Advertiser disclosure: Cash Back Specialist may be paid when you open an account or sign up through some links on this page. That can affect which products we write about and where links appear, but not our ratings or what we say about a product. We don’t cover every card or offer on the market. Read our full disclosure.
Short answer: Both pay 2% with no annual fee. Pick the Wells Fargo Active Cash if you want a welcome bonus and a 0% intro APR on new purchases. Pick the Citi Double Cash if you mainly want to transfer a balance, or you already use Citi ThankYou Points.
Side by side
| Citi Double Cash | Wells Fargo Active Cash | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash back | 2% (1% when you buy + 1% as you pay) | 2% cash rewards on purchases |
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
| Welcome offer | Not verified yet: check the issuer’s current terms | $100 after $500 in 3 months |
| Intro APR | Balance transfers only | 0% for 12 months on purchases and qualifying balance transfers |
| Regular APR | Not verified yet: check the issuer’s current terms | 18.74%, 24.74% or 28.74% variable |
| Foreign transaction fee | Not verified yet: check the issuer’s current terms | 3% |
| Travel portal bonus | 5% total on hotels, car rentals and attractions via Citi Travel | None listed |
Winner by use case
- Big purchase you’ll pay off over months: Active Cash (purchase intro APR).
- Paying down a balance from another card: Double Cash is built for balance transfers; compare both cards’ transfer fees first.
- First-year value: Active Cash, because its $100 bonus is published; check Citi’s current offer.
- Long-term everyday earning: a tie at 2%.
Can you have both?
Yes, but there’s little reason to: they earn the same rate. A better pairing is a 2% card plus a category card, such as a grocery or rotating 5% card.
Citi Double Cash® Card
| Annual fee | $0 (Citi's pricing details: Annual Fee – None) |
|---|---|
| Rewards |
|
| Welcome offer | Not verified yet: check the issuer’s current terms |
| Intro APR | Intro APR applies to balance transfers only, not purchases (rate and length shown on Citi's application page) |
| Regular APR | Not verified yet: check the issuer’s current terms |
| Foreign transaction fee | Not verified yet: check the issuer’s current terms |
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
| Annual fee | $0 |
|---|---|
| Rewards |
|
| Welcome offer | $100 cash rewards bonus after $500 in purchases in the first 3 months |
| Intro APR | 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (balance transfers made within 120 days) |
| Regular APR | 18.74%, 24.74% or 28.74% variable APR after the intro period |
| Foreign transaction fee | 3% of each foreign transaction converted to U.S. dollars |
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Citi Double Cash or Wells Fargo Active Cash?
Both earn 2% with no annual fee. The Active Cash adds a published $100 bonus and a 0% intro APR on purchases; the Double Cash's intro APR applies to balance transfers only.
Do both cards earn 2% right away?
The Active Cash earns 2% cash rewards when you make purchases. The Double Cash earns 1% when you buy and the second 1% as you pay.
Sources
- Citi Double Cash® Card (official page) (checked Oct 29, 2026)
- Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (official page) (checked Oct 29, 2026)