Citi Custom Cash Credit Card in 2024 | How to Use It!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 พ.ค. 2024
- #citibank #citibankcreditcard #credit #pointsandmiles
The Citi Custom Cash is a super card with its 5% cash back on purchases. I highly recommend that everyone seek to acquire a few of these cards. When you're ready for travel then grab the Citi Premier to combine points.
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Travel Channel @RichardDebs
00:00 The RSquared Travel Rewards difference
00:49 Video Structure
01:56 Section 1: Multipliers and Spend Categories
03:36 Section 2: Card Usage
05:05 Section 3: Multicard Strategy
07:00 Section 4: Redemptions
08:25 Section 5: New Sign-up Bonus
09:00 Section 6: Fees
09:56 Section 7: The Pros and Cons
10:29 Outro
Amass tons of Citi/CP1/Bilt points and xfer to Turkish Airlines, then book a trip to Africa. I challenge any of you to be a couple feet away from a lion, AT NIGHT and NOT shake in your boots. Even though you're in a Land Cruiser.
Not sure I'm ready to face a lion but happy to get the card for supermarket purchases.
@@tonyvargas76 A lion is just a big 🐕 lol
@@RSquared-travel-rewardsdoes Walmart count as a grocery store/ supermarket? If not, what stores could I use this card for the grocery category?
@@justmcclend25 This is Citi's language "supermarkets, meat/seafood stores, dairy stores, bakeries, and miscellaneous food/convenience stores". Online supermarkets do not count.
@@RSquared-travel-rewards I understand that. I was asking about specific stores like Walmart, Kroger, King Soopers, & ect. Would purchase at these stores like these qualify for the 5% grocery category?
100% appreciate the editing and summary.
Thanks for appreciating the effort 🙏
Very helpful, thank you
Awesome. Glad it was helpful!
I’m with you. I’m in all the ecosystems: Amex, Chase, Cap1, and Citi. Citi is my #1 because of the earning potential. I have the Prestige so I get 5pts on dining. My CCs cover gas & groceries.
Back in 2021, due to the pandemic, I didn't think of getting other travel cards, so I slept on getting the Citi Prestige. If I had the Citi Prestige here with me in Africa, I'd do some real damage to that card 😂. Food is my #1 spend so 5X on dining would be awesome. I love Citi for international long-term travel.
Boom! Thanks to you, I'm about to finish the min spend on my 1st CCC...then I'll start working on the CDC and product change after 12mos.
Cool DC. It is about the long game. No quick fixes. Before you know it you will have 2 CCs which is how to play this game.
Nice, succinct vid Rsquared! What are your thoughts on the best way to get into the citi ecosystem?
I recently got approved for the citi double cash early into the new year. I’m still working on the welcome offer, but how long would you wait to apply for the custom cash?
Great question @Dwiz26. It depends on what you're done before you Double Cash and since then. Citi is extremely sensitive to INQUIRIES let along new card acquisitions.
I've you've had less than 9 inquiries in the past 12 months and your FICO is over 700 then be sure to wait 3 months before going after the Double Cash. Please note that I'm not a Chase fan so this guidance ignores Chase's 5/24 rule so if you're also interested in Chase card you have to be mindful of that rule if you're currently seeking Chase cards at the same time.
After the Custom Cash then I would target the Citi Rewards+ plus card and hold. After 12 months, you should have no issue in doing a product change to move your Double Cash to a 2nd Custom Cash. If you love the Double Cash, after a 12mos from the Rewards+ you should be able to flip it to a Double Cash. Then all that's needed is to acquire the Citi Premier when you're ready to think about travel.
Thanks for the video I was wondering what 2 cards you decided to use to product change into your additional ccc's. I've seen people with 2 and thought a quadfecta would have been possible with 3 ccc's and one premier card. Lastly dies it matter which set of cards can be changed or does any citi card have the potential to be changed after a year worth of ownership?
I got my ccc as my second card ever a little over a year ago. And last month got the cdc will be changed when the opportunity presents itself. ^_^ Ccc is my favorite card by far.
Rewards+ and a 2nd Premier was changed to ccc's. Others have reported that just about any Citi card may be product changed but I can only speak from experience. I expect that the cdc work and I was offered a Citi Costco initially when I sought to change my 2nd premier but I waited for the CCC offer.
If you can get at least 2 ccc's and can use the premier as your vehicle to transfer out, you're golden.
Great cards. We have 5 between my wife and I. Hopefully will be 6 once we can product change double cash in a few months 💪
You're officially my hero!!!!!!!
Folks are sleeping on this card because they get down on Citi because it no longer has an available premium travel card. Their loss is our gain. I'm not going to stop acquiring these cards hahaha
Do you have a preferred product change path? My only citi card right now is the double cash but I'll be acquiring (I hope) the premier here in February. I don't want to miss out on either sign up bonus via product change though. Definitely planning on building up the citi trifecta and custom cash life haha
Just make sure that you apply for the CCC before you begin any of the product changes.
So you may go forward with your Premier choice if you're ready for travel but then apply for the CCC out right.
Your first CCC should not be a product change.
You did it again!!! First with BILT, now I am applying CDC just so I can product change in 12 months. Love your editing btw!
Thanks. I assume that you already have a CC. If yes then a DC to CC conversion is good.
This is a total game changer!
I'm hoping to use it to buy Visa gift cards at grocery (or drug) stores and then use the GCs everywhere possible, including Costco. We'll see if it works out.
Good luck. Be sure to factor in any payments to acquire non-supermarket gift cards.
@@RSquared-travel-rewards yeah, a $500 Visa GC comes with ~$8 activation fee. I'm not sure that it's worth it at that point. $25 TY points - $8 = $17, which yields only a net of 3.4 TY points per dollar. That's still not bad, but it's not as great as I had hoped.
It beats the 2 miles per dollar of using the venture X at Costco, though.
@@franciscanstudent That's why I just use it at the supermarkets where I shop to get the full 5 PPDs. As you know, supermarket gift cards are free.
Thoughts on if I should get a custom cash or citi premier first? Already have the double cash just want to make sure there are no caveats to getting one before the other.
In theory, the order doesn't matter. If you don't have to have the Premier right now, I recommend that you use a progression by grabbing the custom cash first. There are no published restrictions, nor have I encountered any, with the order affecting approval with these cards but whenever I have flexibility, I opt to do a progression.
Also the current sign-up bonus on the Premier is pretty weak so I'd wait for a better sign up offer and just grab the custom cash first.
@@RSquared-travel-rewards Sweet thanks! Guess I am use to the chase and Amex world of restrictions 😂
Hey Richard, I had a question. What is the purpose of using the Citi Custom Cash for only one specific category rather than multiple categories? I've been hearing about this card that the Custom Cash should only be used for category. Why is that? What would happen if you use it for multiple categories? Thanks for responses!
I don't believe that you watched the video :). It's in the video. Watch it very carefully and when you're done and you still don't get it, I will happily answer the question.
Two thoughts:
(1) I don’t think you need to wait for a Citi offer to product change your Citi card. You can just call them and ask to product change your card into whatever card you need. I did that once.
(2) I heard that, unlike other issuers, Citi allows to product change between card families. So you can for example product change your AAdvantage card to CCC. I have not tried that myself though, so I am curious what others heard about this…
Both of your statements are accurate. The waiting period is not for Citi to offer a product change but it is to ensure that once you've owned the card for a year that you may product change with ease.
When I called to request my last product change, I was given a list of cards to which I could product change. Even the Cosco card was in play. I'm shooting for 1 more Custom Cash.
Certainly an interesting strategy. My P2 currently has the trifecta and I am now considering having her change her double cash to another Custom Cash. Then we can cancel her Amex Gold and have her get the Platinum instead for it’s perks… hmm
I definitely support converting the double cash to a 2nd 5X custom cash. Otherwise most folks are not maximizing this 5X opportunity. Good luck and keep me posted 😄
@@RSquared-travel-rewards btw your thoughts on adding the Aspire card and downgrading the surpass?
@@MattMcGrathOfficial Matt, it depends on the travel goals. The Aspire is not a cheap card. I happen to have both the Aspire and the Hilton Business card (the business is essentially the same as the surpass). The Aspires gets you 1 free night but if I'm going to plan on staying at Hiltons then I need more than the 1 free night cert. The Biz card/Surpass has me on track for 3 nights when combined with the Aspire.
In my mind, the Aspire is meant to be paired with other hilton cards. Either a 2nd Aspire or a surpass. That's just how I look at it.
@@RSquared-travel-rewards gotcha. I am finding it difficult to put 15K on the Surpass just for another free night especially with other cards in my lineup earning more in certain categories.
If you had to choose between keeping the Surpass or the Aspire I’m guessing you would go for the Aspire? Also I’m trying to minimize the annual fees as they are accumulating.
Question:
So I have to spent $500 every month for Citi give me the points?
If I spent less then $500 on a single category will the 5x still applied?
Thank you!!
You may spend ANY amount on the card within your credit limit then you will receive 5X on the highest category, on up to $500, that's among the valid categories listed. Everything else will earn 1X.
The $500 marker is just the max amount that qualifies for the 5X but you may spend whatever amount you like on as many categories but only 1 category on up to $500 will get 5X.
@@RSquared-travel-rewards thank u for ur time and response:)
Is it possible to product change from DC to CC in less than 12 months after acquiring the DC?
It all depends on your credit profile. In under a year Citi was going to allow me to product change to the Costco card but that's not the card I wanted. Please note that Citi is very sensitive to lots of inquiries. Not many are aware that Citi has a chat function where you may chat with a live representative. Doesn't hurt to ask via chat.
How about buying gifts cards from drugs stores? In the way I can get 5X but many more options for gift cards! Is that ok?
Citi just cares about the category where you do your spend and drugstores qualify as a category. So you may purchase whatever you want from a drugstore which can be gift cards. Just make sure that your drug doesn't charge a fee for the gift cards you wish to purchase. My 5% category is all for food shopping so I keep it simple and buy my gift card on the spot then use it to pay for groceries.
Hmm… if used for strictly EV charging would that qualify for 5x?
Be sure to check out the full video where I listed all the categories which qualify for 5X as the highest spend in a given month. I don't believe that EV charging is on the list.
Wow, I'm with the Citi custom cash trifecta over Amex Gold.
For supermarket sure. Keep in mind that the Gold covers dining as well. CCC for supermarket spend and the following vid for dining: th-cam.com/video/ximUX5bl7lE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=SoHB3AUi4bbfB421
👍
Thumbs up back at you!! Thanks for watching.
@@RSquared-travel-rewards Hope you keep us updated in 12 months to whether or not you get that 4th CCC! 😁
@@caribdude8151 If I'm so lucky, you betcha 😂😂
could i use the custom cash card with Gift cards as my top spend?
I included in the video the specific set categories which quality. I use gift cards that are specific to those categories. I don't use generic gift cards so I can't speak to the level of data that's provided to the banks. I love to extract value but I keep it to the point that I can't be accused of misuse and abuse.
Would you be able to just purchase a gift card at Trader Joe’s for $500 every billing cycle and then put that Citi Custom Cash away for the cycle?
That's exactly the strategy. You get the gift cards and put the card away until the next cycle. The card should only be used to purchase gift cards up to $500. This way you will never earn less that 5% and you've maxed out the credit.
@@RSquared-travel-rewards from the video it seems like you said you put the spend on the card and then the rest you buy a gift card?
I ask because I am going there today and wanted to know the difference from just buying a gift card and then using it for the rest of this billing cycle as our cycle starts today?
@@MattMcGrathOfficial I'll have to rewatch but in the video, I'm sure that I showed buying the gift cards I'm going to use for my groceries. But for sure, I don't use the cards for anything but supermarket gift cards.
@@RSquared-travel-rewards I might have interpreted it wrong when I watched. I just wasn’t sure if you could buy the card at the register than use it after. It’s activated right away then.
My dilemma is I get 5x back on my Chase Freedom Unlimited on gas and groceries for the year and it’s up to 12K for the year and not as that cut off yet. I know you’re not a big Chase fan but thoughts on this situation? Also going to have my wife product change her double cash…
How hard is it to get approved? Do I need to be 5/24?
5/24 is a Chase "rule". I added the quotes because there are many use-cases where folks reported being approved for chase cards who are outside of the 5/24 window. Chase naturally may relax their algorithm whenever there are pushing for new card sign-ups to make their numbers.
My 1st hand knowledge with Citi is that they will immediately disqualify your application based on a certain # of hard inquiries in 1yr. I got into an argument before with a Citi rep and she blurted out, I'm not even supposed to look at your app because it has more that 9 or 11 inquiries within 12 mos. For the life of me, I don't recall the exact number because I was heated.
If you have 740+ fico score and a light # of inquiries and # of new cards, you stand a great chance of being approved. I'm certain that there are lower FICO scores that would be approved but put yourself in the best position to be approved is my motto or just wait a few months to get a better credit profile.
Can I get SUB on a new CC card if I product change to another CC before?
Currently, no such luck. You can't apply for a 2nd one so you can't get it there either. The SUB is only available every 48mos. But you should always ask because you never know when rules are about to change.
@@RSquared-travel-rewards so I should apply for custom cash before I product change another card to it if I want multiple?
@@timtime88 100% yes. I thought you already owned a CC. Apply for the card first. The SUB is 20K TU pts which isn't huge but that's standard for a free card. Btw, 20K thank you pts is 40K choice hotel pts which you could get up to 4 free nights depending on the brand and location. I stay at Choice hotels when it works for me so don't get caught with the luxury hotel brands and miss out when it works for you.
@@RSquared-travel-rewards thank you for the information
Is utilities covered ?
Check out minute 2:19 of the video which lists the categories which qualify.
first
Awesome 😂😂
So I have to spent $500 for the 5x to applied ?
If I just picked a category and spent less then 500
Will the 5x still applied ?
Thank you.
Answered in your other thread.
.