Credit score needed for the Citi Double Cash Card

The Citi® Double Cash Card is one of today’s top cash back credit cards – and for good reason. The card offers 1% cash back on every purchase, plus another 1% cash back when you pay off your purchases.

“As a busy dog mom with a job and too many hobbies, I love that I can use my card anywhere without having to stop and plan how to get the best rewards rate,” personal finance writer Meredith Hoffman says, explaining why the Citi Double Cash card is the best card in her wallet. “In my first year with the Double Cash card, I earned $187 in cash back on everything from hair appointments to grocery shopping and gas.”

If you’re thinking about applying for the Citi Double Cash card, you’re probably wondering what credit score is needed for your card application to be successful. In most cases, having a good credit score means taking the time to build good or excellent credit before applying – although even people with excellent credit can have their applications denied, depending on how they’ve used credit in the past and how much new credit they’ve applied for recently.

Want to take advantage of all the benefits the Citi Double Cash Card has to offer? Here’s what you need to know before applying.

What credit score do I need to get the Citi Double Cash?

While there’s no credit score range that guarantees your chances for approval, our research indicates that you’ll be most likely to be approved for the Citi Double Cash card if your credit score is good, very good or excellent.

What does it mean to have good or excellent credit? If you’re using the FICO credit scoring model, you’re going to want a credit score between 670 and 850. If you’re using the VantageScore model, your credit score should be between 700 and 850. Here’s a quick rundown of how each credit scoring model tracks credit ranges:

How can I improve my score to get this card?

If you don’t have a good enough credit score for the Citi Double Cash card, here are some tips to help you improve your credit score quickly:

Make on-time payments, every time

The single best way to boost your credit score is by making on-time payments – every time – on existing credit lines.

Payment history makes up 35% of your FICO credit score, making it the most important factor in your credit file. If you have missed payments on your record, it’s time to change your bill-paying habits to ensure that all future payments go out on time.

Some people use credit card autopay to keep them from missing payments. Other people set up mobile alerts to remind them when their credit card bill is due.

If you want to improve your credit, you need to build a history of on-time payments. Even if you can only make the minimum payment, make sure it goes out on time.

Pay down old debt

Ready for a second step to help you get the credit score needed for the Citi Double Cash card? Pay off any existing credit card debt.

Under the FICO scoring model, your credit utilization ratio makes up 30% of your credit score, making it the second-most important credit scoring factor after your payment history.

Your credit utilization ratio is determined by comparing your available credit to your current debt. The best way to lower your credit utilization ratio and improve your credit score is by paying off your credit card balances.

However, you can also lower your credit utilization ratio by opening a new credit card and increasing the total amount of credit available to you. Some people use balance transfer credit cards as a way to take advantage of both credit-boosting opportunities at the same time, increasing their available credit and paying off old balances simultaneously.

Check your credit report

Here’s one more way to improve your credit score for the Citi Double Cash card: Check your credit report for errors. Many people don’t realize that mistakes on their credit report can lower their credit score – and that taking a few minutes to review your credit report and dispute any errors is an easy way to improve your credit score quickly.

What can I do if Citi declines my application?

If Citi declines your application for the Citi Double Cash credit card, you have a few options. First, you can build your credit score and re-apply for the Citi Double Cash card once you have established good or excellent credit.

You may also want to consider applying for a different Citi credit card, especially if you want to take advantage of Citi credit card benefits like the ability to earn ThankYou points on every purchase.

If you’re thinking about using a balance transfer credit card to pay off old debt and boost your credit score, the Citi Simplicity® Card offers 12 months of 0% intro APR on purchases and 21 months of 0% intro APR on balance transfers completed within the first four months (after intro period, regular 14.99% to 24.99% variable APR applies). This gives you over a year to pay off transferred balances before they start to accrue interest – and plenty of time to work on building your credit score.

What if you’ve already built the credit score needed for the Citi Double Cash and Citi still declines your application? Believe it or not, you can be denied for a credit card even with excellent credit – and in many cases, it has to do with other application factors such as income level, current credit card balances and the number of credit cards you’ve opened in the past.

Credit card issuers are less likely to approve people who churn new accounts for their sign-up bonuses, for example – and Citi, like many credit issuers, has application restrictions designed to prevent people from taking out too many new credit cards at once. If you’re turned down for these reasons, you may just need to give it some time before successfully applying for a new card.

Final thoughts

What credit score is needed for the Citi Double Cash Card? In most cases, having a good or excellent credit score will make you a prime candidate for approval.

If you want to test your approval odds before applying, try using a service like CardMatch™ to check for prequalified credit card matches and personalized offers. Otherwise, try building your credit until you have a FICO credit score between 670 and 850 – because our research indicates that’s the best credit score range for the Citi Double Cash Card.