All information about the Citi Custom Cash® Card has been collected independently by CardCritics™
Citi Custom Cash Card Review: Earn Big on Your Top Spending Category
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Written by
Andrew Lisa
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Edited by
Jasmin Baron
The Citi Custom Cash® Card , an advertising partner, lives up to its motto of “earn where your spending is trending.” Instead of making cardholders keep up with rotating categories, the card’s rewards structure automatically adjusts to your spending habits, ensuring that the highest cashback rate applies to the category where you spend the most each month.
Purchase and Balance Transfer APR
0% intro APR for 15 months on Purchases and Balance Transfers, then 18.24% – 28.24% (Variable)
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 Citi Custom Cash® Card is a no-thought-required card, paying 5% on up to $500 spent in each month’s top eligible spending category and 1% after you hit that cap (and on all of your other purchases). This makes it a strong choice for consumers who spend fairly modestly on their card and are also looking for an intro APR, welcome bonus and do not want to pay an annual fee.
Our Critical Analysis:
Citi Custom Cash® Card
- Provides unrivaled flexibility by rewarding each month’s highest-spending category with a generous 5% cash back
- No annual fee
- No rotating categories
- Welcome bonus opporutnity
- Introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Several simple options for redeeming rewards
- A special travel offer gives 4% additional cash back on hotels and car rentals booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2026
PROS
- A $500 limit on 5% cash back means you can’t earn more than $25 per billing cycle or $300 per year at that higher rate
- All other categories and post-limit purchases get a low 1%
- The bonus spend requirement is higher than average
- 3% foreign transaction fee
CONS
Several cards, like the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature, and the Chase Freedom Flex®, offer 5% cashback in certain categories at specific times, but only the Custom Cash Card provides this rate without an annual fee or complex requirements. It earns 5% cashback in your top spending category each month (up to $500), with all other purchases earning 1%. While ideal for focused spending, the $500 limit may restrict rewards for high spenders who could benefit from cards with higher rewards caps or annual fees. Additionally, it offers 4% back on Citi Travel bookings until June 30, 2026.
Generous Intro APR
The Custom Cash Card offers a 0% introductory APR for 15 months on balance transfers and purchases. After that, the APR will be 18.24% – 28.24% (Variable), depending on the cardholder’s creditworthiness. Cardholders must complete balance transfers within four months of opening their account. Balance transfer fee applies with this offer; 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
Additional Benefits
Custom Cash Card pays a $200 welcome bonus, provided the cardholder hasn’t received a bonus offer for opening a new Custom Cash Card in the past 48 months. You have to spend $1,500 to earn it, which is a higher minimum spend than some cards require, but Citi gives you a full six months to do it — double the standard three months.
The bonus takes the form of 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which you can redeem for $200 cash back as a statement credit, gift card, check or direct deposit. You can also spend it directly on Amazon or apply it to Citi Travel and Shop With Points.
Transactions like cash advances, balance transfers, returned items, travelers checks, money orders and wire transfers don’t count toward the $1,500 minimum, nor do betting transactions like lottery tickets and gaming chips.
What Makes the Custom Cash Card Stand Out?
The Custom Cash Card is the only no-fee card that pays 5% back while automatically applying that generous rate to the category you spend most on every month. If you are not willing to pay an annual fee and don’t excel at managing your card use to maximize rewards, Custom Cash Card is hard to beat.
Is It the Right Card For You?
The Custom Cash Card may be the right fit for you if any of the following apply:
- You don’t want to pay an annual fee.
- You want rewards in the form of easily redeemable cash back.
- You value simplicity and don’t want to keep track of rotating categories or changing benefits structures.
- You want a welcome bonus that you don’t have to rush to earn.
- You want to transfer a high-interest balance or finance a large purchase that you can put on the back burner for more than a year.
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 on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.24% – 28.24%, 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.
The information related to the Chase Freedom Flex® 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
These answers to some frequently asked questions will help you decide if Citi Custom Cash® Card is the right card for you.
Is the Citi Custom Cash® Card hard to get?
The Custom Cash Card requires at least good credit — typically a score of 700 or higher — and fairly substantial income for approval.
What is the difference between Citi Double Cash® Card and Citi Custom Cash® Card ?
Double Cash Card pays an unlimited flat rate of 2% on all purchases, while the Custom Cash Card pays 5% on one category up to $500 spent per month, and then pays 1%.
What is the credit limit for Citi Custom Cash® Card ?
The Custom Cash Card minimum credit limit is $500, but some cardholders are approved for up to $6,000.
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.
