The Citi Custom Cash Card (CCCC) is a no-fee credit card which gives 5% cash back on your top spending category each month. Citi automatically calculates which category you spend the most in, giving you rewards at the end of each billing cycle. It requires zero effort from the cardholder. The Custom Cash is easier to use than competing cards, and may have higher rewards. It’s versatile enough that almost everyone can get use out of it, although it does depend on one’s spending habits.
FEATURES AT A GLANCE
- No annual fee
- 3% foreign transaction fee
- 5% cash back for the first $500 spent each billing cycle in 1 of 10 categories (see below)
- 1% cash back on everything else
5% eligible categories:
- Restaurants/dining
- Gas
- Grocery stores
- “Select travel” (airlines, hotels, cruise lines, travel agencies, etc.)
- “Select transit” (car rentals, ferries, trains, taxis, bridge/road tolls, parking lots/garages, bus lines, etc.)
- “Select streaming services” (Includes “Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Apple Music, CBS All Access, Disney+, AT&T TV NOW, ESPN+, fuboTV, HBO Max, NBA League Pass, Netflix, Pandora, Showtime, Sling TV, Spotify, Starz, SiriusXM, Vudu, YouTube Red, YouTube TV, and Tidal.”)
- Drugstores/pharmacies
- Home improvement stores
- Fitness clubs
- Live entertainment (concerts, theaters, etc.)
SIGN UP BONUS
As of November 2021, the CCCC card publicly offers 20,000 points after spending $750+ in your first 3 months of holding the card. This is worth a minimum of $200 (a 27% return) and the points may potentially be redeemed for more.
They also have an in-branch offer of 30,000 points after spending $1,000+ instead. At a $300 value, that’s a 30% return. Most people should visit their local Citi branch before thinking of applying online.
In both cases, the card has an introductory rate of 0% APR for the first 15 months.
OTHER BENEFITS OF THE CITI CUSTOM CASH CARD
- Mastercard World Elite benefits
- Citi shows your current top spend category online, so you can double-check your cash back rate at any time
RESTRICTIONS AND CREDIT SCORE
Recommended credit score: 670+
Citi has a number of anti-churning rules which may apply, such as the 6/6 rule. Most people shouldn’t be affected by this. The primary restriction for the Citi Custom Cash Card (CCCC) is that it’s limited to one card per account. Individuals can’t get 5% in multiple categories by trying to sign up for multiple cards. Couples/families with separate bank accounts should be able to get around this. Additionally, the sign-up bonus says “You will qualify for this bonus offer only if you have not received a bonus offer for opening a new Citi Custom Cash Card in the past 48 months.”
Lastly, there’s a $500 spending limit per billing period, which works out to $6,000 per year of purchases, or $1,500 per quarter. This is a standard limit for 5% category cards like the Discover It Cash Back.
MAXIMIZING REWARDS WITH THE CITI CUSTOM CASH CARD
The CCCC earns rewards as ThankYou points (TYP). While most people can simply redeem rewards for cash back, these points can be pooled with other Citi cards for extra value. (Note: one report says this isn’t possible. We’ll look to verify.) With the Rewards+ card, TYPs are worth 10% more, and $300 in points becomes $330. With the Citi Premier or Prestige card, you can transfer points to travel partners for (potentially) even more value.
Maxing out the CCCC $500 per month limit is $6,000 spent each year, which earns $300 cash back annually.
To prevent overlap with rotating-category cards, you can change your billing date online to the end/beginning of each month.
Cash back is unlimited (outside of the 5% category) and doesn’t expire, as long as your account remains open.
ALTERNATIVES TO THE CITI CUSTOM CASH CARD
In some categories, other credit cards may be better, leaving the CCCC to pick up any slack in a credit card portfolio:
Restaurants/Dining
- Rotating-category cards (Discover It, Freedom Flex, Nusenda) frequently earn 5% cash back or more
- Some luxury cards earn 4-5% cash back (or more) year-round, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or American Express Gold
- Click here for our top 5 no-fee restaurant cards.
Gas
- Rotating-category cards (Discover It, Freedom Flex, Nusenda) frequently earn 5% cash back or more
- Abound Credit Union (formerly Fort Knox Credit Union) and USAA American Express cards both earn 5% cash back year-round
- Click here for our top 5 no-fee gas-related cards.
Grocery stores
- CCCC is the best year-round card for this category
- Rotating-category cards (Discover It, Freedom Flex, Nusenda) can earn 5% cash back or more
- The biggest competitor for groceries is the American Express Blue Cash Preferred (BCP). But that has the same $500 monthly limit, and has a $95 annual fee for just 1% extra cash back. Not worthwhile for most people.
- For unlimited supermarket cash back, the best no-fee cards include the Capital One SavorOne or NFCU More Rewards.
- Good alternatives with fees include the AMEX Gold and the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve.
- Click here for our top 5 no-fee grocery-related cards.
“Select travel”
- CCCC is the best year-round no-fee card for this category if the $500 monthly limit doesn’t become an issue
- Most high-end credit cards are better (with annual fees) like the American Express Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve or Capital One Venture X
- Airline or hotel cards can potentially out-earn the CCCC in those categories
- The best no-fee alternative is the PenFed Pathfinder Rewards card or Wells Fargo Propel
- Click here for our top 5 no-fee travel-related cards.
“Select transit”
- CCCC is the best year-round no-fee card for this category if the $500 monthly limit doesn’t become an issue
- The Chase Sapphire Reserve can earn more cash back on travel
- The best no-fee alternative is the PenFed Pathfinder Rewards card or Wells Fargo Propel
- Click here for our top 5 no-fee travel-related cards.
Streaming
- The US Bank Altitude Go and Cardless Boston Celtics cards may be superior to the CCCC (depending on which streaming services you use)
- Click here to view our top 5 cards for streaming.
Drugstores/Pharmacies
- CCCC is the best year-round card for this category
- Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Freedom Flex earn 3x points at drugstores (at least 4.5% cash back if paired with the Chase Sapphire Reserve)
Home improvement stores
- CCCC is the best year-round card for this category
- The next best option is the Huntington Voice, which can earn 3% cash back year-round (up to $2,000 per quarter)
Fitness clubs
- CCCC is the best year-round card for this category
- The next best option is the Venmo Visa, which can earn 3% cash back year-round (depending on the club)
Live entertainment
- CCCC is the best year-round card for this category
- The next best card is the Capital One SavorOne or Venmo Visa
CONCLUSION
Citi Custom Cash is one of the best low-maintenance credit cards available. Most people will get the greatest value by using it for groceries. Zero no-fee cards give more than 3% cash back on groceries. This is one of the most important and most popular spending categories. The CCCC also adapts to your spending, so if you don’t need to use CCCC for groceries one month, you can still get 5% cash back in another category.
The automatic calculation is another big perk. Despite the usefulness of cards like Discover It and Chase Freedom Flex, people don’t like manually enrolling in categories to get rewards. The CCCC is only the second card (after Venmo) to do this automatically. Almost everyone interested in a credit card should get the CCCC due to its no-hassle versatility. It’s an easy 5% in a category of your choice.
The main downside is that the CCCC is limited to just one category per billing cycle. Many cards give cash back in two or more categories to sit more comfortably in your wallet. The Custom Cash adds another card to the mix, which isn’t always desirable. The $500 limit shouldn’t be an issue but that’s something to think about too. Other than that, the CCCC is a high earner that should benefit most people.
We rate the Custom Cash card 5 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Note: This review was last updated in November 2021. Details may have changed since then. Please do your own research where applicable, to ensure you’re getting the best deal. Or contact us directly to take advantage of our personalized consulting services!