Is Citi Double Cash the best 2% card?

[yfan]

Edit: Never mind, previous post was bad math. Sorry!

[yfan]

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@JustinS wrote:

Sounds like a good deal but not having an Orbitz myself I have to pose the question can it be redeemed as true cashback via check or direct ach deposit? Or are we talking apples to oranges that it can only be used for Orbitz's website (which I'm guessing is the case)?

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No, it cannot be redeemed for cash, statement credit or anything other than hotel bookings through Orbitz. I thought I made that pretty clear in the previous post. That's the restrictions with the Orbitz card. Now, it's apples and oranges if you are looking to redeem via a cash mean, but if you would be booking hotels anyway, the Orbucks are as good as cash.

[longtimelurker]

Between the two major 2%s, Double Cash and Fidelity Amex, I think the pros and cons are fairly well understood.

Fidelity Amex:  Advantage in lower FTF (but not 0) and 2% paid at statement close, not 1% + 1% after payment

DC: Greater acceptance, lower threshold ($25 vs $50)

I think for most that can get both, the DC is now a better choice, providing you have another card for 0% FTF if that is needed.

There are other choices that are nearly equivalent if you spend a lot, such as NASA (2% after $2000)

And then for those in the right area there is the 3% JCB card

[yfan]

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longtimelurker wrote: 

And then for those in the right area there is the 3% JCB card

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Just to be clear, the JCB card has an annual fee and the rewards are not uniform. The 3% cashback is only for spending above $3,000. For spend of $1000 or below, the cashback is 1%, and between 1K and 3K, 2%.

[CreditDunce]

Right now my 2% CB card is the Arrival+.   Next month, I hope to upgrade to the BoA TR cards.  Depending on your relationship bonus with BoA, it returns 1.5%/1.65%/1.875%/2.25% or 2.65% CB.   It will allow me to downgrade to the no AF version or close my Arrival before the AF kicks in next year.

I would have been perfectly happy with the Citi DC, too.  But the TR gives an effective sign up bonus of $175, no FTF or AF and the extra 0.65% CB.  For me the 0.65% extra is worth needing travel expenses to redeem against.  

[SunriseEarth]

I think reaction to the Citi DC largely depends on your opinion of Citi as a lender.   I have the Citi DC and am dissatisfied with Citi, so the card is SDed and I use my QS1 for my non-category spend instead.  

[mongstradamus]

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@SunriseEarth wrote:

I think reaction to the Citi DC largely depends on your opinion of Citi as a lender.   I have the Citi DC and am dissatisfied with Citi, so the card is SDed and I use my QS1 for my non-category spend instead.  

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With all the reservations i have about citi DC card like having to take two hps to get the CL you should have gotten when you apped and having to PIF to get the 2% , i probably still think its best 2% cashback card due to its acceptance nearly everywhere you can't quite say that about fidelity amex. I also do like the QS card even tho its .5% less than DC. No FTF and being able to get cash back instantly is an really nice perk to have. 

With all that being said i don't use any cashback cards right now all my spend is on edp, CSP, and Ink plus. 

[Anonymous]

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@yfan wrote:

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@Callandra wrote:

Other than Fidelity Amex, are there any other 2% on everything cards in existence (that can still be applied for, not the ones that have been nerfed like Priceline)? YMMV but I would like this Double Cash as a MasterCard would have more acceptance and you don't have to jump through any hoops. 

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Yes, there's the Orbitz Visa, which gives you 5% on Orbitz bookings and 2% on everything else in Orbucks. The card has no AF and no FTF. So pretty good that way. The only problem is that your rewards are in Orbucks, and although Orbucks earned from the card do not expire, you can only use it for hotel bookings on Orbitz.

The Orbitz Visa does have an advantage over the Double Cash, however. There are no minimum thresholds for redemption. With each statement, your Orbucks are transferred to your Orbitz account, and you can use it whenever you want, no matter how little Orbucks you have. The Double Cash requires you to rack up at least $25 in rewards before you can redeem.

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You book a lot of rooms for <$25? lol j/k

[celluloid17]

I wish the Fidelity Amex would follow Discover's lead and drop the redemption threshold for redeeming cashback earned or at least lower it to $25 to be on par with Citi DC.  I definitely favor Double Cash now for all catch-all purchases that aren't covered by 5% cards and prefer the versatility of a MC vs Amex.  I've SD'ed my Fidelity completely and I'm not sure what to do with it moving forward.  I have about $11 worth in points on my Fidelity card, but I can't redeem them because of the prohibitive redemption threshhold.  Argh!

Double Cash is definitely the winner for those that pay in full every month and you don't have to maintain a special banking account to receive your money like you do with Fidelity.

[yfan]

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@Anonymous wrote:

You book a lot of rooms for <$25? lol j/k

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With Orbitz, the room does NOT need to cost less than your available rewards. If you are booking a room for one night that's $95, and you have $20 Orbucks available, you can redeem and get it for $75. You do not need to wait until you have enough Orbucks to book a room with Orbucks alone. That's the advantage.