The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card offers a solid welcome bonus and 5% cash back on up to $500 in purchases in your top spending category every billing cycle. There's no annual fee and you won't need to keep track of rotating bonus categories. However, this card only earns 1% back outside of your highest spend category each month.
$0
0% intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months
18.24% - 28.24% Variable
Earn $200 cash back (fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points)
Excellent, Good, Fair
- Flexibility to customize rewards by earning 5% cash back on up to $500 per billing cycle in your top spending category (from a list)
- Generous welcome offer for a no-annual-fee card
- No rotating bonus categories to sign up for or track
- Redeem for cash back, travel, gift cards, and more
- Only earns 1% back outside of $500 in top spending category each billing cycle
- Foreign transaction fee of 3%
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card offers a solid welcome bonus and 5% cash back on up to $500 in purchases in your top spending category every billing cycle. There's no annual fee and you won't need to keep track of rotating bonus categories, but keep in mind it only earns 1% back outside of your highest spend category each month.
Citi Custom Cash CardCiti Custom Cash℠ Card Overview
There are many great credit cards that earn cash back on the market, and they all earn rewards in slightly different ways. Some cards earn a flat rate of cash back on all purchases or extra rewards in fixed categories, and others have rotating bonus categories that change every quarter.
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card takes a different approach. Cardholders earn 5% cash back on up to $500 in purchases in the eligible category they spend the most in each billing cycle (then 1%) and 1% on all other purchases.
Qualifying categories include common expenses that should appeal to almost everyone: restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment.
For a card with no annual fee, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card offers a generous welcome bonus: $200 cash back, fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. Because the card earns cash back in the form of Citi ThankYou points, you've got flexibility in how you redeem your rewards. Not only can you redeem Citi ThankYou points for cash back, but also for travel booked through Citi, gift cards, merchandise, and — if you also have the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card or Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available to new applicants) — transfers to Citi's airline and hotel partners.
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card is a good choice if you don't want to keep track of rotating bonus categories, especially if your highest spending category changes from month to month. It's also worth considering if you already have a lot of rewards credit cards, but are looking for another card to use on purchases — like home improvement stores or fitness clubs — that don't typically earn a bonus with other cards.
If you're in the market for a 5% cash back card, there are two other cards that are worth a look. The Discover it® Cash Back earns 5% cash back in categories that rotate every quarter, on up to $1,500 in spending (then 1%) (from January 1 to March 31, 2025, earn 5% cash back at restaurants, home improvement stores, and select streaming services on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1%).
The Chase Freedom Flex® has a similar earning structure, but Chase's rotating bonus categories are different.
However, with the Chase Freedom Flex® and Discover it® Cash Back, you'll need to keep track of these categories, and also register for the bonus before you earn bonus cash back. If that sounds like too much of a hassle, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card may be a better choice for you. It's also one of our picks for the best balance transfer cards.
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card Rewards
Welcome Bonus
New Citi Custom Cash℠ Card cardholders can earn $200 cash back, fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. That's a respectable offer for a no-annual-fee card, and it's similar to bonuses on competing cards like the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card, Chase Freedom Flex®, and U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card .
How to Earn Rewards with the Citi Custom Cash
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card's most compelling feature is the 5% cash back (5x Citi ThankYou points) it earns on up to $500 in purchases each billing cycle, in the eligible category where you spend the most (then 1%).
That's a good deal if you tend to change your spending habits from month to month. For example, one month you might do a lot of driving and have high fuel expenses, but the next you may stay closer to home and spend more on groceries.
In travel, transit, and streaming services categories, only certain types of purchases or merchants are eligible, but most typical spending is included:
- Select travel includes airline, hotel, cruise line, and travel agency purchases — however, timeshares, boat leases and rentals, campgrounds and trailer parks, and real estate agencies are excluded
- Select transit includes categories you might normally lump in with travel — 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 are all eligible (bike/scooter rentals, auto clubs, and insurance companies are not)
- Select streaming services span all of the major players, including Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Apple Music, CBS All Access, Disney+, AT&T TV NOW, ESPN+, fuboTV, HBO Max, NBA League Pass, Netflix, Pandora, Showtime, Sling TV, Spotify, Starz, SiriusXM, Vudu, YouTube Red, YouTube TV, and Tidal
If you don't have any other cards that earn a bonus in any of these categories, using the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card for your regular spending and earning 5x rewards in your top monthly category is the easiest approach. But if you have other cards in your wallet, you can use the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card in categories where you might not otherwise earn a bonus.
How to Use Rewards with the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card doesn't earn pure cash back in the traditional sense; instead, cardholders earn rewards in the form of Citi ThankYou points. This is the same rewards currency earned by other Citi credit cards, including the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, Citi® Double Cash Card , and Citi Rewards+® Card .
Citi ThankYou points are incredibly versatile. With any Citi ThankYou card, you can redeem your points at a rate of 1 cent apiece in a number of ways:
- Statement credits
- Cash back in the form of a direct deposit
- Airfare, hotels, car rentals, and more through the Citi Travel portal
- Gift cards
- Charity donations
You can also cash in points for merchandise by using them to pay at checkout with Amazon or PayPal, but you'll get a relatively poor rate of just 0.8 cents per point when you redeem this way. A better bet would be to use your Citi Custom Cash℠ Card (or other Citi card) to make these purchases directly, then redeem points at 1 cent apiece for a statement credit to offset the charge.
Things get more lucrative if you also have the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card or Citi Prestige® Card, because when you have one of these cards, you can access the full range of Citi transfer partners.
Transferring points to partners to book award flights can get you a much higher value from your Citi ThankYou points, depending on the transfer partner and flight or route you book.
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card Benefits and Features
As you might expect from a no-annual-fee card, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card isn't packed with benefits, but its rewards system makes up for the lack of flashy perks.
Introductory 0% APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers
If you have big purchases coming up that you need to pay for over time, or already have credit card debt you want to consolidate, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card could give you some breathing room. New cardholders receive a 0% intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months (then a 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR).
As long as you're able to pay off your balance before the introductory APR expires, using a 0% APR credit card can help you save money on interest or get out of debt faster.
Citi Entertainment
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card members get access to the Citi Entertainment program, which offers presale tickets, preferred seats, VIP events, and more.
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card Fees
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card doesn't charge an annual fee, but there are other fees to be aware of. It's not a good card for international purchases, because it charges foreign transaction fees (3% of each purchase transaction in US dollars).
Like other cards, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card also charges fees for other activities, including:
- Balance transfers: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
- Cash advances: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
Compare the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card has a popular rewards structure replicated by a few competitors. Here are some cards that go head-to-head with the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card.
Discover it® Cash Back vs. Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
The Discover it® Cash Back is a popular credit card for consumers who use Discover. Cardholders earn 5% cash back in categories that rotate each quarter on up to $1,500 in combined spending when you activate (then 1%). (See our (from January 1 to March 31, 2025, earn 5% cash back at restaurants, home improvement stores, and select streaming services on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1%) here.)
This card doesn't offer a true welcome bonus, but Discover will dollar-for-dollar match all the cash back you earned in your first 12 months of card ownership.
New cardholders have access to free FICO score updates, one waived late payment fee on their first late payment (then up to $41), and no fees on foreign transactions.
Read more in our Discover it Cash Back card review.
Chase Freedom Flex® vs. Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
The Chase Freedom Flex® is a formidable $0 annual fee card to keep in your wallet. This little powerhouse earns 5% cash back (5x points) on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ and on up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter in rotating bonus categories (with activation), as well as 3% on dining and drugstore purchases and 1% per dollar everywhere else.
New cardholders earn a welcome bonus of $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. They also get a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months, then a 19.49% - 28.24% Variable APR.
They also get cellphone protection — a significant benefit for an entry-level card like this one. They also have complimentary car rental insurance (secondary coverage in the U.S., primary otherwise), trip cancellation/interruption insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty, travel and emergency assistance services, and free credit score monitoring.
Read more in our Chase Freedom Flex credit card review.
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card Frequently Asked Questions
Most people who are approved for the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card have a credit score in the excellent, good, fair range (a FICO score of at least 580).
If you're not quite where you need to be yet, read our guides on improving your credit score and how using credit cards can help boost your score.
The credit limit you receive on the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card depends on several factors, including your credit score, income, existing debt, and relationship with Citi. Typically the minimum limit is $500, but it could be much higher.
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card is one of several Citi credit cards that may give you the option to access an instant virtual card number when you're approved online. You can use this card number to access your credit line before the physical card arrives in the mail (which normally takes a week or so). Be sure to screenshot or write down the number, though, because you won't be able to retrieve it after the application process.
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card is a great choice if you prefer a card with no annual fee that earns a high rewards rate in categories where you spend the most. It's particularly valuable if you have other Citi cards, like the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, that allow you to transfer rewards to airline and hotel partners.
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card is a Mastercard.
You're eligible to earn the bonus on the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card if you don't already have one open and haven't earned a welcome bonus from the card in the past 48 months.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed the Citi Custom Cash Card
Business Insider's credit cards team looks at various criteria when reviewing cards like the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card. We evaluated the card relative to competing cash-back credit cards with no annual fee and assessed a number of factors, including:
- Ease of use — Are the card's rewards easy to earn and use? Are there multiple options for redeeming rewards?
- Earning potential — Is the card's rewards rate competitive compared to similar cards? If there are bonus categories, are they appealing and useful, and are any of them capped at a certain amount of spending?
- Benefits — Generally speaking, cash-back credit cards don't come with many frills. We do look at whether the card offers benefits that give it an advantage over competing cards, such as travel insurance, statement credits, and purchase protections.
- Annual fee — If the card does charge an annual fee, is it offset by the card's earning potential or other perks like an intro APR or travel benefits?
You can find out more about Business Insider's methodology in our guide to how we rate credit cards.
