Pros
- $200 initial bonus
- $0 annual fee
- Up to 5% cash back
- 0% introductory on balance transfers
Cons
- Bonus rewards limit
- High regular APR
- Foreign transaction fee
Citi Custom Cash® Card
Transfer Fee: 5% (min $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. Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
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.
Rewards Details
- 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.
- 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. Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
- 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.
Additional Info
- The Custom Cash® Card is no longer available through WalletHub.com but may be available on the Citi website. Info about the card has been collected by us, the financial institution did not provide the details.
- 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.
- No Annual Fee
- Citi will only issue one Citi Custom Cash® Card account per person.
- More Details & Reviews About Citi Custom Cash® Card
Is Citi Custom Cash Worth It?
The Citi Custom Cash® Card is worth it if you have good credit or better and you want to earn 5% cash back on up to $500 spent in your biggest purchase category each billing cycle, as well as 1% back on everything else. Citi Custom Cash also offers an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked with Citi Travel. You can earn an initial bonus of $200 for spending $1,500 in the first 6 months, too. In total, the average person using Citi Custom Cash® Card could earn nearly $1,300 in rewards over the first two years of use.
The card also has a $0 annual fee. And to sweeten the deal even further, there’s an introductory APR of 0% for 18 months on balance transfers. After that, the regular APR is 17.74% - 27.74% (V).
On the other hand, Citi Custom Cash alone may not satisfy big-spenders, considering that all purchases except for the first $500 spent each billing cycle in your top category will get you just 1% cash back. That’s about average for a cash rewards card.
What You Need to Do to Make Citi Custom Cash Worthwhile
To make Citi Custom Cash worthwhile, you should pay your balance in full each month by the due date. This will prevent you from accruing any interest at the card's 17.74% - 27.74% (V) APR, which can quickly wipe out the value you get from rewards.
The exception is during the card’s 0% introductory period, when you’ll only need to make your monthly minimum payment to avoid interest. You should make sure your balance is completely paid by the time the introductory period ends, though, because anything remaining will be subject to the regular APR.
You can further maximize the value of Citi Custom Cash by spending at least $1,500 in the first 6 months to earn the initial bonus of $200. Beyond that, there’s no particular amount you need to spend each year to make the card worthwhile, considering that it has a $0 annual fee.
My Experience With the Citi Custom Cash Card
I love the 5% cash back that I earn with the Citi Custom Cash Card. I got the card just to use for groceries, so I always earn 5% back on the first $500 I spend each month. I use other rewards cards for other types of purchases, so I get 2% to 5% on everything I buy and skip the 1% that Citi Custom Cash gives at a minimum.
The Citi Custom Cash Card’s sign-up incentives are pretty great, too. I was easily able to earn the $200 initial bonus, and the interest-free promotion allowed me to keep more of my money in my bank account for longer.
I’d also like to give a shoutout to the card’s $0 annual fee. Not having to pay a fee gave me the freedom to add this card to my collection just for certain types of purchases. It has also allowed me to keep my account open for longer than I might have otherwise, which is helping my credit score.
All in all, I recommend this card for strategic users who want to maximize their rewards in one spending category each month. It’s not as good if it’s the sole credit card in your arsenal.
What I Like About the Citi Custom Cash Card
$200 Initial Bonus
It’s not the biggest initial bonus available right now, but the $200 that Citi Custom Cash gives to new cardholders for spending $1,500 in the first 6 months after opening an account does work out to a healthy return of about 13%.
For context, the average initial bonus among cash back credit card offers is $235. The average bonus among cards offering points/miles is 37,069. On that note, Citi Custom Cash actually gives its rewards in the form of points, but each point is worth 1 cent in cash back.
$0 Annual Fee
It’s common for cash back credit cards for people with good to excellent credit to have $0 fees, but all else being equal, the fact that Citi Custom Cash has no annual fee is better than the alternative. The average credit card offer has an annual fee of $26.75, and some cards have triple-digit fees.
Up to 5% Cash Back
The Citi Custom Cash Card’s maximum rewards rate of 5% cash back is nearly five times what the average cash rewards credit card provides. The fact that this rate automatically applies to your biggest eligible spending category each billing cycle is a nice touch, too. Plus, you can now earn 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel portal. There are downsides to this card’s rewards, however, as you can see below.
Intro APR of 0% for 18 months on Balance Transfers
The Citi Custom Cash Card may have a rewards-centric name, but it’s just as good for avoiding interest as it is for earning cash back, at least early on. Citi Custom Cash offers intro APR of 0% for 18 months on balance transfers. For context, 0% balance transfer periods last an average of 13 months.
What I Don't Like About Citi Custom Cash Card
3% Foreign Transaction Fee
Using the Citi Custom Cash Card for international purchases – whether you’re actually abroad or buying from a foreign merchant online – will make everything 3% more expensive. Although many cash back credit cards charge such fees, there are still plenty of credit cards with no foreign transaction fees available.
17.74% - 27.74% (V) APR
Even though Citi Custom Cash requires at least good credit for approval, its regular APR could be higher than the average. As a result, it’s best to pay your Citi Custom Cash Card’s bill in full every month when the intro APR is not in effect.
5% (min $5) Balance Transfer Fee
Although the Citi Custom Cash Card offers an introductory APR of 0% for 18 months on balance transfers, there is a cost associated with such transactions, thanks to the card’s balance transfer fee of 5% (min $5). This isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker, considering that most 0% credit cards charge transfer fees. But you definitely need to take it into account, along with the card’s higher regular APR.
Other Things to Consider About the Citi Custom Cash Card
Long List of Spending Categories Eligible for Bonus Rewards
The types of purchases eligible for the Citi Custom Cash Card’s maximum rewards rate are:
- Restaurants
- Gas stations
- Grocery stores
- Select travel
- Transit
- Streaming services
- Drugstores
- Home improvement stores
- Fitness clubs
- Live entertainment
1% Cash Back on Most Purchases
You will earn just 1% cash back on all Citi Custom Cash purchases except for the $500 per billing cycle eligible for 5% bonus rewards and the hotels, car rentals or attractions bookings made through Citi which get you 4% cash back. That’s the standard minimum rewards rate for any credit card, but cards for people with above-average credit often offer more chances to earn higher rates.
Limited Number of Benefits
The Citi Custom Cash Card’s secondary benefits include the ability to make contactless purchases and add authorized users. Those perks are not unique.
700+ Credit Score Recommended
Applicants for the Citi Custom Cash® Card need at least good credit for approval. You can check your credit score for free on WalletHub to get a sense of your chances.
Citi Custom Cash vs. Popular Competitors
annual fee$0 | annual fee$0 | annual fee$0 |
Purchase Intro APRN/A | Purchase Intro APRN/A | Purchase Intro APR0% for 15 months |
transfer intro apr0% for 18 months Transfer Fee: 5% (min $5) | transfer intro apr0% for 18 months Transfer Fee: 3% intro fee ($5 min) for each transfer in first 4 months, after that 5% ($5 min) for each transfer | transfer intro apr0% for 15 months Transfer Fee: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater in the first 60 days (5%, min $5 after) |
Regular APR17.74% - 27.74% (V) | Regular APR17.74% - 27.74% (V) | Regular APR18.74% - 28.24% (V) |
rewards rate
| rewards rate
| rewards rate
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bonus offer 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. | bonus offer 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. | bonus offer Intro Offer: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening |
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Citi Custom Cash® Card Review Methodology
This Citi Custom Cash® Card review is based on WalletHub’s proprietary 100-point credit card rating system. By using a consistent methodology to evaluate the Citi Custom Cash® Card and all other cards, WalletHub’s credit card experts make it easy for people to compare their options and find the best credit cards for their needs.
The WalletHub rating system uses 16 key metrics grouped into seven categories: Fees, Rewards, Two-year Cost, Interest Rates, Approval Requirements, Special Features, and Reviews. Each metric has a maximum number of points allocated to it, based on the metric’s importance as determined by our editors. The points are added up to create an overall rating for the Citi Custom Cash® Card out of a maximum of 100 points, which is then converted to a 5-point scale.
Ratings for each category reflect how close Citi Custom Cash is to WalletHub’s definition of a 5-star credit card, which is based on market conditions and what we believe are reasonable terms. We compare Citi Custom Cash to that standard to give a numerical approximation of how reasonable and competitive its terms are compared to other cards.
To learn more about how WalletHub rates credit card offers, check out our full credit card review methodology.
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