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- Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
A great no-annual-fee cash back card with a unique bonus category system
- 1% – 5% Cash BackRewards Rate
- 19.24% – 29.24% VariableAPR
- $0Annual Fee
- Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card sets itself apart in the realm of cash back cards by offering an impressive 5% cash back on your top eligible spending category, such as select travel, restaurants, gas stations, fitness clubs, certain streaming services, grocery stores, drugstores, home improvement stores and live entertainment. For all other purchases, it offers a standard 1% cash back. Given its unique rewards structure and decent welcome offer, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card emerges as an interesting and flexible credit card option.
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card Overview
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card offers attractive cash back and intro APR perks to its cardholders. You can also earn a decent welcome bonus after hitting a pretty attainable spending requirement. Plus, you get instant access to the Citi Entertainment program. Here's what else this card offers:
- Rewards rate: 5% cash back on your top spending category each billing cycle (on up to $500 in spending, then 1%), 1% on all other spending
- Welcome offer: Earn 20,000 ThankYou Points (worth $200 cash back) after spending $1,500 in the first six months
- Regular APR: 18.99% to 28.99% (variable)
- Annual fee: $0
- Intro APR offer: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (followed by 18.99% to 28.99% variable APR)
Important Card Details
Before applying for a credit card, it's crucial to evaluate all its aspects to ensure it aligns with your financial needs and spending habits. From interest rates to reward programs, annual fees, and any extra perks, a comprehensive assessment can help you make an informed decision, avoiding unexpected costs and maximizing benefits.
Unique Cash Back
Typically, cash back credit cards offer fixed rates on certain categories and a base rate for all other purchases. For example, they might provide 3% back on groceries and 1% on everything else. The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card's dynamic cash back structure is innovative in this space as it offers 5% cash back on the eligible category where you spend the most, adjusting to your unique spending habits each billing cycle, thus maximizing the rewards you can earn. However, for purchases outside this top category, the return drops to the more standard 1%. This could be a significant advantage for those whose spending varies from month to month or is concentrated in categories that align with the eligible ones, but may not offer as much value for those who spread their spending evenly across various categories.
Solid Intro APR Offers
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card offers an attractive introductory APR on both purchases and balance transfers for over a year, providing potential users a window of time to make necessary purchases or transfer balances without incurring interest. However, after the 0% APR period of 15 months, the significantly higher variable APR of 18.99% to 28.99% could become burdensome for cardholders who carry a balance month to month. It's critical to clear any debt within the promotional period to fully benefit from this offer.
Welcome Offer
Most cardholders should be able to easily earn the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card's sign-up bonus. Earning 20,000 ThankYou Points (worth $200) after spending $1,500 in six months is roughly equivalent to 13% cash back, which is notably generous compared to many cash back cards on the market. Typically, cash back credit cards may offer a bonus of $100 to $200 after spending a few thousand dollars within the first few months. This card not only has a lower spending requirement, but also provides a longer lead time for spending, putting it well within reach for even the most conservative budgeters.
No Annual Fee
A cash back credit card with no annual fee allows you to capitalize on your everyday spending habits to earn rewards without the need to offset any annual fee, increasing the overall value you'll get from this card.
How the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card Compares
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card offers decent cash back rewards, has no annual fee and allows you to transfer any outstanding balance from an existing card with an intro APR offer, all of which make it a good option for an add-on card. However, there are other cards that offer these benefits with higher cash back rewards.
How This Card Compares
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
- Rewards rate: 5% cash back on your top spending category each billing cycle (on up to $500 in spending, then 1%), 1% on all other spending
- Welcome offer: Earn 20,000 ThankYou Points (worth $200 cash back) after spending $1,500 in the first six months
- Regular APR: 18.99% to 28.99% (variable)
- Annual fee: $0
- Intro APR offer: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (followed by 18.99% to 28.99% variable APR)
- Best for: variable bonus rewards categories
Discover it® Cash Back
- Rewards rate: 5% cash back on rotating categories each quarter (up to $1,500 in purchases, then 1%; activation required), 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Welcome offer: Discover will automatically match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year
- Regular APR: 16.99% to 27.99% (variable)
- Annual fee: $0 (See rates and fees)
- Intro APR offer: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (followed by 16.99% to 27.99% variable APR)
- Best for: high cash back rewards and intro APR offer
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