Citi Custom Cash
Reddit take
AI summary of the Reddit excerpts below — not a quote
The Citi Custom Cash is highly regarded as a specialized 'category killer' card that automatically awards 5% cash back on a user's highest spending category each billing cycle. While it is limited by a $500 monthly spend cap on the 5% tier, it is frequently used as a dedicated card for specific expenses like groceries, gas, or dining. It is often paired with other Citi cards to maximize rewards within the Citi ecosystem.
Pros
- Automatic 5% cash back on the highest qualifying spend category each month
- No annual fee
- No manual activation required for rotating categories
- Rewards can be pooled with other Citi cards (like Double Cash or Strata Premier) for travel transfers
- Covers a wide range of categories including groceries, gas, dining, streaming, and drugstores
Cons
- 5% reward is strictly capped at the first $500 of spend per month
- Potential for application rejection for those with thin credit files or students
- Narrow definitions for certain categories like streaming services
Caveats
- Many users employ a strategy of 'product changing' other Citi cards to own multiple Custom Cash cards for different categories
- The card is most effective when dedicated to a single spend category to avoid wasting the 5% tier on lower-value purchases
Best for
- People with a consistent monthly spend of $500 or less in a specific category like gas or groceries
- Users already in the Citi ecosystem looking to maximize point yields
- Optimizers willing to manage multiple cards for specific purposes
Avoid if
- Your monthly spend in your top category significantly exceeds $500
- You prefer the simplicity of a single 'catch-all' card for all purchases
This summary uses balanced time weighting with about a 6-month half-life. The evidence is older (median age ~390 days), which may not reflect the most recent promotional offers or application criteria.
Sentiment
63 positive (74%) · 16 mixed (19%) · 6 negative (7%)
Trust + time weighted score: +69% · raw score 67%
What redditors said (10 of 85)
You can get multiple Citi Custom Cash cards by product changing from another Citi card, label them, and dedicate one each to dining and groceries. A bit more complicated than one card, but hey, it's 5% cashback.
Citi Custom Cash - 5% Gas ($500/month)
if you maxed out your Citi Custom Cash 5% category each month, it would earn $180 more over the course of a year than if you used a 2% card.
Since you're already with Citi, adding a Custom Cash card and using it for your groceries would be a good move.
If you want 5% rewards capped at $500/month spending, Citi Custom Cash is the easiest way to earn at that level.
For groceries there is Citi Custom Cash, PayPal debit card and Kroger Card with digital wallet.
AMEX - groceries, CITI CUSTOM CASH - restaurants, PAYPAL - Costco and Walmart, etc...
Parent context: Citi TYP is arguably stronger as a travel/cashback hybrid currency though. It can also be cashed out for 1 cpp, but the cards that earn it are also excellent and widely beloved cash back cards (Citi Double Cash as a 2% catch-all, Citi Custom Cash for 5% on a high value category of choice like dining, groceries, gas/EV, or travel, and Citi Strata Premier for 3% dining, groceries, gas/EV, and … Reply: Citi Custom Cash for 5% on a high value category of choice like dining, groceries, gas/EV, or travel
Citi Custom Cash to get 5% on groceries
Streaming: Citi Custom Cash at 5% cash back (other cards have perks as well) Dining: Citi Custom Cash at 5% cash back (not fast food - see next line)
Compare
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