Review: Citi Double Cash
The Citi Double Cash is the perfect companion to the Citi Premier. This no annual fee card earns 1% back on all purchases plus another 1% back when you pay your bill. It is the best card out there for everyday purchases.
Quick Facts
New Signup Bonus: 20,000 points or $200 cash back after spending $1500 in 6 months.
Points Earned: Citi ThankYou Points. These points can be redeemed for cash back at a rate of 1 cent per point. Additionally, you can transfer them to JetBlue, Choice Privileges, or Wyndham (at a poor value). However, if you pair this with the Citi Premier these points become much more valuable.
Earnings Structure:
1 point when you make your purchase
1 point when you pay your bill
Foreign Transaction Fees: 3%
Annual Fee: none
This card is the best card for everyday spending, earning an unrivaled 2% back on all purchases. Earning at least 2 points per dollar is the gold standard for credit cards. Although there is no signup bonus, this is a great card for all non-bonused spending.
Pair this with the Citi Strata Premier
When you pair this card with the Citi Strata Premier (or the Citi Prestige if you still have it), you get access to transfer your points to the full suite of Citi’s partners include Air France/KLM, Singapore Airlines, Emirates and more. The Citi Strata Premier also has some of the most well rounded bonus categories around. If you could only have two cards, these would be the two I would recommend.
Citi Transfer Partners
Citi has 16 airline and hotel transfer partners. The only downside is of their airline partners, only JetBlue is based in the US. While that might scare some people off, after reading my posts about how to maximize your credit card points you’ll realize that having only one domestic airline shouldn’t be an issue. Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Avianca Lifemiles, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, just to name a few are some of the best programs to redeem points with and can even be used for flights within the US as well as abroad. Be on the lookout for transfer bonuses as Citi regulary has bonuses when you transfer points to one of their partners. You can get an additional 20-30%.
Citi Offers
Similar to Amex and Chase Offers, Citi has certain deals you can enroll in at various places to get cash back. Citi’s Merchant Offers are almost as plentiful as Amex’s and far more than what Chase has. Additionally, there are often overlaps with American Airline’s SimplyMiles site as well as Upside.
Is it Worth It?
Absolutely! The Citi Double Cash is the best card for everyday purchases and is even more appealing since there is no annual fee. Coupled with the Citi Premier, this card is unstoppable. Just don’t use this card outside the US as you’ll pay an additional 3% foreign transaction fee which will all but wipe out the rewards you’ll earn.
Want to apply? Citi Double Cash
