Citi Custom Cash℠ Credit Card Review

Citi Custom Cash℠ credit card Review

Citi Custom Cash℠ is a cash back credit card that will allow you to get a high 5% cash back on top spending category with very little maintenance thanks to the automatically adjusted top credit card bonus category. Such benefits as a 0% APR period (both on purchases and balance transfers) for 15 months, no annual fee, and a $200 sign-up bonus make Citi Custom Cash℠ a wonderful addition to your financial instruments.

However, there are still some drawbacks like a foreign transaction fee, a high credit score required, and some others that we can’t pass by. Take a look at our review and decide whether the Citi Custom Cash℠ credit card is a great option for you.

Citi Custom Cash℠: pros and cons

Citi Custom Cash℠: rewards system in a nutshell

Citi Custom Cash℠ has 2 cash back levels:

• The highest spending one (variable). At the end of each billing cycle, you will be able to get a 5% cash back on a top spending category.
• Everything else. Every other purchase will earn you a 1% cash back.

But what are the pitfalls? Well, the top spending category has a 5% cash back only up to the $500 spent. Everything that exceeds this limit - earns just a 1% cash back like all other purchases. It might be a huge drawback for those who spend much more than $500 in any of the eligible spending categories.

At the same time the biggest advantage of Citi Custom Cash℠ is that you don’t have to choose your spending category each month and adjust your spending in order to maximize your rewards. The credit card will automatically adapt to your spending and give you more flexibility.

There are 10 eligible spending categories that will be automatically adjusted at the end of each billing cycle:

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

These categories should be enough for any person. On this list, you can find such familiar high-spending categories like groceries, gas stations, and restaurants. The travel and drugstores categories are also included.

However, if you have 2 or more categories with constantly higher spending on them (around $500) - Citi Custom Cash℠ will not be as beneficial and won’t let you maximize the possible rewards.

The ways of redeeming your cash back rewards are also very impressive. You can choose from:

• Direct deposit;
• Statement credit;
• Check;
• Gift cards;
• Travel;
• Amazon shop points, and others.

Your rewards will be earned in the form of ThankYou® Points. 1 point equals 1 cent if you are redeeming using direct deposit, a statement credit, or a check. If you choose other options like Amazon shop points or gift cards - the conversion rate might vary.

Who can benefit from getting the Citi Custom Cash℠ credit card?

Citi Custom Cash℠ is a cash back credit card that can complement and improve each person’s financial instruments. For high approval odds, you should have a good to excellent (670 - 799) credit score. If your credit score is not within that range, we recommend you take a look at credit cards for bad credit or no history credit cards.

For those who already have a good to excellent credit score (670 - 799), and want to add a cash back credit card that requires little maintenance - you should definitely consider applying for the Citi Custom Cash℠ credit card.

Everyone who doesn’t want to activate the increased cash back category each month or use a cash back credit card with automatically set bonus cash back categories - will highly appreciate the flexibility that the Citi Custom Cash℠ credit card provides. The credit card will automatically adjust to your spending habits and let you earn a 5% cash back even if the highest spending category is changing each month.

With various ways of redeeming rewards, you will find something exactly for you. But don’t think that this credit card is ideal for everyone. If you spend more than $500 in a particular spending category or in multiple categories - Citi Custom Cash℠ will limit your cash back earnings a lot. It means that the Citi Custom Cash℠ credit card can’t meet all your needs with the largest benefit but can easily complement other credit cards in your wallet. You can use it as a credit card for particular spending like groceries or drugstores.

If you are looking for a more versatile cash back credit card that can earn you high constant cash back without any caps - we would recommend considering other options. In this case, you can choose to apply for another Citi credit card - Citi® Double Cash Credit Card which gives you an unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase, the same APR rate of 19.24% - 29.24%, and an intro APR period of 18 months for balance transfers.

Are there any other benefits?

The list of Citi Custom Cash℠ credit card benefits would not be complete without the perks that we have compiled and added below:

• 24/7 support service. The customer support service is working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help you with any concerning question or issue.
• Convenient banking app. In the Citi mobile app, you can see your available balance, credit limit, and spending summary; make payments, check your FICO score, etc. Using a mobile app, you can also lock your card if you have lost it, for example. New payments will be disabled but your recurring payments will be continued without disruption. Thus, you will buy some time to find or replace your credit card.
• Choose your payment due date. Choose the most comfortable date for you when you will have to pay your bill. It can be the beginning, the middle, or the end of the month.
• $0 Liability on Unauthorized Charges. You take no responsibility for the purchases that are not made by you.
• Check your FICO score for free every month. Citi Custom Cash℠ gives you an opportunity to check your FICO score for free every month. You can do it in your Citi Custom Cash℠ app.
• Fraud warnings. You will be notified and asked about all the suspicious transactions. Citi's representatives will make sure that the transaction is made by you. If not, all the actions required to protect your account will be taken. So, it will be hard to steal money from your Citi Custom Cash℠ credit card.

Conclusion

The Citi Custom Cash℠ credit card is a great cash back credit card that can complement your credit card list if you have a good to excellent credit score. If you don’t want to be limited by the automatically set bonus cash back categories and have flexibility - Citi Custom Cash℠ is an excellent choice. Other perks like a 0% intro APR period, a $200 sign-up bonus, no annual fee, numerous redeeming options for any taste, etc. make Citi Custom Cash℠ even more attractive for customers.

However, there are still some shortcomings that you should remember: a foreign transactions fee, a $500 limit on top spending category to get a 5% cash back, relatively low cash back of only 1% on other purchases, and high approval requirements.

Despite the mentioned disadvantages, we still believe that wise use of the Citi Custom Cash℠ credit card can help you earn strong rewards. For example, if you have multiple spending categories in which you spend $500 or more each month, use your Citi Custom Cash℠ just for one of them. Even though the level of maintenance and efforts increases - it allows you to maximize earnings.

It is also worth mentioning that if you have a credit card with a balance on it and the APR is high - you can use a 0% intro APR on balance transfers that Citi Custom Cash℠ offers.