Is Citi double cash still recommended?

[Anonymous]

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@revvystoke wrote:

Just wondering if the double cash card is still the best cash back card from Citi, I don't have any credit products from them since I closed my simplicity because they wouldn't budge on a CLI last year. Do they offer decent initial limits on this card?

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Yes to the first part.

Second part depends largely on your profile, Don't ignore the fact that this site's small sample size is not representative of how generous limits are on this product.

[Anonymous]

Double Cash limits Aren't really good. Mine has a limit of $3000, whereas my US Airways card has $10k, Simplicity has $7400, Discover has $8900 and WF has $10500

Citi definitely is giving low starting limits with the DC card. People have reported some degree of success by calling the back office and asking for a higher limit. You can always also just pc a different citi card to DC

[kdm31091]

While you cannot assume this site is representative of all cardholders obviously as it is a small sample, there does appear to be a trend of lower limits with Double Cash. Some have mentioned conversations with the EO where EO said the card wasn't as profitable for Citi and that's part of the low limit/higher APR reason. It's hearsay so take it as you will.

I would not neccessarily expect to cold app for it and get $10k. Some have gotten a boost with a 2nd HP by calling after being approved but as always YMMV.

[lostsols]

I got a $10k initial limit.  I'm sure there are outliers, but based on prior posts, that generally seems to be the ceiling.

[Anonymous]

I would way rather have QS than Double Cash unless DC has a signup bonus which right now it seems like not. QS has a relatively easy 100 dollar signup bonus. Now, 1.5% is of course less than 2%, but think about this: You have to spend 20,000 dollars on the DC to equal the QS+Signup Bonus. That is an insane amount of money and the categories where I can't do better than 2% are minimal.

I'm really surprised that people who don't have the QS covet the DC unless they are looking to be a very limited card person OR they got in on one of those sweet 200 dollar signup bonus deals which seem to not exist anymore.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:
I would way rather have QS than Double Cash unless DC has a signup bonus which right now it seems like not. QS has a relatively easy 100 dollar signup bonus. Now, 1.5% is of course less than 2%, but think about this: You have to spend 20,000 dollars on the DC to equal the QS+Signup Bonus. That is an insane amount of money and the categories where I can't do better than 2% are minimal.

I'm really surprised that people who don't have the QS covet the DC unless they are looking to be a very limited card person OR they got in on one of those sweet 200 dollar signup bonus deals which seem to not exist anymore.

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By that logic a Sallie Mae isn't as good as a Freedom.

[kdm31091]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:
I would way rather have QS than Double Cash unless DC has a signup bonus which right now it seems like not. QS has a relatively easy 100 dollar signup bonus. Now, 1.5% is of course less than 2%, but think about this: You have to spend 20,000 dollars on the DC to equal the QS+Signup Bonus. That is an insane amount of money and the categories where I can't do better than 2% are minimal.

I'm really surprised that people who don't have the QS covet the DC unless they are looking to be a very limited card person OR they got in on one of those sweet 200 dollar signup bonus deals which seem to not exist anymore.

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By that logic a Sallie Mae isn't as good as a Freedom.

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Well, technically it's a bit different. Freedom and Sallie Mae are not strictly the same thing. Freedom has rotating categories, Sallie's are the same always. Freedom also does not always have groceries as a category, or any category 100% reliably -- they do fluctuate some from year to year; some disappear and some return. Anyway, Sallie has no signup bonus and Freedom does but the cards aren't directly comparable IMO. They both earn 5% on certain things and that's about the only comparison. Freedom only has groceries at 5% for three months out of the year; Sallie is all year. You just cannot mathmatically match them up in terms of "which is better" because Freedom fluctuates and Sallie doesn't.

To address that logic with QS vs DC: it does make some sense. Mathmatically speaking, yes it would take you $20k to outearn the $100 signup bonus on the QS, vs a Double Cash. Now, the amount of time it takes you to spend $20k is gonna vary by person, but I would say we are generally talking several months. There's also the usual pro-QS arguments of no redemption min, no FTF, rewards instant, etc, etc.

Bottom line as always is no card is good for everyone and it depends on your perspective, wants, and needs.

[Anonymous]

How long and how much spend would it take to earn $225 in CB on a SM using only category spend, vs spending $500 on a Freedom to get the same bonus?

See how that sounds?

My solution? Get both and get extra cashback. This applies to QS/DC as well.

[kdm31091]

Eh, I dunno. Having both a Sallie Mae and a Freedom would make some sense considering Freedom will fluctuate and provide you different categories vs the static ones of Sallie.

A DC and QS seems superfulous to me, unless your "general spend" is really high -- when would you ever use the QS over the DC if you had them at the same time? The above argument applies more to which to get initially, but having them both side by side doesn't seem necessary IMO (unless you're worried about the FTF).

[Anonymous]

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@kdm31091 wrote:

Eh, I dunno. Having both a Sallie Mae and a Freedom would make some sense considering Freedom will fluctuate and provide you different categories vs the static ones of Sallie.

A DC and QS seems superfulous to me, unless your "general spend" is really high -- when would you ever use the QS over the DC if you had them at the same time? The above argument applies more to which to get initially, but having them both side by side doesn't seem necessary IMO (unless you're worried about the FTF).

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That.