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The Citi Custom Cash® Card is one of the standout options in Citi's rewards card lineup, thanks to its unique earning structure that adapts to your spending habits. Unlike other cash-back cards with fixed or rotating bonus categories, this card automatically awards 5% cash back (earned as 5X ThankYou® Rewards) on up to $500 in purchases in your highest spending category each billing cycle.
This structure means no activation required and no guesswork — just optimized rewards every month.
While Citi markets the Citi Custom Cash as a cash-back card, it's actually part of the ThankYou Rewards program. This means your points can be worth far more than 1 cent each if you pair the card with a premium Citi ThankYou card, unlocking access to valuable airline and hotel transfer partners.
But is the Citi Custom Cash right for you? Let's take a look.
- 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.
Page Contents
Citi Custom Cash Card Pros
- No annual fee.
- Automatically earns 5X on your top eligible category each billing cycle (no activation required).
- Combine your points with those earned on a premium Citi ThankYou card to get more value for your rewards.
Citi Custom Cash Card Cons
- 5X earnings limited to the first $500 spent each billing cycle in a single eligible category (1% thereafter and on everything else).
- Points are worth only 1 cent each unless paired with a premium ThankYou Rewards-earning card.
- Imposes foreign transaction fees of 3%.
Citi Custom Cash Welcome Offer
The no-annual-fee Citi Custom Cash offers new applicants $200 in cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening.
This bonus offer is delivered as 20,000 ThankYou Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. But you can unlock greater value from these points if you combine them with those earned on a premium Citi card such as the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card or Citi Prestige® Card (no longer open to new applicants). These annual-fee-carrying cards offer full access to Citi's transfer partners.
In addition to the cash back bonus, the Citi Custom Cash also offers a 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months and a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months. After the introductory period, you’ll pay a Variable APR of 19.24% - 29.24%. Balance transfer fee applies with this offer: 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
Related: The Best Credit Cards With No Annual Fee and 0% Introductory APR
Citi Custom Cash Benefits
Compared to many rewards cards, the Citi Custom Cash is relatively short on perks. And while it's technically a World Elite Mastercard, it does not include the full suite of benefits often associated with this designation.
Notably, the Citi Custom Cash does not offer benefits like cell phone protection or discounts for Lyft, DoorDash, and Fandango, which are found on other World Elite Mastercard products. However, it still includes some perks, such as:
- Free FICO® Score Access: Get complimentary access to your Equifax-based FICO Bankcard Score 8, which helps you monitor your credit health.
- Citi Entertainment Access: Enjoy special access to presale tickets and exclusive events for concerts, sporting events, and cultural experiences.
- Extended Warranty: Citi recently added extended warranty coverage to the Citi Custom Cash. Cardholders can get up to 24 months of extra coverage on eligible purchases.
Citi Custom Cash Earning Rates
The Citi Custom Cash card earns up to 5X ThankYou Points per dollar spent. Unlike cards with rotating categories or those that require manual selection, the Citi Custom Cash automatically applies the bonus rate, making it easy to maximize your rewards.
Each billing cycle, Citi reviews your purchases across the ten eligible 5X-earning categories and assigns the bonus to the category where you spent the most. The categories are:
- Restaurants
- Gas Stations
- Grocery Stores
- Select Travel
- Select Transit
- Select Streaming Services
- Drugstores
- Home Improvement Stores
- Fitness Clubs
- Live Entertainment
One key limitation is that the 5X earning rate only applies to the first $500 spent per billing cycle. After that, you'll earn 1X ThankYou Points per dollar in your top spending category and 1X points on all other purchases.
How to maximize your Citi Custom Cash earnings
Each billing cycle, you can earn up to 2,500 ThankYou Points from the first $500 spent in your highest eligible spend category. Given this rewards cap, here are a few tips to make the most of your top category:
- Take advantage of unique 5X categories. Drugstores, home improvement stores, and live entertainment are less common bonus categories. If you have purchases to make in these areas, using your card there can help you maximize rewards.
- Consider your other cards and their earning rates. If you have another card that earns 4X or 5X on dining, for example, use that instead of your Citi Custom Cash for restaurant purchases.
- Keep the earning cap in mind. Once you hit the $500 spending limit in your top eligible category during a billing cycle, use a different card that earns more than 1X, if possible. A great option is the Citi Double Cash® Card, which pairs nicely with the Citi Custom Cash.
Related: The Best Rewards Credit Cards for Each Spending Category
Redeeming ThankYou Rewards with the Citi Custom Cash
The Citi Custom Cash is marketed as a cash-back card, but rewards are issued as ThankYou Points. You can redeem points for travel with no blackout dates through ThankYou.com or for cash back as a statement credit or direct deposit — both at a rate of one cent per point.
However, if you have a Citi Strata Premier or Prestige Card (no longer open to new applicants), you can transfer your points to 14 airline partners and five hotel partners and get far more than face value for your points.
Related: How To Transfer Citi ThankYou® Points to Partners
Maximize your rewards with a Citi ThankYou card trio
On its own, the Citi Custom Cash offers a strong return on spending. However, it becomes even more powerful when paired with other ThankYou Points-earning cards, allowing you to maximize your rewards across all purchases.
A great Citi ThankYou Points card combination could include:
- Citi Double Cash: Earn 2% cash back on every purchase — 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay.
- Citi Strata Premier: Earn 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com; 3X points per $1 spent on airfare and other hotels; and 3X points at gas stations, EV charging stations, restaurants, and supermarkets.
- Citi Custom Cash: Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent.
This combination ensures you're earning the best rewards possible across a wide range of purchases. Plus, the Citi Strata Premier often comes with a valuable sign-up bonus, which is really the icing on the cake.
Application Restrictions
The application rules for the Citi Custom Cash are as follows:
“Offer available to new Citi Custom Cash® Card cardmembers approved through this offer. Citi will only issue one Citi Custom Cash® Card account per person. Bonus ThankYou Points are not available if you received a new account bonus for a Citi Custom Cash® Card in the past 48 months or if you converted another Citi credit card account on which you earned a new account bonus in the last 48 months into a Citi Custom Cash® Card.”
There are no restrictions on holding another ThankYou Rewards-earning card. Instead, the rule focuses solely on a 48-month period between applications for the same card.
However, if you converted another card to the Citi Custom Cash, the 48-month restriction applies in that case. Also, keep in mind that Citi also enforces an unofficial waiting period of eight days between applications, with a maximum of two cards per 65-day period.
Related: Understanding Credit Card Application Restrictions
Cards That Compete With the Citi Custom Cash
Let’s take a look at how the Citi Custom Cash card stacks up against the competition in terms of benefits, fees, and how you earn and redeem points.
- If you want a card that has a consistent return for spending on all categories, consider the Citi Double Cash® Card. The card has a simple earning structure — 2% on all purchases, 1% when you make the purchase, and 1% as you pay for your purchases. Like the Citi Custom Cash, the card earns ThankYou Points. Learn more about the Citi Double Cash in our full review.
- If you want a card with rotating 5x bonus categories, consider the Chase Freedom Flex℠. The card has rotating 5% categories that change every calendar quarter (activation required). In addition, the Freedom Flex has a permanent 5% category (not restricted by a spending cap) for travel booked through Chase. It also earns 3% at drugstores and on dining at restaurants or via delivery services. Our full review of the Freedom Flex has all the details.
- If you want a card with categories you choose ahead of time, consider the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card. Like the Freedom Flex, it has a permanent 5% category for travel booked through the US Bank Rewards Travel Center (however, it must be prepaid). You also get to pick two 5% categories and one 2% category every quarter. Learn more about the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa in our full review.
- Earn 5% on up to $1,500 on combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate
- Earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Earn 3% on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- Earn 3% on drugstore purchases
- Earn 1% on all other purchases
- 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in eligible net purchases each quarter on the two categories you choose
- 5% cash back on prepaid air, hotel and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Travel Center
- 2% cash back on one everyday category (like gas or groceries)
- 1% cash back on all other eligible net purchases
Our Take
The Citi Custom Cash delivers solid value as a standalone card. It provides a great way to earn 5X points on your top spending category each billing cycle.
However, the main drawback is its $500 monthly spending cap on 5X earnings. After you hit that cap, purchases earn just 1X ThankYou Points. This effectively limits the bonus value to $75 per quarter or $300 per year. While that’s decent for a no-annual-fee card, it’s not particularly game-changing.
That said, if you regularly spend in its less common 5X categories — such as home improvement or live entertainment — the card can provide even more value by filling gaps in your rewards portfolio. Plus, with no annual fee, it’s an easy card to keep for the long-haul.
Where the Citi Custom Cash truly shines is when paired with other ThankYou Points-earning cards. With a premium ThankYou Rewards card in your wallet, you can unlock even greater value from your points. We recommend combining it with the Citi Double Cash and Citi Strata Premier to build a well-rounded Citi ThankYou Points strategy.
- 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.
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