Citi® Double Cash Card Review

The Citi® Double Cash Card is an excellent card for those looking for cash back or looking to earn more points on everyday spending. In our Citi® Double Cash Card review we will look at the welcome offer, card perks, earning structure and share our overall thoughts.

Current Welcome Offer

Currently, the Double Cash has a welcome offer which is a rarity for this card. The details are as follows:

• Earn $200 cash back (in the form of 20,000 ThankYou points) after spending $1,500 within the first 6 months of card membership.
• There is no annual fee for this card

Even with this new welcome offer this card is often one that is best downgraded to. We think grabbing one of the American Airlines personal cards is a great option to get a welcome offer and then to downgrade into after a year. That is of course assuming you are over Chase 5/24 and have a good credit history. If you are just starting out in your credit journey then signing up for the Double Cash directly can make sense. In order to build your credit history with no annual fee.

Citi Application Rules

If you choose to apply, remember that Citi will approve you for at most one card every eight days, and two cards every 65 days. You are not eligible for the welcome offer on this card if you have earned the welcome offer on the same card within the last 48 months.

Citi® Double Cash Card Review: Earning Structure

The Double Cash has the following earning structure:

• Earns 2% cash back (or 2x ThankYou points) on all purchases.
  • The card’s cash back comes in two steps:
    • You receive 1% cash back when you make a purchase
    • You receive the other 1% when you pay it off

The are no annual or lifetime caps on earning 2% cash back. If you have a card that earns ThankYou points, like the Citi Premier® Card, you can convert your cash back rewards into ThankYou points. Like other transferable points currencies, Citi ThankYou points can yield incredible value when transferred to airline partners.

ToP Analysis

The Double Cash is an excellent card on its own because of the 2% cash back. When paired with the Citi Premier, the Double Cash becomes a ThankYou points workhorse that earns 2x points on every purchase. 

The Double Cash also competes well against similar no-annual fee cards from Chase and Amex. Neither Chase nor Amex have any cards that match the Double Cash’s earning potential from everyday spending on the personal side of things. Nothing from those banks tops 1.5% / 1.5x back.

Lastly, the flexibility to use the Double Cash’s rewards as either cash back or converting into ThankYou points is particularly helpful for flexibility. 

Citi® Double Cash Card Review: ToP Thoughts

The Double Cash is a must-have for those looking to earn Citi ThankYou points. When paired with the Citi Premier, the Double Cash is an excellent backstop to help you earn multiple points per dollar on every single purchase. The added flexibility to use the Double Cash’s rewards to either convert them into ThankYou points or use as cash back is an added benefit that many are sure to enjoy.

What role does the Citi Double Cash play in your points-earning strategy? Be sure to share on our Facebook group, where you can learn how other members are maximizing this card’s potential.

Travel on Point(s) has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Travel on Point(s) and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.