What credit score do you need to get the Citi Double Cash Card?
Citi is a TPG advertising partner.
Part of every award traveler’s strategy is owning a good cash-back rewards card.
The Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees) provides up to 2% cash-back rewards — 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay — on every purchase with no limits and can also fit nicely into a larger Citi ThankYou® Points-earning portfolio.
If you’re considering applying for the Citi Double Cash, you may be uncertain whether you have a high enough credit score to be approved.
Of course, your credit score is only one of many considerations issuers take into account when deciding whether to approve you for a card. So, let’s look at what it takes to get approved for the Citi Double Cash.
What credit score is required for the Citi Double Cash Card?
I recommend a credit score of around 670 or higher to have the best chance of getting approved for a rewards card such as the Citi Double Cash. However, you may still be approved with a lower score if other aspects of your credit portfolio look appealing to Citi.
Citi doesn’t publish specific credit scores needed to be approved for its cards. Other factors that go into Citi’s qualification decision beyond your credit score include your income and the age of your accounts.
Issuers need to be able to trust that you can pay off your credit card bill each month. If you have low or no income, it’s very unlikely that you’ll be approved for an unsecured card like the Citi Double Cash.
Related: Why the perfect credit score isn’t necessary
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Is the Citi Double Cash a good card?
The Citi Double Cash earns up to 2% cash back on all purchases — 1% when you make a purchase and another 1% when you pay your statement — without charging an annual fee and without a limit on the cash-back rewards you can earn.
The Citi Double Cash is a great choice if you’re looking for a cash-back rewards card to use on all your purchases or on purchases outside the bonus categories on your other cards.
You can even convert the cash-back rewards earned on your Citi Double Cash to Citi ThankYou Points via a linked ThankYou account. And, if you also have a premium Citi ThankYou card, such as the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card* (see rates and fees), you can then transfer your rewards to book flights with any of Citi’s airline or hotel partners.
The Citi Double Cash has a few downsides, including a 3% foreign transaction fee and minimal perks. However, considering the earning rate and the lack of an annual fee, it is still an appealing option for many consumers.
*You may be able to access a higher welcome offer for the Strata Premier through Citi’s public landing page. We are committed to our readers getting the highest welcome bonus available.
How many card accounts can I have open with Citi?
Citi generally doesn’t limit the overall number of credit cards you can have open as American Express does. However, Citi seems to have a maximum credit line that it is willing to extend across all Citi cards.
So, if you get an “application pending” notice when you apply for the Citi Double Cash and you have at least one other Citi credit card, it may be worth calling Citi’s reconsideration line at 1-800-695-5171 to see if you can get approved by shifting some credit from one of your current cards to open the new card.
Related: How many credit cards should I have?
How to check your credit score
There are many ways to check your credit score for free. For example, many credit cards let you check your FICO score at no charge. This makes it easy to track your score’s progress over time, especially if you’re actively working to improve your credit score.
Credit Karma and Credit Sesame are two popular (and free) websites that allow users to see their TransUnion and Equifax VantageScore 3.0 credit scores.
Factors that affect your credit score
Before you start applying for any credit cards, it’s important to understand the factors that make up your credit score. According to myFICO, 90% of top lenders use FICO scores to make lending decisions. The formula for calculating your credit score isn’t exact, but FICO is transparent about the different factors they assess and how much weight each is given:
- Payment history (35%): Whether you’ve paid past credit accounts on time
- Amounts of debt (30%): The relative size of your current debt and the ratio of your current debt to your available credit
- Length of credit history (15%): How long your credit accounts have been established (including the age of your oldest account, the age of your newest account and an average age of all your accounts), how long certain credit accounts have been established and how long it has been since you used certain accounts
- New credit (10%): How many new accounts have you opened recently
- Credit mix (10%): How many different types of credit accounts you have, such as credit cards, retail accounts, installment loans, finance company accounts and mortgage loans
What to do if you get rejected
If your application is rejected, you should receive a letter in the mail stating why Citi turned down your application. Depending on the reasons given for the rejection, you may want to use this information to improve your credit score before applying again.
Or, if you believe you can provide additional information that might lead to approval of your application, you should call Citi’s reconsideration line at 1-800-695-5171 and make your case.
If you call the reconsideration line, explain that you recently applied for the Citi Double Cash, you were surprised to see that your application was rejected and that you’d like to speak to someone about getting that decision reconsidered.
Once the agent pulls up your application, be prepared to present a compelling argument for why Citi should approve your application. You may have a better chance of success if you’re able to address Citi’s stated reason for rejection, such as having closed an account if the reason for denial was that you had too many open accounts.
If you aren’t able to receive an approval after calling the reconsideration line, hang up and try one more time. Sometimes, you can get an approval on the second try.
How long to wait before applying again
It’s best to avoid applying again for a Citi card until you’ve addressed the reasons Citi gave for rejecting you. But, if you want to apply again, the consensus is that you can only apply for one Citi card (personal or business) every eight days and no more than two cards in a 65-day window.
I recommend waiting at least a few months before applying for the same card again. Applying again after only a small amount of time has passed can make you look desperate for credit, which won’t do you any favors.
Consider other cash-back cards with no annual fee
There are many cash-back credit cards with no annual fee. The best card or cards for you will depend on many factors, but if you spend a lot in a specific category, you may want to get a card that earns a higher rewards rate in that category.
Here are some of the most popular options, including the Citi Double Cash:
| Card | Welcome offer | Rewards rate | Foreign transaction fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card | Earn a $200 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases within three months of account opening. | 1.5% on everything | None (see rates and fees) |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® | Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. | 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services 1.5% on all other purchases |
3% of each purchase |
| Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card | Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. | 3% in your choice of one category: gas and electric vehicle charging stations, online shopping/cable/internet/phone plans/streaming, dining, travel, drugstores or home improvement/furnishings
2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (Elevated earning is received only on the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases each quarter, then 1%) 1% on other purchases |
3% of each purchase |
| Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express | Earn a $200 statement credit after spending $2,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership. | 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and U.S. online retail purchases on up to $6,000 per calendar year in purchases for each category (then 1%)
1% on all other purchases Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits |
2.7% of each purchase (see rates and fees) |
| Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card | Earn a $200 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. | 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
3% on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target) 1% on all other purchases |
None (see rates and fees) |
Related: Credit card showdown: Citi Double Cash vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited
Bottom line
The Citi Double Cash is one of our favorite cash-back cards thanks to a simple yet lucrative earnings rate. Earning 2% on all purchases is excellent (1% when you buy, 1% when you pay), so you’ll want to ensure you qualify before applying.
Remember, there are other options if you get denied, such as calling the reconsideration line or applying for another cash-back card.
To learn more, check out our full review of the Citi Double Cash.
Apply here: Citi Double Cash Card
Related: The best starter travel credit cards
For rates and fees of the Amex Blue Cash Everyday, click here
