Charles H. Miller
There are a few things that make for a great everyday card: first, in today’s competitive market, it must offer something neat to get us to even think about it. And second – we want a portion of what we spend back.
Citi managed to create a card that fits with both criteria. Called Citi® Double Cash Card, it offers cash back twice on every purchase — once when you buy, and again when you actually pay for the purchase. Also, the card doesn’t have an annual fee and is currently available with 0% intro APR for balance transfers in the first 18 months.
Highlights
- 1% cash back when the purchase is made, and another 1% when it is paid.
- 0% intro APR for balance transfers in the first 18 months.
- Regular APR of 13.24% – 23.24%
- Solid set of travel and shopping benefits.
- No annual fee.
How It Works
APR: Citi® Double Cash Card comes with introductory APR of 0% that is good for 18 months on balance transfers. After that, the APR goes to anywhere between 13.24% and 23.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
Double Cash: You earn 1% once when you buy with this card, and another 1% when you pay for your purchases.
No annual fee: Meaning you don’t have to put in a single dime upfront.
Travel benefits: Up to $50,000 in worldwide rental car coverage and up to $250,000 in worldwide travel accident insurance. Plus, the card also includes trip cancellation and interruption insurance.
Shopping benefits: An additional year of warranty coverage, theft and damage purchase protection of up to $1,000 per item and $50,000 a year, which covers items damaged or stolen within 120 days of purchase (90 days for New York State residents). Furthermore, with Citi Price Rewind customers can get refunds of up to $300 per item (up to $1200 per year) when there is a price drop on a registered purchase found within 60 days of the purchase.
Costs
- 0% intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers, after that APR goes to 13.24% – 23.24%
- 3% Balance Transfer Fee ($5 minimum)
- 3% Foreign Transaction Fee
- $0 Annual Fee
Pros
- Double Cash Back – 1% cash back is pretty standard these days. With this card, Citi managed to double that standard.
- Interest free balance transfers for the first 18 months (current offer).
- Neat shopping and travel benefits that are typically reserved for more premium cards (which unlike this card include an annual fee).
Cons
- Foreign transaction fee – although the card includes some great travel benefits, it doesn’t make foreign transactions free. That’s why this hard is not the best option to use while traveling (there are other cards for that).
- Split cash back rewards – while fancy, they make the process that much more complicated. Then again, this isn’t rocket science.
Is This The Card For You?
Citi® Double Cash Card is a great everyday card. Once you sign-up for it, you get full 18 months to “play” with balance transfers, the benefit you could use to cut down on interest you may have on other cards. Also, with that cash back option, you turn shopping into a rewarding experience by getting a portion of the money back — 1% comes instantly, and another 1% when you actually pay for the purchase.
Click here to learn more and apply for the Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer today!
