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Citi is now allowing product changes to its Citi Custom Cash® Card. While other cards—like the Chase Freedom Flex℠—have fixed quarterly bonus categories, this card adds a new twist to the 5X bonus category earning. The Citi Custom Cash card has 10 bonus categories, and every billing cycle you'll earn 5X points (on up to $500 in purchases) in the eligible category where you spent the most.
- Sign-up bonus of $200 in cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening, issued as 20,000 ThankYou® Points
- 5% cash back in your top eligible spend category on up to $500 of purchses each billing cycle
- No rotating bonus categories to sign up for--the top earning category adjusts automatically each month to the eligible category in which you spend the most.
- Excellent intro APR offer on purchases and balance transfers
- No annual fee
- 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, plus, you'll 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.
- Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2025.
- Eligible spending categories are: Restaurants, Gas Stations, Grocery Stores, Select Travel, Select Transit, Select Streaming Services, Drugstores, Home Improvement Stores, Fitness Clubs and Live Entertainment.
The fact that you automatically earn 5x points in the category that is most advantageous makes this a very attractive no-annual fee card. Even better, your cashback is delivered in the form of Citi ThankYou® points—which you can transfer to 16 airline partners if you hold the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card or Citi Prestige® Card.
Maximizing your earnings every month over the year will earn you an impressive 30,000 Citi ThankYou® points for $6,000 of spending, which is a fantastic return.
Which Citi Cards Can You Product Change to Citi Custom Cash
Citi has not issued a definitive list of cards that can be converted over to Citi Custom Cash cards. However, data points show that cardholders have successfully converted all the following cards to Citi Custom Cash cards.
- Citi Strata Premier℠ Card.
- Citi Prestige® Card.
- AT&T Access Card from Citi.
- Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card
- Citi American Airlines AAdvantage cards.
- EXPEDIA®+ VOYAGER CARD from Citi.
- Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card.
- Citi® Dividend Card.
Should You Convert Your Card to the Citi Custom Cash?
This will depend on your current spending patterns, the current cards you hold, and how you want to maximize your returns. The strength of the Citi Custom Cash is that every month whichever of the categories you spend the most at, you will receive 5X for that spending and 1X for the rest. Here are the eligible categories:
- Restaurants
- Gas stations
- Grocery stores
- Select travel
- Select transit
- Drugstores
- Select streaming services
- Home improvement stores
- Fitness clubs
- Live entertainment
Bear in mind the 5X is restricted to the first $500 of spending. So, if you are spending around that amount on any of the above categories but are earning less than 5X, you may consider a switch.
For instance, say you spend about $500 per month on groceries and currently use the Citi Double Cash® Card—which earns you 2% back (1% when you make a purchase and 1% when you pay your credit card bill). Converting to the Citi Custom Cash would boost your earing on groceries to 5X, but you would lose the 2X earning on other categories.
However, you could hold another card optimized for everyday spending—like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, both of which earn 2X on everyday spending. Switching your other spending to those cards while putting your grocery shopping on the Citi Custom Cash will maximize the returns on every cent you spend.
How Do You Product Change to the Citi Custom Cash?
Citi is making it quite easy to product change your existing card to the Citi Custom Cash. All you need to do is call the number on the back of your existing card. Once you get a representative, make it clear that you are interested in product changing—or “converting”—your existing card to a Citi Custom Cash.
You'll likely be transferred to a dedicated agent to handle the conversion. After a few minutes of disclosures, Citi will give you the choice to accept the product change. The agent should also let you know whether or not you'll get a new card number. If not, you can continue to use your existing card until your new Citi Custom Cash card arrives in the mail.
A Note About Welcome Bonuses
One thing to keep in mind is your welcome bonuses. If you switch products to the Citi Custom Cash, you are not eligible for the welcome bonus of $200 cashback after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening.
However, on the other hand, a product change does not count as a new account. So, changing products will protect your 5/24 status!
Our Take
The ability to change products without closing and opening accounts and then earning 5% back is welcome news. However, whenever a new opportunity presents itself, you should crunch some numbers and see if you can improve your earnings and leverage your spending for even more rewards. So maybe it's time to check your stable of cards and see if switching to the Citi Custom Cash works for you!
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