and the Citi Premier® Card * The information for the Citi Premier® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. .
Ready to use your ThankYou points for a vacation? Here’s our guide to the Citi ThankYou travel portal
Added a welcome bonus
The welcome bonus offer for the Citi Double Cash Card comes and goes. Currently, you can earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. Previously, Citi did not offer a welcome bonus.
Bonus cash back on Citi Travel purchases
For a limited time, you can earn an elevated cash-back rewards rate on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through the Citi Travel℠ portal through Dec. 31, 2024. However, air travel does not earn the elevated rate.
To book these reservations, log into your account at thankyou.com, or call 800-842-6596 and say “Travel” to speak with the travel department.
Other benefits of the Citi Double Cash Card
Aside from these improvements, the Citi Double Cash Card offers exceptional value for everyday use. Here are a few of the benefits that I took advantage of when I originally applied for the card.
Elevated cash back
The Citi Double Cash Card earns 2% cash back on purchases — 1% when purchases are made and another 1% when they’re paid off, plus, for a limited time, 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/24. While you can earn a flat cash back rate on all your spending, you won’t receive the full amount until you pay off your purchases.
Cardholders can redeem their rewards for statement credits, as well as a direct deposit or check, or for gift cards or travel. However, they do not count toward your monthly minimum payment due. My preference is to request a deposit to my bank account, then I make my monthly payment. This way, I won’t miss out on earning cash back on my payments.
Unlimited rewards
Some cash-back credit cards, like the Chase Freedom Flex℠ * The information for the Chase Freedom Flex℠ has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. or the Citi Custom Cash® Card, have a cap on their elevated rewards. The Citi Double Cash Credit card earns an unlimited flat-rate of 2% cash back on purchases — 1% when purchases are made and another 1% when they’re paid off, plus, for a limited time, 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/24. This way, you don’t have to worry about tracking your purchases, activating limited-time promotions or remembering which bonus categories qualify for higher rewards.
Intro APR on balance transfers
As I was paying off my student loans and other debt, I would take advantage of balance transfer promotions to eliminate interest charges for a specified period of time. The Citi Double Cash Card includes a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After that, the standard variable APR will be 19.24% to 29.24%. An intro balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, applies to transfers completed in the first 4 months. After that, the fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5). This provides over a year of interest-free financing on balance transfers, so all of your monthly payments go toward paying down your debt, helping you knock it out more quickly.
Interested in applying for the Citi Double Cash? This is what you need to know about pre-qualifying for Citi credit cards
What to watch out for
While there are numerous benefits available from the Citi Double Cash Card, it is lacking some perks that other cards offer. Here are a few details that you need to be aware of.
No intro APR offer on purchases
Having an intro APR offer on purchases allows new cardholders to avoid interest charges on the things they buy during the promotional period. This is especially helpful when making a larger purchase that will take time to pay off or when your income isn’t predictable. The Citi Double Cash Card only has an intro APR offer on balance transfers.
Foreign transaction fees
If you plan on traveling outside the U.S., you’ll be hit with a foreign transaction fee of 3% on purchases made with the Citi Double Cash Card. These hidden fees inflate the cost of your purchases and you typically won’t see them until you get your monthly statement or log into your account. This card is excellent for cash-back rewards, but leave it at home on international trips to avoid these fees.
No purchase or travel protections
Many rewards credit cards include complimentary purchase and travel protections that cover you in case something goes wrong. Purchase protections from competing credit cards may include coverage against loss, damage or theft, the ability to get reimbursed when a retailer won’t accept a return and an extended warranty of up to one year.
There are a variety of travel protections that consumers find valuable, including rental car coverage, trip delay protection, baggage insurance and trip cancellation and interruption insurance. Unfortunately, the Citi Double Cash Card does not include any purchase or travel protections in its lineup of benefits.
Final verdict
I’ve had the Citi Double Cash Card for over 10 years and it’s earned me a lot of cash back over that time. It was a good card when I applied for it, but the issuer’s enhancements have further increased the card’s value for current and new cardholders. Two of the most valuable benefits have been the elimination of the 12-month rewards expiration rule and the addition of transfer partners. With these improvements, the Citi Double Cash credit card will continue to have a place in my wallet.
The Citi Double Cash pairs well with other Citi cards. Our guide to the best Citi cards can help you pick the perfect Double Cash companion