Citi® Double Cash Card Review


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Pros:

  • Earns 1% cash back on purchases and 1% cash back when you pay for purchases.
  • No rewards caps or categories.
  • Provides an introductory 0% APR for balance transfers.
  • Charges no annual fee.

Cons:

  • Cash back is not fully earned until charges are paid off.
  • Charges a balance transfer fee.
  • Carries a potentially high APR.
  • No sign-up bonus.

Great for:

  • Everyday purchases.
  • People who don’t like worrying about spending categories.
  • Fee-averse consumers.

Not great for:

  • Late-paying cardholders.
  • Consumers seeking big sign-up bonuses.
  • Card users who carry a balance.
  • Travel.

Earning Rewards

Annual rewards value: about $378

You’ll earn 1% cash back on purchases and 1% cash back when you pay for purchases provided your account is current. This makes the Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer rewards structure great for consumers who don’t like having to track earnings categories. And with no annual fee, the card lets you keep all the cash back you earn, provided you don’t carry a balance and incur interest charges.

Rewards are earned in two parts: You earn 1% back when you make a purchase and 1% back on the payments you make toward that purchase. If you don’t make at least the minimum payment due, you won’t earn any rewards on purchases made during that billing cycle. You also stop earning cash back after your account is closed. So if you are a bit lax in paying off your credit cards, this may not be a good rewards structure for you.

Sign-Up Bonus

Unlike many other cash back cards on the market, you won’t earn a sign-up bonus from the Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer.

How Much Can You Earn?

Based on average spending data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer users who pay their balance in full can earn about $378 per year. Review your spending to consider how much you can earn.

Expenditure Annual cost Cash back earning rate Annual Cash back earned
Groceries $4,600 1% cash back on purchases and 1% cash back when you pay for purchases $92
Dining $3,500 1% cash back on purchases and 1% cash back when you pay for purchases $70
Apparel and services $1,900 1% cash back on purchases and 1% cash back when you pay for purchases $38
Flights and hotels $1,100 1% cash back on purchases and 1% cash back when you pay for purchases $22
Gas $1,900 1% cash back on purchases and 1% cash back when you pay for purchases $38
Entertainment $3,100 1% cash back on purchases and 1% cash back when you pay for purchases $62
Personal care products and services $800 1% cash back on purchases and 1% cash back when you pay for purchases $16
All other expenditures $2,000 1% cash back on purchases and 1% cash back when you pay for purchases $40
Total annual cash back $378

Values for each spending category are based on average data from the 2019 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey. Each category is rounded to the nearest $100.

Redeeming Rewards

Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer users can redeem rewards as a check, as a statement credit to your Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer, as a credit to a linked Citi savings or checking account, or to an account from which you’ve paid a Citi credit card bill at least two times. To do any of the above, you need a cash rewards balance of at least $25.

Citi also offers ThankYou Points, which can be purchased for as little as $1 cash rewards. You can use ThankYou Points to shop online and in-person at participating partners, like Amazon.com, to buy gift cards to major brands, make charitable contributions, pay off your student loan or mortgage, or as a statement credit. To learn more about ThankYou Point redemption options, go to thankyou.com.

Benefits

Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer offers several valuable benefits. In addition to the rewards program and no annual fee, the Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer gives you access to:

  • Citi Entertainment: Access to presale tickets for thousands of events, including concerts, sporting events and dining experiences.
  • 24-hour fraud protection: You’ll be alerted if Citi sees unusual activity on your account. You’re also not liable for any unauthorized charges to your account, whether made online or elsewhere.
  • Citi Identity Theft Solutions: This service will help you resolve identity theft cases.
  • Lost Wallet Service: If you lose your card, Citi’s lost wallet service will replace your card within 24 hours. The service also gives you access to emergency cash up to your available cash advance limit.
  • Digital wallet: Use your digital wallet to shop online faster in apps and stores.
  • Contactless pay: When you use your physical card, you can take advantage of the contactless-chip feature to pay faster in-person, too. Just tap your card to the payment reader to make check-out quick and easy.
  • 24/7 customer service: When you need to talk to Citi, they’re ready. You can call or chat with a customer service representative around the clock.

APR

The Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer offers a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers. You’ll pay no interest on transferred balances for 18 months. After that, you’ll have an APR of 13.99% – 23.99% (Variable), depending on your creditworthiness.

If you’re looking to pay off other credit card balances, the Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer can be a good card to use, provided you finish making payments within the 18 month 0% APR period and don’t make any new purchases you can’t pay off each month during that time. If you fail to pay your balance in full, including your entire transferred balance and any new purchases, you will start accruing interest on those new purchases.

Note that balance transfers also must be completed within four months of when you open your account and will incur a balance transfer fee that is the greater of $5 or 3% of the amount being transferred.

Card Fees

The Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer doesn’t charge an annual fee. Depending on your spending habits, though, you could net more value from a card with an annual fee. For instance, if the majority of your spending falls into a few specific categories, you may want a credit card with higher rewards in these areas.

Other card fees include the balance transfer fee, which is either 3% or a $5 minimum. The card also charges a 3% foreign transaction fee.

Take some time to compare your options to determine which card is the best for you.

Is The Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer Worth It?

With no annual fee, it’s easy to get a good value from the Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer. But you’ll need to plan for paying off charges if you want to get the full 2% cash back.

Should You Get a Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer?

  • Prefer to pay no annual fee.
  • Need an introductory 0% APR promotion on balance transfers.
  • Don’t want to worry about tracking rewards categories.
  • Want to earn cash back on all purchases.
  • Pay your balance on time each month.

Other Cards to Review

Compare the Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer to other cards with similar features.

Annual fee: Neither card has an annual fee.

Rewards: The Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer offers 1% cash back on purchases and 1% cash back when you pay for purchases. The Chase Freedom Unlimited card earns 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% cash back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Sign-up bonus: The Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer doesn’t have a sign-up bonus. Chase Freedom Unlimited cardholders earn a $200 bonus after making $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

Benefits: The Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer offers benefits including exclusive access to entertainment ticket purchases, identity theft support and zero dollar liability on unauthorized charges. Chase Freedom Unlimited cardholders are provided with a variety of consumer benefits, including zero liability protection, purchase protection and extended warranty protection.

Annual fee: Neither card has an annual fee.

Rewards: The Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer gives you 1% cash back on every purchase and another 1% when you pay it off. The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card rewards cardholders with a flat 1.5% cash back on all purchases.

Sign-up bonus: The Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer does not offer a sign up bonus. The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a $200 cash bonus if you make $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.

Benefits: With the Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer, you receive benefits including exclusive access to entertainment ticket purchases, identity theft support and concierge service. With the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, you receive benefits including no foreign transaction fee, 24-hour travel assistance services, an auto rental collision damage waiver, extended coverage and emergency card replacement.

FAQs About the Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer

Q: How does Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer work?
A: Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer earns 1% cash back on purchases and 1% cash back when you pay for purchases with no reward cap. This means if you don’t pay your balance in full each month, you won’t get your full 2% back. If you don’t make at least the minimum payment by the due date, you also won’t earn cash back on any purchases made during that billing cycle. Cardholders receive a 18-month 0% APR on balance transfers (although you do pay a 3% or $5 balance transfer fee, whichever is greater) and pay no annual fee.

Q: What is the credit limit on Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer?
A: The credit limit on the Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer varies on a person-by-person basis. Citi doesn’t disclose a minimum credit limit, but you can generally expect to have a credit limit of at least $500 and sometimes several thousand dollars.

Q: Is the Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer good?
A: The Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer is a good card for cash back rewards. It provides 1% cash back on purchases and 1% cash back when you pay for purchases. With no annual fee, all these rewards land straight in your wallet. Where the Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer falls behind is in the fact that to earn your full 2% rewards, you must pay your balance off in full. You only earn 1% back when you make a purchase, the remaining 1% is earned as you make payments toward that purchase. If you ever don’t pay at least the minimum due on your card, you also won’t earn your 1% on purchases for that period.

The Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer also carries a 3% foreign transaction fee and while it offers an introductory 18-month, 0% APR on balance transfers, the variable APR on new purchases and balance transfers not paid off within 18 months can be as high as 23.99%, depending on your creditworthiness.

Q: Is the Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer hard to get?
A: Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer applicants are evaluated based on various factors, including their credit score and payment history. Citi doesn’t disclose the specific criteria they use to evaluate applicants, but in general, applicants need good or excellent credit to get the Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer. Excellent credit is usually a credit score at or nearing 800, while good credit is a credit score falling between approximately 670 and 739.

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