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Comparison brief

PenFed Power Cash Rewards vs. Citi Double Cash

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Short answer: Citi Double Cash is the simpler flat-rate card, and PenFed Power Cash only matches it on rate if you qualify for its top tier. Both charge $0 and neither has credits we count. Double Cash pays a flat 2% on everyday spending.Power Cash requires PenFed membership, and the catalog models it at its 1.5% standard rate: the advertised 2% requires PenFed Honors Advantage, through military affiliation or a qualifying PenFed checking account, and is not modeled. At 1.5% against 2%, the Double Cash earns $5 more per $1,000 spent (hand-calculated). Choose Power Cash if you already have Honors Advantage, so the rates match, or you spend abroad often, since it charges no foreign transaction fee while the Double Cash charges 3%. Choose the Double Cash if you do not, or you want ThankYou points that pool with a premium Citi card plus 5% on hotels, rental cars, and attractions at Citi Travel, which applies only through Citi’s own portal. The head-to-head run below solves both cards against your own spending, using the 1.5% rate for Power Cash.

2/4 selected

Overview

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Which wins on my spending?

Runs the optimizer on these two cards alone, one card allowed, against your own monthly spending.

Earn rates

Everyday categories

Everything else

PenFed Power Cash Rewards
1.5%
Citi Double Cash
2x
Issuer travel portals 3 categories — only earned when you book through that issuer’s portal

Citi Travel - Attractions

PenFed Power Cash Rewards
—
Citi Double Cash
5x

Citi Travel - Hotels

PenFed Power Cash Rewards
—
Citi Double Cash
5x

Citi Travel - Rental Cars

PenFed Power Cash Rewards
—
Citi Double Cash
5x

These cards earn different reward currencies, so no highest rate is labeled; a larger multiplier does not necessarily mean more value. Listed rates can still be subject to portal, spending-cap, or category-selection rules; review each card's details before deciding.

Find your modeled setup

The optimizer searches eligible portfolios against your stated spending—not just two cards at a time—and reports whether the result was proven within the selected catalog and run inputs.

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