Getting the most out of Citi Custom Cash
Citi stopped accepting new Custom Cash applications, but it's still one of the best cards you can carry if you already have one — 5% cash back on your single highest-spend eligible category each billing cycle, automatically, up to $500 in spend ($25 cash back) per month. No activation required; Citi picks your top category for you from restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select streaming, drugstores, home improvement, fitness clubs, live entertainment, and select transit.
Enter your typical monthly spend in whichever category Custom Cash is picking for you that cycle (your highest-spend eligible category), plus everything else annually.
You earn $0.00 per year with no fee to offset — the top-category cap resets every billing cycle, so it's worth checking which category Citi is crediting each month.
Custom Cash has no annual fee, so there's no downside to keeping it open — just make sure you're actually spending in whichever category it's crediting 5% on that cycle. Check your Citi account each month to confirm which category is active.