topic Re: Citi custom cash benefits in Credit Cards

Citi custom cash benefits

rgd51 — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 19:51:53 GMT

Thinking of applying for the citi custom cash since dining is one of its categories and I always spend more than $500 per month on it so I'm sure to max this card's 5% cap and then use the chase freedom unlimited to get 3% back on dining more than that amount. Some questions I had about the custom cash:

Does it include cell phone insurance? On the citi site it seemed to indicate that it does.

Does the dining category include food delivery places like Uber eats, grub hub, and door dash?

Is there a minimum redemption threshold like the DC where you have to have $25 in rewards to redeem?

If I do a statement credit do I get the full 5% value?

Using this card for the first $500 in dining per month will get me an extra $120 per year in cash back compared to if I used the freedom unlimited for all dining so debating if a new account is worth the extra $10 per month in cash back?

For inquiries I am 0/6 6/12 12/24. For new accounts I am 8/24 6/12 0/6.

Re: Citi custom cash benefits

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 20:02:51 GMT

@rgd51 wrote:

Does it include cell phone insurance? On the citi site it seemed to indicate that it does.

Where does it say that? Would be unusual now for Citi cards! I see

What are some other benefits of the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card?
In addition to never having to sign up for rotating bonus categories, Citi Custom Cash℠ Card offers other benefits such as:
- Add Authorized Users at no cost and earn points on purchases they make.
- Enjoy your contactless-chip enabled card and make everyday purchases quickly and safely.
Which appears to me to be issuer speak for "no other meaningful benefits!"

Re: Citi custom cash benefits

rgd51 — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 20:15:09 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@rgd51 wrote:

Does it include cell phone insurance? On the citi site it seemed to indicate that it does.

Where does it say that? Would be unusual now for Citi cards! I see

What are some other benefits of the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card?
In addition to never having to sign up for rotating bonus categories, Citi Custom Cash℠ Card offers other benefits such as:
Add Authorized Users at no cost and earn points on purchases they make.
Enjoy your contactless-chip enabled card and make everyday purchases quickly and safely.

Which appears to me to be issuer speak for "no other meaningful benefits!"

https://www.johnnyjet.com/citi-custom-cash-card-review/?amp=1

In that article is lists cell phone protection for up to $1,000 yearly. I also just found the terms and conditions on their site and the 5% on restaurants excludes delivery services so it has to be at the physical restaurant. Most my dining I get from door dash since I have dash pass which means I don't have the delivery fee so when I order food and pay tax and the tip it's very equivalent to what it would cost me in gas to go and physically eat at that restaurant. The freedom unlimited counts food delivery services in its 3% on dining category.

Re: Citi custom cash benefits

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 00:06:46 GMT

@rgd51 wrote:
https://www.johnnyjet.com/citi-custom-cash-card-review/?amp=1

In that article is lists cell phone protection for up to $1,000 yearly.

OK, that is not the Citi site and appears to make the (false) conclusion that the card must have all the WEMC benefits. Which we know many Citi cards do not.

Re: Citi custom cash benefits

rgd51 — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 00:22:13 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@rgd51 wrote:
https://www.johnnyjet.com/citi-custom-cash-card-review/?amp=1

In that article is lists cell phone protection for up to $1,000 yearly.
OK, that is not the Citi site and appears to make the (false) conclusion that the card must have all the WEMC benefits. Which we know many Citi cards do not.

That is the only place I have seen that benefit mentioned for this card. I'm noticing citi cards that are WEMC have almost no benefits or perks at all. Why wouldn't citi want to include that benefit? There are also lots of exclusions in the restaurant category since I can't have food delivered and have to be inside the physical restaurant. Then again it isn't hard at all to rack up $500 in dining charges in a month.

Re: Citi custom cash benefits

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 01:08:34 GMT

@rgd51 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@rgd51 wrote:
https://www.johnnyjet.com/citi-custom-cash-card-review/?amp=1

In that article is lists cell phone protection for up to $1,000 yearly.
OK, that is not the Citi site and appears to make the (false) conclusion that the card must have all the WEMC benefits. Which we know many Citi cards do not.
That is the only place I have seen that benefit mentioned for this card. I'm noticing citi cards that are WEMC have almost no benefits or perks at all. Why wouldn't citi want to include that benefit? There are also lots of exclusions in the restaurant category since I can't have food delivered and have to be inside the physical restaurant. Then again it isn't hard at all to rack up $500 in dining charges in a month.

Presumably cutting these benefits saves them money. Even if the benefits are normally standard, there's likely some associated charge for them or banks wouldn't want to remove them.

Re: Citi custom cash benefits

rgd51 — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 01:30:17 GMT

Yeah my chase freedom unlimited still has tons of benefits though especially for a no AF card. I heard cap one is slashing benefits on their cards as well. Seems that the trend these days is to slash benefits but increase cash back percentages. Makes sense because to afford the cash back they have to cut somewhere else.

I wonder if I'd get denied for the custom cash due to my number of inquires? I was denied for the double cash for that same reason.

Re: Citi custom cash benefits

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 01:38:32 GMT

If you got denied for DC because of inquiries, I would expect the same from Custom Cash.

Re: Citi custom cash benefits

rgd51 — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 01:41:04 GMT

My denial for the DC was in November and I was 6/6 on inquiries if I remember right since I had an app spree after I got my mortgage. Now I'm 0/6 but also 6/12 and 12/24 on experian for inquiries.

Re: Citi custom cash benefits

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 02:41:07 GMT

@rgd51 wrote:
My denial for the DC was in November and I was 6/6 on inquiries if I remember right since I had an app spree after I got my mortgage. Now I'm 0/6 but also 6/12 and 12/24 on experian for inquiries.

0/6 is generally considered fine for Citi. As always though, YMMV.

Re: Citi custom cash benefits

rgd51 — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 02:50:40 GMT

Then I probably should consider this card. Is it usually worth getting another card to get an extra $120 in cash back per year compared to if I put all dining spend on the Freedom Unlimited? Think chase would take AA against me if I get approved for the custom cash?

Re: Citi custom cash benefits

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 02:57:54 GMT

@rgd51 wrote:
Then I probably should consider this card. Is it usually worth getting another card to get an extra $120 in cash back per year compared to if I put all dining spend on the Freedom Unlimited? Think chase would take AA against me if I get approved for the custom cash?

I mean I went for the card when it will only net me an additional ~$40 a year on grocery spend so I'm probably the wrong person to ask lol.

As for Chase, they don't like sprees but a single card isn't really a big deal as long as your profile can support it. Honestly considering how popular Chase is, we don't hear about AA anywhere near as frequently as we would if they were really AA-happy.

Re: Citi custom cash benefits

rgd51 — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 03:15:35 GMT

I do put regular usage on my freedom unlimited as it is my daily driver. I'm over a year away from being under 5/24 again. No other chase cards that I want at the moment but they could totally come out with something new by then. Last time I opened a new account was over 6 months ago so hopefully that wouldn't be too much for chase? My fico 9 is 781 and my fico 8 is 759. Custom cash would be an easy $200 SUB and $120 per year in cash back. That card would be twice as lucrative to me as getting the double cash to get 2% on everything else compared to the 1.5% with the FU. I do fear that chase would be upset if I got another card but I might be worrying over nothing. I just have churned quite a bit of cards 6-12 months ago and I've been in the garden since.

Re: Citi custom cash benefits

KLEXH25 — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 03:52:21 GMT

I think six months since getting your Chase card (with no other new cards since) is safe enough. Just do the one and be done for another 6+ months.

Re: Citi custom cash benefits

rgd51 — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 04:00:55 GMT

I got the chase card 8 months ago and since then I opened and closed 2 cards for SUBS but those were in November and December.

Re: Citi custom cash benefits

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 04:09:42 GMT

You'll be fine with Chase I would imagine.

Re: Citi custom cash benefits

rgd51 — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 04:26:09 GMT

I guess I'm hesitant due to my denial for the double cash back in November. The custom cash at best would get me an extra $120 per year on dining in addition to the SUB.

Re: Citi custom cash benefits

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 05:45:12 GMT

There have been a number of denials, some that seem to be pretty surprising, but HPs are free (even a score ding isn't much for inquiries, I've taken 0 points for 5 on EX in the last two months, 1 on TU for 2 in the last two months, and 3 on EQ for 1 in the last two months) and they're also unlimited. If you want the card, go for it.

Re: Citi custom cash benefits

rgd51 — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 06:04:18 GMT

But won't chase be notified once I get an HP? This card would be more more lucrative to me than if I get a 2% card or one with rotating 5% categories.

Re: Citi custom cash benefits

coldfusion — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 06:34:55 GMT

@rgd51 wrote:
But won't chase be notified once I get an HP? This card would be more more lucrative to me than if I get a 2% card or one with rotating 5% categories.

Chase doesn't get notified when someone else makes an inquiry, they would learn about it when they did a routine account-review soft pull, and even then only if they pulled from the same CRA as the Citi inquiry. If approved they would learn about the new account the same way, although there would be no hiding that as Citi reports to all 3 major CRAs.