Citi Double Cash vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash: Which Earns More?
Card data current as of August 2026.
Both cards pay a flat 2% on every purchase with no annual fee, and on our representative persona spend they land in an exact tie — about $768/yr each. Neither has bonus categories, so there’s no spend pattern that favors one over the other on earn rate alone.
Who wins for your spending?
Defaults to a representative household budget — edit any field to match your own; the numbers below update live.
Double Cash
No annual fee
$768/yr net
Active Cash
No annual fee
$768/yr net
These numbers tie — before credits.
Category by category, on our representative persona
| Category | Double Cash | Active Cash |
|---|---|---|
| Groceries | $160/yr $8,000 × 2% | $160/yr $8,000 × 2% |
| Dining | $120/yr $6,000 × 2% | $120/yr $6,000 × 2% |
| Travel | $140/yr $7,000 × 2% | $140/yr $7,000 × 2% |
| Gas | $60/yr $3,000 × 2% | $60/yr $3,000 × 2% |
| Streaming | $18/yr $900 × 2% | $18/yr $900 × 2% |
| Transit | $30/yr $1,500 × 2% | $30/yr $1,500 × 2% |
| Everything Else | $240/yr $12,000 × 2% | $240/yr $12,000 × 2% |
| Total (before fee) | $768/yr | $768/yr |
Fee & credits
Double Cash
Active Cash
The category table above is earn-only. The calculator's “after your credits” verdict folds in the credit amounts you set — seeded to a conservative estimate, never full face, since most people don't use every credit.
How we calculate this: each category is valued at its best-case bonus rate using conservative, program-specific point values (spend above a bonus cap is not counted; rotating quarterly bonuses and issuer status tiers are excluded). This page scopes two cards and one spend vector — it doesn't allocate spend across your whole wallet. These are estimates, not offers — always confirm current terms with the issuer. Read our full methodology ›
Frequently asked questions
- Which card earns more overall?
- Neither — they tie at a flat 2% cash back on every category we model, with no annual fee on either card.
- Do either of these cards have bonus categories?
- No. Both are deliberately simple flat-rate cards; that simplicity is part of their appeal.
- So what should decide between them?
- Since the earn rate is identical, the deciding factors are usually outside what this calculator models — the current welcome bonus, redemption flexibility, or perks like cell-phone protection. Check current offers directly with each issuer.
See the full ranking for these categories
More head-to-head comparisons
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