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The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card offers a solid welcome bonus and 5% cash back on up to $500 in purchases in your top spending category every billing cycle. There’s no annual fee and you won’t need to keep track of rotating bonus categories, but keep in mind it only earns 1% back outside of your highest spend category each month. Citi is an Insider partner.
Review: Is the Citi Custom Cash the best credit card for you?
There are lots of excellent cash-back credit cards on the market, and they all earn rewards in slightly different ways. Some cards earn a flat rate of cash back on all purchases or extra rewards in fixed categories, and others have rotating bonus categories that change every quarter.
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card takes a different approach. Cardholders earn 5% cash back on up to $500 in purchases in the eligible category they spend the most in each billing cycle (then 1%) and 1% on all other purchases.
The categories that qualify include common expenses that should appeal to just about everyone: restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment.
For a card with no annual fee, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card offers a generous welcome bonus: Citi Custom Cash℠ Card. Because the card earns cash back in the form of Citi ThankYou points, you’ve got flexibility in how you redeem your rewards. Not only can you redeem Citi ThankYou points for cash back, but also for travel booked through Citi, gift cards, merchandise, and — if you also have the Citi Premier® Card or Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available to new applicants) — transfers to Citi’s airline partners.
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card is a good choice if you don’t want to keep track of rotating bonus categories, especially if your highest spending category changes from month to month. It’s also worth considering if you already have a lot of rewards credit cards, but are looking for another card to use on purchases — like home improvement stores or fitness clubs — that don’t typically earn a bonus with other cards.
If you’re in the market for a 5% cash back card, there are two other cards that are worth a look. The Discover it® Cash Back earns 5% cash back in categories that rotate every quarter, on up to $1,500 in spending (then 1%) Discover It Cashback rotation.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ has a similar earning structure, but Chase’s rotating bonus categories are different.
However, with the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Discover it® Cash Back, you’ll need to keep track of these categories, and also register for the bonus before you earn bonus cash back. If that sounds like too much of a hassle, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card is a better choice for you.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
How to earn rewards from the Citi Custom Cash card
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card’s most compelling feature is the 5% cash back (5x Citi ThankYou points) it earns on up to $500 in purchases each billing cycle, in the eligible category where you spend the most (then 1%).
That’s a good deal if you tend to change your spending habits from month to month. For example, one month you might do a lot of driving and have high fuel expenses, but the next you may stay closer to home and spend more on groceries.
Citi Custom Cash Card 5x bonus categories
Restaurants
Gas stations
Grocery stores
Select travel
Select transit
Select streaming services
Drugstores
Home improvement stores
Fitness clubs
Live entertainment
In travel, transit, and streaming services categories, only certain types of purchases or merchants are eligible, but most typical spending is included:
Select travel includes airline, hotel, cruise line, and travel agency purchases — however, timeshares, boat leases and rentals, campgrounds and trailer parks, and real estate agencies are excludedSelect transit includes categories you might normally lump in with travel — car rentals, ferries, commuter railways, subways, taxis/limousines/car services, passenger railways, bridge and road tolls, parking lots/garages, bus lines, and motor home and recreational vehicle rentals are all eligible (bike/scooter rentals, auto clubs and insurance companies are not)Select streaming services span all of the major players, including Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Apple Music, CBS All Access, Disney+, AT&T TV NOW, ESPN+, fuboTV, HBO Max, NBA League Pass, Netflix, Pandora, Showtime, Sling TV, Spotify, Starz, SiriusXM, Vudu, YouTube Red, YouTube TV, and Tidal
If you don’t have any other cards that earn a bonus in any of these categories, using the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card for your regular spending and earning 5x rewards in your top monthly category is the easiest approach. But if you have other cards in your wallet, you can use the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card in categories where you might not otherwise earn a bonus.
How to use rewards
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card doesn’t earn pure cash back in the traditional sense; instead, cardholders earn rewards in the form of Citi ThankYou points. This is the same rewards currency earned by other Citi credit cards, including the Citi Premier® Card, Citi Prestige® Card, and Citi Rewards+® Card.
You can also earn Citi ThankYou points indirectly with the Citi® Double Cash Card, which allows you to convert cash-back rewards into Citi ThankYou points at a rate of 1 cent to 1 point.
Citi ThankYou points are incredibly versatile. With any Citi ThankYou card, you can redeem your points at a rate of 1 cent apiece in a number of ways:
Statement creditsCash back in the form of a direct depositAirfare, hotels, car rentals, and more through the Citi ThankYou travel portalGift cardsCharity donations
You can also cash in points for merchandise by using them to pay at checkout with Amazon or PayPal, but you’ll get a relatively poor rate of just 0.8 cents per point when you redeem this way. A better bet would be to use your Citi Custom Cash℠ Card (or other Citi card) to make these purchases directly, then redeem points at 1 cent apiece for a statement credit to offset the charge.
Things get more lucrative if you also have the Citi Premier® Card or Citi Prestige® Card, because when you have one of these cards, you can access the full range of Citi transfer partners:
Citi airline transfer partners
Aeromexico Club PremierAir France-KLM Flying BlueAvianca LifeMilesCathay Pacific Asia MilesChoice PrivilegesEmirates SkywardsEtihad GuestEva Air Infinity MileageLandsJetBlue TrueBlueQantas Frequent FlyerQatar Airways Privilege ClubSingapore Airlines KrisFlyerThai Airways Royal Orchid PlusTurkish Airlines Miles & SmilesVirgin Atlantic Flying ClubWyndham Rewards
Transferring points to partners to book award flights can get you a much higher value from your Citi ThankYou points, depending on the transfer partner and flight or route you book.
Because of the ability to transfer points to partners when you have certain cards, Insider values Citi ThankYou points at 1.6 cents each based on our most recent points and miles valuations.
Citi Custom Cash card benefits and features
As you might expect from a no-annual-fee card, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card isn’t packed with benefits, but its rewards system makes up for the lack of flashy perks.
Introductory 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers
If you have some big purchases coming up that you need to pay for over time, or already have credit card debt you want to consolidate, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card could give you some breathing room. New cardholders receive a Citi Custom Cash℠ Card (then a Citi Custom Cash℠ Card APR).
As long as you’re able to pay off your balance before the introductory APR expires, using a 0% APR credit card can help you save money on interest or get out of debt faster.
Citi Entertainment
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card members get access to the Citi Entertainment program, which offers presale tickets, preferred seats, VIP events, and more.
Citi Custom Cash card fees and costs
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card doesn’t charge an annual fee, but there are other fees to be aware of. It’s not a good card for international purchases, because it charges foreign transaction fees (3%).
Like other cards, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card also charges fees for balance transfers, cash advances, and late payments.
Comparison: Citi Custom Cash vs other Citi cards
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Citi® Double Cash Card
Citi Premier® Card
Annual fee
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Citi® Double Cash Card
Citi Premier® Card
Rewards rate
5% cash back on up to $500 spent in your top eligible spending category* each billing cycle (then 1%)
1% cash back on all other purchases
1 point per dollar (1% cash back) when you buy, plus 1 point per dollar (1% cash back) when you pay your bill
3x points on air travel, gas stations, restaurants, supermarkets, and hotels
1 point per dollar on everything else
Welcome bonus
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Citi® Double Cash Card
Citi Premier® Card
Card benefits
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card (then a Citi Custom Cash℠ Card APR)
Access to Citi Entertainment
Citi® Double Cash Card, then Citi® Double Cash Card
Access to Citi Entertainment
$100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) booked through thankyou.com once per calendar year
Purchase protection
Extended warranty
Access to Citi Entertainment
No foreign transaction fees
Review
Citi Double Cash credit card review
*eligible 5% cash back categories on the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card are restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment
Citi Custom Cash vs other cash-back credit cards
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Discover it® Cash Back
Annual fee
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Discover it® Cash Back
Rewards rate
5% cash back on up to $500 spent in your top eligible spending category* each billing cycle (then 1%)
1% cash back on all other purchases
5% cash back (5x points) on travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards
5% cash back (5x points) on up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter in rotating bonus categories when you activate
3% cash back (3x points) on dining and drugstore purchases
1% cash back (1x points) on everything else
5% cash back in categories that rotate each quarter on up to $1,500 in combined spending when you activate (then 1%)
Discover It Cashback rotation
1% cash back on all other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Chase Freedom Flex℠
None, but Discover will dollar for dollar match all the cash back you earned after the first 12 months
Card benefits
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card (then a Citi Custom Cash℠ Card APR)
Access to Citi Entertainment
Chase Freedom Flex℠, then a Chase Freedom Flex℠ APR
Car rental insurance (secondary in the US, primary otherwise)
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
Purchase protection
Extended warranty
Travel and emergency assistance services
Free credit score
Discover it® Cash Back, then a Discover it® Cash Back APR
Free FICO score
No late payment fee on your first late payment (then up to $41)
No foreign transaction fees
Review
Chase Freedom Flex credit card review
Discover it Cash Back card review
*eligible 5% cash back categories on the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card are restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment
Citi Custom Cash card frequently asked questions (FAQ)
How hard is it to get approved for the Citi Custom Cash card?
Most people who are approved for the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card have a credit score in the good to excellent range (a FICO score of at least 670).
If you’re not quite where you need to be yet, read our guides on improving your credit score and how using credit cards can help boost your score.
Is the Citi Custom Cash worth it?
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card is a great choice if you prefer a card with no annual fee that earns a high rewards rate in categories where you spend the most. It’s particularly valuable if you have other Citi cards, like the Citi Premier® Card, that allow you to transfer rewards to airline and hotel partners.
In fact, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card is one-third of the Citi Trifecta — a trio of cards that maximize your rewards earning by offering 2x to 5x points on every purchase you make.
Is the Citi Custom Cash metal?
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card is not a metal card — it’s made of plastic, like most no-annual-fee cards.
Is the Citi Custom Cash a Visa or Mastercard?
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card is a Mastercard.
Who is eligible for the Citi Custom Cash card?
You’re eligible to earn the bonus on the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card if you don’t already have one open and haven’t earned a welcome bonus from the card in the past 48 months.