Citi Custom Cash credit card review: Flexible 5% cash-back
Editor's Note
Citi is a TPG advertising partner.
Citi Custom Cash® Card overview
The Citi Custom Cash Card (see rates and fees) is a solid cash-back card with no annual fee. This card differentiates itself from other options on the market by providing the unique ability to earn up to 5% back on your top spending category each billing cycle on up to the first $500 spent, then 1% back after that. Whether you're a credit card newbie or want a card that will help you maximize purchases that don't fit into other traditional bonus categories, you'll want to consider adding this card to your wallet. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
* Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
The Citi Custom Cash Card has no annual fee (see rates and fees) but takes a different approach from the issuer's popular Citi Double Cash® Card (with up to a 2% cash-back rate on all purchases; 1% when you buy and 1% as you pay; see rates and fees).
With this card, you'll earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spending category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent.
The card typically requires a credit score of 670 or higher to be approved.
Let's review this card and see who it is best for.
Citi Custom Cash pros and cons
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Citi Custom Cash welcome offer
We're fans of the Citi Custom Cash Card since it comes with an easily attainable sign-up bonus — you'll earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
This sign-up bonus is comparable to other no-annual-fee, cash-back cards. While it's certainly not the most outstanding offer, the sign-up bonus is a nice little incentive to apply.
Citi Custom Cash benefits
The Citi Custom Cash is light on benefits, which isn't surprising since there's no annual fee.
However, there are a few perks and essential security features:
- Access to Citi Entertainment, which helps cardholders find and purchase exclusive tickets for concerts, sporting events and more
- Contactless payment
- A free check of your FICO credit score
Earning cash back on the Citi Custom Cash
Each billing cycle (roughly every month or so), you'll earn 5% cash back on the first $500 of purchases in your top spending category from the following list:
- Restaurants
- Gas stations
- Grocery stores
- Select travel*
- Select transit**
- Select streaming services***
- Drugstores
- Home improvement stores
- Fitness clubs
- Live entertainment
*Select travel is defined as airlines, hotels, cruise lines and travel agencies.
**Select transit is defined as 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. It also includes merchants that sell electricity for charging an electric vehicle.
***Select streaming services are defined as cable, satellite and streaming providers such as 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. (Note that AT&T TV NOW has recently rebranded as DirectTV Stream).
This card truly caters to your lifestyle, whether you're jet-setting one month or cooking it up in the kitchen the next. If you max out the $500 spending limit each billing cycle, you'll earn $25 in cash-back rewards per month — for a potential maximum of $300 in rewards annually.
There is no need to preselect your top spending category each month — this card will automatically choose that category.
For all other categories, you'll earn 1% unlimited cash back. You'll also earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on the Citi travel portal through June 30, 2026.
One TPG reader likes to use the Citi Custom Cash to earn more cash-back rewards because the card "covers spend categories I don't get on other cards." (via a TPG newsletter survey)
Note: Reader-submitted responses have not been edited, reviewed or approved by the issuers nor reflect TPG's opinions of these cards.
The Citi Custom Cash is a solid option to get the most out of your most frequent spending category, even if it's typically difficult to earn elevated rewards in that category on most other cards.
Redeeming cash back on the Citi Custom Cash
To put it in simple terms, 1 ThankYou point equates to 1 cent of cash-back rewards. That means you'll earn 5% back (or 5 points per dollar) on the first $500 spent on your top eligible spending category.
There's no minimum balance you need to reach before accessing your rewards — which isn't the case for many cash-back cards. You can request a statement credit or direct deposit at any time. However, if you're requesting a check, there is a minimum reward balance of $5 (or 500 points).
If you're adding the Citi Custom Cash on top of your Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see rates and fees) or Citi Prestige, you can also unlock the option to convert your points into miles with Citi's 19 hotel and airline transfer partners to extract potentially greater value from them.
The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Which cards compete with the Citi Custom Cash Card?
There are many options on the market for those who want to avoid paying an annual fee altogether.
- If you want simpler rewards: Try the Citi Double Cash. This card is excellent for beginners since you'll earn 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay off your bill (for a total of 2% cash back on all your purchases). Plus, you'll enjoy the uncapped earning potential on the Double Cash if your spending exceeds the $500 limit on the Custom Cash. For more information, read our full review of the Double Cash.
- If you want rotating rewards: Go for the Chase Freedom Flex®. This card also has no annual fee, and you'll earn 5% back on up to $1,500 in purchases on rotating bonus categories each quarter you activate — which breaks down to roughly $500 in spending each month. Chase will set the bonus categories each quarter, but in the past, we've seen common vendors such as Amazon, home improvement stores and gas stations included in these rotating categories. For more information, read our full review of the Freedom Flex.
For additional options, check out our full list of the best cash-back cards.
Related: Why I switched from the Chase Freedom to the Chase Freedom Flex
Is the Citi Custom Cash worth it?
If your spending habits change frequently, spending a lot on one category one month and a different category the next, then the Citi Custom Cash is a good choice for you. It has customizable rewards that match your spending patterns. The best part is that the process is all automated, meaning all you have to do is spend money in a specific category to earn ample cash back. However, if you want a card with a lot of extra benefits, you'll need to look elsewhere.
Bottom line
The Citi Custom Cash Card is a terrific choice for a cash-back card, as you'll gain true flexibility to earn rewards depending on your spending habits. Adding the Custom Cash may also be a good idea for existing Citi cardholders seeking to maximize their rewards through the Citi ThankYou program.
Apply here: Citi Custom Cash Card