Have you ever heard about the Citi Custom Cash Card? Do you want to know about it? The Citi Custom Cash Card (Citi is a Forbes Advisor partner) is a big-idea plastic companion card. The no-annual-fee card gives you 5% back on your top qualified expenditure category up to $500 every billing cycle, and 1% back on everything else. An introductory APR on purchases and debt transfers is also available. As well as a $200 welcome incentive after spending $750 on purchases in the first three months of account setup. Arguably, the Citi Custom Cash card’s biggest feature is that the eligible cash-back categories for its 5% cash back on the first $500 spent in an eligible top-earning category. However, each month is so unusual that finding a card that offers additional cashback on spending in those categories is difficult.
Furthermore, unlike other 5% category cards, the card does not require you to register. In other words, you will have one fewer task to complete each quarter. As a result, the Custom Cash card could be useful as a backup card for usage in one of the approved categories. Restaurants, petrol stations, grocery stores, certain modes of transportation, certain streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment are among them.
Citi Custom Cash Card Rewards
There are 3 different types of Citi Custom Card rewards.
Earning Rewards
The Citi Custom Cash credit card earns rewards automatically. Each billing cycle, get 5% cash back on purchases in a top qualified spend category, up to $500 in spending per month. Also, you get 1% cash back on all other purchases. Restaurants, petrol stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment are among the 5 percent cash-back categories that are eligible. The card earns 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases after that. Rewards are earned in the form of Citi ThankYou Rewards. Meanwhile, it can be redeemed for $1 in cash or combined with another ThankYou point card.
Redeeming Rewards
Redeeming Citi ThankYou Points earned with the Citi Custom Cash card is subject to the Citi ThankYou Rewards Terms and Conditions. Cash-back redemptions can take the form of a direct deposit into a bank account, a statement credit, or even charitable donations. Points can also be redeemed for items, loans, or cashbacks. But it starts with a $5 minimum check redemption amount through Shop with Points.
Rewards Potential
To estimate the Citi Custom Cash Card’s rewards potential, we must consider how much an average American household spends on credit cards each year. Data is gathered from a variety of government entities. This is to establish baseline income and spending averages in various categories. We base expenditure on the 70th percentile of wage-earning households’ annual income of $100,172. A cardholder with this card is also expected to spend $500 per month in their chosen category, earning $300 in cash back per year. According to our calculations, an additional $20,410 in expenses can be charged to a credit card. In addition to the first-year welcome bonus, the Citi Custom Cash Card would earn $204.10 cash back every year at 1% cash back. This is resulting in total earnings of $504.10 per year.
Citi Custom Cash Card Benefits
- Customer service is available around the clock.
- Digital Wallets: Contactless payment methods for compatible mobile devices.
- Cardholders receive alerts when suspicious activity is discovered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Citi Identity Theft Solutions: Help with resolving identity theft problems
The card also has regular MasterCard perks, such as:
- Zero Liability Insurance. Unauthorized charges on your card are not your responsibility.
- International Services Get emergency help at any time, in any location, and in any language. This includes reporting a lost or stolen card, getting a replacement card or cash advance, finding an ATM, and answering account queries.
- Protection Against Identity Theft You can join up for this service. Meanwhile, it will monitor your credit file for changes that could suggest fraud. Also, it will send you emergency notifications, and assign you a resolution specialist if fraud is discovered.
Citi Custom Cash Card vs. Citi Double Cash Card
The Citi Double Cash and Citi Custom Cash, we believe, make excellent wallet neighbors. The Citi Double Cash is the plastic standard for a flat-rate cash-back card. Meanwhile, it offers unlimited 2% cash back in all categories—1% when a transaction is made. Also, it offers 1% when a purchase is paid off. But, with Citi’s newest product, the Citi Custom Cash, you may get an extra $300 in cash back per year. Nonetheless, it maximizes the 5% reward on the first $500 each month in a high-earning category.
