Monthly spending. We rank on rewards minus the full annual fee, so statement credits and perks are listed separately and never counted for you.
Choosing between the Citi Double Cash® Card (no annual fee) and the United℠ Explorer Card ($150/yr) comes down to where you spend most. United Explorer Card needs about $2,085 a month in dining or hotels, counting that spending alone, to make up its $150 higher annual fee over Citi Double Cash Card. Below that, Citi Double Cash Card comes out ahead. Enter your monthly spending above to see which comes out ahead for you.
Unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases. Earns a solid 2.0% on everything else.
Perfect if: You're comfortable booking through the issuer's own site for the best rate.
Apply NowStrongest in hotels at 2%. 2x miles on United purchases, dining, and hotel stays.
Perfect if: You want a strong rewards rate with no spending caps to worry about.
Apply Now| Feature | Citi Double Cash Card | United Explorer Card |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $0 | $150 |
| Sign-Up Bonus | $200 after $1,500 spend in 6 months | 70,000 miles after $3,000 spend in 3 months |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | 3% | 0% |
| Base Reward Rate | 2% | 1% |
| Hotels Rewards | 2% | 2% |
| Dining Rewards | 2% | 2% |
| Rates with conditions not counted in the rows above |
5% through Citi Travel Earns 5% only on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through Citi Travel, Citi's own booking site. Travel booked anywhere else earns the flat 2%. |
2% on United Earns 2% only on United purchases. Flights on other airlines earn 1%. |
| Key Benefits | Unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases. | 2x miles on United purchases, dining, and hotel stays. |
Citi Double Cash Card pulls ahead for groceries, gas spending.
The $150/year fee difference means United Explorer Card needs to earn about that much more in rewards to justify its cost.
United Explorer Card carries $600/year in credits (mostly tied to specific merchants or bookings). Those only count if you’d actually use them. Worth checking against your own habits before treating them as a discount on the fee.
Not sure which fits your life? Enter your spending below and we’ll do the math. The calculator ranks purely on rewards minus the full annual fee, so credits and perks are yours to judge.