Not many credit cards allow you to select your own bonus categories; but Citi Custom Cash card does. They offer up to 3% back on any category you select as well as 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs.
However, you must consider how much you spend in each elevated rewards category each billing cycle – for instance if groceries is your chosen category and you spend $500, you will earn $25 in rewards.
Bonus categories
Citi Custom Cash card offers flexible rewards with zero annual fees, offering 5% cash back in one eligible category up to $500 every billing cycle and 1% on other purchases – in addition to offering an initial bonus of $200 when spending $1,500 within six months of opening an account – providing you with an attractive return on spending.
Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card stands out from the Citi Custom Cash with its similar rewards structure and 3% rewards on up to $3,500 spent per quarter across any combination of gas stations, online shopping, dining establishments, travel, drug stores or travel. You also have the flexibility of choosing where the 3% is spent each month manually rather than automatically.
Citi Custom Cash credit card may be ideal for individuals looking to tailor their spending and maximize rewards rates, however it may not suit those with less dynamic purchase habits. For example, U.S. Bank Cash+ credit card offers a more rewarding solution with its 3% backearning rate on accelerator categories as well as 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs and 1% for all other purchases than Custom Cash only offering one acceleration category.
Citi credit cards provide rewards in the form of ThankYou points that can be redeemed for gift cards, airfare, hotel stays and merchandise. They also feature a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers – useful if you need to consolidate high-interest loans or pay off debt. These features can offset annual fees on many cards making Citi an excellent choice for people with good credit.
Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit Card provides some excellent features, including free yearly membership to Museums on Us that gives cardholders access to hundreds of museums across the nation, competitive introductory APR rates for purchases and balance transfers, as well as an impressive welcome offer that could yield thousands of points.
Redeeming points
Citi Custom Cash card is one of the premier cash back cards on the market, featuring an innovative rewards program that lets you select where you spend most each month and earns higher cash back rates. In addition, low fees and an extended introductory balance transfer period make this card attractive; good to excellent credit can qualify. Other factors may affect eligibility as well, such as income or existing debts.
The card allows you to earn up to $500 in cash back every billing cycle in any category that you select – such as groceries, dining, travel, gas, transit, drugstores and home improvement and furniture stores. Your 3% choice can be changed once a month. In addition to 5% and 2% cash back offers at grocery stores and wholesale clubs respectively, purchases outside these categories also earn unlimited 1% cash back rewards.
Citi’s ThankYou portal makes redeeming points incredibly straightforward; use them for travel and merchandise purchases or make charitable donations through Citi Giving platform – giving you maximum return from your Citi reward dollars! These redemption options allow for maximum value retention from Citi rewards dollars.
Citi Double Cash and Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit cards both offer generous rewards rates with no annual fee and generous welcome bonuses, with the former featuring an easier rewards program while the latter provides more complex earning structures. Both cards can help you achieve maximum cash back rewards; however, each will present some drawbacks that you should carefully consider prior to applying.
Both cards offer similar perks, with both offering a flat 2% cash back on all purchases and an extra 1% when paying your bill off. Bank of America card offers additional advantages by having no annual fee and longer balance transfer offers than Citi Custom Cash card; therefore if frequent travelers are among your ranks this could be an ideal solution.
Payment options
Citi’s Custom Cash card provides cardholders with multiple payment options, including online and mobile app payments. In addition, cardholders gain free FICO credit score access and Mastercard ID Theft Protection; additionally they may qualify to earn 200 ThankYou Points after spending $1,500 within six months of opening an account.
Custom Cash is unique among cards in that it allows users to select a 3% bonus category each billing cycle up to $500 spent, making it easier for you to rack up rewards over time. Furthermore, this card doesn’t charge an annual fee which would reduce the value of rewards earned.
Make the most out of your card by choosing from among 3% bonus categories like gas, online shopping, dining out, travel or drugstore purchases; plus all other purchases earn 1% back as well. Selecting your own bonus categories is an effective way to maximize its use!
Though there are other cards with higher rewards rates, the Custom Cash card might be best for people with unique spending habits. For instance, frequenting large retail chains like Costco and Sam’s Club could make the Custom Cash card more useful than Chase Freedom Unlimited or American Express Blue Cash Preferred that offer flat rates on all purchases.
As well as earning rewards with each purchase, this card enables you to redeem those rewards in numerous ways. These could include gift cards or merchandise purchases; donations to charitable organizations like Susan G. Komen or World Central Kitchen through Citi ThankYou portal; even using them towards paying your credit card balance with reduced value redemptions compared to using cash payments directly.
Citi Custom Cash credit card is an excellent all-around credit card option, providing competitive rewards programs, no annual fee and generous periods of 0% interest on both purchases and balance transfers. Furthermore, its low spending thresholds and sign-up bonus make this card worth investigating further.
Annual fee
Citi Custom Cash and Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit cards offer rewarding rates, along with various features, that are suitable for most consumers. While both cards feature zero annual fees and come with an introductory 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers, respectively.
The Customized Cash Rewards card provides more flexibility in how rewards are administered, enabling you to select which category(s) will earn 5% back (up to $500 spent per billing cycle) and earn additional benefits such as free FICO scores and additional security features. Both cards allow you to redeem ThankYou points for merchandise, travel options and gift cards.
Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card stands out as it doesn’t charge an annual fee and offers an introductory period with zero APR balance transfers and purchases, making it more suitable for people looking to pay down debt over time. Unfortunately, though, its quarterly spending caps and non-online shopping preference limit its potential suitability as the ideal card choice.
Citi Custom Cash offers one of the highest cash-back rates on flat-rate credit cards, while Bank of America cards tend to provide lower rewards rates. Furthermore, Citi’s card provides an impressive welcome offer: $200 in ThankYou points after spending $1500 during its first six months, giving an effective cashback rate of 2.1% versus 1.6% from Bank of America cards.
Both cards do have some limitations, however. Citi Custom Cash may be more flexible than its Bank of America counterpart; however, its rewards aren’t as generous (5% cash-back in your chosen category limited to $500 spent each month and don’t apply towards online shopping). In addition, quarterly maximum and activation requirements may also be lower on Citi’s card than those required of its Bank of America equivalent.