Selecting credit cards can be a tough call. Choosing between the high Cashback and custom card requires carefully observing the card features. With a 5% cashback option like Citi Custom Cash, you have the flexibility of conventional cards. However, you also get the simplicity of flat-rate alternatives.
Some experts advise using two cards to realize its full potential. But with or without a second card, Citi Custom Cash Card is a smart decision. Other features are available here, such as the $0 annual fee. In addition, you earn Citi Custom rewards automatically every time you spend in a billing cycle. This guide will discuss some of the most important features you should consider with this card or any other alternative.
Who Is Citi Custom Cash Credit Card For?
This credit cash card is a good recommendation for anyone who loves to make money from their account. It’s pretty popular for its rewards program and Cashback offers. So, you should get one if you don’t want to pay annual fees but still earn many rewards. For example, it allows you to earn up to $200 when your purchases reach $1,500 in the first six months.
Highlights of Citi Custom Cash Card
In most cases, you’re better off using Citi Custom Cash Cards than most alternatives. However, there are some essential features you should still look out for. Asides from the Citi Custom Rewards programs, you stand to benefit from various other features and services offered by the issuer.
For example, some users love how automated the process is. In contrast, others would instead earn their rewards on everyday purchases. Hence, here are some significant features you’ll enjoy when you opt for this credit card. Pay attention to the tiny details, especially the fees and APRs, so you can make a calculated decision before opting for it.
Welcome Bonus
Welcome bonuses are the company’s gesture of goodwill. It’s a way to bring new users on board with incentives and unique treatments. Most issuers don’t give this bonus, but you get a warm welcome from CitiBank. Every new member receives a $200 cashback on their cumulative purchases in the first few months.
The Cashback is issued when you spend up to $1,500 within the first six months after signing up. Users who don’t spend up to that amount won’t get any bonus. The offer is available as ThankYou Points (20,000 ThankYou Points). So you’ll get $200 cashback when you redeem the points.
As a new customer, you’ll also get an introductory rate. So rather than the regular APR, you’ll get 0% rates on your eligible purchases and balance transfers. This offer runs for the first 15 months; after that, you’ll be charged the regular rates.
Citi Custom Rewards
Once you become a customer with this issuer, you automatically have access to lots of bonuses. However, they usually have terms and conditions. So you need to understand each offer before you bank on it. For example, there is a 5% cashback when you spend up to $500 within a single billing cycle. Alternatively, you can get 1% cashback on every other purchase.
The Citi Custom Rewards system uses ThankYou Point. Users can cover these points into money through the redemption process. So you can redeem all the points at 1% per point. So you can redeem the points when you purchase gift cards, spend on groceries or travel purchases made on Amazon.com. The index is pretty good too. Considering that you can get unlimited rewards as long as you purchase.
Annual Fee
The annual fee on cash cards denotes the maintenance fee. It’s the amount you pay the issuer to keep your car running. The value is usually low, but some banks charge incredibly high amounts for customers to access their cards. Failure to pay the annual fees might result in a frozen account or your funds being locked.
There is no annual fee here, so you pay $0 to keep your account active. You won’t get charged a monthly fee and no subscription fee either. Another essential fee you might have to pay is for foreign transactions.
So you’ll be charged 3% of the Citi custom cash card payment if you make an international transaction. There’s a balance transfer fee for that too. The charge is 5% of every balance transfer you make.
Regular APR
The annual percentage rate (APR) is the interest rate for a year. Rather than charging a monthly rate like loans and mortgages, credit card issuers often charge yearly. So, for example, if you have a balance due, you won’t be charged monthly. Instead, it will calculate the percentage annually.
Two significant types apply to the Citi custom cash card payment medium. These are Regular and Purchase Intro APRs. Check out the explanation and what you’ll be charged on this card below:
Regular APR: This type of APR is charged to regular customers. It’s not affected by ongoing promotions or special discounts. It’s between 17.74%-27.74%.
Purchase Intro APR: It’s a signup bonus for new customers. So you get 0% APR on all your purchases for the first 15 months.
Good or Better Credit Required
Like every other financial institution, you must have a reasonably satisfactory score to get approved here. Luckily, the rules here aren’t stringent. It’s pretty friendly with its credit score requirements. So, there is no minimum credit score required for approval. Likewise, no specific score can guarantee your chance of approval.
However, it’s advisable to maintain a decent credit score before applying. Generally, any score between good to excellent will work. A good score ranges between 670 to 739, while an excellent score is between 740 to 850. Any score above 670 is acceptable. But applying with 740 and above might give you a better chance.
Pros and Cons of Citi Custom Cash Card
There are many reasons you should get this credit card. But there are also various downfalls you might want to look out for. So take your time to compare both and arrive at the most suitable option. You can check them out below.
Pros
Great Welcome Offer
Every new user gets $200 cash back when they sign up for this card. This can be redeemed when you spend up to $1,500 in the first six months. It also offers a lengthy welcome reduction on your interests. So, you get 0% interest for the first 15 months after registering.
Huge Citi Custom Rewards
The bonuses on display are pretty impressive. You’ll earn a 5% cashback on all eligible categories. This offer is on every $500 billing cycle. It’s also available in many spending categories, such as Restaurants, Travel, Streaming, Gas Stations, etc.
Automatic Citi Custom Rewards System
The platform uses an automatic 5% cashback system. So it automatically adjusts to the category you used in the previous billing cycle. For example, switch to dining if you spend on groceries before then. It automatically adjusts the Citi Custom rewards category to dining, so you don’t miss out and vice versa.
Zero Annual Fees
You get free access here with several alternatives charging huge amounts to use a card. Asides from the APRs and balance transfer fees, you won’t pay any fee to maintain the card.
Cons
Single Bonus Category
As extensive as the bonuses are, it’s only applicable to one category. In addition, you’re limited to getting these bonuses on a single category per billing cycle. So, for example, you won’t get any reward if you spend on Groceries but set your system to the Restaurants category.
Low Spending Limit
You are only entitled to spend $500 in a billing cycle. It’s a downfall if you’re used to cards with higher spending limits of $2,000+.
Is Citi Custom Cash Card Worth It?
It’s worth every last penny getting yourself Custom Cash Cards, primarily because of the Citi Custom Rewards. The card is crucial for anyone who enjoys flat-rate cashbacks. It’s also a good option if you’re trying to avoid annual fees. However, if you’re not a fan of balance transfer and foreign transaction fees, you might be better off with an alternative.
The spending cap here is low, too, so alternatives that offer more than a $2,000 spending cap might be better. Lastly, you won’t get Citi Custom rewards on your everyday purchases. So, you are limited to a single spending category. Hence, an alternative card might prove more effective if you prefer Cashback on your everyday purchases.
How To Make Your Citi Custom Cash Card Payment Online
There’s no better time to get a credit card than now. You can make payments for almost anything online. And the payment process is now straightforward more than ever. Popular retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, etc., now have an effective system that supports every Citi custom cash card payment.
You must input your card into the payment processor to follow the simple process. Input the amount you want to withdraw (for ATMs). Or input your pin directly and confirm the transaction to complete a purchase.
How To Register Your Credit Card Account Online
- To start, visit the official website of the issuer.
- Find the “Sign Up”, “Register”, or other similar CTA buttons.
- Fill the data collection page with your details and financial information.
- Create a login detail.
- Answer all necessary security questions and submit
- Wait for an approval notification via email, SMS or phone.
Note: Your account becomes active when the issuer approves it. After you’re approved, you’ll have to wait for your card to be delivered. Even if you don’t activate it, your account will be active. But you won’t be able to use it until you activate the card.
How To Make a Regular Online Payment
Making payments anywhere online is pretty similar. Regardless of the medium, you only need to provide your credit card details and verify your identity. To make a payment online, follow the steps below.
- Open the payment page and enter your shipping address.
- Select “Credit Card” as your preferred payment method.
- Enter all the necessary details on your credit card in the appropriate fields.
- Input the billing address and verify the information you provided.
- Confirm the transaction.
When you make this payment on your phone, the process is similar to all other means. You can call the Citi custom cash credit card customer service phone number. So you can also follow the same process for mobile app payments and online web payments. You might have to fill in the details manually if you’re paying via mail or physically at a branch.
| Features | Citi Custom Cash | Discover it® Cash Back | Citi® Double Cash Cards |
| Annual fees | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Cashback | 5% on one spending category for a billing cycle | 2% cashback. 1% during purchase and 1% after repayment | 5% on one spending category for any quarter of the year you choose. |
| Intro APR | 0% for 15 months | 0% for 15 months | 0% for 18 months |
| Welcome bonus | $200 cash back | None | Unlimited cash back |
Citi Custom Cash vs Discover it® Cash Back
Discover it® Cash Back is another major contender for the best cashback credit cards on the market. It’s also quite competitive, giving Citi-card a run for its money. Discover it has a pretty impressive welcome bonus for new signups. You get an unlimited cashback match every year. Unlike the limit on Citi-card, there is no limit to your spending habit here.
They both have zero annual fees and charge you 3% on foreign transactions. Both give 5% cashback on purchases up to $1,500. However, Discover It spices up with its quarterly rotating categories ($1,500 each quarter). You can opt for Discover It if you want a more flexible cashback. However, the Discover it® Cash Back doesn’t give an introductory APR, which might be a deal-breaker for many.
Citi Custom Cash? Card vs Citi® Double Cash Cards
Sometimes, double is better than one. However, that might not be the case between these two Cash cards. The two credit cards have comparable features starting with the annual fees. They both have 0$ annual fees and don’t charge you monthly either.
However, the Double Cash Cards don’t give new users any privilege, unlike the juicy $200 cashback you get when you sign up for the Custom Card. However, you get the 0% introductory APRs on both, with Double Cash extending up to 18 months.
For fans of Cashback, it might break your heart that Double Cash doesn’t meet the 5% cashback quota. It only gives you 2% Cashback on your purchases. You get 1% when you purchase and the other 1% when you pay back. This is low compared to the 5% on its sister card.
Alternatives of Citi Custom Cash Card
Citi Custom Cash Card is a hot bargain for any user compared to many similar cards. It offers a unique reward system with fair APRs. However, if you’d instead opt for different cards, check out some of the hottest picks below:
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card: This card gives you 5% cashback on purchases of up to $2,000 in any two-quarters of your choice. It also has a $200 welcome bonus and doesn’t charge annual fees. In addition, there is a decent range of APRs, and you get an introductory APR discount of 0% as a new user.
Discover It Cash Back: This rotating category card gives you cashbacks that rotate around the year. So, users get a 5% cashback on their day-to-day purchases. In addition, the reward rotates quarterly so you can get it on quarterly spending reaching $1,500.
Chase Freedom Flex: It’s a similar alternative because it offers 5% Cashback when you spend up to $1,500. But this does not only apply to new users. You can spread it quarterly throughout the year. You’ll get 5% on selected travel bookings, 3% at drugstores and restaurants and 1% on all other purchases.
American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card: This has a more complex redemption process. You get a 6% cash back on purchases. These are only purchases made at selected supermarkets and retailers across the United States. In addition, 6% on selected streaming services, 3% on gas and travel, while other purchases get 1%.
