These two cards can fill different roles in your wallet, but they have a lot in common, too. Let's break it down by feature for a more detailed comparison.
No annual fees to eat into your rewards
Winner: Tie. Neither card charges an annual fee.
This category is easy to call as a tie because neither of these cards have an annual fee. So, really, I suppose you could say they both win! I love that no annual fee cards mean I don't have to make up that cost in rewards each year to justify keeping the cards.
Competitive welcome offers all around, one with a slight edge
Winner: Citi Custom Cash® Card. Same welcome offer value, less spending required to earn it.
New Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express holders can earn $200 cash back by spending $2,000 in the first 6 months. (Terms apply.)
The Citi Custom Cash® Card has the same welcome bonus, but a lower spending requirement. You can earn 20,000 ThankYou® Points -- worth $200 in cash back -- for spending $1,500 on your card in the first 6 months. The lower spend requirement gives this card the nod in this category.
Valuable intro APR offers save big on interest fees
Winner: Tie. These offers are so similar they're too close to call.
This category is a dead tie. Both cards have similar intro offers, though the details are a little different. The Citi Custom Cash® Card offers 15 months of 0% intro APR on new purchases, as well as balance transfers made within the first four months. The go-to 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable) APR applies at the end of the intro period. There is no promo on the balance transfer fee, however. Cardholders will pay 5% ($5 min.) for balance transfers.
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express also has 15 months of 0% intro APR on new purchases and balance transfers (then a go-to 19.24%-29.99% Variable APR applies). Transfers need to be made within the first 60 days. This card also lacks a promo rate for the balance transfer fee, but the standard fee is lower on this card than the Citi card: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Rewards on all the things you buy the most
Winner: Tie. Vastly different rewards programs, but no clear winner between the two.
This is a hard one to call for either card since they really are just so different. The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express earns:
- 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 in purchases per year, terms apply)
- 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases (on up to $6,000 in purchases per year, terms apply)
- 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations (on up to $6,000 in purchases per year, terms apply)
- 1% cash back on other purchases
The Citi Custom Cash® Card, on the other hand, only has one bonus category, but it earns 5% cash back on the first $500 in purchases in that category each month. Plus, that category can change every month, since it's automatically chosen by Citi from your top spending category among these options:
- Drugstores
- Fitness clubs
- Gas stations
- Grocery stores
- Live entertainment
- Home improvement stores
- Restaurants
- Select streaming services
- Select transit
- Select travel
What everyone else is saying
The Citi Custom Cash® Card is probably one of the more universally liked cards I've seen. Folks aren't happy about the spending cap -- no one ever loves spending caps -- but the versatile categories and high rewards rate make this card pretty popular.
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express isn't talked about nearly as much, likely because there are several cards that have very similar categories. Cardholders don't seem to have issues with it, however, and Amex is a generally well-liked card issuer.
Fact Checked
Nathan Alderman
