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Citi Custom Cash℠ Card review Innovation or inconvenience

Pairing this card with a more premier Citi rewards card could be a match made in earning heaven. Written by Credit Card Reviews Writer Bankrate expert Garrett Yarbrough strives to make navigating credit cards and credit building smooth sailing for his readers. After regularly featuring his credit card, Nov. 8, 2022 Edited by Credit Cards Editor Nouri Zarrugh is a writer and editor for CreditCards.com and Bankrate, focusing on product news, guides and reviews. His areas of expertise include credit card strategy, rewards Reviewed by Editor Nov. 8, 2022

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Snapshot

4.4 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon Bottom line This card offers a unique middle ground between different cash back card styles and features one of the strongest rewards rates available in key spending categories for no annual fee. on Citi's secure site

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card

Rewards rate Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. Annual fee Intro offer Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. Regular APR Recommended Credit Score A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product. Citi is an advertising partner

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card Overview

Choosing a can be a tough call if you want the big rewards of a 5 percent , the flexibility of a custom category card and the simplicity of a flat-rate card. Thankfully, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card provides a fourth "all of the above" choice. Citi's earns 5 percent rewards on purchases in one of 10 popular everyday categories, but doesn't require you to keep track of categories or activation periods. Instead, you automatically earn rewards in your top spend category each billing cycle. That said, like other no annual fee , the Custom Cash is light on extra features. You'll need to pair it with another card, like a Citi travel card, to realize your rewards' full potential.

What are the pros and cons

Pros

Its cash back on your top eligible spending category per billing cycle offers one of the highest rewards rates available on key categories for no annual fee. Its World Elite Mastercard status may provide valuable perks for a no-annual-fee card, such as partner offers with Lyft and DoorDash. Its unique rewards program and poolable rewards make it an excellent partner for the and .

Cons

The 5 percent bonus category has a $500 spending cap per billing cycle, which could limit your rewards if you spend heavily in one category or have authorized users sharing the account. If you want to earn rewards from a certain bonus category, you’ll need to track and categorize your spending since you only earn 5 percent back in one category. If it’s your primary rewards card, you’ll potentially miss out on cash back for the majority of your spending because of the card’s one-category focus.

A deeper look into the current card offer

Quick highlights

Rewards rate: 5 percent cash back (on up to $500 each billing cycle, then 1 percent) on your top spending category each billing cycle Welcome offer: 20,000 ThankYou Points - worth $200 in cash back - after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months Annual fee: $0 Purchase intro APR: 0 percent for 15 months Balance transfer intro APR: 0 percent for 15 months Regular APR: 17.74 percent to 27.74 percent (variable)

Current welcome offer

New cardholders can earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 in purchases within their first six months, which comes in the form of 20,000 ThankYou points. An offer worth $200 is on par with the you'll find on some of the most popular cash back cards, though the Citi Custom Cash card's spending requirement may be a bit hard to meet for some spenders. The current $1,500 spending requirement is double the card's previous bonus spending requirement and higher than what's often required to earn the same cash bonus with competing no-annual-fee cash back cards (some cards require a spending threshold of just $500). Here's how the Citi Custom Cash card's bonus stacks up to those of competing rewards cards when you break down the bonus as a return on spend: : 40 percent return on spend ($200 bonus after $500 spend in the first three months) : 40 percent return on spend ($200 bonus after $500 spend in the first three months) : 20 percent return on spend ($200 online cash rewards bonus after $1,000 spend in the first 90 days) : 20 percent return on spend ($200 bonus after $1,000 spend in the first 120 days) Citi Custom Cash Card: 13.3 percent return on spend ($200 bonus after $1,500 spend in the first six months) : 13.3 percent return on spend (earn $200 bonus after $1,500 spend in the first six months)

Rewards rate

Although it's marketed as a cash back card, the Custom Cash actually earns . All of Citi's no-annual-fee cards earn , which are slightly different from the full-fledged ThankYou points you collect with the Citi Premier Card or (if you obtained a Prestige card before it was discontinued). That's because "basic" points can't be transferred to for a potentially higher value unless you have a Citi Premier or Prestige card to redeem your Custom Cash's points through. However, unlike the points you'd earn with some other Citi cards, ThankYou points earned with the Custom Cash card retain their value when redeemed toward cash back or statement credits. To squeeze the most value from each point, it's important to study the Custom Cash card's unique rewards program and potentially consider how and card combinations.

How you earn

The Citi Custom Cash earns 5 percent cash back on up to $500 (then 1 percent back) of purchases in your top eligible spending category each billing cycle, plus unlimited 1 percent on all other purchases. The 10 categories that earn you 5 percent rewards are: (doesn't include third-party dining services) If you spent $500 in one of these categories each billing cycle, you'd earn at least $25 cash back per billing cycle, which comes to $75 per quarter or $300 per year (similar to other 5 percent rotating category cards). Realistically, you probably won't earn more than 1 percent on any purchases outside the card's four major bonus categories - restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores and select travel - if you use the Custom Cash as your primary rewards card. That's why the Citi Custom Cash may work best as a that allows you to maximize your cash back outside these four staple categories. For example, the Citi Premier already earns 3X ThankYou points in these four categories, so you could pair it with the Custom Cash card to earn 5X ThankYou points in other categories like select transit, home improvement stores, live entertainment, drugstores and streaming services. Another pro tip to is to pay for all your subscriptions or big expenses in a given category in a single billing cycle. For example, paying for all of your fitness club memberships in full in January, renewing your annual transit passes in February and booking all of your summer travel in March means you could earn 5 percent back on a wider variety of purchases across the year's billing cycles. Here's a look at how Citi defines some of the card's 5 percent bonus categories: Select travel categories Select transit categories Select streaming services Airlines Hotels Cruises Other major travel categories Car rentals Buses Taxis and rideshares Ferries Trains Subways Parking garages and tolls Motorhome and RV rentals Other major transit categories Amazon Prime Video Amazon Music Apple Music Disney+ DirectTV Stream ESPN+ fuboTV HBO Max NBA League Pass Netflix Pandora Paramount+ Showtime Sling TV Spotify Starz SiriusXM Tidal Vudu YouTube Premium YouTube TV

How to redeem

The Citi Custom Cash offers one of the more well-rounded suites of redemption options among no-annual-fee rewards cards. You can redeem your ThankYou points for cash back in the form of a direct deposit, check or statement credit. Alternatively, you can redeem your points for gift cards, for booking travel through Citi or for eligible purchases on Amazon via . You can redeem any number of points as a statement credit or direct deposit, but your points must equal at least $5 in cash back to redeem for a check.

How much are the rewards worth

Since you earn ThankYou points instead of automatic cash back, your point value can vary depending on the redemption choice. The Custom Cash card's cash back redemption options will get you a value of 1 cent per point. You'll also get 1 cent per point for gift card redemptions and travel bookings through Citi. If you pool points with the Citi Premier or Prestige, however, estimates that your points may be worth around 1.9 cents each on average through certain Citi transfer partners. This valuation estimate means transferring your 20,000-point sign-up bonus to the right transfer partner could nearly double its value from $200 to $380.

Other cardholder perks

Aside from standard Citi benefits like fraud protection and access to presale concert and sporting tickets through , the aren't remarkable enough to give the card an edge like Chase no-annual-fee cards' travel perks provide. However, its Mastercard benefits can slightly set the Custom Cash apart from other no-annual-fee cards with even fewer additional features.

World Elite Mastercard benefits

Your Custom Cash Card carries the World Elite Mastercard logo, meaning you'll have . Although they may not offer extensive purchase protections and travel perks, these features could at least make a difference if you're deciding between the Custom Cash and a typical no-annual-fee cash back card with minimal benefits. Check with your issuer first to see if your card specifically qualifies for choice features like: 24/7 World Elite Concierge assistance Three free months of DoorDash DashPass, plus $5 off your first two orders per month $5 Lyft credits after three rides each month Complimentary ShopRunner membership

Rates and fees

Like a number of other no-annual-fee cash back cards, the Citi Custom Cash offers a solid 15-month 0 percent intro APR on new purchases and balance transfers - making it a great option if you need to . Besides being an effective balance transfer card, the Citi Custom Cash doubles as a somewhat thanks to its 17.74 percent to 27.74 percent variable ongoing APR. This interest rate is reasonable for a rewards card, with its low-end APR being slightly below the . Just be wary of the Citi Custom Cash card's 3 percent foreign transaction fee if you plan to earn travel rewards abroad.

How the Citi Custom Cash compares to other cash back cards

Deciding on a cash back card can feel overwhelming at first. With so many spending categories available, it can be hard to say which fits you best long-term. With the hassles of enrollment and rotating categories, it can be hard to maximize on rewards every billing cycle with the Citi Custom card. Considering these factors, credit cards with several ongoing bonus categories can be worth looking into.

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card

star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon Bankrate Score Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. on Citi's secure site Annual fee Intro offer Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. Rewards rate Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. Recommended credit A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Chase Freedom Flex℠

on Chase's secure site Annual fee Intro offer Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Rewards rate 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter! 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. Recommended credit A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Discover it® Cash Back

on Discover's secure site Annual fee Intro offer Intro Offer: Unlimited Cashback Match - only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year! There's no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300. Rewards rate Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically. Recommended credit A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Citi Custom Cash vs Discover it® Cash Back

A card similar to the Citi Custom Cash Card is the card. It has no annual fee and offers 0 percent intro APR for new purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (after that, a variable APR of 14.99 percent to 25.99 percent). Both also feature a high cash back rate in bonus categories that can change throughout the year, allowing you to strategize about when and where you buy to earn the most rewards. The cycle each quarter and aren't guaranteed to reward your top spending category, but the program's structure can give you little more room for earning rewards since you typically receive two to three 5 percent categories that share a $1,500 quarterly spending limit (after which your rewards rate drops to 1 percent). This info means that the Discover it Cash Back could offer a bit more cash back with fewer fees, while the Custom Cash may be a more rewarding choice if you don't want to juggle categories and plan to utilize a Citi travel card's transfer partners.

Citi Custom Cash vs Chase Freedom Flex℠

For sheer rewards potential and category variety, the Chase Freedom Flex is the best choice overall if you aren't planning to get other Citi cards. The Chase Freedom Flex's rewards could also be pooled with Chase's premium cards and redeemed for 25 or 50 percent more value toward travel - even without using transfer partners. Plus, it earns year-round 5 percent cash back on Chase travel and 3 percent on dining and drug store purchases. However, like the Discover it Cash Back, the Freedom Flex lets you earn cash back in more than one rotating 5 percent category at a time. If you're on the fence about but you prefer their stronger rewards potential over the Custom Cash's single category, keep in mind that the Freedom Flex provides reliable rewards year-round with its unlimited 3 percent categories and Chase travel cash back. Still, the Freedom Flex doesn't automatically reward your biggest category each month, so the Custom Cash is more convenient if you want automatic 5 percent cash back without worrying about category activation and tracking.

Best cards to pair with the Citi Custom Cash Card

Hands down, the best cards to pair with the Citi Custom Cash are the Citi Premier and the Citi Prestige since they let you transfer your pooled Custom Cash rewards to Citi's travel partners for a potentially higher value. Your Custom Cash card would be an excellent supporting card with either option, but the Citi Premier lets the Custom Cash card shine a bit more. The Premier card's restaurant, supermarket, gas station, air travel and hotel categories cover some of the Custom Cash card's heaviest spending categories, allowing you to earn 5 percent back in rarer bonus categories like transit and live entertainment. Adding the Citi Double Cash to your wallet would round out the by providing boosted cash back or points (if you convert them) on all purchases. The Citi Double Cash is even a wise pick if you're just interested in cash back because of its higher rewards rate than most . In this case, you'll be able to earn more than 1 percent cash back on all purchases once you know you've maximized your 5 percent category each billing cycle.

Bankrate s Take - Is the Citi Custom Cash Card worth it

The Citi Custom Cash Card is a breath of fresh air in the world of cash back credit cards. Its unique approach to earning 5 percent rewards on each billing cycle's top category grants cardholders a valuable middle ground between the current four cash back program styles: flat-rate rewards, tiered bonus categories, choice bonus categories and rotating quarterly bonus categories. It also delivers perhaps the highest available year-round rewards rate for a no-annual-fee card in key spending areas like groceries, gas and dining. But for all of its strengths, the Citi Custom Cash card's reward structure is a double-edged sword. Instead of a quarterly spending cap, you have a $500 spending cap per billing cycle in your 5 percent category, which could make you miss out on cash back if big purchases fall in a single billing cycle. It may also take some planning if you want to earn 5 percent back on purchases other than groceries, since only your spending dictates which eligible category earns cash back. Fortunately, however, this caveat makes it a great partner credit card. If you're already a Citi cardholder (or plan on getting another), the Custom Cash is one of the most versatile supporting cards for generating extra cash back or ThankYou points thanks to its flexible redemption options. The Citi Custom Cash is a strong card for everyday spending in its own right, but pairing it with the Citi Premier or other Citi cards can really help it flex its muscles. The information about the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Citi Custom Cash card' s credit limit

There’s no specific range given for the Citi Custom cash card as it is set when you are approved. However, Citibank credit card limits usually range between $500 to $5,000 depending on your credit score, income, and debt. You can also ask for a after multiple on-time payments, but be aware there is a possibility it can affect your credit score.

What credit score do I need to be approved for the Citi Custom Cash card

Applying to the Citi Custom Cash with a good to excellent credit score (a FICO score of 670 or higher, or a VantageScore of 661 or higher) will give you the best approval odds.

However, there are other . If you’re uncertain you’ll qualify, Bankrate’s can let you know whether you’re preapproved and save you the you’d experience after applying.

Should I get the Citi Custom Cash Card or the Citi Double Cash Card

At first glance, it may look like the Citi Custom Cash Card would earn you the most cash back since it earns 5 percent cash back on your top spending category each billing cycle. However, its 5 percent categories’ $500 spending cap per billing cycle and limited bonus categories mean you may earn more rewards with the Citi Double Cash Card’s up to 2 percent unlimited cash back (1 percent at purchase plus 1 percent upon payment).

The if your biggest expenses fall outside the Custom Cash Card’s ten bonus categories, or if you spend well beyond $500 in those categories each billing cycle. In fact, the Double Cash will earn more cash back each billing cycle if your total spending exceeds $1,250.

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Written by Garrett Yarbrough Credit Card Reviews Writer Bankrate expert Garrett Yarbrough strives to make navigating credit cards and credit building smooth sailing for his readers. After regularly featuring his credit card, credit monitoring and identity theft analysis on NextAdvisor.com, he joined the CreditCards.com and Bankrate.com teams as a staff writer to develop product reviews and comprehensive credit card guides focused on cash back, credit scores and card offers. Edited by Credit Cards Editor Reviewed by Editor

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