Citi Diamond Preferred vs. Citi Double Cash

Citi is an advertising partner of CreditCards.com.

If you are looking for a simple credit card with no annual fee, Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card and Citi® Dual Cash Card may be on your shortlist. These two Citi credit cards have no annual fees as well as an attractive starting annual interest rate on balance transfer offers. Diamond Preferred also includes an additional starting annual interest rate on purchases.

A possible downside if you are looking for a new card is that the Citi Diamond Preferred Card does not have a signup bonus and does not have a permanent rewards program. The Citi Double Cash Card has a welcome bonus and a reward rate of up to 2 percent cash on all regular purchases (1 percent on purchase, 1 percent on check out), making it attractive to use on current purchases. .

Let’s dive into more details on how these two options from Citi stack up:

Map details

Card	Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card	Citi® Dual Cash Card
Interest rate	Nobody	1% cashback on regular purchases 1% cashback on these purchases
Bonus for registration	Nobody	$200 refund if you spend $1500 within 6 months.
Annual fee	$0	$0
APR introductory period (balance transfers)	21 months	18 months
APR Introductory Period (New Purchases)	12 months	Nobody
Regular APR	15.99%-25.99% variable	16.24%-26.24% variable

Citi Diamond Preferred vs. Citi Double Cash

Receiving awards

Citi Diamond Preferred	City Double Cash
Nobody	1% cashback on regular purchases 1% cashback on these purchases

Winner: Citi Double Cash

The Citi Diamond Preferred Card, which is a balance transfer credit card at all stages, does not earn any points or rewards for using it for ongoing purchases. On the other hand, the Citi Double Cash card returns up to 2% cash back. The card rewards you by giving back 1% cashback on most purchases (excluding gift cards) and then an additional 1% cashback when you pay for those purchases. If you pay your statement in full each month, you’ll earn 2 percent cash on every purchase.

Bonus for registration

Citi Diamond Preferred	City Double Cash
Nobody	$200 refund if you spend $1500 within 6 months.

Winner: Citi Double Cash

For a limited time only, Citi Double Cash is offering a welcome back offer of $200 after you spend $1,500 within the first six months of opening an account. This requires you to spend at least $250 per month to reach your spending goal, which should be manageable for most consumers. Unfortunately, Citi Diamond Preferred does not offer a signup bonus.

Introductory 0 percent per annum

Citi Diamond Preferred	City Double Cash
21 months for balance transfers 12 months for new purchases	18 months for balance transfers

Winner: Citi Diamond Preferred

The Diamond Preferred Card offers a 21-month 0% starting APR on balance transfers made within the first four months (from 15.99% to 25.99% with variable APR thereafter) and Citi charges you a fee for a balance transfer of 5 percent or 5 percent, whichever is greater. . Citi Diamond Preferred also has a 12-month 0% starting annual interest rate on new purchases if you have a major purchase coming up.

As for Citi Double Cash, it doesn’t back down in this department, offering a respectable 18-month starting 0% APR on balance transfers (from 15.49 to 25.49 percent thereafter). You must transfer your balance within the first four months to be eligible for the initial balance transfer fee of 3 percent or $5, whichever is greater. Unfortunately, the card does not have an interest-free period for new purchases.

Use of points

Citi Diamond Preferred	City Double Cash
N/A	Loan Application Direct deposit Check Shop with points Pay with points Gift cards Travel Charitable donations

Winner: Citi Double Cash

Since the Diamond Preferred card does not earn any rewards, you will not have any points to redeem. However, Citi Double Cash offers many options after the issuer changed Citi Double Cash from cashback (you always redeem cashback) to ThankYou Points. These flexible reward points can be redeemed for traditional cash back options like credits and checks, as well as universal options like gift cards and travel.

Annual fee

Citi Diamond Preferred	City Double Cash
$0	$0

Winner: Draw

Neither the Citi Double Cash Card nor the Citi Diamond Preferred Card has an annual fee, making the two cards equal in this respect. Having a card with no annual fees can work to your advantage, especially if you carry a balance and need to focus your payments on paying it off. Keeping a card with no annual fees that you’ve had for a long time can also be a great way to increase the average age of your bills, which is an important factor in determining your credit score.

What card should you get?

Even though these cards are issued by the same lender, they are completely different. One is a simple balance transfer card that offers benefits designed to help you pay off your credit card debt. The other is a flat-rate cashback card with a decent reward rate and a sign-up bonus. As for which card is right for you, it mostly depends on where you are in your financial journey.

• If you are making a large purchase: With a 12-month 0 percent interest rate, Citi Diamond Preferred gives you more than enough time to pay for something as expensive as a new washing machine, mattress or laptop.
• If you have credit card debt: Citi Diamond Preferred is not the best card to transfer balance for no reason – zero card interest for 21 months on balance transfers is hard to beat. You should be able to pay off even the biggest credit debts (provided you diligently make regular payments) with a preferred diamond. To find out how much you can save on interest with a balance transfer card, use our balance transfer calculator.
• If you want solid rewards: Cash back of up to 2 percent on Double Cash is an extremely attractive return for a credit card with no annual fees. In fact, big spenders can get more rewards with Citi Double Cash compared to another Citi cashback card.
• If you would like to test Citi ThankYou rewards: Now that Citi Double Cash is earning its ThankYou points rewards (from 100 points to $1), it’s a great entry into the Citi ThankYou rewards program.

bottom line

The Citi Diamond Preferred Card and Citi Double Cash Card are available with no annual fees or upfront annual balance transfer offers. And while Diamond Preferred also offers a zero interest period on purchases, Double Cash is a cash back card with huge reward potential.

To qualify, you will need Citi pre-approval or a good to excellent credit history. Before deciding which card you want to apply for, check your credit history and spending habits to decide which one makes the most sense for you.

Dan Miller is a freelance writer and founder of PointsWithACrew.com, a website that helps families travel for free or cheap. His home is in Cincinnati, but he tries to travel the world as much as possible with his wife and six children.