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Citi Custom Cash® Card review: Simple and flexible 5% cash back

Updated:

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290

reviews

2.4

Rating: 2.4 out of 5.

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.

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Great for flexible cash back

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Annual fee: $0

The average credit score for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is 690

The average credit limit for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is $6,192

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

$0-$3K $3K-$5K $5K-$10K $10K-$20K $20K+ 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 39% 18% 26% 13% 3%
$0-$3K $3K-$5K $5K-$10K $10K-$20K $20K+ 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 39% 18% 26% 13% 3%
$0-$3K $3K-$5K $5K-$10K $10K-$20K $20K+ 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 39% 18% 26% 13% 3%

The average credit limit for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is $6,192, with $3,000 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

Thin file Poor Fair Good Excellent 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 1% 18% 19% 44% 19%
Thin file Poor Fair Good Excellent 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 1% 18% 19% 44% 19%
Thin file Poor Fair Good Excellent 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 1% 18% 19% 44% 19%

The average credit score for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is 690, 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

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34.1%

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.

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45 years

Average age of members who matched this card or similar cards.

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$89,694

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

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Simple cash back rewards

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Good intro purchase APR and intro balance transfer APR offers

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$0 annual fee


ConImage: Con

Earning caps on bonus categories

ConImage: Con

Foreign 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


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 …

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


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

Is the Citi Custom Cash® Card a good 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.

Is the Citi Custom Cash® Card hard to get?

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.

What are the 5% categories for the Citi Custom Cash® Card?

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.

What is the credit limit on Citi Custom Cash® Card?

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

Overall rating:

2.4

Rating: 2.4 out of 5.

290

reviews

Most helpful positive review

June 4, 2024

5

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Decent Card

Credit Karma Member

Owning this card for about couple of years - 5% categories are awesome. Mostly use for Gas but used for Groceries as well. Used their Balance Transfer 1st time around. They keep sending convenience checks as well. They have also offered upto 5 yr - no credit check loans. Rate at 13.99 is kind of high for me. All in all would strongly recommend this card to anyone.

Most helpful negative review

April 8, 2024

1

Rating: 1 out of 5.

Young accounts should not apply

Credit Karma Member

740 and got denied perfect Payment history. The only issue is a short credit history. Also their costumer service is very rude.

All member reviews