Citi Double Cash vs. Citi Custom Cash 2024

The Citi Double Cash? Card * The information for the Citi Double Cash? Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. ranks as one of our top cash back credit cards. It’s got an unlimited 2% cash back earning rate (1% when you buy and 1% when you pay), long introductory balance transfer offer and no annual fee.

In contrast, a competing Citi credit card, the Citi Custom Cash? Card * The information for the Citi Custom Cash? Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. , earns 5% cash back on up to $500 spent each billing cycle (then 1%) in one eligible category. It doesn’t charge an annual fee, either, and offers a competitive introductory annual percentage rate (APR) on both purchases and balance transfers.

The Citi Double Cash and Citi Custom Cash Card are Mastercards with a lot in common. The primary differences are in how they each earn cash back rewards and their introductory interest rate offers.

I have both of these cards and use them regularly, but for different types of spending. Let’s take a deeper dive into the Citi Double Cash and Citi Custom Cash Card to help you decide if one (or both) are a good fit for you.

Citi Double Cash vs. Citi Custom Cash comparison

First, let’s examine these two cards side by side.

	Citi Double Cash Card	Citi Custom Cash Card
Bonus rewards categories	5% total cash back on hotels, attractions and rental cars booked with Citi Travel through Dec. 31, 2024	5% back on $500 spent per billing cycle in your top eligible category (then 1%) 5% total cash back on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel through June 30, 2025
Base rewards rate	2% cash back on all purchases — 1% when you make a purchase, and another 1% when you pay it off	1% cash back
Redemption value	1 cent (cash back)	1 cent (cash back)
Advanced redemption options	Can transfer ThankYou points to airline and hotel partners if you also have the Citi Strata Premier? Card * The information for the Citi Strata Premier? Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. or Citi Prestige?	Can transfer ThankYou points to airline and hotel partners if you also have the Citi Strata Premier? Card * The information for the Citi Strata Premier? Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. or Citi Prestige?

See MoreSee Less

Interest rates on purchases and balance transfers

	Citi Double Cash Card	Citi Custom Cash Card
0% introductory APR on purchases	N/A	15 months
0% introductory APR on balance transfers	18 months	15 months
Balance transfer fee	3% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum within the first four months of account opening; 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum after four months of account opening	5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
Ongoing APR on purchases and balance transfers	19.24% - 29.24% Variable	19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)

See MoreSee Less

For a closer look at each card, read our Citi Double Cash review and Citi Custom Cash review.

Welcome bonuses on the Double Cash and Custom Cash

The cards offer the same welcome bonus, with a relatively low minimum spending requirement and a typical bonus amount for a credit card with no annual fee. You’ll generally want to choose a credit card that will serve you well over the long haul, but a welcome bonus is a way to earn a nice chunk of rewards right off the bat when you get a new credit card.

Citi Double Cash: The Citi Double Cash offers $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening, fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou? Points.

Citi Custom Cash Card: Similarly, the Citi Custom Cash Card offers $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou? Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.

Cash back on the Double Cash vs. Custom Cash

The Citi Double Cash offers a simpler setup and a better base rewards rate, but the Citi Custom Cash Card can get you a higher rate of return in eligible categories, albeit with a spending cap.

Keep in mind that while Citi markets these as cash back credit cards, they actually earn rewards in the form of Citi ThankYou points, which are worth 1 cent each when you redeem them for cash back.

Citi Double Cash: The Citi Double Cash earns a flat rate of 2% cash back on most purchases — 1% when a purchase is made, and another 1% when you pay it back. This flat rate means, for better or worse, you won’t have to worry about bonus categories or earning caps. The 2% rate is double the return that many cash back cards offer on spending outside their bonus categories. Card holders can also earn 5% total cash back on hotels, attractions and car rentals booked on the Citi Travel? portal through Dec. 31, 2024.

Citi Custom Cash Card: On the flip side, the Citi Custom Cash Card offers a unique rewards proposition. You’ll earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, and 1% cash back thereafter — and you don’t have to enroll your card every few months to earn bonus rewards. The 5% cash back on the Citi Custom Cash Card is awarded automatically in the eligible category you spend the most in each billing cycle, and it can change to a different category every month as your spending habits fluctuate.

Card holders can also earn 5% total cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on the Citi Travel portal through June 30, 2025, and 1% cash back outside of bonus category spending.

The list of eligible categories on the Citi Custom Cash Card is broad enough that at least one category — and probably more than one — should work for everyone:

• Gas stations
• Restaurants
• Grocery stores
• Select travel
• Select transit
• Select streaming services
• Drugstores
• Home improvement stores
• Fitness clubs
• Live entertainment

Is the Citi Double Cash or Custom Cash better for earning cash back?

So which card would leave you better off? That really depends on how you spend your money and whether you can maximize the 5% back categories every month. We’ll use groceries as a sample 5% cash back category for simplicity.

	Consumer 1	Consumer 2	Consumer 3
Total monthly spending	$2,000	$1,500	$5,000
Biggest monthly expense	$500 on groceries	$500 on groceries	$500 on groceries
Citi Custom Cash rewards	$40 ($500 x .05 + $1,500 x .01)	$35 ($500 x .05 + $1,000 x .01)	$70 ($500 x .05 + $4,500 x .01)
Citi Double Cash rewards	$40 ($2,000 x .02)	$30 ($1,500 x .02)	$100 ($5,000 x .02)
Better card	Tie	Citi Custom Cash	Citi Double Cash

See MoreSee Less

Assuming you maximize the 5% cash back category each month, the Citi Custom Cash Card is a better deal if you spend less than $2,000 per month on your credit card. More than that, and you’ll earn more rewards with the Citi Double Cash.

Since I have both cards, I typically only use my Citi Custom Cash Card in a single eligible category each month, and only for up to $500 in spending to earn 5% back on those purchases. Otherwise, I’ll often use the Citi Double Cash for spending that doesn’t fall into bonus categories on my other cards (such as medical bills and pet supplies).

Introductory APR offers on the Double Cash vs. Custom Cash

While the introductory APR offer on the Citi Custom Cash Card is better for financing large purchases over time, it’s inferior to the Citi Double Cash when it comes to balance transfers.

The introductory period is three months shorter, and the Citi Double Cash has an introductory balance transfer fee during the intro period (either $5 or 3% of the transferred balance, compared to 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.). This means transferring a balance could be more expensive with the Citi Custom Cash Card and you’ll have a shorter timeline to repay your debts.

Citi Double Cash: The Citi Double Cash Card is one of the best balance transfer credit cards because it offers new card holders an introductory 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After that, the standard variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.24%, based on creditworthiness. An intro balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, applies to transfers completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, the fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5). This makes it a really good option for saving money on interest if you want to consolidate high-interest debt with a balance transfer.

When I ran into unexpected bills, I used the introductory balance transfer offer on the Citi Double Cash to save hundreds of dollars in interest. I charged $5,000 in expenses to a different credit card (to earn a big sign-up bonus), then transferred the balance to the Citi Double Cash and paid it off over the space of 18 months.

Citi Custom Cash Card: The Citi Custom Cash Card offers a 0% introductory APR for 15 months from date of account opening on purchases and from date of first transfer for balance transfers completed within 4 months of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.24%, based on creditworthiness. There is also a balance transfer fee of 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum. This means you can use it both for new purchases and to consolidate debt from other cards without racking up interest for more than a year.

I’m still in my intro APR period with my Citi Custom Cash Card and plan to use it to give me a bit of breathing room with higher-than-normal bills in the next couple of months.

Citi Double Cash vs. Citi Custom Cash: Final verdict

Either of these credit cards can be an excellent choice if you want to earn rewards without paying an annual fee. However, there are definitely situations where one card will leave you better off.

Consider getting the Citi Double Cash? Card * The information for the Citi Double Cash? Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. if you:

• Typically spend more than $2,000 on your credit card each month
• Prefer flat-rate cash back without having to worry about bonus categories or earning caps
• Plan to use your card to consolidate high-interest debt from other credit cards

You might prefer the Citi Custom Cash? Card * The information for the Citi Custom Cash? Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. if you:

• Want to maximize your rewards in the category you spend the most in each month
• Have spending habits that fluctuate from month to month
• Will utilize the introductory APR offer on purchases but don’t plan to use your card for a balance transfer

If you still can’t decide, you could do as I did and get both of these cards then use them in tandem to maximize your rewards.

You could use the Citi Custom Cash Card Card for the first $500 you spend in an eligible category of your choosing each billing cycle to earn 5% cash back on those purchases, and then you’d use the Citi Double Cash for everything else to effectively earn 2% cash back on the rest of your spending.

Since neither of these cards charges an annual fee, it doesn’t cost you anything extra to have them both, and frankly, they make for a pretty great one-two punch. Just keep in mind that you can’t be approved for two Citi credit cards on the same day (you need at least eight days between applications), or more than two cards in 65 days. So if you want them both, apply for one now and then apply for the other down the road.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Additional reporting by Holly Johnson.