Citi Custom Cash Card vs. Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Welcome Bonus

Citi Custom Cash Card offers a signup bonus of $200 when you spend $1,500 in the first 6 months.

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express also has a welcome bonus, but it’s a little more complicated:

As far as cash-in-hand goes, you’ll get a better and less complicated bonus from the Citi Custom Cash Card, so unless you spend a lot with PayPal, Citi wins this round.

Cash Back Rewards

Citi Custom Cash Card offers 5% cash on your top spending category, but you don’t have to sign up or register for anything. Instead, Citi just figures out which category you spend the most money in and gives you 5% back automatically, up to $500 each billing cycle. Categories include restaurants, gas, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs and live entertainment.

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express pays 3% cash back at grocery stores, 3% cash back for online retail purchases, and 3% on gas stations, up to $6,000 per year (for each one), then you’ll earn 1% cash back.

For many people, groceries is their biggest spending category (after things like the mortgage and car payments). If this is you, you’ll be better off with the Citi Custom Cash Card because you can earn 5% on groceries as opposed to the 3% that Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express offers. However, if you spend a lot on gas, eating out, and groceries, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express may earn you more cash back overall. This is a tough one: it’s a tie.

Here are the rewards for each card:

Citi Custom Cash Card 

Rewards:

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express 

Rewards:

Rates and Fees

You get an attractive introductory rate with both cards. Citi Custom Cash Card offers 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, after which your rate will be 18.24% - 28.24% variable, depending on creditworthiness.

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express also has a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, after which your rate will be 18.49% - 29.49% variable, depending on your creditworthiness.

Neither card has an annual fee, and although Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express has a slightly lower foreign transaction fee, if you’re going to travel internationally, take a card with no foreign transaction fee.

Who the Citi Custom Cash Card is Best For

Citi Custom Cash Card is a great all-around card with good rewards, a 0% introductory APR, and it has no annual fee. If you don’t feel like figuring out which category you spend the most money in, or perhaps if your spending varies from month to month, the Citi card is a great deal. There is nothing to sign up for; it’s automatic. You’ll also get that 0% introductory rate, so if you’re planning a big purchase or want to transfer other debt over, this card is perfect.

Who the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is Best For

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express could be perfect for you if you spend equally on gas, online purchases, and at grocery stores. You will especially appreciate this card if you use PayPal because of the 20% cash back for the first 6 months (up to $150). You will have to crunch some numbers, but it’s possible you can earn more in cash back with this card than with the Citi card, depending on your spending habits.

If you want to earn 6% cash back at grocery stores, you could apply for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. In addition to the 6% on groceries, you also earn 6% cash back on streaming and 3% cash back on gas and transit. There is an annual fee of $95, but it’s waived for the first year.

Does it make sense to get both cards?

Yes! Since there’s no annual fee on either card, you could use the Citi Custom Cash Card card on whatever you spend the most money on and then use the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express for gas and online purchases. Or you could use the Citi card on something not covered by the American Express card, like fitness clubs or home improvement stores. Between the two cards, you could earn cash back on almost everything you spend, which makes applying for both cards a great choice.

Approval Odds

The credit score data listed below comes from publicly available information in several forums. The accuracy of the information cannot be verified. Keep in mind that credit card issuers consider more than an applicant’s credit score and that underwriting standards change over time.

Citi Custom Cash Card 

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express 

According to the data above, it looks like the American Express card may be a little more forgiving of lower credit scores in the 660 to 670 range, so if you’re rebuilding your credit, consider applying for Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express. Once you’re approved and build up your credit score, you can apply for the Citi Custom Cash Card.