Which Citi Card Should You Choose?
You want the best cash back citi card to earn more rewards on your daily purchases. You’ve found the right place. When it comes to cash back credit cards, Citi offers two excellent choices, each with its own special advantage. Picking the right one—or using both together—depends on how you spend money and what you want to achieve financially.
This guide gives you expert advice to help you make a smart choice. We’ll start with a quick overview to help you figure out which card fits your needs, then look closely at how each card works, the best strategies to use them, and their hidden benefits.
Top Cards Side by Side
This table shows you Citi’s best cash back cards at a glance. Use it to get your bearings before we explore each card in detail below.
| Card Name | Main Cash Back Rate | Annual Fee | Key Benefit | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citi® Double Cash Card | 2% on everything (1% when you buy, 1% when you pay) | $0 | Amazing simplicity and a high flat rewards rate on all purchases. | Flat-rate simplicity, varied spending, a “catch-all” card. |
| Citi Custom Cash℠ Card | 5% on your top eligible spend category each billing cycle (up to $500), then 1%. | $0 | High-yield rewards for a single, concentrated spending area. | Getting the most from one specific category like groceries or dining. |
| Citi Rewards+® Card | Rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase. | $0 | Getting the most from small, frequent purchases. | Works best with other Citi cards rather than being your main cash back earner. |
The Citi Double Cash Card
The Citi® Double Cash Card has been a top choice in the credit card world for one clear reason: it gives you amazing value with very little work. It’s the clear winner for simplicity among cash back fans who don’t want to track changing categories or sign up for quarterly bonuses. Its straightforward benefits make it a must-have card in any smart wallet setup.
How 2% Cash Back Works
The card’s rewards system is unique and often misunderstood. It doesn’t give you 2% back right when you buy something. Instead, the process happens in two parts:
- You earn unlimited 1% cash back on every purchase you make.
- You earn another 1% cash back as you pay for those purchases.
This system encourages smart credit card use—paying your bill on time and in full. For people who already have good money habits, it works like a simple and effective 2% cash back card on every single purchase, with no limits and no categories to remember. The cash back you earn is yours to keep and doesn’t expire as long as your account stays open and in good shape.
The Perfect Double Cash User
This card works great for several types of people:
- The Busy Professional: You don’t have time to manage multiple cards or track changing bonus categories. You want one reliable card for all your business meals, travel bookings, and online subscriptions, knowing you’re getting a good return on every dollar.
- The Budget Optimizer: Your spending covers many categories that don’t usually earn bonuses, like insurance payments, utility bills, or home repairs. The Double Cash makes sure these necessary expenses earn a high rate of return.
- The Rewards Beginner: If you’re new to credit card rewards, this card is the perfect starting point. It teaches you the basic idea of earning rewards on spending without the complexity of more advanced systems.
As a citibank cash back credit card and mastercard, it also offers acceptance almost everywhere and the security features that come with the Mastercard network, making it a dependable choice for both domestic and international use (though watch out for its foreign transaction fee).
Pros and Cons
- Pros:
- Amazing Simplicity: No categories to track or activate.
- High Flat-Rate Rewards: A 2% return on all spending is at the top of the market for no-annual-fee cards.
- No Annual Fee: All the rewards you earn are pure profit.
-
Encourages Good Habits: The 1% + 1% structure rewards you for paying your balance.
-
Cons:
- No Bonus Categories: You’ll miss out on higher earning rates (like 5%) on specific categories like dining or groceries.
- Foreign Transaction Fee: Usually 3%, making it a poor choice for spending abroad.
- Potentially Lower Overall Rewards: A smart user with multiple cards can often earn more than a flat 2% overall.
Cash Back to ThankYou Points
One of the card’s most powerful and rarely discussed features is its ability to turn cash back into Citi ThankYou® Points. Cash back is earned as points, where $1 in cash back equals 100 points. By itself, you can use these points for a statement credit at a rate of 1 cent per point, effectively giving you your 2% cash back.
However, if you also have a premium Citi card, such as the Citi Premier® Card, you unlock a hidden superpower. You can combine the points earned from your Double Cash Card with your Premier account. This lets you transfer them to Citi’s airline and hotel travel partners, such as Avianca LifeMiles or Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. With smart redemptions, these points can be worth much more than 1 cent each, turning your 2% cash back into a much higher return on travel.
The Citi Custom Cash Card
Where the Double Cash card champions simplicity, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card rewards strategy. It’s designed for people who can focus a big portion of their spending into one category. By automatically adapting to your habits each month, it offers one of the highest cash back rates available in popular spending areas, making it a powerful tool for someone who wants to maximize rewards.
The 5% Bonus Category
The card’s main feature is its automatic 5% cash back on your top eligible spend category each billing cycle. Here’s how it works:
- You automatically earn 5% cash back (5 points per $1) on the first $500 spent in your highest eligible category.
- After you reach the $500 limit, you continue to earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases in that category and on all purchases in other categories.
- The 5% is applied automatically; you don’t need to sign up or select your category. The card’s system simply identifies where you spent the most.
The eligible 5% cash back categories include:
- Restaurants
- Gas Stations
- Grocery Stores
- Select Travel
- Select Transit
- Select Streaming Services
- Drugstores
- Home Improvement Stores
- Fitness Clubs
- Live Entertainment
This flexibility is the card’s greatest strength. One month it could be your grocery card, and the next it could be your gas card, all without any action from you.
Getting the Most from Your 5% Earnings
To really unlock this card’s potential, you need a disciplined approach. The goal is to focus one major spending category on this card to make sure you earn the 5% bonus where it matters most.
Here’s a practical strategy we use: We use the Citi Custom Cash card only for groceries. Our monthly grocery budget is around $600. We use the Custom Cash for the first $500 of that spending, which consistently gets us $25 in cash back ($500 x 5%). For the remaining $100 in groceries and all other spending (like dining, gas, or bills), we use a different card, such as a high flat-rate card. This simple habit guarantees a big return on a major, recurring expense.
You could apply the same logic to other categories. If you have a long commute, make it your dedicated gas card. If you eat out frequently, use it only for restaurants. The key is to avoid “mixing” your spending on the card with purchases from other potential 5% categories within the same billing cycle.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The card’s automatic nature can also be a weakness if not managed carefully.
- Splitting Your Top Spend: If you spend $300 on groceries and $250 on gas in one month, the card will give you 5% on only the $300 grocery spend. The $250 on gas will earn just 1%. You would have been better off putting all spending in one of those categories.
- Going Over the Limit Unnecessarily: If you spend $700 on restaurants, the first $500 earns 5% ($25), but the next $200 earns only 1% ($2). You might have been better off putting that extra $200 on a card that earns a flat 2%, which would have given you $4 in cash back instead.
- Ignoring Merchant Category Codes (MCCs): The 5% is triggered by how a merchant is categorized. A cafe inside a bookstore might not count as a restaurant, or a gas station at a wholesale club might not count as a gas station. It’s a rare issue but one to be aware of.
The Citi Power Duo Strategy
Using either the Citi Double Cash or the Citi Custom Cash card is a smart financial decision. But using them together creates a powerful “Power Duo” that takes your rewards earning to an expert level. This two-card strategy is simple to use and delivers a strong combination of high-category bonuses and a high flat-rate floor for all other spending.
The Power Duo Concept
The strategy is elegant in its simplicity. It uses the unique strength of each card to cover all your spending with an exceptional return rate.
- Use the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card for ONE category: Dedicate this card to your single highest eligible spending category where you consistently spend up to $500 per month. This could be groceries, dining, or gas. Your goal is to max out the 5% cash back in this one area.
- Use the Citi® Double Cash Card for EVERYTHING else: For every other purchase that falls outside your chosen 5% category, use the Double Cash. This guarantees you a minimum of 2% cash back on most of your spending.
This approach creates a simple decision tree for every purchase: “Is this for my designated 5% category?” If yes, use Custom Cash. If no, use Double Cash. This eliminates the need for a wallet full of cards while still achieving a reward rate that is hard to beat.
Calculating the Gains
Let’s show the power of this duo with a real-world monthly budget.
- Monthly Spending:
- Groceries: $500
- Dining: $300
- Gas: $200
- Utilities & Bills: $600
- Other (shopping, subscriptions, etc.): $400
- Total Monthly Spend: $2,000
Now, let’s calculate the cash back earned with different approaches.
| Strategy | Spending Allocation | Calculation | Total Monthly Cash Back | Total Annual Cash Back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double Cash Only | All $2,000 on Double Cash | ($2,000 x 2%) | $40.00 | $480 |
| Custom Cash Only | All $2,000 on Custom Cash | ($500 groceries x 5%) + ($1,500 other x 1%) | $25 + $15 = $40.00 | $480 |
| The Power Duo | Custom Cash for Groceries; Double Cash for everything else | ($500 groceries x 5%) + ($1,500 other x 2%) | $25 + $30 = $55.00 | $660 |
As the table clearly shows, the Power Duo strategy generated an extra $15 per month, or $180 per year, compared to using either card on its own for the same spending. This is a 37.5% increase in rewards with minimal added complexity.
Is This Strategy for You?
The Power Duo strategy is perfect for the rewards-conscious person who wants to maximize earnings without the hassle of managing four or five different credit cards. It’s perfect if:
- You have one dominant, recurring spending category that fits within the Custom Cash list.
- You are organized enough to use the correct card for the correct purpose.
- You want a simple system that guarantees a high return (at least 2%) on every single purchase.
If you prefer the absolute simplicity of a single card, the Double Cash remains the better choice. But for those willing to take one small extra step, the Power Duo offers a significant and real boost to your cash back earnings.
Citi’s Rewards System
To fully evaluate a citi cash back card, you must look beyond the earning rates and understand the bigger picture. This includes the value of initial welcome bonuses, the underlying nature of the rewards currency, and the benefits provided by the card network.
Finding the Best Offer
A crucial part of any card’s value is its initial sign-up bonus. When looking for a citi credit card offer and cash back, you want a significant upfront return on your initial spending. For cards like the Citi Custom Cash and Citi Double Cash, these offers provide a big boost in the first year of card membership.
A typical welcome bonus might be “$200 cash back after spending $1,500 in the first 6 months.” This is a highly achievable spending threshold that provides an immediate return of over 13% on that initial spend, on top of the rewards you’re already earning. These offers change periodically, so it’s always wise to check the current offer directly on Citibank’s official website before applying. This initial bonus can often be the deciding factor when comparing two otherwise similar cards.
Cash Back as ThankYou Points
A key piece of knowledge for any Citi cardholder is that “cash back” is technically awarded in the form of Citi ThankYou® Points. For the Double Cash and Custom Cash cards, the redemption value is fixed and simple: 100 points equals $1 in cash back. You can redeem your points for a statement credit, direct deposit, or a check, making the program work exactly like a standard cash back system.
However, this point-based structure provides valuable flexibility. As mentioned earlier, if you decide to add a premium travel card like the Citi Premier® to your wallet later, you can combine all the points you’ve earned. This unlocks the ability to transfer points to airline and hotel loyalty programs, where you can often find redemptions for international business class flights or luxury hotel stays that provide value far exceeding the standard 1 cent per point. This makes your cash back earnings a potential gateway to high-value travel rewards.
Mastercard Network Benefits
Being a citibank cash back credit card and mastercard provides an additional layer of value through the benefits offered by the Mastercard network. While specific benefits vary by card, they often include valuable consumer protections that can save you money and provide peace of mind.
These may include:
- Purchase Protection: Can cover your new purchases against damage or theft for a certain period (e.g., 90 days).
- Extended Warranty: Can extend the manufacturer’s warranty on eligible items you purchase with your card.
- Identity Theft Protection: Services to monitor and help you resolve identity theft incidents.
While these perks are not as flashy as a 5% cash back rate, they represent real, tangible value and enhance the overall security and utility of holding the card.
How to Apply
Once you have decided which cash back Citi card is right for you, the application process is straightforward. Following these steps can help ensure a smooth experience.
Step 1: Check Your Credit
Citi cash back cards generally require a good to excellent credit score, which typically means a FICO score of 670 or higher. Before applying, it’s a wise practice to check your credit score through a free service or your existing bank. Applying for a card you are unlikely to be approved for results in a hard inquiry on your credit report without the benefit of a new account, so it’s best to know where you stand first.
Step 2: Gather Information
To complete the application, you will need to provide standard personal and financial information. It’s helpful to have this ready beforehand:
- Full Name, Address, and Date of Birth
- Social Security Number (SSN)
- Total Annual Income (include all sources you can use to pay your bills)
- Monthly Mortgage or Rent Payment
Step 3: Apply Online
The most secure and direct way to apply is through the official Citibank website. Navigate to the page for the specific card you want (either the Double Cash or Custom Cash). Double-check the welcome bonus and card terms, then fill out the online application form accurately. The entire process typically takes less than ten minutes.
Step 4: Application Decisions
After you submit your application, you will usually receive one of three outcomes:
- Instant Approval: Congratulations! Your application has been approved, and your new card will be mailed to you within 7-10 business days.
- Pending Review: This is very common. It simply means a decision could not be made automatically. You may need to wait a few days for a final decision or call Citi’s reconsideration line to provide more information.
- Denied: If your application is denied, you will receive a letter in the mail explaining the reasons. This could be due to your credit score, high balances on other cards, or other factors. You can call the reconsideration line to discuss the decision with a credit analyst.
Final Verdict
Choosing the right cash back Citi card comes down to a simple question: do you value simplicity above all, or are you willing to use a little strategy to maximize your rewards? Both the Citi Double Cash and Citi Custom Cash are best-in-class products, and the best choice is the one that aligns with your personal spending habits.
Summary of Recommendations
-
Choose the Citi® Double Cash Card if…
you want a single, powerful card for all your spending. You value a high, flat rate of return and don’t want to think about bonus categories. Your spending is varied and spread out, and simplicity is your top priority. -
Choose the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card if…
you have a single, significant spending category like groceries, dining, or gas. You are organized enough to dedicate one card to that specific purpose to earn a high 5% return, and you are comfortable using another card for all other purchases. -
Choose the “Power Duo” Strategy if…
you are a true rewards maximizer. You want the best of both worlds—a high bonus rate on your top spending category and an excellent flat rate everywhere else. You are willing to manage two cards to achieve a significantly higher overall cash back return.
Your Next Step
You now have the expert analysis needed to choose with confidence. The next step is to review your own spending, decide which approach best fits your life, and take the first step toward earning more cash back on every dollar you spend.
