The Citi Double Cash is a very straightforward 2% cash back card – 1% on all purchases and 1% when you pay off the balance. It’s also a decent workhorse card, and a good card to downgrade to if you are paying an annual fee. There is no signup bonus, which makes it the ideal card to downgrade to as you do not have to waste a hard inquiry.
The Breakdown
Signup Bonus N/A
Valuation - $0.02/$1
Annual Fee - $0
Perks - 0% for 18 months on balance transfers
Competing Cards
Amex Blue Cash Everyday
Chase Freedom
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Bank of America Cash Rewards
Discover It
Capital One SavorOne
Uber Visa Card
Reward Categories
All spending categories give you 1% cash back, plus an extra 1% when you pay off the balance.
Maximizing Cash Back
As stated above, the Citi Double Cash does not have a signup bonus. To take full advantage of Citi products, it’s best to apply for a Citi card that has a signup bonus, and then downgrade it to this card to enjoy both the signup bonus and high cash back benefits.
Final Comments
Annual fee cards such as the Citi AAdvantage Platinum or the Citi Premier may have no utility after using the sign up bonus which makes the Double Cash the perfect card to downgrade to. The cash back at 2% on all purchases is relatively high compared to other cash back cards and should be considered with miscellaneous purchases.Also noteworthy is the 18 month 0% balance transfer. While it does have a 3% balance transfer fee, the extra 3 months of 0% balance transfer may offset the total interest payments when comparing the Bankamericard.
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