SIDE A
A
American Express · American Express
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
VS.
×
SIDE B
B
Citi · Mastercard
Citi Custom Cash Card
FILING
Head-to-Head · Plastic Quarterly
The Blue Cash Preferred and Citi Custom Cash both offer solid cash back rewards for everyday spending, but they target different financial situations. American Express's offering demands a $95 annual fee but delivers a generous 6% back at supermarkets and streaming services, plus a $250 signup credit that effectively covers the fee. Citi's card charges nothing upfront and automatically rewards your highest spending category at 5% each month, capping at $500 in annual rewards per category. The choice hinges on whether you can benefit from Amex's category bonuses enough to justify the annual cost, or prefer the flexibility and no-fee simplicity of Citi's rotating approach.
THE VERDICT
Our ruling.
“Choose the Citi Custom Cash for most people. The no annual fee structure, longer 0% intro APR on balance transfers, and automatic top-category tracking make it the smarter default. Only choose American Express if you spend $500+ monthly on supermarkets or streaming subscriptions and value the additional purchase protections enough to justify $95 annually.”
CHOOSE A
Side A is for you if…
- 01You spend more than $500 per month at US supermarkets, since the 6% cash back rate (up to $6,000 annually) far exceeds Citi's 5% category cap of $500 per year
- 02You subscribe to multiple streaming services and want to consolidate that 6% cash back reward alongside grocery shopping
- 03You value American Express's superior purchase protection ($300 per item) and return protection for high-value purchases
- 04The $250 statement credit offsets the annual fee in your first year, making the effective cost manageable
CHOOSE B
Side B is for you if…
- 01You want zero annual fees and prefer to avoid cards with membership costs, keeping your rewards net positive from day one
- 02You spend inconsistently across categories month-to-month and appreciate the automatic optimization of 5% back on whatever your highest category is each billing cycle
- 03You frequently carry balances and need the extra 15 months of 0% intro APR (versus Amex's 12 months) to pay down debt interest-free
- 04You value simplicity and don't want to calculate whether category spend justifies an annual fee
THE LEDGER
Side by side.
- ISSUER
- American Express
- Citi
- NETWORK
- American Express
- Mastercard
- ANNUAL FEE
- $95
- $0
- APR RANGE
- 19.24% – 29.99%
- 18.24% – 28.24%
- INTRO APR (PURCHASES)
- 0% for 12 months
- 0% for 15 months
- INTRO APR (BALANCE TRANSFERS)
- 0% for 12 months
- 0% for 15 months
- REWARDS TYPE
- cashback
- cashback
- REWARDS RATE
- 1% cash back on all purchases
- 1% cash back on all purchases
- SIGN-UP BONUS
- $250 statement credit
- $200 bonus
- BONUS VALUE
- $250
- $200
- MIN. CREDIT SCORE
- 670+
- 670+
- FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE
- Yes (3%)
- Yes (3%)
A HIGHLIGHTS
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- —6% cash back at US supermarkets (up to $6,000/year)
- —6% on select US streaming subscriptions
- —0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers
- —Return protection up to $300 per item
- —Purchase protection up to 90 days
B HIGHLIGHTS
Citi Custom Cash Card
- —Automatic 5% back on your top spending category each billing cycle
- —No annual fee
- —0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
- —Categories include restaurants, gas, groceries, travel, and more
- —Citi Entertainment perks
QUESTIONS · ANSWERS
Frequently filed.
You need roughly $1,584 in annual supermarket spending to earn back the $95 fee through the 6% cash back rate. That's about $132 per month. If you regularly spend more than that, the Amex becomes financially superior. Below that threshold, Citi's free card wins financially.