Citi Double Cash® Card review: A first-class card for flat-rate cash back and balance transfers

The Citi Double Cash is one of the best no-annual-fee cash back cards available. Whether you’re looking for a standalone card or want to combine it with other cards, the flat rate earned for all purchases makes it a great option. It could also be a top choice if you need to pay off debt thanks to its strong intro APR on balance transfers.

Rewards: Stellar flat cash back rate

On top of being one of the best flat-rate cash back cards on the market, the Citi Double Cash can help keep your spending habits in check with its up to 2 percent cash back structure: 1 percent cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1 percent as you pay for those purchases. If you’re new to rewards cards, this earn-as-you-pay structure can incentivize you to pay on time to avoid interest charges and the slippery slope into debt.

The Citi Double Cash is also a great option if you’re looking for a low-maintenance rewards card. You’ll earn the same unlimited rewards rate on any purchase, so you won’t have to track spending categories or juggle multiple cards to maximize rewards.

Plus, you can squeeze a bit more rewards from travel-related purchases with 5 percent cash back on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked via the Citi Travel portal (through Dec. 31, 2025). This limited-time offer is similar to the issuer travel-based rewards rates the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card provide, but it’s worth noting these rewards rates are permanent with the latter cards. The Freedom Unlimited’s 5 percent cash back on Chase Travel℠ bookings is also a bit more versatile since it can reward flights and other bookings, but the Double Cash card’s version is at least more inclusive than the Quicksilver card’s travel-related rewards rate. 

Although Citi advertises the Double Cash as a cash back card, you actually earn ThankYou points, which you can redeem on a variety of redemption options. You can redeem for cash back in the form of a statement credit, direct deposit or check as well as gift cards, travel through Citi or Shop with Points on Amazon or PayPal. However, it’s important to note that these are “basic” ThankYou points, so you can’t transfer them to a Citi travel partner. 

0% APR balance transfer offer: A lengthy intro APR for a cash back card

The Citi Double Cash is a great zero-interest credit card: The card’s 0 percent introductory APR on balance transfers lasts an impressive 18 months (then 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable) APR). That’s one of the longest offers you can find on a no-annual-fee rewards card, and it’s on par with many offers you’ll find on traditional balance transfer cards.

The 3 percent introductory fee for balance transfers ($5 minimum; 5 percent for transfers made after the first four months) is also lower than the initial 5 percent fee that some balance transfers cards typically charge.

Together, the exceptional intro APR offer and low transfer fee can potentially save you hundreds — and potentially more than rival balance transfer cards. For example, if you had $2,000 in credit card debt and transferred it to the Citi Double Cash, you could pay just over $114 a month for 18 months when you include the $60 balance transfer fee — all without accruing any new interest. Taking that same amount and timeline but applying the current average interest rate of about 20 percent, Bankrate’s credit card payoff calculator shows you’d accrue $331 in interest. In comparison, the $60 balance transfer fee is modest. 

This could also be more cost-effective than using a card with a 21-month intro APR. Although it could shorten the $114 monthly payment to about $100 in this example, the additional time might not be worth the $100 cost of a typical 5 percent transfer fee when compared to $60 for the card’s intro 3 percent transfer fee.

Welcome offer: A decent bonus

The Citi Double Cash currently boasts a competitive offer of 20,000 ThankYou points after you spend $1,500 in your first six months as a cardholder (worth $200 when you redeem for cash back). This is on par with the bonus offers you'll find on many of the best no-annual-fee cash back and rewards cards, though the spending requirement is a bit high. Some competitors only require a $500 spend to earn the same value, such as the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card.

While a sign-up bonus shouldn’t be the main factor when weighing card options, these bonuses can offer substantial value. You’d need to spend $10,000 to earn $200 cash back with the Citi Double Cash without this welcome offer. Plus, the Double Cash could potentially cover the 3 percent balance transfer fee for an up to $6,666 balance with its sign-up bonus rewards. In comparison, dedicated balance transfer cards usually don’t earn rewards or provide a welcome bonus.

Although the Citi Double Cash is a top-tier option among flat-rate cards, it lacks an intro APR period for new purchases and only carries basic perks. These shortcomings may disappoint if you want more first-year value.

Rates and fees: No annual fee, but otherwise typical 

As long as you pay off your balance in full each month, the no-annual-fee Citi Double Cash should be a rewarding card. The other fees are relatively typical for a card in its class, and just like with other cards, the foreign transaction fee and late payment fee, along with any ongoing interest accrued on carried balances, can quickly wipe out your earned rewards and then some. 

Out of all of these, only the 3 percent foreign transaction fee may be a deal-breaker since it can be costly and hard to avoid if you travel frequently. However, there are very few no-annual-fee cash rewards cards with no foreign transaction fees, so you may want to consider a travel card at that point anyway.

You can avoid many of these other fees if you avoid paying late, especially since the Double Cash card’s rewards depend on it and you could void your intro APR offer. Missing a payment could also trigger the high penalty APR. The Double Cash card’s penalty APR is much harsher than some rival cards since Citi’s can last indefinitely. Meanwhile, several competitors don’t charge a penalty APR, and those that do will typically remove it after six to 12 months if you make consistent on-time payments.

APR: No introductory offer on purchases

The Citi Double Cash doesn’t offer an intro APR on purchases, meaning any purchases you don’t pay off on time can rack up interest — which could lead to paying off a new snowballing balance in addition to your original transferred balance. This is disappointing considering how many other no-annual-fee rewards cards offer a 12- to 15-month intro APR on both purchases and balance transfers.

Perks: Limited benefits for a rewards card

The Citi Double Cash is light on card benefits compared to a few competing cash back cards, although this isn’t a significant drawback since no-annual-fee cash back cards generally don’t carry many perks outside their rewards programs and intro offers.

Like all Citi credit and debit cards, the Double Cash card comes with Citi Entertainment access. Citi Entertainment opens the door to presale tickets, events and experiences. Eligible purchases may also qualify for a Citi Flex Loan alternative payment plan. But because other issuers like Amex and Chase offer similar features, these benefits probably won’t make or break your decision.

If notable perks are a must, though, you could find other no-annual-fee cards with more features, like the Chase Freedom Unlimited. Its perks include trip cancellation and interruption insurance, as well as partner perks with several delivery and rideshare services. The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is another example, offering an annual credit for eligible streaming service purchases.

Bankrate senior credit card editor Nouri Zarrugh uses the Double Cash card to maximize rewards on purchases that don’t typically earn boosted rewards.

I love the card’s simplicity. It has come in handy for big but easy-to-forget expenses like insurance bills or car repairs, which typically only earn 1 percent back on other cards. Even though I carry several cards, I have plenty of purchases pop up for which the Double Cash offers the best return on spending.

— Nouri Zarrugh, Editor, Bankrate

The Citi Double Cash card offers one of the highest flat rewards rates upfront, but you may be able to get a higher flat rate with a less popular card (and much more bit of elbow grease). It also lacks an intro APR on new purchases, which could make it harder to pay off your credit card debt if you have an unexpected expense. 

Here are some comparable flat-rate cash back cards worth considering before committing to the Citi Double Cash.

Consider pairing the Citi Double Cash with a bonus category cash back card that can boost your rewards on your common spending categories. Additionally, if you know you have a big purchase coming up, a low introductory APR on purchases may be helpful.

Any card that earns more than 2 percent back in your most frequent spending categories can pair well with the Double Cash, but it pairs especially well with other ThankYou point-earning Citi cards. In fact, the Double Cash is the bedrock of the most popular Citi card combination: the Citi trifecta. This trio of cards is a remarkably rewarding, low-cost card stack using the two cards below:

The Double Cash is exceptionally versatile, but it could be a stand-out card for people who are:

The Citi Double Cash card is well worth it if a flat-rate rewards card would be a great standalone card for your spending, or to add to your existing credit card stack. It’s especially worthwhile if you prioritize long-term value over barebones balance transfer cards, but you need more breathing room to pay off your existing balance than a typical rewards card usually offers.

The card doesn’t pose many drawbacks since there’s no annual fee. Although no intro APR on purchases could be a deal-breaker for less flexible debt consolidators, and the earn-as-you-pay caveat could mean it may take longer than some other cards to get your rewards in hand and ready to redeem. On the other hand, the rewards structure works in step with the balance transfer offer to help encourage you to stay out of debt and make payments on time and in full. If you’re not planning on carrying a balance with this card, it could be worth adding to your wallet.

We rate credit cards using a proprietary card scoring system that ranks each card’s estimated average rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, welcome bonus value, APR, fees, perks and more against those of other cards in its primary category.

Each card feature is assigned a weighting based on how important it is to people looking for a card in a given category. These features are then scored based on how they rank relative to the features on other cards in the category. Based on these calculations, each card receives an overall rating of 1-5 stars (with 5 being the highest possible score and 1 being the lowest).

We analyzed over 150 of the most popular rewards and cash back cards to determine where each stacked up based on their value, cost, benefits and more. Here are some of the key factors that influenced this card’s overall score and how the score influenced our review:

*The information about the Citi Custom Cash® Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.