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Review · Terms verified 2026-10-05
Citi Double Cash Card review
Verified Oct 5, 2026Pays an effective 2% on every purchase — 1% at checkout, 1% when you pay — with no annual fee.
| Earn rate | 2% (1% when you buy, 1% when you pay) |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 |
| Intro APR | 0% for 18 months on balance transfers |
| Welcome bonus | $200 after $1,500 in spending within 6 months |
| Foreign transaction fee | Not published — confirm before travel |
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Unpack Money score: 90/100
The Citi Double Cash pays an effective 2% cash back on everything — 1% when you buy, 1% when you pay — with no annual fee and no caps or categories. It's the highest flat earn rate we verified, and the math is simple: $20 back on every $1,000 you spend and pay off.
The 1%+1% split is the one mechanic to understand. The second 1% is earned when you make payments, so this card is built for people who pay their balance in full every month. If you carry a balance, the unpaid portion doesn't earn the second 1% — and at a variable APR in the high teens to high twenties, the interest would dwarf the rewards anyway.
Beyond the earn rate, the card brings a genuinely useful 0% intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers and a $200 cash back bonus after $1,500 in spending within 6 months. Two honesty notes from our verification: Citi's page didn't publish the purchase APR range or the foreign transaction fee, so confirm both before applying — and don't use this card abroad until you know the fee.
Citi Double Cash vs Wells Fargo Active Cash
The obvious rival: both cards pay an effective 2% back on everything with no annual fee, and both sit at the top of our best cash-back cards comparison. The differences are mechanical, not philosophical.
| Citi Double Cash | Wells Fargo Active Cash | |
|---|---|---|
| Earn structure | 1% when you buy + 1% when you pay | Flat 2% on every purchase |
| Intro APR | 0% for 18 months on balance transfers | 0% for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers |
| Welcome bonus | $200 after $1,500 in 6 months | $100 after $500 in 3 months |
| Foreign transaction fee | Not published | 3% |
Pick Double Cash if you pay in full and want the longer balance-transfer runway; pick Active Cash if you'd rather never think about the 1%+1% split. Terms verified Oct 5, 2026 — confirm current offers before applying.
What we like
- Unlimited 2% effective cash back on everything
- No annual fee
- Long 18-month 0% intro on balance transfers
- $200 welcome bonus
Watch out for
- The second 1% only comes when you pay — carrying a balance cuts your earn rate
- Purchase APR and foreign transaction fee not published on the issuer page we verified
FAQs
How does the 2% cash back work?
Is there an annual fee?
Does it have an intro APR offer?
Double Cash vs Active Cash: which 2% card is better?
Sources
Every term on this page was verified against the provider's official website on 2026-10-05. We never use aggregator sites as sources.