Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs Citi Double Cash Card
Annual fees: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card $95/yr, Citi Double Cash Card $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card on travel, Citi Double Cash Card on hotels.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
Chase Sapphire Preferred CardChase · $95/yr
Citi Double Cash CardCiti · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card$95Citi Double Cash Card$0Lowest
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card75,000 pointsCiti Double Cash Card$200 cash back
- Rewards
- Chase Sapphire Preferred CardChase Ultimate RewardsCiti Double Cash CardCash back
- Foreign transaction fee
- Chase Sapphire Preferred CardNoneLowestCiti Double Cash Card3%
- Network
- Chase Sapphire Preferred CardVisa SignatureCiti Double Cash CardMastercard
Earn ratesPer $1 spent · points and cash back aren’t ranked against each other
- Dining
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3xCiti Double Cash Card2%
- Electric Vehicle Charging
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3xCiti Double Cash Card2%
- Gas Stations
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3xCiti Double Cash Card2%
- Grocery Stores
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3xCiti Double Cash Card2%
- Streaming
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3xCiti Double Cash Card2%
- Vacation Rentals
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3xCiti Double Cash Card2%
- Travel
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card2xCiti Double Cash Card2%
- Everything else
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card1xCiti Double Cash Card2%
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS credit · $120 every 4 years
- $100 hotel credit
Citi Double Cash Card— - Entertainment & streaming
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- A year of Apple TV, valued at $180 · $180 one-time
Citi Double Cash Card—
Perks & access— means none on record
- Other perks
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Complimentary DashPass after activation
- Up to $10 monthly on a non-restaurant DoorDash order
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases
Citi Double Cash Card- Early access to concerts, sports, and theater tickets
- Tap to pay with contactless and digital wallets
- Pay no interest on balance transfers for 18 months
- No annual fee ever on this card
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Travel Accident Insurance up to $500,000
- $10,000 Trip Cancellation Insurance per person
- $500 Trip Delay Reimbursement per traveler
Citi Double Cash Card— - Baggage
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- $500 Baggage Delay Insurance ($100 per day)
- $3,000 Lost Luggage Reimbursement per traveler
Citi Double Cash Card— - Rental car
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Auto Rental Coverage
Citi Double Cash Card— - Purchase & returns
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- 120-day Purchase Protection up to $500 per item
Citi Double Cash Card- Zero Liability on unauthorized transactions
- Extended warranty
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Extended Warranty Protection adds 1 extra year
Citi Double Cash Card- Extended warranty (secondary coverage)
- Other protections
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
Citi Double Cash Card- Check your FICO score free every month
- 24/7 fraud monitoring with zero liability protection
- Free help resolving identity theft issues
- Quick card replacement if your wallet is lost or stolen
- Free identity monitoring service from Mastercard network
- Create virtual card numbers for safer online shopping
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- 24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- 75,000 point welcome bonus after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months
- $95 annual fee partly offset by a $100 Chase Travel hotel credit each account anniversary year
- 1:1 transfer to 14 airline and hotel partners including Hyatt
- 5X on Chase Travel, 3X dining, streaming, online groceries
- Trip cancellation, delay, and lost luggage insurance included
Citi Double Cash Card- 2% flat rate on all purchases with no caps
- No annual fee
- 0% intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers
- Simple earning structure - no tracking categories
- Points can combine with other Citi ThankYou cards
- Cons
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- $95 annual fee vs $0 Freedom cards
- No lounge access included
- 5/24 rule restricts applicants with 5+ cards in 24 months
- No 0% intro APR offer
Citi Double Cash Card- 3% foreign transaction fee
- Must pay bill to earn second 1% cash back
- No travel insurance or trip protection
- Relatively modest $200 welcome bonus
- No bonus categories for high spenders
Category-by-Category Winner
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card wins in 5 of 9 categories. The Citi Double Cash Card leads in 4. 2 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Travel
Depends: via Chase Travel portal
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Citi Double Cash Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
Dining
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 2X
Gas Stations
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 2X
Electric Vehicle Charging
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 2X
Vacation Rentals
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 2X
Streaming
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 2X
Grocery Stores
Depends: Online purchases only. Excludes Target, Walmart, Wholesale Clubs. Grocery pickup or delivery must be ordered online and qualify under Chase's online grocery category. Excludes membership and subscription fees, supermarket pharmacies, gift cards and gift baskets.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X when conditions are met; Citi Double Cash Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
Hotels
Citi Double Cash Card earns 5X vs 1X
5X via issuer travel portal
Car Rentals
Citi Double Cash Card earns 5X vs 1X
5X via issuer travel portal
Attractions
Citi Double Cash Card earns 5X vs 1X
5X via issuer travel portal
Everyday purchases
Citi Double Cash Card earns 2X on all other spending vs 1X
Year One vs Ongoing Value
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Ongoing value favors the Citi Double Cash Card; year-one value favors the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
| Scenario | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Citi Double Cash Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $346 Credits (our usable estimate): $75 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $326 Year one: $1,784 | Rewards: $384 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $384 Year one: $584 | Citi Double Cash Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,382 Credits (our usable estimate): $75 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $1,362 Year one: $2,820 | Rewards: $1,536 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $1,536 Year one: $1,736 | Citi Double Cash Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card costs $95/yr — that's $95 more than the Citi Double Cash Card (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $95 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $95 fee gap means the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card needs roughly $95 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on travel and dining and everyday spend.
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card if you:
- +Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
Get the Citi Double Cash Card if you:
- +Prefer a high flat rate across all spending
The Bottom Line
Ongoing value favors the Citi Double Cash Card; year-one value favors the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 2X on the Citi Double Cash Card vs 1X on the other card.
Published annual fees: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card $95/yr, Citi Double Cash Card $0/yr — a $95 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card worth the higher annual fee?
- The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card costs $95/yr vs $0/yr for the Citi Double Cash Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $95 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use.
- Which card earns more rewards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or Citi Double Cash Card?
- The Citi Double Cash Card has a higher base earn rate (2X vs 1X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
- Should I get the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or the Citi Double Cash Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Citi Double Cash Card has a lower $0/yr fee; the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $95/yr.
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published October 12, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.