Citi Double Cash vs Wells Fargo Active Cash
By Alex Compton · Updated
The Citi Double Cash and Wells Fargo Active Cash are the two benchmark 2% cards, identical on the headline rate and free to hold. The tiebreakers are everything around the 2%: bonus mechanics, phone insurance, and, decisively for points players, what the rewards can become.
Citi Double Cash
Citi
- Our rating
- 8.3/10
- Welcome bonus
- 20,000 points
- Bonus value
- ≈$200
- Annual fee
- $0
- Credits, max/yr
- $0
- Foreign txn fee
- 3%
Top earning rates
- 2x Everything (1% buy + 1% pay)
Wells Fargo Active Cash
Wells Fargo
- Our rating
- 8.2/10
- Welcome bonus
- $200 cash
- Bonus value
- ≈$200
- Annual fee
- $0
- Credits, max/yr
- $0
- Foreign txn fee
- 3%
Top earning rates
- 2x All purchases
Where Each Wins
Flat rate
TieBoth pay an effective 2% on everything, the Double Cash as 1% when you buy plus 1% when you pay. No difference that matters.
Welcome bonus
Active CashThe Active Cash pays $200 after just $500 in spend, among the easiest bonuses anywhere. The Double Cash requires $1,500 over six months for the same $200.
Hidden extras
Active CashThe Active Cash includes cell phone protection up to $600 when you pay your bill with it, plus a 0% intro APR window. The Double Cash's perks list is essentially empty.
Points ceiling
Double CashThe Double Cash secretly earns Citi ThankYou points: add a Strata Premier or Strata Elite later and every point converts to full transferable currency. The Active Cash's parallel trick requires the Autograph Journey, a weaker points program overall.
Foreign fees
TieBoth charge 3% abroad. Neither travels.
The Compound Verdict
As a standalone cash card, the Active Cash wins on the margins: easier bonus, phone insurance, same 2%. As a future points card, the Double Cash wins bigger: it is the best 2%-floor card in the game for anyone who might ever add a Citi Strata, converting years of accumulated cash back into transferable ThankYou points retroactively. Pick by trajectory, phone-in-hand simplicity now versus points optionality later.
Our ratings give it to the Citi Double Cash (8.3 vs 8.2). On current welcome offers, the Double Cash brings the bigger first-year haul at ≈$200.
Read the full reviews for the complete math: Double Cash review and Active Cash review, or put them side by side in the comparison tool.
Common Questions
Is the Citi Double Cash or Wells Fargo Active Cash better?
For pure cash back, the Active Cash by a nose: the $200 bonus needs only $500 in spend and cell phone protection rides free. For anyone who may later want transferable points, the Double Cash: beside a Citi Strata Premier its 2% becomes 2x ThankYou points on everything, the strongest flat-rate points floor available.
Does the Citi Double Cash really earn points, not cash?
Yes. It earns ThankYou points redeemable for cash at 1 cent each, so it behaves like a 2% card by default. The upgrade: holding a Strata Premier or Elite unlocks those same points for airline and hotel transfers, where values above 1 cent are routine.
Does either card work for international travel?
Not really; both charge a 3% foreign transaction fee. Pair either with a no-FTF card for trips abroad, or look at the Capital One Quicksilver if you want a single free card that travels.