Citi Custom Cash credit card review: Flexible 5% cash back
Editor's Note
Citi Custom Cash Card overview
The Citi Custom Cash® Card is a solid cash-back card with no annual fee. This card differentiates itself from other options on the market by providing the unique ability to earn up to 5% back on your top spending category each billing cycle up to the first $500 spent, then 1% back after that. Whether you're a credit card newbie or want a card that will help you maximize purchases that don't fit into other traditional bonus categories, you'll want to consider adding this card to your wallet. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
* Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
The Citi Custom Cash Card has no annual fee but takes a different approach from the issuer's popular Citi Double Cash® Card (with up to a 2% cash-back rate on all purchases, 1% when you buy and 1% as you pay, see rates and fees).
With this card, you'll earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spending category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent.
We typically recommend that applicants have a credit score of 670 or higher to increase their chances of approval. Let's review this card and see who it is best for.
The information for the Citi Custom Cash Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Citi Custom Cash pros and cons
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Citi Custom Cash welcome offer
The Citi Custom Cash Card comes with an easily attainable welcome offer — earn $200 cash back, after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
This offer is comparable to other no-annual-fee, cash-back cards. While it's certainly not the most outstanding offer, the sign-up bonus is a nice little incentive to apply.
This is the usual offer seen on the card and has been for some time now.
Citi Custom Cash benefits
The Citi Custom Cash is light on benefits, which isn't surprising since there's no annual fee.
However, there are a few perks and essential security features:
- Access to Citi Entertainment, which helps cardholders find and purchase exclusive tickets for concerts, sporting events and more
- Contactless payment
- A free check of your FICO credit score
Earning cash back on the Citi Custom Cash
Each billing cycle (roughly every month or so), you'll earn 5% cash back on the first $500 of purchases in your top spending category from the following list:
- Drugstores
- Fitness clubs
- Gas stations
- Grocery stores
- Home improvement stores
- Live entertainment
- Restaurants
- Select transit*
- Select travel**
- Select streaming services***
*Select transit is defined as 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. Also includes merchants that sell electricity for charging an electric vehicle. Excludes bike/scooter rentals, auto clubs and insurance companies.
**Select travel is defined as airlines, hotels, cruise lines and travel agencies.
***Select streaming services are defined as cable, satellite and streaming providers such as Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Disney+, DirecTV Stream, ESPN+, FuboTV, Max, NBA League Pass, Netflix, Pandora, Paramount+, Showtime, Sling TV, Spotify, Starz, SiriusXM, Vudu, YouTube Red, YouTube TV, and Tidal.).
This card truly caters to your lifestyle, whether you're jet-setting one month or cooking it up in the kitchen the next. If you max out the $500 spending limit each billing cycle, you'll earn $25 in cash-back rewards per month — for a potential maximum of $300 in rewards annually.
There is no need to preselect your top spending category each month — this card will automatically choose that category.
For all other categories, you'll earn 1% unlimited cash back. You'll also earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal.
The Citi Custom Cash is a solid option to get the most out of your most frequent spending category, even if it's typically difficult to earn elevated rewards in that category on most other cards.
Redeeming cash back on the Citi Custom Cash
To put it in simple terms, 1 ThankYou point equates to 1 cent of cash back rewards. That means you'll earn 5% back (or 5 points per dollar) on the first $500 spent on your top eligible spending category.
There's no minimum balance you need to reach before accessing your rewards — which isn't the case for many cash-back cards. You can request a statement credit or direct deposit at any time. However, if you're requesting a check, there is a minimum reward balance of $5 (or 500 points).
If you're adding the Citi Custom Cash on top of your Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees) or Citi Prestige® Card, you can also unlock the option to convert your points into miles with Citi's hotel and airline transfer partners to extract potentially greater value from them.
The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Which cards compete with the Citi Custom Cash Card?
There are many options on the market for those who want to avoid paying an annual fee altogether.
- If you want simpler rewards: Try the Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees). This card is excellent for beginners since you'll earn 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay off your bill (for a total of 2% cash back on all your purchases). Plus, you'll enjoy the uncapped earning potential on the Double Cash if your spending exceeds the $500 limit on the Custom Cash. For more information, read our full review of the Double Cash.
- If you want rotating rewards: Go for the Chase Freedom Flex® (see rates and fees). This card also has no annual fee, and you'll earn 5% back on up to $1,500 in purchases on rotating bonus categories each quarter you activate — which breaks down to roughly $500 in spending each month. Chase will set the bonus categories each quarter, but in the past, we've seen common vendors such as Amazon, home improvement stores and gas stations included in these rotating categories. For more information, read our full review of the Freedom Flex.
- If you prefer Capital One: The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases and comes with a $95 annual fee. Best of all, you can transfer miles to Capital One's 15-plus airline and hotel partners for greater rewards. For more information, read our full review of the Venture Rewards.
For additional options, check out our full list of the best cash-back cards.
Related: How I'm maximizing the Freedom Flex's rotating categories in the final quarter of 2024
Is the Citi Custom Cash worth it?
If your spending habits change frequently, spending a lot on one category one month and a different category the next, then Citi Custom Cash is a good choice for you. It has customizable rewards that match your spending patterns.
The best part is that the process is automated, meaning you only have to spend money in a specific category to earn ample cash back. However, if you want a card with many extra benefits, you'll need to look elsewhere.
Bottom line
The Citi Custom Cash Card is a terrific choice for a cash-back card, as you'll gain true flexibility to earn rewards depending on your spending habits. Adding the Custom Cash may also be a good idea for existing Citi cardholders seeking to maximize their rewards through the Citi ThankYou program.
Related: The complete guide to Citi ThankYou Rewards: How to earn, redeem and transfer points
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.