Citi Double Cash Card vs. Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card [2023]

Whether it’s your daily coffee, a work lunch, or purchases at the grocery store and gas station, using a card (whether debit or credit) has become the norm over using cash.

For this reason, using an everyday spending card that earns rewards on daily purchases now makes more sense than ever.

If selecting such a rewards-earning card is a priority, you’ll be interested in our card comparison choice today.

We’ll look at 2 options for maximizing rewards earning on daily expenses, the Citi Double Cash^® Card and the Blue Cash Everyday^® Card from American Express.

Join us as we look at how each card earns rewards, your options at redemption time, and the associated protections and benefits.

Citi Double Cash Card vs. Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card — Overview

Before we get into the details of the Citi Double Cash card and the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card, let’s look at this overview of the key highlights for each card.

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The Value of a Welcome Offer

Card welcome offers typically allow you to earn a lump sum amount quickly by meeting minimum spending requirements.

The Amex Blue Cash Everyday card comes with a modest welcome bonus offer you can start earning immediately after card approval. The Citi Double Cash card does not currently offer a welcome bonus.

We’ve included both card snapshots below so you can see the current welcome offer and additional card information.

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

This cash-back card offers a capped 3% at U.S. supermarkets, 3% at U.S. gas stations, and 3% on U.S. online retail purchases!

Learn More(at Amex’s secure site)

This cash-back card offers a capped 3% at U.S. supermarkets, 3% at U.S. gas stations, and 3% on U.S. online retail purchases!

APR

0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months; then 19.24%-29.99% Variable

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Card Highlights

• Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
• No Annual Fee.
• Balance Transfer is back! Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening. After that, 19.24% to 29.99% variable APR.
• 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%.
• 3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
• 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
• Thinking about getting the Disney Bundle which can include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+? Your decision made easy with $7/month back in the form of a statement credit after you spend $9.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription (subject to auto renewal) with your Blue Cash Everyday^® Card. Enrollment required.
• Enjoy up to $15 back per month when you purchase a Home Chef meal kit subscription (subject to auto renewal) with your enrolled Blue Cash Everyday^® Card.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months; then 19.24%-29.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to U.S. dollars

Card Categories

Bottom Line:

Earning Potential

The Citi Double Cash card earns cash-back in the form of ThankYou Points while the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card earns cash-back in the form of Reward Dollars. These reward currencies are points that can be redeemed for cash-back and more.

We’ll cover your options at redemption time next, but first, let’s look at all the ways you can earn rewards when making purchases with either card.

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You’ll notice that the Citi Double Cash card earns a flat 2% cash-back on every purchase (1% when making the purchase, 1% when paying for the purchase). The Amex Blue Cash Everyday card has bonus categories where you can earn an elevated 3% cash-back.

The better card for earning will depend on your spending mix. Let’s explore how different spending mixes can affect how you earn rewards.

Earning Examples

When selecting an everyday spending card, you’ll want to choose a card that best rewards your highest purchases. Here are 2 simple annual spending scenarios that quickly illustrate this important point.

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If you spend $6,000 each year at the supermarket, at gas stations, and for online retail purchases, you’ll earn the most on the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card. You may do better with the Citi Double Cash card if you have significant additional expenses that do not fall under these bonus-earning categories.

This is a simplified example that also ignores the possibility of having multiple everyday spending cards. A combination of cards can be the answer to maximizing overall earnings on your entire spending mix.

Bottom Line:

Redemption Options

While earning rewards is exciting, redeeming rewards can be even more so. The Citi Double Cash card and Amex Blue Cash Everyday card differ in your choices at redemption time.

Here are your options for redeeming the rewards earned on both of our featured cards.

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When comparing redemption options for both of our featured cards, we find that the Citi Double Cash card has greater flexibility.

Unlike the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card, you can redeem points earned on the Citi Double Cash card for travel via the Citi Travel portal. You can also transfer points to JetBlue, Wyndham, or Choice to secure award flights or free hotel nights.

For example, you can transfer 14,000 ThankYou Points to Choice Privileges and receive 21,000 Choice points with a 1:1.5 transfer ratio. Using those points, you can book the Clarion Hotel at Copenhagen Airport for just 20,000 points. It’s a delightful upscale hotel that can cost $250 per night or more.

If you have a premium Citi card such as the Citi Premier^® Card, your transfer options expand with redemption access to a greater list of airline and hotel partners and the potential for even greater value.

While the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card earns cash-back, the most liquid type of rewards currency, you’ll be limited to 1-cent per point fixed-value redemption options. Cash-back can accumulate and be redeemed as a statement credit to offset the cost of anything from family travel to new appliances.

Bottom Line:

Travel Protections and Benefits

The Citi Double Cash card and the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card are designed to fit your daily purchasing routine and help you earn rewards on common purchases. Neither card is meant to be a travel rewards card.

For this reason, you won’t see many travel protections or benefits on our featured cards.

There are a few useful protections that come with the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card:

• Car Rental Insurance — Reserve and pay for the entire rental with your card and decline the rental agency’s CDW/LDW protection to receive coverage for damage or theft. Coverage is secondary, so you must first file a claim with any other applicable insurance before card coverage applies.
  • Access to Premium Protection — Premium Protection includes primary car rental insurance for 1 low price that covers the entire rental period, up to 42 days. The total cost of coverage ranges from $12.25 to $24.95, depending on coverage selection and your state of residence.
• Global Assist Hotline — When traveling more than 100 miles from home, you’ll have 24/7 access to assistance with emergency transportation, translation referral services, help retrieving lost luggage, emergency currency, and more.

The Citi Double Cash card comes with these travel benefits:

• Mastercard Luxury Hotel and Resorts Benefits — Receive complimentary daily breakfast for 2 and an onsite amenity worth $100 at over 3,000 properties worldwide.
• Lyft Ride Credit — Use your card to book 3 or more rides in a month and receive a $5 Lyft credit.

Bottom Line:

Shopping protections can provide economic relief should something go wrong with an eligible purchase you make with your card. Benefits can save you money on select purchases.

Here are the shopping protections and benefits you’ll find on the Citi Double Cash card and the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card that are unique to each card.

Citi Double Cash Card

• Citi Merchant Offers — Log in to your online card account and choose offers from select retailers and service providers. Once you’ve made the associated purchase, you’ll receive additional cash-back.
• DoorDash DashPass — Cardholders can get a complimentary 3-month DoorDash DashPass membership and up to $5 in credits each month after activation.
• Introductory 0% APR on Balance Transfers — Utilize a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% – 29.24%, based on your creditworthiness. Terms and transfer fees apply to these transactions.

Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card

• Purchase Protection — Eligible items purchased with your card get purchase protection including damage or theft for up to 90 days from the purchase date. Coverage is limited to $1,000 per item, up to $50,000 per year.
• Amex Offers — Check your online account for up to 100 Amex Offers that, once added to your card, can save you money and help you earn additional cash-back.
• Disney Bundle Credit — When you spend at least $9.99 on an auto-renewable The Disney Bundle subscription, you’ll receive a statement credit for up to $7 each month, up to $84 in credits each year. Enrollment is required.
• Home Chef Credit — When you use your card to purchase a Home Chef auto-renewable subscription, you can receive up to $15 back each month, up to $180 in credits each year.
• Introductory 0% APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers — If you have a large purchase coming up, you could save money with the card’s 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening. After that, 19.24% – 29.99% variable APR (rates & fees). Terms and transfer fees apply to these transactions.

Fees and Authorized Users

The Citi Double Cash card charges an annual fee of $0 and the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card charges an annual fee of $0.

Both cards do charge foreign transaction fees. The Citi Double Cash card charges 3% of the total transaction and the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card charges 2.7% (rates & fees). For this reason, it’s better to select a travel rewards card with no foreign transaction fee when traveling abroad.

Additional card users can help you earn rewards faster. Neither card charges a fee to add authorized users.

Hot Tip:

Alternative Everyday Spending Cards

When it’s time to select a card for everyday purchases, you have plenty of options. You can check out our list of recommendations in this article featuring several of the best everyday purchase cards.

Here are just 2 additional options for cards that earn well on common daily purchases.

Chase Freedom Flex℠

The Freedom Flex card is an excellent no-annual-fee card that still earns big with 5% cash-back on travel and other bonus categories.

The Freedom Flex card is an excellent no-annual-fee card that still earns big with 5% cash-back on travel and other bonus categories.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

The Freedom Flex card offers quarterly rotating bonus categories that earn 5% cash-back on up to $1,500 in purchases and 5% cash-back on Chase travel portal purchases. With additional elevated earnings at gas stations and drug stores, plus cell phone protection, the card is a worthy everyday earning option.

Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

This card is great for those who want to earn cash-back with U.S. supermarkets, U.S. streaming subscriptions, transit, and U.S. gas stations.

Learn More(at Amex’s secure site)

This card is great for those who want to earn cash-back with U.S. supermarkets, U.S. streaming subscriptions, transit, and U.S. gas stations.

Annual Fee

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.

APR

19.24%-29.99% Variable,0% on purchases for 12 months

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Card Highlights

• Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
• $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
• Buy Now, Pay Later: Enjoy $0 intro plan fees when you use Plan It^® to split up large purchases into monthly installments. Pay $0 intro plan fees on plans created during the first 12 months from the date of account opening. Plans created after that will have a monthly plan fee up to 1.33% of each eligible purchase amount moved into a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors.
• Low Intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 19.24% – 29.99%. Variable APRs will not exceed 29.99%.
• 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
• 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
• 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations.
• 3% Cash Back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more).
• 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
• Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
• Get up to $120 in statement credits annually when you pay for an auto-renewing subscription to Equinox+ at equinoxplus.com with your Blue Cash Preferred^® Card. That’s $10 in statement credits each month. Enrollment required.
• Thinking about getting the Disney Bundle which can include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+? Your decision made easy with $7/month back in the form of a statement credit after you spend $9.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription (subject to auto renewal) with your Blue Cash Preferred^® Card. Enrollment required.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.24%-29.99% Variable,0% on purchases for 12 months
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Redeem cash-back through your American Express account

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card takes bonus earnings at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. streaming subscriptions, and U.S. gas stations/transit to a higher level.

The card also comes with a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 19.24% – 29.99% (rates & fees).

Final Thoughts

If most of your spending falls within the bonus categories on the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card and does not exceed $6,000 each year, you’ll receive greater earnings with that card.

If you have heavy non-bonus spending such as home repairs, school tuition, medical bills, or other large purchases, the Citi Double Cash card could be the better earning card for you.

The Citi Double Cash card is the better card at redemption time as you can select cash-back or choose from several travel redemption options. If you have, or plan to have a premium Citi card, you’ll get additional redemption choices that can create even greater potential value.

When it comes to everyday spending cards, having more than 1 may ensure that all your greatest expenses are earning rewards. With that in mind, don’t rule out the possibility of having a team of cards that can work for you.

For the global assist hotline benefit of the Blue Cash Everyday^® Card from American Express, you can rely on Global Assist Hotline 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Third-party service costs may be your responsibility. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.

For the purchase protection benefit of the Blue Cash Everyday^® Card from American Express, when an American Express^® card member charges a covered purchase with their eligible card, purchase protection can help protect their covered purchases for up to 90 days from the covered purchase date if it is stolen or accidentally damaged. The coverage is limited up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the car rental loss and damage insurance benefit of the Blue Cash Everyday^® Card from American Express, car rental loss and damage insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the commercial car rental company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

The information regarding the Chase Freedom Flex℠ was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday^® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express, click here.