Citi Custom Cash vs. American Express Blue Cash Preferred

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Few businesses are more competitive than credit card issuers. And among all the different types of cards on offer, competition can be fiercest among cashback credit cards. Citi offers the Citi Custom Cash℠ card, which breaks new ground in this area. Let’s see how it compares to American Express’ Blue Cash Preferred® card, an old favorite card that’s been updated for today’s cardholders.

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Citi Custom Payment Card vs. American Express Preferred Blue Cash Card

Welcome offer

Winner: Blue Cash Preferred

With Citi Custom Cash, you’ll start with $200 back by spending just $1,500 on new purchases within three months of opening an account. Please note that Citi Custom Cash technically earns base ThankYou points, so your welcome bonus will be rewarded in points (which can be redeemed for $200 cashback). With Amex Blue Cash Preferred, you will receive a $350 credit after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first six months of opening an account.

As you can see, Blue Cash Preferred offers a higher welcome bonus, but it also costs more to get it. You will have to spend the same amount every month ($500) to get any of the offers – you just have to spend that amount over a longer period of time with Blue Cash Preferred. Considering that $500 per month is an achievable goal, Blue Cash Preferred wins in this category.

Reward rates

Winner: Blue Cash Preferred

Citi Custom Cash refunds 5% cash on up to $500 spent in the eligible category you spent the most on during the billing period. Categories include restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, travel favorites, transportation favorites, streaming favorites, pharmacies, home goods stores, health clubs, and entertainment.

Amex Blue Cash Preferred, on the other hand, gives you 6 percent cash back on up to $6,000 spent each year at US supermarkets (1 percent thereafter) and an unlimited 6 percent cashback on purchases on select US streaming services. You’ll also receive a 3% refund on purchases on public transit and gas stations in the US and 1% on everything else.

Both cards offer competitive cashback rates, and if you split $6,000 in groceries costs evenly throughout the year with Blue Cash Preferred, that works out to $500 per month. Given that Blue Cash Preferred offers many additional categories in which you can earn unlimited rewards, it also wins in this category.

Card Benefits

Winner: Blue Cash Preferred

Citi Custom Cash benefits do not include any of the purchase protection or travel insurance benefits that were once common on Citi credit cards. However, it does offer some benefits such as Mastercard ID theft protection, fraud protection, and access to Citi Entertainment.

In contrast, Amex Blue Cash Preferred offers more notable benefits, most notably a refund of up to $84 on qualifying streaming subscriptions – meaning you can earn $7 each month you use your Blue Cash Preferred to purchase $13.99 or more for a qualifying subscription through The Disney Bundle (such as Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+). In addition, cardholders get access to a variety of protections, including extended warranty, purchase protection, return protection, and secondary car rental loss and damage insurance (among other benefits).

April Opening Offer

Winner: Citi Custom Cash

Intro APR offers are a great way to fund large purchases or pay off existing credit card debt without charging interest over a set period of time. Both cards offer introductory periods that cover purchases and balance transfers, but Citi Custom Cash benefits from an additional three months.

Please note that Citi Custom Cash charges a higher balance transfer fee (5 percent, $5 minimum) compared to Blue Cash Preferred (3 percent, $5 minimum) and this fee will be added to your total balance .

Foreign transaction fees

Winner: Blue Cash Preferred

Both cards charge a fee for purchases made outside of the United States, also known as a foreign transaction fee. However, Blue Cash Preferred charges a fee of just 2.7% compared to the 3% Citi Custom Cash foreign transaction fee.

Annual fee

Winner: Citi Custom Cash Card

While Citi Custom Cash has no annual fee, Amex Blue Cash Preferred charges a $95 annual fee. Of course, Blue Cash Preferred offers several benefits (including a solid reward structure) that can offset this fee. But if avoiding this fee is important to you, or if you don’t plan to spend enough to offset the Blue Cash Preferred fee, Custom Cash may be for you.

What card should you get?

The best card between Citi Custom Cash and Amex Blue Cash Preferred depends primarily on your spending habits and what you hope to get from a cashback credit card. Both cards offer unique cashback structures that may be useful for people with special needs or preferences.

• If your spending habits change from month to monthA: One month you can spend a lot of money on home renovations, and another month you book flights and hotels for your next vacation. With Citi Custom Cash, you will have more opportunities to earn cash rewards.
• If you commute to work every dayA: Blue Cash Preferred is well-suited for commuters, offering a generous 3 percent cashback on both U.S. gas stations and transit purchases such as parking, tolls, buses, trains, taxis, and rides.
• If you like to cook or relax at home: American Express Blue Cash Preferred cardholders earn an impressive 6% cashback at US supermarkets (up to $6,000 spent each year, then 1%), as well as unlimited purchases on select US streaming services, making this card ideal for permanent residence. home gourmets and lovers of entertainment.
• If you travel frequently: Citi Custom Cash is also great for those who are fans of the Citi ThankYou rewards program and enjoy the ability to transfer points to travel partners if you also have a Citi Premier® or Citi Prestige®* card. .

bottom line

Citi Custom Cash and American Express Blue Cash Preferred are some of the best cashback credit cards on offer. By examining the strengths and weaknesses of each product, you can narrow down the questions and choose the option that best suits your spending style.

Citi Prestige Card information has been independently collected by CreditCards.com. The issuer did not provide details and is not responsible for their accuracy.

Jason Steele is a professional journalist and credit card expert who has been contributing to online publishing since 2008. He was one of the original contributors to The Points Guy and his work has been appearing there since 2011. leading personal finance and travel. He is often interviewed and quoted by the mainstream media on credit card and travel topics. Jason is passionate about travel credit cards, which he uses to earn rewards that he can use for himself and his family to travel the world. Jason is also the founder and producer of CardCon, an annual conference for credit and credit card journalists.

Kevin Payne is a freelance writer specializing in personal finance and travel. He writes frequently about credit cards, banking, student loans, insurance, travel rewards, and more. He is also a personal finance expert at Family Money Adventure, where he regularly shares practical advice on managing family finances and traveling with the family.