This offer is no longer available on our site: Citi Custom Cash® Card
Citi Custom Cash® Card review: Simple and flexible 5% cash back
Editors’ Take: This card will reward you with cash back that automatically adjusts to your top spending category each billing cycle. There’s no annual fee, but cash-back rewards are capped.
Image: hands-thumbs-upGreat for flexible cash back
Image: cashAnnual fee: $0
The average credit score for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is 682
The average credit limit for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is $6,918
Explore more about this card:
Here’s the average credit limit of members who matched their Citi Custom Cash® Card or similar cards.
% of members by credit limit range
The average credit limit for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is $6,918, with $500 being the most common.
Here’s the average credit score of members who matched their Citi Custom Cash® Card or similar cards.
% of members by credit score range
The average credit score for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is 682, with 760 being the most common. Note this is just one of the deciding factors when it comes to getting approved.
This content is curated by Intuit Credit Karma’s Editorial team using data from members who were approved for this card or similar cards, or who self-matched this card or similar cards. Intuit Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our third-party advertisers don’t review, approve or endorse this content. Information about financial products not offered on Credit Karma is collected independently. Our content is accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted.
Member stats
Updated daily
Image: low-utilization35.1%
Average credit utilization (or what percent of the card’s credit limit is being used) of members who matched with this card or similar cards.
Image: meetup44 years
Average age of members who matched this card or similar cards.
Image: cash-give-1$91,465
Average annual income of members who matched this card or similar cards. Note: Income may be estimated for some members by Credit Karma and may differ from members’ actual incomes.
Pros and cons
Image: yesSimple cash back rewards
Image: yesGood intro purchase APR and intro balance transfer APR offers
Image: yes$0 annual fee
Image: ConEarning caps on bonus categories
Image: ConForeign transaction fee
Citi Custom Cash® Card review
Updated October 22, 2025
This date may not reflect recent changes in individual terms.
Written by: Clint Proctor
Is the Citi Custom Cash® Card worth it?
The Citi Custom Cash® Card automatically rewards you based on your top spending category each billing cycle, minimizing how much effort you put into earning rewards. You can earn rewards without needing to track or strategize purchases across multiple categories.
There’s also no annual fee to eat into your cash back earnings.
But if your main goal is maximizing cash back, other cards could provide greater value since the 5% cash back rate for your top bonus category comes with a spending cap.
Citi Custom Cash® Card at a glance
- Annual fee: $0
- Sign-up bonus: $200 cash back after spending at least $1,500 on purchases within the first 6 months of account opening
- Best rewards rate: 5% cash back on your top spending category (on up to the first $500 spent per billing cycle), then 1%
- Baseline rewards rate: 1% cash back on all other purchases
Citi Custom Cash® Card best perks and features
No-effort 5% cash back in your top category
Earning rewards with Citi Custom Cash® Card is simple: You’ll automatically get 5% cash back on whichever of the eligible spending categories you use the most each billing cycle, on up to $500 in spending. This means you don’t need to keep track of different bonus categories or activate offers.
Eligible 5% bonus categories include …
- Drugstores
- Gas stations
- Grocery stores
- Gyms
- Home improvement stores
- Live entertainment
- Restaurants
- Select streaming services
- Transit
- Travel
For all other purchases — and spending in your top category above the $500 limit — you’ll earn 1% cash back.
Strong intro APR offers
The Citi Custom Cash® Card offers a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months from account opening. After that, there’s a variable APR of 17.99% to 27.99% on both purchases and balance transfers. To take advantage of the intro balance transfer rate, you’ll need to complete any balance transfers within the first four months of account opening. The card has a balance transfer fee of 5% (minimum $5).
If you’re looking to consolidate debt or need to make a major purchase, this card may be worth a look. But take note: When the intro APRs expire, you’ll accrue interest on any remaining balances.
$0 annual fee
The Citi Custom Cash® Card doesn’t have an annual fee, so the rewards you earn have immediate and tangible value. A $0 annual fee paired with a hands-off rewards-earning structure make this no-fuss cash back card a good fit for everyday spending.
What are the drawbacks of Citi Custom Cash® Card?
Earning caps on bonus categories
The Citi Custom Cash® Card limits the 5% cash back earnings to your top eligible spending category each month to $500 in spending per billing cycle. Purchases outside of this single bonus category earn 1% cash back. This structure means the maximum cash back you can earn at the 5% bonus rate is $25 per month.
Foreign transaction fee
The Citi Custom Cash® Card charges a 3% foreign transaction fee. So if you do a lot of traveling abroad, you may want to look for a different card.
How to redeem points for Citi Custom Cash® Card
Cash back is earned in the form of ThankYou® points. You can redeem your Citi ThankYou Points in several ways: for gift cards, for travel or to shop with points at retailers like Amazon. You also have the option to redeem points for cash as a direct deposit, check or statement credit.
Other cards to consider
- Discover it® Cash Back: This card’s Cashback Match feature can make for a rewarding first year.
- U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card: This card could be a good fit if you’re willing to put in some more work tracking your spending categories.
- Chase Freedom Flex®: This card might be worth a look if you find value in ongoing rewards for dining and drugstore purchases.
Credit Karma’s methodology
At Credit Karma, our goal is to help you understand a card’s most important features — and where it may fall short compared to other options — so you can make an informed decision.
When we evaluate cash back cards, we consider the following factors:
- Welcome bonus
- Cash back rates in bonus categories
- Usefulness of bonus categories
- Spending caps on bonus categories
- Baseline cash back rate
- Rewards redemption options
- Rewards redemption restrictions
- Cash back expiration
- Annual fee
- Interest rates
- Unique benefits and perks
Looking at these aspects of the card helps us determine whether we’d recommend it to our members.
FAQs about Citi Custom Cash® Card
The Citi Custom Cash® Card can be a good choice if you want a no-annual-fee card that adapts to your spending habits. It offers boosted cash back rewards in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, which can help you maximize rewards without needing to track spending categories.
Credit Karma members who report having the Citi Custom Cash® Card or similar cards tend to have good or excellent credit. But keep in mind that credit scores are only one factor issuers consider for approval.
5% bonus categories for Citi Custom Cash® Card include drugstores, gas stations, grocery stores, gyms, home improvement stores, live entertainment, restaurants, select streaming services, transit and travel.
Credit Karma members who report having the Citi Custom Cash® Card or similar cards have a range of credit limits. The most common is up to $3,000, and then between $5,000 and $10,000.
Member reviews
Most helpful positive review
February 16, 2024
Do not trust these reviews
— Credit Karma Member
Reading through all of these reviews, I was hesitant before applying. However, when looking close, most of the reviews complain about being denied. Why review a card poorly just cause you didnt get approved. People are coming up with all sorts of reasons as to why they think they got denied and driving the reviews down. Additional bad reviews are about the credit limit, but why would you want a huge limit if the limit on the 5% back is only $500 per period. A large limit is not necisarily a good thing for this card because after the 5% limit of 500$ you only get 1% which is far worse than most cards out there on the market. Do your own research into this card, and dont believe everything you see in these reviews. There is no minimum income requirement contrary to many reviews. This seems like it will be a great addition to my wallet and yours as well if used as intended.
Most helpful negative review
February 20, 2024
Credit Score Nightmare: Unjustified Limit Drop
— Credit Karma Member
I recently encountered a disheartening experience with my Citi Bank credit card that has left me questioning the reliability of their services. Initially pleased with a $5000 credit limit, I was blindsided when the company unilaterally reduced it to $900, citing a vague reason related to a delinquent credit obligation with either this account or another creditor. Confused and concerned about this sudden change, I promptly reached out to Citi Bank's customer service seeking clarification. Unfortunately, my attempts to obtain a clear explanation proved futile, as the representatives were unable to provide a satisfactory answer. The lack of transparency in their communication left me frustrated and unsure of the basis for the credit limit reduction. To compound the issue, in order to have my credit limit reinstated, I was informed that I needed to submit a rate increase request. This process felt unnecessary and caused significant inconvenience. As a result of the reduced credit limit, my credit utilization skyrocketed from 20% to a staggering 70%, leading to a substantial 63-point drop in my credit score. This entire ordeal has raised serious concerns about the communication and customer service practices of Citi Bank. A sudden and poorly explained credit limit reduction can have severe repercussions on one's creditworthiness, and the lack of transparency in this instance is alarming. I expected better from a reputable institution like Citi Bank, and this experience has certainly eroded my confidence in their credit card services. While Citi Bank may offer various benefits, the unexpected and poorly explained changes to my credit limit have overshadowed any positive aspects. If you value consistency, transparency, and fair treatment as a cardholder, my recent encounter with Citi Bank would lead me to caution against choosing their credit card services.