Citi Custom Cash Card

[Curious_George2]

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@icednightpaper wrote:
Is it bad that my shallow self saw the card design before the rewards structure and said "that will look nice in person!"? It is interesting to have a month-to-month 5% category though. I kind of wish I didn't just PC my R+ to a DC, I will have to wait the two years for eligibility for this one.

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Does Citi have a limit of one PC every two years?

[FormerCollegeDJ]

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@Aim_High wrote:

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@FormerCollegeDJ wrote:

 ... 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
• *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. 
• *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. 
• *If one spends more than $2000 per month, the 2% rewards card beats the Custom Cash card. 

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Thanks for that analysis, @FormerCollegeDJ.  Your numbers look right to me.  So for someone looking for a daily driver, $2K is the breakeven point if you are able to max-out the $500 monthly high spend category.  While this doesn't apply to many of us on My Fico who seek out high rewards and are willing to spread it out among multiple cards, this is good to know. 

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Doing some additional calculations, I think the Custom Cash is definitely a 1.5% rewards rate card killer (in addition to potentially being an Amex BCE or BCP killer as others have noted).  Instead of monthly spending below $2000 and >25% of spending being in one category being the sweet spot for the Custom Cash vs. a 2% rewards card, against a 1.5% rewards card (with no bonus categories) the sweet spot for the Custom Cash to "win" would be monthly spending below $4000 and >12.5% of spending being in one qualifying category.  Those are very attainable and common to beat thresholds for most people.

[Anonymous]

ugh. i just entered the garden last month.

[Anonymous]

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@icednightpaper wrote:
Is it bad that my shallow self saw the card design before the rewards structure and said "that will look nice in person!"? It is interesting to have a month-to-month 5% category though. I kind of wish I didn't just PC my R+ to a DC, I will have to wait the two years for eligibility for this one.

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This card actually doesn't have the typical "no bonus if you have received or PC'd another TYP card in 24 months" language, I just checked that myself. It specifically says that you can't get the bonus if you've had it on this card in the last 48 months. 

[blindambition]

This is a solid card, especially for no AF groceries. I get a lot of value from my BCP though.

The benefit terms showed a glaring failure in Dining category, it doesn't include DoorDash, UberEats, etc. many other cards include third party delivery in that category.

[kilroy8]

Experian wants me to go for it

[calyx]

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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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This is good information for when I start travelling again, since the airports here only seem to have Sbux in them. 
And the people I visit are all Sbux junkies, so getting them anywhere else is difficult.

[FormerCollegeDJ]

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@kilroy8 wrote:

Experian wants me to go for it

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It looks like Experian is telling you "Citi or bust!"  LOL.

[calyx]

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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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.

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^ Inlaws in Seattle live and die by Sbux.  I send gifts of good coffee every year, and yet...

[longtimelurker]

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@FormerCollegeDJ wrote:

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against a 1.5% rewards card (with no bonus categories) the sweet spot for the Custom Cash to "win" would be monthly spending below $4000 and >12.5% of spending being in one qualifying category.  Those are very attainable and common to beat thresholds for most people.

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Right, but then you start running into "overlap"   If you are spending say $3000 a month if you have to get an extra card, you would be better off getting a 2% card (by your previous calculations) than going for this even if you maxed out the $500 (16.6% spend)