The Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express vs The Citi Double Cash Card
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The Blue Cash EveryDay® Card from American Express® and the Citi® Double Cash Card are both popular reward credit cards, but they offer different amounts of cash back for different kinds of purchases.
The Blue Cash EveryDay card is designed for the kind of spending we all do almost everyday, as the name suggests, while the Double Cash card provides the same amount of cash back no matter where you shop. Neither one has an annual fee.
One of these cards could be pretty useful for you – maybe even both. Keep reading to learn what makes them different and how they can help you save a buck.
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The Rewards
Blue Cash Everyday
You’ll get:
- 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1% cash back)
- 2% cash back at U.S. gas stations and select U.S. department stores
- 1% cash back for all other purchases
- A $150 signup bonus for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
- 10% cash back at US Wireless Telephone Service Providers in 2016 (up to $200, must apply by 6/15/2016)
Citi Double Cash
- 2% cash back for every purchase (1% at the time of purchase, and 1% when you pay it off)
- Signup bonus: $100 cash bonus for spending $500 in the first 3 months after account opening
The Verdict
As you can see, these cards offer very different rewards.
The Everyday card is good for shopping at supermarkets, gas stations, and some department stores (along with cell phone bills, for a limited time). If you’re making these kinds of purchases regularly, this card could save you a nice bit of cash over the years.
The Double Cash card, on the other hand, offers the same 2% cash back for every purchase you make. This makes it a good pick for all kinds of purchases, including the random ones that might not fit into a credit card reward category. Its signup bonus is easier to get too, only requiring half as much spending.
These cards would actually work very well together. If you own both, you can use the Everyday card for groceries, gas, and department store purchases, and use the Double Cash for everything else. This will help you keep your balances low on both cards while getting the most rewards you can. Don’t worry, having multiple credit cards doesn’t have to hurt your credit score and can actually be quite useful.
The Benefits
Both of these cards come with quite a few additional shopping and traveling benefits. Here are some of the most interesting from each.
Blue Cash Everyday
Perks
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Entertainment Access
Discounts to card member-only events, concerts, sporting events, and shows.
Shopping
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Extended Warranty
Adds up to one additional year to eligible warranties of 5 years or less.
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Purchase Protection
Items purchased with your card are protected against accidental damage and theft for 90 days.
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Return Protection
Eligible purchases can be reimbursed if the merchant won’t take it back within 90 days. Up to $300 per item, up to $1000 per year for each account.
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Free ShopRunner Membership
Provides free 2-day shipping and free return shipping on eligible items at participating stores.
Double Cash
Perks
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Personal Concierge Service
A personal assistant for help in any non-emergency situations, such as making travel and business reservations or finding hard-to-find gifts. Call 1-800-950-5114 to reach your concierge.
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Citi® Private Pass®
Receive invitations to exclusive experiences and VIP events, including pre-sale and preferred tickets to concerts, sports, and shows
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Citi Price Rewind
The Price Rewind service will search the net for cheaper prices on items you buy for 60 days, and you can be reimbursed up to $300 per item.
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Quick Customer Service
Just say ‘representative’ when you call customer service to be directly connected to a real human.
Shopping
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Purchase Protection
Purchases are covered against damage and theft for 120 days, up to $1,000 per item.
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Price Protection
If you made a purchase in the U.S. that you find advertised at a cheaper price within 60 days, you can get reimbursed the difference; up to $300 per item, $1200 per year.
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Extended Warranty
Eligible purchases can have their manufacturer’s warranty extended by up to 1 year.
The Verdict
Both of these cards offer a fairly large set of additional benefits, many of which overlap.
The Blue Cash Everyday offers the Entertainment Access service, which you could use to find a good deal on a show or sports game. The Double Cash card has the Private Pass service, which is fairly similar, and these are some of the more interesting benefits offered.
The Double Cash card also includes a personal concierge service, however, and this is a great find on a card like this with no annual fee. You can use this service any time you need non-emergency assistance, and it can really help out in a pinch.
Each card also has several travel benefits and security features that weren’t described above.
Insider Tip: Want to see the full set of benefits for each card?
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the benefits offered by each card:
| Blue Cash Everyday | Citi Double Cash | |
|---|---|---|
Perks |
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Security |
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Shopping |
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Travel |
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The Costs & Fees
| Card | Annual Fee | Intro Purchase APR | Intro Balance Transfer APR | Regular Purchase and Balance Transfer APR | Cash Advance APR | Foreign Transaction Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Cash Everyday | $0 | 0% for 15 months | 0% for 15 months | 15.24%–26.24% Variable | 27.49% Variable | 2.7% |
| Double Cash | $0 | None for None | 0% for 18 months | 15.74%–25.74% Variable | 27.49% Variable | 3% |
| Card | Penalty APR | Late Fee | Returned Payment Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Cash Everyday | 29.99% Variable | up to $38 | up to $38 |
| Double Cash | Up to 29.99% Variable | None for the first late payment; up to $35 after that | Up to $35 |
The Verdict
The rates and fees for these cards are pretty much the same, with one very important difference: you’ll get a 0% introductory APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers with the Blue Cash Everyday (then 15.24%–26.24% Variable), but that 0% rate only applies to balance transfers with the Double Cash card (for 18 months).
Other than that, these cards are pretty comparable, except that Citi will forgive your first late payment, which is nice but not a major concern.
Neither card has an annual fee, so they shouldn’t cost you anything as long as you use them responsibly.
The Bottom Line
The Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express and the Citi Double Cash Card will both reward you for spending, but they’ll do it very differently. If you’re trying to figure out which one of these cards to get, start by thinking about their rewards because the other features are pretty similar.
Do you spend money each month on gas and groceries? If so, a rewards card could help you save a bit of money, and the Blue Cash Everyday is not a bad choice for that.
Or do you need a card that provides a decent reward for any kind of spending you do, good for buying just about anything? The 2% cash back from the Double Cash is one of the better deals you’ll find on credit cards, and don’t forget that you’ll get the personal concierge service.
Remember that it’s not a bad idea to have and use both cards, the Everyday for those necessities it’s good for and the Double Cash for everything else.
If you use one of these credit cards, how do you like it? Leave your own review of the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express or the Citi Double Cash Card, we’d love to hear from you!
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