Citi Double Cash Card

The Citi Double Cash Mastercard is a popular choice for a flat-rate cash back rewards card. Its no fee simplicity is hard to beat, and you can take advantage of 0% APR on balance transfers for 18 months.

2% cash back for no annual fee

While you can earn 2% cash back on every purchase, it’s not guaranteed. You actually earn 1% cash back...twice.

Earn 1% cash back on every purchase

You earn your first 1% cash back when you make a purchase, with no caps or categories to worry about.

Of course, like most cash back cards, you don’t earn cash rewards on balance transfers, cash advances, account fees, interest charges, or returned items.

Earn another 1% cash back when you pay for those purchases

You earn your second 1% cash back when you pay for those purchases. Pay your full balance off every month, and you get your full 2% cash back. Easy peasy.

And while you can carry a balance and still get another 1% cash back on purchases when you pay for them later on down the road, you’ll be charged interest on your balance, significantly reducing the benefit of this card.

Our advice? Pay your balance off in full every month, and enjoy those sweet rewards without having interest charges dig into your savings.

How to redeem your cash back rewards

And you have a lot of flexibility when it comes to redeeming your rewards. You can get your cash back as a statement credit, a direct deposit into your bank account, a check, or you can convert it into Citi ThankYou points.

Citi Double Cash balance transfer

While some credit cards are reducing or eliminating their balance transfer offers, the Citi Double Cash still has its in place.

With this cash back credit card, you can take advantage of 0% APR on balance transfers for 18 months, giving you an opportunity to save on interest payments if you have any lingering high-interest debt.

There are some caveats of course. You have to complete the balance transfer within 4 months of opening your account in order to get this introductory rate. Also, you’ll be charged a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of the transfer, whichever is greater.

Citi Double Cash benefits

What else does this Mastercard have to offer?

No annual fee

With no annual fee, this credit card costs nothing to keep in your pocket. And if you avoid those pesky interest charges, you’ll get 2% cash back on everything you buy.

Citi Entertainment

You'll gain access to the Citi Entertainment program if you have this credit card, giving you access to purchase tickets to 1,000s of events and exclusive experiences. Get first dibs on tickets for concerts, sporting events, and dining experiences.

Credit card protection

For no additional fee, Citi gives you 24 hour fraud protection, identity theft resolution, and their "Lost Wallet" service, in which they’ll give you a replacement card within 24 hours. They’ll even provide you with emergency cash (up to your cash advance limit) if you need it.

Contactless pay

The world is moving more towards providing contactless payment options, and the Citi Double Cash card is part of the movement. Just tap your card on a payment reader, and you don't need to touch the machine to enter your pin or insert the card.

Digital wallet support

Not only does Citi have an app for iPhone and Android, the Citi Double Cash Mastercard can be used with:

• Apple Pay,
• Google Pay,
• Samsung Pay, and
• PayPal.

Citi Double Cash drawbacks

There are some drawbacks to the credit card, however.

No travel insurance

While it’s not unexpected for a no fee cash back credit card, it’s disappointing that the Citi Double Cash card has no additional insurance coverage.

3% foreign transaction fee

You’ll also get dinged 3% for every purchase you make with the card in a currency other than USD. And this is on top of the regular currency exchange rate. These little fees can add up if you’re traveling or making lots of online purchases.

Alternative cash back credit cards to consider

Interested in cash back credit cards, but not sure what’s available? Here are a couple of options, and you can find more on our best no fee cash back credit cards list.

Bottom line

The Citi Double Cash Mastercard is a solid choice if you’re looking for simple cash back rewards and rarely carry a balance on your credit card. There are similar cards with more perks, but your earn rate tends to be a little less over all.

FAQ

Does the Citi Double Cash Mastercard have a sign-up bonus?

It does not. You can take advantage of 0% APR on balance transfers for 18 months, however, which can be nice if you’ve got some stubborn high-interest debt lingering around.

What’s the Citi Double Cash Mastercard’s foreign transaction fee?

This Mastercard has a standard 3% foreign transaction fee, which can add up fast if you’re traveling or doing a lot of online shopping in non-US currencies.

Does the Citi Double Cash Mastercard come with any travel insurance?

It does not. The only coverage included with this credit card is extended warranty and purchase protection.