Citi Custom Cash(SM) Card vs. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
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Credit cards that offer cash back rewards on everyday purchases are cropping up like dandelions. While it’s nice to have a mind-boggling array of choices, it can also be overwhelming. We’ll help you narrow it down by comparing two great options: Citi Custom Cash® Card vs. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.
Citi Custom Cash® Card
Overall Rating
4.7
Welcome Offer
Earn $200 in cash back
Rewards Range
1% - 5%
Annual Fee
$0
Regular APR
19.24% - 29.24%
0% APR on Purchases
15 months
0% APR on Balance Transfers
15 months
Foreign Transaction Fee
3%
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Overall Rating
4.5
Welcome Offer
Earn a $250 statement credit
Rewards Range
1%-6%
Annual Fee
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Regular APR
19.24% - 29.99%
0% APR on Purchases
12 months
0% APR on Balance Transfers
12 months
Foreign Transaction Fee
2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
Welcome Offer
Citi Custom Cash® Card: Earn $200 in cash back after you spend $1500 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. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. Terms Apply.The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has a slightly bigger offer, but you have to spend twice as much money to earn it. The spend on the Citi Custom Cash® Card is achievable for most people, and the bonus is only slightly lower, so we give Citi the win in this category.
Cash Back Rewards
The way these cards approach cash back rewards could tip the scale for you.
Citi Custom Cash® Card gets you 5% cash back in whatever category you spend the most money, up to $500 per billing cycle. Then you’ll earn just 1% cash back. Categories are limited to:- Restaurants
- Gas stations
- Grocery stores
- Select travel
- Select transit
- Select streaming services
- Drug stores
- Home improvement stores
- Fitness clubs
- Live entertainment
That covers the top categories people spend a good chunk of their money on.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express gets you 6% cash back on U.S. supermarkets, up to $6,000 a year. You also get 6% cash back on select streaming subscriptions, and 3% cash back at gas stations and on transit. You can also get a $7 credit each month when you subscribe to The Disney Bundle for at least $12.99 a month. The Disney Bundle includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+.One thing to keep in mind with both cards is that “supermarkets” does not include wholesale clubs like Sam’s Club or Costco. Target and Walmart are also excluded. Another thing to keep in mind is that both cards limit how much cash back you can earn. With the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, you are limited to $6,000 a year on groceries, or about $500 a month. This is what the Citi Custom Cash® Card limits you to as well, assuming groceries is your top spend category. If you spend a lot more than $500 a month on groceries, one possibility is to get both cards, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
Here are the rewards details for both cards.
Citi Custom Cash® Card
Rewards:
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Rewards:
Since Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express also gets you 6% cash back on select streaming services and 3% cash back on gas and transit, we give them the edge here.
Rates and Fees
Citi Custom Cash® Card offer 0% APR on both purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months. After that, your rate will be 19.24% - 29.24%, variable, depending on creditworthiness.The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers only for the first 12 months. After that, your rate will be 19.24% - 29.99%, variable, depending on creditworthiness.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has an annual fee of $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. The Citi Custom Cash® Card has an annual fee of $0. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has a slightly lower foreign transaction fee at 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars. Whereas the Citi Custom Cash® Card is 3%. Either way, if you’re traveling internationally, take a card with no foreign transaction fees.All things considered, we give the Citi card the win here.
Who the Citi Custom Cash® Card is Best For
If your top spending category tends to change from month to month, the Citi Custom Cash® Card is a great choice. For example, you can get 5% cash back on travel purchases when planning a vacation or gas if you’re planning a long road trip. The great thing about this card is that you don’t have to enroll in anything, and you don’t have to figure out what you spend the most money on in a month: Citi does all that for you. It’s simple, it’s flexible, and you don’t have to think about it at all.
Who the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is Best For
People who spend $6,000 a year or less on groceries and want the added benefits of 6% cash back on streaming plus 3% on gas and transit will love the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. Even if you subtract the annual fee (after the first year), if you max out your grocery category, it’s worth it. Another advantage is that the grocery cap is $6,000 a year, so if your grocery spending fluctuates, this card can be a better deal than cards that have a per-month limit.
Many people have multiple streaming subscriptions, so that’s a worthwhile benefit, plus you can get the extra $7 a month for the Disney Bundle. And American Express has special offers all the time: for example, pay your insurance bill with Amex and get $10 back, buy a Roomba and get $100 off, and similar deals. If you use all the benefits, this is a great addition to your wallet.
Does it Make Sense to Get Both Cards?
Yes, actually it does. If you get both cards for groceries, you could use the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express card until you hit the cap, then switch to the Citi Custom Cash® Card. Plus, you can get elevated cash back on streaming, gas, and transit that the AmEx card offers.
Even if groceries are not your biggest budget item, you could use the Citi Custom Cash® Card for your highest spend category, maybe dining, and then use the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express for groceries. Either way, it’s a great combination.
Approval Odds
The credit score data listed below comes from publicly available information in a number of 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 Preferred® Card from American Express
There are more approvals for average credit scores with the American Express card, so if that’s you, consider applying for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express first. Then you can apply for the Citi Custom Cash® Card when your score improves.