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Citi Custom Cash® Card Review: 5% Cash Back in Your Top Spending Category, and More

Review Updated
Lyle Daly
Author: Lyle Daly
Lyle Daly
Lyle Daly
Writer

Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. His work with Motley Fool Money and The Motley Fool has appeared syndicated in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.

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Nathan Alderman
Fact Checked: Nathan Alderman
Nathan Alderman
Nathan Alderman
Fact checker

Nathan Alderman has been a full-time Motley Fool employee since 2005, making errors his arch-enemies in a variety of roles including a six-year stint as the dedicated fact-checker for The Motley Fool's premium newsletter services. As Motley Fool Money's Compliance Lead, he makes sure that all the site's information is accurate and up to date, which ensures we always steer readers right and keeps various financial partners happy. A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Nathan spends his spare time volunteering for civic causes, writing and podcasting for fun, adoring his wife, and wrangling his two very large young children.

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Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures that our product ratings are not influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.  Citi is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. The information related to Citi Custom Cash® Card has been collected by The Motley Fool and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service.

With the Citi Custom Cash® Card, the category where you spend the most is also where you earn the most. Every billing cycle, it earns 5% cash back on up to $500 spent in one eligible category from a list of 10, which includes grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations. In addition to one of the highest cash back rates you'll find, it also offers a valuable sign-up bonus. Read our detailed Citi Custom Cash® Card review to find out if you should apply.

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back on rotating categories 		Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 18.49% - 27.49% Variable APR *Rates as of December 12, 2024.

Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash rewards on everyday spending 		$200 cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. 2% cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening

Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers

Regular: 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

On Wells Fargo's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for unlimited rewards on purchases 		25,000 points Circle with letter I in it. 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases 1.5 points per dollar Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.49% - 28.49% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers.

Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days

Regular: 18.49% - 28.49% (Variable)

Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

On Bank of America's Secure Website.

Personal Review from Experts at The Motley Fool
Image of reviewer

Brittney Myers, Personal Finance Expert for Motley Fool Money

The Citi Custom Cash's flexibility is what I love most. It's there for me in months when I have a big home improvement project, like redoing the garden for summer. But it's also great as my go-to gas card the rest of the year.

Full Citi Custom Cash Card review

This credit card is a good fit for: Consumers who want to maximize cash back in one spending category. This card also works well in combination with a flat-rate rewards card.

Top perks

A few key benefits make the Citi Custom Cash® Card a great value.

Up to 5% back

The Citi Custom Cash® Card earns 5% cash back in your top eligible spending category every billing cycle, up to a spending cap of $500. Other purchases earn 1% cash back, including bonus category purchases beyond that $500 spending cap. Here are the categories that are eligible to earn 5% back:

  • Restaurants
  • Gas stations
  • Grocery stores
  • Select travel
  • Select transit
  • Select streaming services
  • Drugstores
  • Home improvement stores
  • Fitness clubs
  • Live entertainment

That high cash back rate is the card's most valuable perk. Not many cash back credit cards offer 5% back, and to make it even better, you get it in whichever category you spend the most. If you max it out by always spending $500 in your top bonus category, that's $25 cash back per billing cycle, which can add up to $300 per year.

You can also earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2026.

OTHER OPTIONS: Best Gas and Groceries Credit Cards

$200 cash back sign-up bonus

You'll earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. The bonus offer is fulfilled as 20,000 Citi ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. If you have a Citi travel card, such as the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, you can also transfer points to Citi's travel partners.

This is one of the better credit card sign-up bonuses. It offers a large bonus amount, and you don't need to spend too much to get it. If you put at least $250 in purchases per month on the card, you'll spend enough to get the welcome bonus.

No annual fee

If you're looking to avoid extra credit card fees, the Citi Custom Cash® Card will work for you. It's a no annual fee card, so you can carry it free of charge.

SEE MORE: Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards

0%, 15 months on Balance Transfers APR offer

The Citi Custom Cash® Card packs in a long 0% intro APR offer for 15 months on Purchases on both purchases and balance transfers. Balance transfers must be completed within the first four months of account opening to qualify for the 0% intro APR. The go-to 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable) APR applies after the intro period is over.

A 0% intro APR can help you finance the cost of large purchases or get out of debt faster. This perk gives you another way to save money with the Citi Custom Cash® Card.

MORE OPTIONS: Best 0% APR Credit Cards

Free FICO® Score

One of the nice things about Citi credit cards is that they provide free access to your FICO® Score. This is the most widely used type of credit score by lenders. You'll be able to monitor it every month, see the factors that are affecting it, and learn how to improve your credit.

What could be improved

There are a couple of areas where this Citi credit card could be better.

Foreign transaction fee

This Citi card charges a foreign transaction fee of 3%, so it's not a good card to use abroad. If you travel outside the United States much, you may want to check out credit card reviews for travel cards or cash back cards that don't charge this fee.

RELATED: Best Credit Cards With No Foreign Transaction Fee

Bonus cash back limits

You earn a high cash back rate with the Citi Custom Cash® Card -- but only in one category, and only on up to $500 in spending per billing cycle. Some of the other top credit cards offer multiple bonus categories or have bonus categories without spending caps. Make sure you compare credit cards to see how much you could earn with different card products.

It'd be great to see Citi offer more bonus cash back, such as 3% back on your second-highest spending category each billing cycle. Another option would be bumping up the spending cap to $1,000 per billing cycle. Either of those would help consumers maximize credit card rewards even more.

Find the best credit card for your needs
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Compare credit card rewards, fees, APRs, and more using our side-by-side comparison tool.

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Suggested credit score

It helps to have a FICO® Score of 670 or higher when applying for the Citi Custom Cash® Card. It's intended for consumers who have good to excellent credit. Your credit score isn't the only factor Citi considers, so that alone doesn't guarantee an approval or a denial. But it is one of the most important factors.

The Citi Custom Cash Card is right for you if:

You want to earn cash back and you have high spending in one of its bonus categories. The best thing about the Citi Custom Cash® Card is that just about anyone can get good value from it. If you spend anywhere from about $200 to $500 per billing cycle in one of its 5% eligible categories, you'll collect plenty of cash back with this Citi card.

Our credit card methodology

At Motley Fool Money, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates credit cards.

FAQs

  • The credit limit for the Citi Custom Cash® Card can range from $500 to over $5,000. Your credit limit depends on several factors, including your income, credit score, and payment history.

  • The Citi Custom Cash® Card is a Mastercard.

  • It's not hard to get the Citi Custom Cash® Card, although this depends on your credit score. A FICO® Score of 670 or higher is recommended to qualify, as this Citi card is intended for consumers with good or excellent credit.