Last updated on September 20th, 2023
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Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
- 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable) Regular Purchase APR
- 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable) Balance Transfer APR
- 29.99% (Variable) Cash Advance APR
- 0% for 15 months on Purchases Intro Purchase APR
At a Glance
The Citi Custom Cash? Card is a generous cash back credit card that offers up to 5% back on eligible purchases. The card, from Citi, does not charge an annual fee and rewards 5% back on the top spending category each month, with options including transit, travel, gas, groceries, dining, and more.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- 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 18.99% - 28.99%, 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.
- 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.
- Intro Purchase APR: 0% for 15 months on Purchases
- Regular Purchase APR: 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
- Intro Balance Transfer APR: 0% for 15 months on Balance Transfers
- Balance Transfer APR: 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Transaction Fee: 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
- Cash Advance APR: 29.99% (Variable)
- Cash Advance Transaction Fee: 5% of each cash advance; $10 minimum
- Penalty APR: Up to 29.99% (Variable)
- Annual Fee: $0
- Foreign Transaction Fee: 3%
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $41
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $41
- You want to earn 5% back but do't want quarterly categories
- You plan on spending $1,500 within the first 90 days
- You have a large purchase in mind that you want to pay down over time
- You plan on transferring an existing balance within the first four months
- You don’t want to pay an annual fee
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card Review
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card is a no annual fee, cash back credit card that offers exceptional value for cardholders that want to maximize their savings but hate being tied down with quarterly categories.
Current Citi Custom Cash Sign Up Bonus
Earning impressive cash back is one thing, but to compete in the crowded cash back credit card space the Citi Custom Cash℠ needs more than just decent rewards. Fortunately, the card does provide even more value for cardmembers thanks to two introductory offers., up to 5% back, and more.
How to Earn Cash Back
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card isn’t like most other 5% back cards. Unlike the Discover It or Chase Freedom Flex, which both earn 5% back on rotating categories each quarter, the Custom Cash℠ earns 5% back on your highest spending category each billing period. This “customized cash” cash back makes the card more akin to the Bank of America® Cash Rewards Card – though that card only earns 3% back on the top category, vs. 5% with Citi’s Custom Cash℠ Card.
What are the 5% back categories? Cardholders can earn the maximum rewards with purchases in the following 5% eligible categories:
| Dining | Fitness clubs | Grocery stores |
| Drugstores | Gas stations | Home improvement stores |
| Travel & transit (select) | Live entertainment | Streaming service (select) |
Keep in mind that the 5% bonus categories are limited to $500 spent every billing period, and any rewards earned after that threshold will be 1% back. All other purchases with the card earn unlimited 1% cash back, with no caps on that earning.
Who can Benefit Most from the Custom Cash Card?
The Citi Custom Cash Mastercard is an excellent option for those that are considering a lucrative 5% back credit card but are concerned about the rotating categories. Cards, like the Chase Freedom Flex, Discover It, and even Citi’s old Dividend Platinum Select Card, earn 5% back on select purchases each quarter, with those 5% back categories changing every four months.
With the Citi Custom Cash, rewards are automatically adjusted based on spending, making rewards streamlined, seamless, and headache-free.
How to Redeem Rewards
While the Citi Custom Cash℠ Mastercard earns “cash back,” those rewards actually take the form of ThankYou points. This means that 5% back is really 5X ThankYou points – a rather lucrative total.
Points are redeemable for cash back as a statement credit, direct deposits into bank accounts, or through the ThankYou Rewards Portal for gift cards, travel, or through Amazon for purchases (Shop with Points at Amazon.com). Citi ThankYou points never expire if the account is open and active.
0% Introductory APR
First, the card offers 0% intro APR on both purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. This makes the card is a direct competitor to other similar products, including Chase’s impressive Chase Slate Edge Visa. The two lengthy periods of zero interest are fantastic – especially for those planning on making a large purchase and reaping the rewards of 5% back.
The balance transfer introductory offer is also great for those with a significant balance they want to pay down over time. However, keep in mind that balance transfers must be made within the first four months of account opening.
Earn $200 Cash Back
Second, the Custom Cash℠ provides a very lucrative cash back sign-up bonus. New accounts can earn $200 in cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. That reward is essentially a whopping 26% cash back – a huge – and easily accessible – bonus!
Ongoing APR is Competitive
The ongoing APR with the Citi Custom Cash℠ is very competitive in the marketplace. New accounts with excellent credit can anticipate a purchase APR on par with other rival cards. Given that the average APR for a cash back card is currently around 18%, its hard not to like the interest rates with the Custom Cash℠.
Comparing the Leading 5% Cash back Credit Cards
Here’s how the Custom Cash℠ compares to some of its biggest competitors:
|
|
 |
 |
| Citi Custom Cash℠ | Chase Freedom Flex | Discover It |
| No annual fee | No annual fee | No annual fee |
| Earn 5% on purchases on your highest eligible spend category each billing cycle up to $500 spent | Earn 5% on up to $1,500 on combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate | Earn 5% on up to $1,500 on combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate |
| 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers | 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers | 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers |
Related Article: Citi Custom Cash Vs. Other Cash Back Cards
Other Card Features
Other notable features with the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card include:
- No annual fee
- Mastercard ID Theft Protection
- Citi Quick Lock
- Zero Fraud Liability
- EMV chip, digital wallet, and contactless payment technology
- Choose your payment date
- 3% foreign transaction fee
FAQs About the Citi Custom Cash℠
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding the Citi Custom Cash℠ Mastercard, along with the answers:
- Citi credit cards require a good or excellent credit score to qualify. This means you will likely need a credit score of around 680/690 or higher to qualify for the card.
- Per Citi:
Your points will never expire as long as your account remains open.
In the event that you close your account or you convert to another Citi® credit card that does not participate in the Citi ThankYou® Rewards program, you will have 60 days to use the accumulated points or forfeit them.
- No, the card is a plastic credit card.
- No, the card has no annual fee.
- Yes, you can have 2 Citi Custom Cash Cards. Citibank does not limit the number of credit cards you can apply for with the bank.
Citibank Ratings
How does the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card stack up? Here are a selection of expert reviews for the card, as well as an overview of Citi as a bank:
| BestCards | Better Business Bureau | TrustPilot |
|
4/5 |
4/5 |
3/5 |
Should You Apply for the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card?
New cash back credit cards are appearing at a faster rate than ever before, so is the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card worth it? For the most part, the answer is an emphatic “yes.”
The 5% back on your top spending category is great, made even better by the impressive selection of eligible options, including travel, transit, fitness, clubs, and the usual gas, groceries, or dining. While a 3% back secondary category would be outstanding, this is a nitpick, given the top-tier category is so much lucrative than many other cards on the market.
The introductory bonuses are another great feature and provide significant added value to the card. Fifteen months without any interest is ideal – especially when it applies to both balance transfers and purchases. Add to that one of the most accessible sign-up bonuses to achieve (just $250 per month for the first three months), and it’s hard to find many faults with the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card.
