CitiDouble Cash

5260 9341 4153 3686

VALID THRU 10/29ALEX MORGAN

Glass jar with money and coins spilled on table — Photo: Sasun Bughdaryan / Unsplash

Cash Back Cards · United States

Citi Double Cash Card

4.6 / 5 editorial rating

Best for: Disciplined payers and people consolidating balance-transfer debt

Reviewed by the CreditCardCompare editorial team · Fees and rates checked September 2026 — confirm on the issuer's site before you apply

Annual feeNo annual fee

IssuerCiti

NetworkMastercard

Purchase APR17.49%–27.49% variable

Foreign transaction fee3%

Credit neededGood (690+)

Pros

No annual fee
Flat 2% rewards
Good for balance transfers

Cons

3% foreign purchase fee
You only get the second 1% once you pay the bill

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Rates and offers change. Confirm today's terms on the issuer's official site before applying. Independent comparison — not financial advice.

Our take on the Citi Double Cash Card

The Citi Double Cash is the best choice for someone who wants 2% back on everything with no annual fee and pays in full each month, because half of the reward is earned only when you pay the bill. As of September 2026 Citi pays 1% when you buy and another 1% as you pay, plus a total of 5% on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through Citi Travel.

That pay-to-earn design is fair to people who clear their balance but does nothing for those who revolve one. A single month of interest at the card's variable APR is roughly the same as the 2% you earned, so if you carry a balance, the useful feature is whatever intro balance transfer offer Citi lists when you apply, not the cash back.

Its weak spots are travel and large categories. There is a 3% foreign transaction fee on purchases, so leave it at home on trips abroad, and a household spending $600 a month on groceries would earn more from a supermarket card. We see it as the default card for everything that doesn't fit a category card, and it needs no tracking at all.

Good fit if

You pay your statement balance in full every month
Your spending is spread across many categories with no single dominant one
You want a no-fee card to sit behind a dining or grocery card

Skip it if

You make purchases in foreign currencies, where the 3% fee cancels the reward
You usually carry a balance from month to month

Worked example

If you spend $2,000 a month on the card, that is $24,000 a year. You earn 1% ($240) as you buy and another 1% ($240) as you pay, for $480 with no annual fee. Book $1,000 of hotels through Citi Travel during the year and that portion earns 5% instead of 2%, adding $30. If the same $24,000 went on a 1.5% card you would earn $360, so the Double Cash is worth at least $120 more a year at this spend. We treat the cash back at face value, the conservative basis, with nothing added for converting it to points.

How it stacks up

The Wells Fargo Active Cash also pays 2% with no annual fee but credits the full 2% on purchase and adds cell phone protection, which makes it slightly more useful for people without phone insurance. The Chase Freedom Unlimited pays less on general spending at 1.5% but more on dining and drugstores at 3%. Pick the Double Cash if hotels, car rentals or attractions booked through Citi Travel, which earn 5% total, are part of your year.

Effectively a 2% flat card (1% when you buy, 1% when you pay it off) with no annual fee, so it ties the best flat-rate cards, but you only get the second 1% after you actually pay. Carry a balance and you forfeit half the reward, which defeats the purpose. On $20,000 of spend that's $400 back if you pay in full. It also runs a long balance-transfer window, handy for debt payoff. Active Cash gives the full 2% up front, so pick that if your payment timing is erratic. Confirm transfer fees on citi.com.