Head to head

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs Citi Double Cash Card

They split the 4 rankable specs evenly, so cost decides it: Citi Double Cash Card charges $95 a year less.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Annual fee: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card lists $95 (Chase sheet, 2026-09-02); Citi Double Cash Card lists $0 (No annual fee) (Citi sheet, 2026-09-02).
Rewards rate: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card lists 5X travel via Chase, 3X dining/online grocery/select streaming, 2X other travel, 1X other (Chase sheet, 2026-09-02); Citi Double Cash Card lists 2% cash back (1% when you buy + 1% as you pay off purchases) (Citi sheet, 2026-09-02).
Regular APR: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card lists 21.49% – 28.49% Variable APR (Chase sheet, 2026-09-02); Citi Double Cash Card lists 19.24% – 29.24% Variable APR (Citi sheet, 2026-09-02).
Foreign transaction fee: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card lists None (0%) (Chase sheet, 2026-09-02); Citi Double Cash Card lists 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars (Citi sheet, 2026-09-02).
Late fee: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card lists Up to $40 (Chase sheet, 2026-09-02); Citi Double Cash Card lists Up to $41 (Citi sheet, 2026-09-02).

Not financial advice. Annual fees, APRs, bonuses and credits change. Confirm current terms with the issuer before you apply.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

$95/yr2 spec wins

Swap

Compare a different credit card

Chase Freedom Unlimited$0/yr Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards$0/yr Bilt World Elite Mastercard$0/yr Chase Freedom Flex$0/yr Wells Fargo Active Cash Card$0/yr Discover it Cash Back$0/yr Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express$0/yr Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card$95/yr Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express$95/yr Citi Strata Premier Card$95/yr American Express Gold Card$325/yr Capital One Venture X Rewards$395/yr Chase Sapphire Reserve$550/yr The Platinum Card from American Express$695/yr

Citi Double Cash Card

$0/yr2 spec wins

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Compare a different credit card

Buying for

Every rankable spec counts once. Pick a lens to score only what matters for your credit card.

Straight answer

Overall: 2 to 2

Tied overall. Citi Double Cash Card charges less a year.

The 4 rankable overall specs split 2 to 2.
Saves $95 a year in fees.

Check first: the Citi Double Cash Card has foreign transaction fee.

2 Chase Sapphire Preferred Card4 rankable of 10 specsCiti Double Cash Card 2

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

Annual feerow
You pay before a single reward is earned.
Trips:Chase Sapphire Preferred Card · $95Clear:Citi Double Cash Card · $0 (No annual fee)
Foreign transaction feerow
Adds about 3% to every purchase abroad.
Clear:Chase Sapphire Preferred Card · None (0%)Trips:Citi Double Cash Card · 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
No airport lounge accessrow
No free lounges; only matters if you fly often.
Trips:Chase Sapphire Preferred Card · NoTrips:Citi Double Cash Card · No
No 0% intro APRrow
Carrying a balance costs full interest from day one.
Trips:Chase Sapphire Preferred Card · None (Variable APR applies from account…Clear:Citi Double Cash Card · 0% intro APR for 18 months on Balance T…

At a glance

The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.

2 of 2 differ

Annual fee

Chase

$95

Citi

$0 (No annual fee)

Rewards rate≠

Chase

5X travel via Chase, 3X dining/online grocery/select streaming, 2X other travel, 1X other

Citi

2% cash back (1% when you buy + 1% as you pay off purchases)

True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Upfront price + 3 years of consumables, fees & essential add-ons

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Upfront list price$0

3-Yr Annual card membership fee ($95 billed annually)+$285

3-Year Estimated Total$285

Cost over 3 years in annual fees before rewards or statement credits.

Citi Double Cash Card

Upfront list price$0

3-Year Estimated Total$0

Zero annual fee card.

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.

Post-Purchase Truths

Chase: What to watch for

Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Regular cleaning, firmware updates, and standard care are recommended to preserve longevity.

Citi: What to watch for

Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Regular cleaning, firmware updates, and standard care are recommended to preserve longevity.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card$95/yr2 wins

Citi Double Cash Card$0/yr2 wins

Fees & Rates Rewards & Perks Card Details

9 of 10 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Fees & Rates

4 differences

Fees & Rates specifications. Middle column is Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, right column is Citi Double Cash Card.
Annual fee	$95	$0 (No annual fee) (wins this row: lower)
Regular APR	21.49% – 28.49% Variable APR	19.24% – 29.24% Variable APR (wins this row: lower)
Foreign transaction fee	None (0%) (wins this row: lower)	3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
Late fee	Up to $40 (wins this row: lower)	Up to $41

Rewards & Perks

3 differences

Rewards & Perks specifications. Middle column is Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, right column is Citi Double Cash Card.
Rewards rate	5X travel via Chase, 3X dining/online grocery/select streaming, 2X other travel, 1X other	2% cash back (1% when you buy + 1% as you pay off purchases)
Sign-up bonus	60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after $4,000 spend in first 3 months ($750 travel value)	$200 cash back (20,000 ThankYou points) after spending $1,500 in first 6 months
Intro APR offer	None (Variable APR applies from account opening)	0% intro APR for 18 months on Balance Transfers (then standard variable APR)
Lounge access	No	No

Card Details

2 differences

Card Details specifications. Middle column is Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, right column is Citi Double Cash Card.
Credit neededOur summary	Good to Excellent (690–850)	Good to Excellent (670–850)
Network	Visa Signature	Mastercard

Credit-card figures are from issuer materials and go stale. This is not an offer to lend, not financial advice, and not a recommendation to apply. Verify every fee, APR, bonus and credit on the issuer's site.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card issuer terms (opens in a new tab) · checked Sep 2, 2026
Citi Double Cash Card issuer terms (opens in a new tab) · checked Sep 2, 2026

Which one should you buy

Pick this one if

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

The benchmark travel rewards card with 5X points on travel through Chase, 3X dining, and 1:1 point transfers.

Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel through Chase Travel
1:1 point transfers to Hyatt, United, Southwest, and British Airways
Primary rental car collision damage waiver insurance

What you give up

No airport lounge access
$95 annual fee is not waived the first year

Full Chase Sapphire Preferred Card specs →

Pick this one if

Citi Double Cash Card

Straightforward no-annual-fee cash back card delivering 2% total on every purchase (1% when you buy, 1% when you pay).

Effective 2% flat cash back with no category tracking or spending caps
No annual fee
Earns transferable Citi ThankYou points convertible to cash back or travel

What you give up

3% foreign transaction fee makes it poor for international travel
No built-in travel perks or insurance protections

Full Citi Double Cash Card specs →

Best for each use

Travel

Flights, hotels and spending abroad: no foreign fees, lounges, a big bonus

Tied on travel. Citi Double Cash Card charges less a year.

The 2 rankable travel specs split 1 to 1.
Saves $95 a year in fees.

Everyday cash back

Simple rewards on groceries and gas with nothing to pay each year

For everyday cash back, buy the Citi Double Cash Card.

Leads 2 of 2 rankable everyday cash back specs.
Annual fee: $0 vs $95
Regular APR: 19.24% – 29.24% Variable APR vs 21.49% – 28.49% Variable APR
It also charges $95 less a year.

Carrying a balance

Paying over time or newer to credit: APR, intro offers, approval odds

For carrying a balance, buy the Citi Double Cash Card.

Leads 2 of 3 rankable carrying a balance specs; Chase Sapphire Preferred Card takes 1.
Annual fee: $0 vs $95
Regular APR: 19.24% – 29.24% Variable APR vs 21.49% – 28.49% Variable APR
It also charges $95 less a year.

Every answer above is scored from published figures. A lens uses only the rows that matter for that use, including marked rows that are not on the official sheet. Switch lenses interactively in the panel above.

Done deciding?

Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card spec sheet Citi Double Cash Card spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card ↗ · Citi Double Cash Card ↗

Common questions

Which card has the lower annual fee, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or Citi Double Cash Card?

Citi Double Cash Card charges $95 a year less.

What is the biggest catch with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or Citi Double Cash Card?

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card has this deal-breaker: annual fee. You pay before a single reward is earned.

Which is better for travel, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or the Citi Double Cash Card?

Tied on travel. Citi Double Cash Card charges less a year. The 2 rankable travel specs split 1 to 1. Saves $95 a year in fees.

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 10 specs tracked here, 6 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.

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