Citi Custom Cash® Card
4.4
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The Citi Custom Cash Card is a general cash back card, but it earns up to 5 percent cash back on select categories, which includes airlines, hotel and cruise purchases. You automatically earn 5 percent in your top spending category each quarter, so if travel happens to be your top category, then it rivals the earning potential of other travel rewards cards. It also offers 0 percent APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (then 18.24% – 28.24% (Variable)) and has no annual fee.
Currently, the Citi ThankYou points vary in value, depending on how you redeem them. Basic points are worth 1.0 cents each, but if you pool your points with other eligible Citi travel cards, you may be able to boost the value to around 1.6 cents each through high-value Citi transfer partners, according to Bankrate’s valuations.
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Pros
- It could offer the highest year-round rewards rate available from a no-annual-fee card on several of its potential categories.
- There’s no need to activate bonuses or keep track of spending, since the top rate is automatically applied each billing cycle to the highest category.
- It can pool rewards with other eligible Citi cards, making it an excellent partner for other Citi cards that earn ThankYou points.
Cons
- The elevated bonus category has a relatively low reward spending cap for each billing statement, which can reduce your earning potential if you spend heavily in one category or have authorized users sharing the account.
- You only earn elevated cash back in one category each billing cycle, so you may not earn as many rewards as you would with rival cards.
- If this is your sole rewards card, you may only earn a boosted rewards rate on higher-expense categories like groceries or dining.