Citi Custom Cash Card

[joltdude]

@Remedios 

Actually friend of mine prefers a Americano to a normal brew at SB because its fresh, less dark tasting, and is predictable... A lot of SB standard brew tastes awful and is almost burnt tasting, but an Americano, basically an espresso with hot water is much better than their normal drip... As long as the hot water dispenser is working... 

(and this is from someone who drinks it black) 

Give it a try.... 

-J

[joltdude]

I am tempted by this FOTM.....

Saw it yesterday and figured id already see some approvals today...

Not so much as a DD, but more like.. if your going to be making purchases in one of the categories, and heavy spend, use that card for all similar purchases...  Even so if you get it wrong, you still get 1% back.... but it also has me considering Rewards+....

-J

[kilroy8]

Anybody know if it is WEMC?

I mean the card, not coffee.

[CreditCuriosity]

I think hands down grocery store would be people probably top pick if they are to get this card.  Certainly would be what I mainly used it for or home improvement, but speculate grocery 95% of the time.  Have a good friend applying for it now just called him since I can't apply for it.  Funny thing he just showed me all three of his 8 scores hit 850 earlier this morning before I saw this post, so time to ruin that for him .  Will let you know his limit shortly.

[PullingMeSoftly]

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@Aim_High wrote:

For gasoline, I currently get 4% back on my Citi-Costco Visa (up to $6K annually) plus normally 5% in rotating quarters on my Discover IT and Chase Freedom cards.  The flat 5% on this card could net me a slightly higher return ($300 versus $270 on the full $6K.)  However, it's a Mastercard which isn't accepted at Costco, and my cost-per-gallon at Costco would easily save me more than the extra $30.  And if gasoline at warehouse clubs codes the wrong MCC versus gas at Exxon or Shell,it would be a moot point. 

However, this is definitely a card worth serious consideration. 

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Was waiting for your perspective @Aim_High, good points as usual. As much as i want to corner the 5% game as much as possible, having existing 4% cards continues to beg the question of what is satisfactory and what is worth pursuing for the extra 1% (at the expense of HP's and new accounts). The Citi Costco is a great example of this in addition to my Alt. GO. The goal cards I have in sight are representative of this value proposition, as i continue seeking 5% dining, gas, and groceries, but I could just simply abstain from app'ing and have 4%, 4%, and 6% (BCP) respectively. This new card gets the trigger finger going, but it's important to look at the whole picture before being impulsive! (you can see I'm trying to talk myself out of it lol)

[FormerCollegeDJ]

I just realized, as @Aim_High noted, that the Custom Cash is NOT a selectable bonus category card (though I think most people on here would treat it that way) but a card that automatically gives users 5% rewards on their highest spend category per month.  This actually makes the card attractive to both people who chase rewards and those who do not.  In some ways, this card isn't only competing with the 5% fixed or selectable rotator cards like the Chase Freedom Flex, Discover It Cash, US Bank Cash+, and Elan Max Cash Preferred, but also the 2% or 1.5% flat rewards cards like the recently announced Wells Fargo Active Cash and Citi's own Double Cash card.

Doing some quick calculations comparing the Custom Cash to a flat 2% rewards card, assuming one uses the Custom Cash as a general spending card:

*If one spends 25% or more of their total monthly spending on the biggest spend category and total spend is $2000, the Custom Cash and a 2% card come out even ($40 in rewards on either card; on the Custom Cash the rewards would be $25 for the first $500 in spend in the biggest spend category and $15 for all other spend, including any spend above $500 in the largest monthly spend category).

*If one spends less than $2000 per month and the biggest spend category is more than 25% of the total spend, the Custom Cash beats a 2% rewards card.  (To use an example, if total spend is $1200 and largest category spend is $400, the Custom Cash would provide $28 in rewards while the 2% card would earn $24 in rewards.)

*If one spends less than $2000 per month and the biggest spend category is less than 25% of total spend, the 2% card beats the Custom Cash card.  (Using an example, if total spend is $1200 and largest category spend is $200, the Custom Cash would provide $20 in rewards while the 2% card would earn $24 in rewards.)

*If one spends more than $2000 per month, the 2% rewards card beats the Custom Cash card.  (Again using an example, if total spend is $2500, the 2% card would earn $50 in rewards.  Even if the Custom Cash largest spend category was maxed out in a given month, the maximum earnings would be $25 on the $500 in bonus category spend and $20 rewards on remaining spend, for a total of $45 in rewards.)

It probably makes more sense for credit card users to treat this card as a bonus category card, but low to moderate spenders who typically have one large spend category per month would also come out ahead using this card as a general spend card.  And that doesn't even address the fact this card has a solid SUB for a low amount of spend on a no annual fee card ($200 SUB on $750 in spend in the first three months).  As a basis of comparison, that's a little better than the just announced Wells Fargo Active Cash card, which itself has a very good SUB for a 2% rewards card ($200 SUB on $1000 in spend in the first three months).

[FinStar]

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@kilroy8 wrote:

Anybody know if it is WEMC?

I mean the card, not coffee.

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I would say, based on the stock image, it likely is WEMC just like Double Cash.

Then again, not sure if all cards will be issued as such.  There's still plenty of Double Cash cards in circulation as non-WEMC and I believe the Rewards+ is also issued as WMC (someone can correct me on this one).

[longtimelurker]

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@Remedios wrote:

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I hate Starbucks, and I hate standing behind the person whose coffee order sounds like manifesto which in WA is everyone (except me). 

I ask for plain brewed coffee, and barista looks offended .. "I didn't go through two weeks of training to pour coffee in cups!!!" 

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Do coffee lovers in WA really go to starbucks?  Seems to be different in the Bay area.  At least judging from my daughter who views starbucks as pretty similar tastewise to instant coffee with lukewarm water.    Still, my local roaster in the northeast offers "specials" on coffee beans at $80 for 4 oz.  Never try it because a) way too pricey and I probably couldn't taste the difference, and b) and just in case I could and really liked it, that would be a bad habit to get in to.

[Anonymous]

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@joltdude wrote:

@Remedios 

Actually friend of mine prefers a Americano to a normal brew at SB because its fresh, less dark tasting, and is predictable... A lot of SB standard brew tastes awful and is almost burnt tasting, but an Americano, basically an espresso with hot water is much better than their normal drip... As long as the hot water dispenser is working... 

(and this is from someone who drinks it black) 

Give it a try.... 

-J

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Iced venti Americano was my favorite back when I could handle caffeine. I would get an extra shot and sometimes I would have them add a pump of cinnamon and vanilla syrups if I wanted something sweeter but not caramel macchiato level sweet. 

[longtimelurker]

It's an interesting card but I wonder who it is aimed at.   Obviously, the best use is to use on just one category a month, as everything but the highest category gets just 1%   So those of us who have trouble (or partners who have trouble) remembering "this quarter use card A for gas, card B for supermarkets and put as much as you can on paypal using card C........" it might not be that valuable.