MoneyGeek's Take

Citi Custom Cash Card Review

The Citi Custom Cash Card is perfect for people who want to maximize their purchases with high cash back rewards and don’t want to pay an annual fee. It is also a good option if you want to transfer an outstanding balance from an existing card.

Last Updated: 7/3/2022
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The Citi Custom Cash Card’s 5% cash back on the top eligible spend categories include select travel, restaurants, gas stations, fitness clubs, streaming services, grocery and drugstores, home improvement stores and live entertainment. It also offers 1% cash back on all purchases and $200 cash back after spending $750 within the first three months. The cash back offer will be extended as 20,000 ThankYou points that can be redeemed for $200. The card also comes with an introductory APR of 0% for the first 15 months for all purchases and balance transfers.

>>MORE: CITI THANKYOU POINTS: PROGRAM GUIDE
Card Details to Know Up Front
  • Bonus, Fee or Feature
    Has or Not
  • Has Annual Fee
  • Has Balance Transfer Offer
  • Has APR Offer
  • Cash Back Rewards
  • Travel Rewards
Click to see this card’s rates, fees and how they compare to other cards in our dataset.
OUR REVIEW AT A GLANCE

Citi Custom Cash Card at a Glance

The Citi Custom Cash Card is suitable for those who want high cash back rewards on their purchases. It’s also a great option if you’re looking to transfer an outstanding balance from an existing card. Plus, the card has no annual fee.


  • Citi Custom Cash Card

    A great no annual fee cash back card with a unique bonus category system

    • Good-ExcellentCredit Needed
    • $0Annual Fee
    • 1% - 5% Cash BackRewards Rate
    • 15 monthsAPR Offer Duration
    • 15 monthsBalance Transfer Duration

    Terms, rates and fees apply

    Compare this credit card with other top-rated credit cards.

Pros & Cons Explained

The Citi Custom Cash Card is a great option if you’re looking for heavy cash back rewards and it also has no annual fee. However, before applying for the card, it’s important to understand its perks and downsides to ensure it’s a good fit for your needs.

Pros

  • Benefits
    Description
  • Welcome bonus
    The Citi Custom Cash Card offers a $200 cash back after you spend $750 on purchases within the first three months of activating your card.
  • Earn 5% cash back
    Earn 5% cash back on purchases up to $500 every month on any category that you spend the most money in. You can utilize this to maximize your cash back rewards in multiple categories based on your spending habits.
  • Intro APR offer
    Cardholders get an introductory APR offer that is valid for the first 15 months. During this period, users do not have to pay any interest on purchases or if they transfer any outstanding balance from an existing card.
  • No annual fee
    With the Citi Custom Cash Card, you do not have to pay an annual fee.

Cons

  • Drawbacks
    Description
  • High foreign transaction fee
    If you use this card for transactions outside of the United States, you’ll end up paying significant foreign transaction fees of 3% per transaction.
  • Low limit for 5% cash back
    The card has a relatively low limit of $500 per month that is eligible for a 5% cash back. Once you cross this limit, you get only 1% cash back for any purchase made, even on eligible categories.
  • High credit score
    In order to be eligible for the Citi Custom Cash Card, you need a credit score that is either good or excellent.
  • Low cash back for excluded categories
    The Citi Custom Cash Card offers only 1% cash back for purchases made on categories other than the high spend category every month.
  • Balance transfer fee
    For balance transfers, you will be charged a one-time balance transfer fee of $5 or 5%, whichever is higher.
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LOOKING FOR THE BEST CREDIT CARDS OF 2022?

The Citi Custom Cash Card did not make it into MoneyGeek’s list of the best rewards credit cards of 2022. You can read our guide to know more about some of the best credit cards in this category that offer the benefits that you’re looking for.

Bonuses & Rewards Explained

The Citi Custom Cash Card offers attractive cash back and intro APR perks to its cardholders. It also has a welcome bonus of $200 that can be redeemed after spending $750 within the first three months. You even get instant access to the Citi Entertainment program.

1

Cash back

You can get 5% cash back on your highest eligible spend category every month up to a limit of $500. Once you reach the limit of $500, you get 1% cash back on every purchase thereafter across all categories. The eligible categories for the 5% cash back are restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs and live entertainment.

2

Welcome bonus

With the Citi Custom Cash Card, you get a $200 welcome bonus that can be redeemed after you’ve spent $750 on purchases within three months of opening your account. Alternatively, you can redeem these $200 as 20,000 ThankYou® Points from Citi. Keep in mind that you are eligible for the bonus only if you’ve not redeemed any bonus for opening a new Citi Card within the past 48 months.

3

Intro APR

The Citi Custom Cash Card offers an intro APR offer for the first 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. After this period, the bank charges a variable APR between 13.99% - 23.99%, based on your creditworthiness. Note that if you want to transfer your existing balance from another card, you must do it within the first four months of opening your account.

Other Features Explained

In addition to the rewards and bonuses the Citi Custom Cash Card offers, it provides additional features that cardholders may find useful.

  • Card Feature
    Description
  • Zero liability on unauthorized charges
    If your card has been used for transactions without your knowledge or without your authorization, the bank offers complete protection against unapproved online and offline transactions.
  • Quick lock
    If you happen to misplace your card, you can utilize the option to instantly block any new charges to your account. A perk that comes with this option is that it will block new charges but will continue recurring charges that you’ve set up using the card to ensure timely payment of bills.
  • Automatic alerts
    Once you’ve set up alerts in your account, the bank keeps you up to date with timely reminders about account balance, payments due or when you overshoot your credit limit. You can set these alerts to be sent via email or on your mobile phone.
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MONEYGEEK QUICK TIP

You can use the Citi Custom Cash Card to transfer your outstanding balance from an existing card. The card comes with an intro APR offer that is valid for 15 months, which gives you enough time to repay the outstanding balance in monthly installments. This does not put undue stress on your expenses, and you end up avoiding the interest that would be applicable on your other card.

Understanding the Fine Print

Before applying for any credit card, it’s important to understand the fine print so that you are not caught off-guard by unexpected charges or fees.

  • Card Feature
    Amount or Rate
  • APR
    13.99% - 23.99%
  • Annual Fee
    $0
  • Cash Back Rewards
  • Rewards Rate
    1% - 5% Cash Back
  • Airline Benefits
  • This is an icon

    Balance transfer fee

    The Citi Custom Cash Card allows you to transfer an outstanding balance from an existing card. You must do this within the first four months of opening your account. You do not have to pay any APR for the first 15 months, but the card charges a one-time balance transfer fee of $5 or 5%, whichever is higher. This means if you transfer an existing balance of $400 from an old card to the Citi Custom Cash Card, you’ll have to pay a one-time fee of $20.

  • This is an icon

    Intro APR offer

    The Citi Custom Cash Card offers an intro APR offer. With this offer, you do not have to pay any APR charges for the first 15 months of opening your account for purchases and balance transfers.

  • This is an icon

    Regular APR

    Once the intro APR offer period ends, the Citi Custom Cash Card has a high regular APR rate that varies between 13.99%-23.99%, depending on the applicant’s creditworthiness. This APR is applicable to both purchases and balance transfers.

  • This is an icon

    Cash advance APR and fee

    The card has a cash advance APR of 25.24%, which is very high. If you take out a cash advance using the Citi Custom Cash Card, make sure that you pay the due amount within the due date to avoid significant charges. The card also charges a one-time fee of $5 every time you take out a cash advance.

  • This is an icon

    Late fee

    Make sure that you pay off all your balance before your due date since the card charges a fee of $40 for delayed payments.

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WHERE TO FIND THIS INFORMATION?

You can compare this card with cards that are currently in your wallet to see how the APR and other fees differ. To do this, simply check the last billing statement to find all the details. You can also check your card provider’s website or app. Alternatively, you can visit the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) credit card agreement database, which provides all the important information on credit cards.

Who Should & Shouldn’t Consider Citi Custom Cash Card?

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Other Considerations for Citi Custom Cash Card

You can choose whether or not the Citi Custom Cash Card is right for you by understanding how you’re going to use it. One of the important considerations is whether this card is going to be your primary card or if you’re going to use it along with other cards.

Things to Consider if This Will Be Your First or Only Credit Card

If the Citi Custom Cash Card is your first or only card, you must keep in mind its high APR after the introductory period. Ensure that you pay off your balance before the due date to avoid significant interest charges. You may be better off with another card that has a lower APR and also does not charge a foreign transaction fee.

Plus, you must have a good to excellent credit score to be eligible for the card. If this is your first card, you might not have the score needed to get approved.

Things to Consider if This Will Be an Additional Card in Your Wallet

The Citi Custom Cash Card could be beneficial as an add-on card thanks to its 5% cash back offer on purchases in the top spending category, which is capped at $500 per month. You can use the Citi Custom Cash Card to maximize benefits on any eligible category that sees a high spend every month to maximize your rewards in that category. Then, you could switch to one of your other cards that offer more than 1% back after you reach the $500 limit.

You must also keep in mind the card’s high APR on purchases and ensure you pay off the balance before the due date. You can even use this card to transfer an outstanding balance from other cards as it offers an intro APR offer that is valid for 15 months, giving you sufficient time to pay off the earlier balance.

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WHY TRUST OUR REVIEWS

MoneyGeek’s review of the Citi Custom Cash Card follows our unique and robust methodology to rank credit cards. This involves gathering information from the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau’s database to understand the best options for various spending patterns by comparing several cards to give you the best value for your unique needs. We also carry out regular reviews to keep the ratings up to date.

How Citi Custom Cash Card Compares to Other Cards

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.

Quick Comparison of Citi Custom Cash Card
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Citi Custom Cash Card

  • Annual Fee: $0
  • 5% Cash Back Spending Cap: $500 per month
  • Cash Back Match Offer: No
  • Regular APR: 13.99%-23.99%
  • Best For: Those who do not want to pay an annual fee and want to transfer outstanding balance from an existing card
creditCard1

Discover it Cash Back Credit Card

  • Annual Fee: $0
  • 5% Cash Back Spending Cap: $1,500 per month
  • Cash Back Match Offer: Yes. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned after one year without any limit.
  • Regular APR: 11.99%-22.99%
  • Best For: Those looking for high cash back rewards and transferring outstanding balance from an existing card

Other Helpful Decision-Making Q&As

If you are still unsure as to whether or not the Citi Custom Cash Card is right for you, these answers to the most frequently asked questions about the card might be able to help.

Still not sure about this card? Consider these options.

If you’re still not sure about this card, you can also consider other leading credit cards. If you’re not looking for a regular rewards card, you might be better off with a travel card.

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*Rates, fees or bonuses may vary or include specific stipulations. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting/last updated date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. We recommend visiting the card issuer’s website for the most up-to-date information available.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity.
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