Annual Fee

Welcome Bonus

Base Earn Rate

Top Earn Categories

Network

Key Benefits

Pros

• +Automatic 5% cash back on top spending category with no activation required
• +No annual fee makes it easy to keep long-term for credit history
• +10 eligible bonus categories including dining, gas, groceries, streaming, and transit
• +0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months
• +Pairs with Strata Premier to unlock ThankYou Points transfer partners

• +No annual fee
• +30,000 point welcome bonus
• +5X points on travel booked via Citi Travel
• +3X points on groceries, transit, gas, and Self-Select category
• +Self-Select category flexibility (change quarterly)

Cons

• −$500 monthly cap limits value for high spenders (max $25/month in bonus rewards)
• −3% foreign transaction fee makes it poor for international travel
• −Cannot manually select bonus category - algorithm chooses based on spend
• −Only one Custom Cash card allowed per person
• −48-month restriction on welcome bonus if you've had one before

• −3% foreign transaction fee
• −5X rate requires booking through Citi Travel portal
• −Self-Select category can only change quarterly
• −Lower transfer value compared to premium ThankYou cards

Annual Fee

Welcome Bonus

Base Earn Rate

Top Earn Categories

Network

Key Benefits

Pros

• +Automatic 5% cash back on top spending category with no activation required
• +No annual fee makes it easy to keep long-term for credit history
• +10 eligible bonus categories including dining, gas, groceries, streaming, and transit
• +0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months
• +Pairs with Strata Premier to unlock ThankYou Points transfer partners

• +No annual fee
• +30,000 point welcome bonus
• +5X points on travel booked via Citi Travel
• +3X points on groceries, transit, gas, and Self-Select category
• +Self-Select category flexibility (change quarterly)

Cons

• −$500 monthly cap limits value for high spenders (max $25/month in bonus rewards)
• −3% foreign transaction fee makes it poor for international travel
• −Cannot manually select bonus category - algorithm chooses based on spend
• −Only one Custom Cash card allowed per person
• −48-month restriction on welcome bonus if you've had one before

• −3% foreign transaction fee
• −5X rate requires booking through Citi Travel portal
• −Self-Select category can only change quarterly
• −Lower transfer value compared to premium ThankYou cards

Annual Fee

Welcome Bonus

Base Earn Rate

Top Earn Categories

Network

Key Benefits

Pros

• +Automatic 5% cash back on top spending category with no activation required
• +No annual fee makes it easy to keep long-term for credit history
• +10 eligible bonus categories including dining, gas, groceries, streaming, and transit
• +0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months
• +Pairs with Strata Premier to unlock ThankYou Points transfer partners

• +No annual fee
• +30,000 point welcome bonus
• +5X points on travel booked via Citi Travel
• +3X points on groceries, transit, gas, and Self-Select category
• +Self-Select category flexibility (change quarterly)

Cons

• −$500 monthly cap limits value for high spenders (max $25/month in bonus rewards)
• −3% foreign transaction fee makes it poor for international travel
• −Cannot manually select bonus category - algorithm chooses based on spend
• −Only one Custom Cash card allowed per person
• −48-month restriction on welcome bonus if you've had one before

• −3% foreign transaction fee
• −5X rate requires booking through Citi Travel portal
• −Self-Select category can only change quarterly
• −Lower transfer value compared to premium ThankYou cards