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The Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer packs in up to 2% cash back on purchases (1% when you buy, 1% when you pay), which is the highest unlimited cash back rate we've seen. Plus the card includes a long 0% intro APR for 18 months for balance transfers to help you pay off debt faster. This Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer review will take a detailed look at this cash back credit card to help you determine if it is worthy of your wallet. Citi is an advertising partner with The Ascent.
Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer
Apply Now
On Citi's Secure Website.
Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer
Great for: Cash back and balance transfers
Apply Now
On Citi's Secure Website.
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. 5.00/5
Apply Now
On Citi's Secure Website.
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Earn up to 2% on all purchases - 1% when you buy, and 1% when you pay the minimum each month. Add that to no annual fee and an 18 month 0% intro APR offer on balance transfers and this card is a winner.
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- Industry-leading cash back
- 0% intro APR balance transfer offer
- No annual fee
- Free credit score monitoring
- No sign-up bonus
- Foreign transaction fee
- No 0% intro APR on purchases
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- Earn 2% on purchases with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.
- To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
- Balance Transfer Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 13.99% – 23.99%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back.
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
- There is a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
- The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 13.99% – 23.99% based on your creditworthiness. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi's discretion.
Full Citi Double Cash review
This card is a good fit for: Cardholders wanting either a standout, high-earning option for a one-card wallet, or people wanting to pay off debt faster with a long balance transfer offer.
Top perks
Unlimited 2% cash back
The Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer has the highest potential flat rate for cash back. “Potential" is the operative word here, because you receive 1% cash back when you make a purchase, then receive the other 1% when you pay the bill by its due date (you just need to make the minimum payment). If you pay late, you lose the second half of your cash back. It's an interesting quirk that motivates you to pay your bill on time.
0% intro APR on balance transfers
The card has a 0% intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers. That's among the longest intro offers available, even compared to the best balance transfer credit cards. That makes this card perfect for paying off debt using balance transfer strategies.
No annual fee
The Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer has a $0 annual fee. Many cash back cards have no annual fee, so this isn't a major advantage for this card. But it's still nice for your budget when you don't have to pay anything for your credit card.
Flexible redemption options
If you also have an eligible Citi travel card, such as the Citi Premier® Card or the Citi Prestige® Card, you can convert all the cash back you earn to Citi ThankYou points. You can then use those points for travel redemptions, including transfers to Citi's many travel partners.
This option makes the credit card a fantastic complement to a Citi travel rewards card. You can use the travel card for any purchases where it will earn you bonus points. For all your non-bonus spending, you can take advantage of the Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer and essentially earn 2 ThankYou points per $1 spent. It's a simple, effective way to maximize your credit card rewards.
This card also offers the flexibility of redeeming cash back rewards for statement credits, direct deposit, and even mailing a check.
Other benefits
The following Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer perks won’t make big headlines like the flagship features listed above, but they do add value for cardholders.
- Free FICO® Score: Citi credit cards include free access to your FICO® Score, which is a standout feature. While most credit cards offer credit score monitoring of some sort, Citi goes the extra mile to provide access to an official FICO® Score, which is what most credit lenders use to make a credit decision and will cost you money to review directly with MyFICO.
- Increase your credit limit in the mobile app: Cardholders can answer a few quick questions in the app to see about potential approval for a higher credit limit.
- Contactless payment: This valuable feature has become more important throughout the 2020 pandemic. The card is also available to use for services like Apple Pay and Google Pay
Alternatives to consider
- If you want a 0% intro APR for balance transfers and purchases: The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card includes an 18-month 0% intro APR for both balance transfers and purchases. While it doesn’t earn rewards, the card does have a $0 annual fee.
- If you want a sign-up bonus: The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a solid one-card wallet alternative that includes a 0% intro APR offer for purchases and a lucrative cash back program, in addition to a big sign up bonus. The downside is that it doesn’t have a 0% intro APR for balance transfers.
As of Oct. 11, 2021
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| Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card | Chase Freedom Unlimited® |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50 stars
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. |
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00 stars
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. |
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Apply Now
On Citi's Secure Website. |
Apply Now
On Chase's Secure Website. |
| Read Full Review | Read Full Review |
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Credit Rating Requirement: |
Credit Rating Requirement: |
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Welcome Bonus: N/A |
$200 |
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Rewards Program: N/A |
1.5% - 5% cash back |
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Intro APR: Purchases: 0%, 12 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 21 months |
Intro APR: Purchases: 0%, 15 months Balance Transfers: N/A |
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Regular APR: 13.74% - 23.74%, variable |
Regular APR: 14.99% - 23.74% Variable |
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Annual Fee: $0 |
Annual Fee: $0 |
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Highlights:
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Highlights:
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Apply Now
On Citi's Secure Website. |
Apply Now
On Chase's Secure Website. |
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What could be improved
3% balance transfer fee
The Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer includes a 3% ($5 min.) balance transfer fee. Worth noting, while it is a fee we’d rather see not charged, it is a competitive fee that beats many other competing balance transfer cards.
No sign-up bonus
Sign-up bonuses have become commonplace, even for cash back cards. The fact that the card doesn't have one is a handicap.
$25 cash back redemption minimum
You can only redeem cash back when you have $25 or more. That can be frustrating, especially since so many rewards credit cards have no redemption minimum. To be fair, Citi allows you to convert as little as $1 in cash back to ThankYou points, but that also makes you wonder why it also doesn't lower the minimum for cash back redemptions.
No 0% intro APR on purchases
Purchases aren't eligible for that intro APR offer, making other 0% intro cards a better choice if you need to finance anything. Potential applicants will want to consider the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card or Citi Simplicity® Card if wanting a 0% intro APR for purchases as well.
3% Foreign transaction fee
The Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer charges a 3% foreign transaction fee. While the card certainly isn't alone in charging this fee, it will increase your travel expenses if you go out of the country and don't have another card to use.
Find the best credit card for your needs
Compare credit card rewards, fees, APRs, and more using our side-by-side comparison tool.
Suggested credit score
Applicants will have high approval odds for the Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer with a FICO® Score of at least 670. Citi might approve you with a lower score, as that's not the only criteria the issuer uses when assessing your application. But a score over 670 will be a big help.
This credit card is right for you if:
The Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer is one of the best credit cards when you want your finances to be as uncomplicated as possible. It doesn't have much in the way of benefits, but the benefits it does have are very good and make it a standout among Citi credit cards. You should consider it if you're looking for any of the following in a cash back card:
- An unlimited flat rate of up to 2% cash back
- No annual fee
- A generous 0% intro APR period of 18 months for balance transfers
FAQs
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This cash back credit card earns a total of 2% cash back. But it’s important to understand how the rewards are earned. Cardholders receive 1% back for purchases and another 1% back when those purchases are paid off. We like that this structure gives cardholders a reason to pay off balances fast and before the due date to avoid interest charges. Keep in mind that if you pay late, you lose the second half of your cash back.
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Approved Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer applicants will secure a credit limit of at least $500. But there’s no cut and dry credit limit that applies to every cardholder. In fact, many cardholders report approved credit limits upwards of several thousand dollars. Your approved credit limit will differ, based on Citi’s underwriting criteria, your income, your current debt, and other personal financial information.
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The Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer is marketed to people with excellent credit, meaning a credit score of at least 700. There are reports of applicants securing approval with lower scores, it just becomes more of a roll of the dice the lower your score. Citi also tightened its accepted credit score range in 2020 for many of its cards, and shifted away from more readily approving applicants with good credit.
Apply Now
On Citi's Secure Website.
About the Author
Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. He writes for The Ascent and The Motley Fool, and his work has appeared in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.
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