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We are big fans of the Citi Double Cash® Card. It's a simple card with a great earning structure and no annual fee. There are some big changes that just launched on this card that make it even better. Let's take a look at what's changed, what hasn't changed, and whether these are positives or negatives for those who have the card.
Click here for our full review of the Citi Double Cash® Card
Changes to the Citi Double Cash Effective March 28, 2022
As a cardholder, I received the email pictured above informing me of the impending changes to my card. Let's explore these changes:
- Instead of earning cash back (1% on the purchase, 1% when paying the bill), cardholders now earn 1 ThankYou® Point on the purchase and 1 ThankYou® Point when paying the bill.
- This change took effect on March 28, 2022.
- The previous minimum ($25) for redemptions has been eliminated. There's no minimum redemption amount for statement credit or direct deposit going forward. However, there's still a $5 minimum when requesting a check.
- Along with existing cash back options, you can use your points for more options going forward. These include gift cards, travel, and Shop with Points.
- Those who have only the Citi Double Cash but no other premium Citi ThankYou® points-earning card can transfer points only to three programs:
- Choice Privileges
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Wyndham Rewards.
- You still need a premium card like the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card or Citi Prestige® Card to have access to the full range of Citi transfer partners.
If you're looking to pay down debt or finance a larger purchase, this card also comes with one of the best available introductory APR offers on balance transfers.
- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- 2% cash back on every purchase - 1% when you buy + 1% when you pay
- 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After that, the (Variable) APR will be 18.24% - 28.24% based on your creditworthiness
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5)
- No annual fee
- Earn 2% cash back on every purchase—1% when you buy and 1% when you pay. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25. Citi cash rewards now also convert to ThankYou points at 1:1 ($10 = 100 ThankYou points).
Things That Didn't Change
Despite the change in terminology, most of the features on the Citi Double Cash® Card have not changed. You still earn rewards with the “1 when you buy, 1 when you pay” structure. You can still redeem these rewards for statement credit/cash back at the exact same rates as before. The redemption rate and methods you use for cashing out have not changed. If you simply want cash back from the Citi Double Cash, that didn't change on March 28, 2022.
Additionally, the rules for opening/closing Citi credit cards have not changed. Moreover, the rules for product changes from one Citi credit card to another haven't changed. Lastly, the rules for when Citi ThankYou Rewards expire haven't changed.
Other Things to Note
If case you're wondering what's happening to your previously-earned Citi Double Cash® Card cashback rewards, the email from Citi addresses this: your cash back was converted 1:1 to ThankYou® Points. If you want to cash that out, you can. Or, you can take advantage of the new options, like travel partners and gift cards, etc.
Since using the ThankYou Rewards portal requires a member ID, Citi recently created one for you if you didn't previously have one.
Additionally, there's still a minimum of $5/500 points for cashing out your rewards as a check. There are no minimums for direct deposit/statement credit, but there's a $5 minimum for checks.
Are These Changes Positive or Negative?
These are overall positive changes. Let's look at the reasons why:
- Ability to cash out is unchanged. This is the card's main feature, and you still earn/redeem as cash at the same values as before.
- More options. You now have increased options for how to use your rewards (gift cards, travel partners, etc.) without taking away the card's main feature: 1+1 earning and cashing out points at 1¢ each.
- No minimum for direct deposit or statement credit redemptions. Prior to the change, there was a $25 minimum redemption. Now, that's no longer required. You'll only have a minimum redemption ($5) when requesting a check.
The reasons why people like this card are still available, plus new features make redemption options more robust and without minimums (except if you want a check). These are net positives, since Citi added features to the card without increasing the fee or removing key features people want.
Bottom Line
These changes to the Citi Double Cash® Card went into effect on March 28, 2022. Instead of earning 1% cash back on the purchase and another 1% when you pay the bill, you now earn ThankYou® Points. However, you are still able to cash those out at the same rates (1¢ each). The changes include the addition of more redemption options, plus the elimination of most “minimum redemption” requirements.
If you have the Citi Double Cash, are you happy with these changes?
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