Cash back · Mastercard · No annual fee
Last verified 2026-09-09. Review issuer source
The Double Cash is the benchmark for flat-rate cash back: 2% on everything, no fee, no categories, no activation. Half comes when you buy and half when you pay the bill, so carrying a balance costs you the second half. It is the card we compare every other no-fee card against.
What it lacks is anything else. There is no bonus category, the $200 bonus needs $1,500 in six months, and foreign purchases cost 3%. Pair it with a category card for dining or groceries and it covers the rest of your budget at a rate few cards beat.
The cash back is really Citi ThankYou points redeemed at a cent each. Hold a Strata Premier as well and those points transfer to airline partners, which is the cheapest way into a transferable-points setup.
Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of your Citi Double Cash® card account opening.
Citi Entertainment takes the once out of once in a lifetime. Get special access to purchase tickets to thousands of events, including presale tickets and exclusive experiences for the year's most anticipated concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and more.
The ID Theft Protection program offered by Mastercard helps eliminate the worry of identity theft by monitoring the information you choose to protect and alerting you if suspicious activity is found. It takes just a few minutes to enroll for free, and as soon as you do, your monitoring begins. Visit mastercardidps.idprotectiononline.com to learn more.
These come from Mastercard, not from Citi. Every card on the Standard Mastercard tier carries them, so they should not decide between two cards.
Call 1-800-MASTERCARD (1-800-627-8372) for 24/7 assistance to report a lost or stolen card.
Enjoy a HealthLock for Mastercard Medical Claim Monitor complimentary membership plus a 90-day upgrade to all HealthLock services at no monthly cost.
Groceries and more delivered in as fast as one hour. Get $10 off your second order each month, and new Instacart+ members can also get three free months of Instacart+.
Monitor your credit file for fraud, get alerts for suspicious activity and access a resolution specialist.
Mastercard gives you exclusive access to ticket presales at top venues and festivals across the U.S. Eligibility restrictions, exclusions and terms apply. Offer expires 3/31/2027.
Save when you tap and go with your eligible Mastercard and receive a $2.50 statement credit when you spend $10 or more each month at participating transit systems.
With Mastercard Zero Liability protection you’re protected against unauthorized transactions in stores, online and in app.
Benefit descriptions are the issuer’s and network’s own wording, trimmed for length. Limits and exclusions are in the guide to benefits.
| Card | Annual fee | Rewards earned | Net after fee | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citi Double Cash®This card · 2% on everything | None | $492 | +$492 | 282nd of 1,291 |
| Wells Fargo Active Cash®The other flat 2% card, with a $200 bonus after only $500 · 2% on everything | None | $492 | +$492 | 284th of 1,291 |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® Credit CardA 1.5% base but 3% on dining and drugstores · 3% on dining | None | $528 | +$528 | 276th of 1,291 |
| Blue Cash Preferred®6% on groceries and streaming for $95 · 6% on grocery stores | $95 | $714 | +$619 | 8th of 1,291 |
Reference budget: groceries $6,000, dining and restaurants $3,600, gas and ev charging $2,400, travel and transit $3,000, online shopping $2,400, entertainment and streaming $1,200, everything else $6,000. Points are valued at 1¢ unless the program is worth less; statement credits, welcome bonuses, and perks are left out. Run it with your own spending.
