All information about the Citi Custom Cash® Card has been collected independently by CardCritics™
Citi Custom Cash Review: 5% Bonus Categories That Automatically Adapt to Your Spending
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Written by
Joseph Hostetler
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Edited by
Emily Gadd, CCC
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Reviewed by
Jasmin Baron
The Citi Custom Cash® Card is hands-down one of the best Citi credit cards — ideal for those who want a cash-back credit card with high earning potential but don’t want to spend the energy memorizing bonus categories. It’s designed to help you get the biggest possible return with virtually no effort on your part.
Our Citi Custom Cash review will show you the unexpected power of this no-annual-fee credit card (hint: it’s good for more than just cash back).
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Purchase and Balance Transfer APR
0% intro APR for 18 months on Balance Transfers, then 17.74% – 27.74% (Variable). A 17.74% – 27.74% (Variable) APR will apply for purchases.
Intro Bonus
Earn $200 in 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.
Cash Rewards
1% – 5% 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. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. Plus, earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked with Citi Travel®.
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent/Good
670 – 850*
Annual Fee
$0
CardCritics™ Opinion
The no-annual-fee Citi Custom Cash Card is a popular cash-back credit card that eliminates the pain points of many other 5% cash back credit cards, such as rotating (and hard to remember) bonus categories and quarterly required activation. It takes a much more customer-friendly approach by tracking your spending and automatically provides bonus rewards for your most used eligible category. That’s bound to save you money and brainpower.
Our Critical Analysis:
Citi Custom Cash® Card
- Intuitive 5% cash back earnings
- No annual fee
- Cash back can be converted into travel rewards
PROS
- Bonus cash is subject to monthly caps
- Very few noteworthy ongoing benefits
- Only one category per month is eligible for 5% back
CONS
Citi Custom Cash Benefits
Welcome Bonus
The Citi Custom Cash Card currently offers $200 in cash back (fulfilled as Citi ThankYou points) after spending $1,500 on purchases within the first six months from account opening. That’s not bad for a no-annual-fee credit card.
Earning Rate
The Citi Custom Cash Card earns 5% cash back (capped at $500, then 1%) on the eligible bonus category in which you spend the most each billing cycle. Eligible categories include:
- Restaurants
- Gas stations
- Grocery stores
- Select travel
- Select transit
- Select streaming services
- Drugstores
- Home improvement stores
- Fitness clubs
- Live entertainment
You’ll also earn 5% back on hotels and car rentals booked on Citi Travel and 1% back for all other eligible purchases.
The card is easy to use because you can swipe it as your daily driver without having to remember which categories are bonus-eligible. It will proactively track your spending and apply the 5% bonus to the eligible category with the highest spending that billing cycle, on up to $500 in purchases (then 1%).
Intro APR
The Citi Custom Cash Card comes with a generous 0% intro APR for 18 months on Balance Transfers, then 17.74% – 27.74% (Variable). A 17.74% – 27.74% (Variable) APR will apply for purchases. A balance transfer credit card can be helpful for those who want to mitigate the effects of high-interest debt from other credit cards or loans. It can help you to pay down your balances faster by giving you an extended breather from the fees.
Unique Redemption Options
Again, the Citi Custom Cash Card doesn’t earn cash back. Instead it earns Citi ThankYou® points which can be redeemed for cash at a rate of 1 cent each. You can also transfer them to Citi’s travel partners, such as American Airlines AAdvantage, JetBlue TrueBlue and Choice Privileges.
By converting your rewards into airline miles and hotel points, it’s possible to get considerably more value than redeeming for cash. For example, I transferred 60,000 Citi ThankYou points to partner Flying Blue to book a business class flight between New York (JFK) and Paris (CDG). I received about $4,500 in value after taxes and fees, giving me a return of 7.5 cents per point — exponentially better than cashing them out at 1 cent each.
It’s worth noting that the transfer ratio between the Citi Custom Cash Card and its transfer partners improves dramatically when you pair it with an annual fee-incurring Citi ThankYou points credit card, such as our partners, the Citi Strata Premier® Card or the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card.
Citi Custom Cash Drawbacks
Cash Back Comes with Restrictions
While the Citi Custom Cash Card does come with one of the more convenient bonus rewards structures, it’s not without its foibles.
First, you can only earn 5% back on up to $500 per billing cycle. After that, you’ll earn 1% back.
Second, you can only earn 5% back on a single category each billing cycle. For example, if this month you spend $150 at gas stations, $450 on dining and $600 at grocery stores, you’ll receive a 5% bonus only for your grocery store spending (again, up to $500 and then 1%) — even though you spent in three eligible categories.
Very Few Ongoing Benefits
There are very few notable Citi Custom Cash benefits. It doesn’t offer purchase protection, travel insurance, cell phone protection, or statement credits. Its primary features are its solid return for everyday spending and its intro APR offer.
Who Is the Custom Cash Card Best For?
The Citi Custom Cash Card is best for those not interested in optimizing their wallet with multiple credit cards to maximize earnings. They just want a single credit card that will guarantee them a solid return on purchases.
And because the card has no annual fee, it’s also great for those looking for an inexpensive payment option. And those skeptical about rewards credit cards will find the Custom Cash Card a great way to dip their toe into the world of credit card rewards without an initial investment.
Is It the Right Card for You?
The Citi Custom Cash may be worth it for you if:
- You don’t want to mentally juggle credit card bonus categories
- You don’t want to pay an annual fee
- You like the flexibility of redeeming for both cash back and travel rewards
- You have high-interest debt that you’re trying to pay down with a balance transfer
Alternatives To the Custom Cash Card
The Citi Custom Cash Card is far from the only cash back credit card on the market. Here are some other cards that come with similar advantages:
- Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card: Similar to the Custom Cash Card, this no-annual-fee credit card allows you to choose eligible bonus categories you’d like to use each quarter. The card won’t autonomously track your spending, but it lets you customize your returns.
- Chase Freedom Flex®: The no annual fee Chase Freedom Flex offers 5% quarterly rotating bonus categories (for up to $1,500 in combined purchases, then 1%) after you activate. This card earns valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, but you’ll need to pair it with a qualifying Ultimate Rewards card with an annual fee to unlock the ability to transfer rewards to Chase’s airline and hotel partners.
Card Details From Citi®
- 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.
- 0% Intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers from date of account opening; after that, the variable APR will be 17.74% – 27.74%, based on your creditworthiness.
- 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. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2026.
- No rotating bonus categories to sign up for – as your spending changes each billing cycle, your earn adjusts automatically when you spend in any of the eligible categories.
- No Annual Fee
- Citi will only issue one Citi Custom Cash® Card account per person.
How Does the Citi Custom Cash Card Stack Up Against Competitors?
If the Citi Custom Cash Card doesn’t quite seem like a fit for your lifestyle, here are a couple of other rewards credit cards to consider.
| Citi Custom Cash Card | Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card | Chase Freedom Flex | |
| Welcome Bonus | Earn $200 in 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. | $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening | Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening! |
| Annual Fee | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| APR | 0% intro APR for 18 months on Balance Transfers, then 17.74% - 27.74% (Variable). A 17.74% - 27.74% (Variable) APR will apply for purchases. | 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends a 17.74% - 27.74% Variable APR will apply. | 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months, then 18.49% - 27.99% Variable |
| 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. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. Plus, earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked with Citi Travel®. | 6% cash back for the first year in the category of your choice and 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs for the first $2,500 in combined choice category / grocery store / wholesale club quarterly purchases. After the first year from account opening, you'll earn 3% cash back on purchases in your choice category and 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, up to the quarterly maximum. 1% cash back on all other purchases. If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn 25% - 75% more cash back on every purchase. The Preferred Rewards bonus is not applied to the 3% first year bonus. | 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 Travel℠, 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, and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. |
| Standout Feature | Automatically maximizes rewards | Choose your own bonus category | Rotating quarterly bonus categories |
The information related to the Citi Custom Cash® Card was collected by CardCritics™ and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardCritics™ does not receive a commission for this product.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Citi Custom Cash Card
Is the Citi Custom Cash worth it?
The Citi Custom Cash Card doesn’t charge an annual fee. Because of this, the card is absolutely worth trying. Even if it proves not to be a fit for your lifestyle, you won’t have lost anything by giving it a whirl.
Is the Citi Custom Cash hard to get?
The Citi Custom Cash Card is a rewards credit card. As such, you should have at least a good credit score (670 or higher on FICO’s scale) before you apply for the best chance at approval.
What is the Citi 48-month rule?
The Citi 48-month rule applies to many of its cards — including the Citi Custom Cash Card — stating that you cannot receive a welcome bonus if you’ve already earned it from the card in the past 48 months — or if you’ve converted another Citi card to the Citi Custom Cash Card for which you’ve earned a bonus.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.
*CardCritics™ references a FICO® 8 score, which is one of many different types of credit scores. A financial institution may use a different score when evaluating your application.
