Citi Double Cash vs Chase Freedom Unlimited (2026)
Both are free, both earn flat or near-flat rates on everything. They're the two most popular no-annual-fee cashback cards. Here's which earns more depending on what you spend on.
CategoryCiti Double CashChase Freedom Unlimited
Groceries2%3%
Dining2%3%
Travel2%5% (via portal)
Gas2%1.5%
Everything else2%1.5%
Annual fee$0$0
Welcome bonus$200$200
Who earns more? (by spending profile)
Average spender
$475 groceries, $250 dining, $650 other
Citi Double Cash
$624
Chase Freedom Unltd.
$720
Winner ✓
Foodie
$600 dining, $300 groceries
Citi Double Cash
$572
Chase Freedom Unltd.
$683
Winner ✓
Homebody
$700 groceries, $100 dining
Citi Double Cash
$591
Chase Freedom Unltd.
$658
Winner ✓
The real winner: use both
The Citi Double Cash earns a flat 2% on everything — no categories, no portal, no thinking. The Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 3% on dining and groceries, and 1.5% on everything else.
Since both have no annual fee, the optimal strategy is: use Freedom Unlimited for dining + groceries (3% each), then Citi Double Cash for everything else (2% flat beats CFU's 1.5%). This combination maximizes every dollar with zero fees.