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Key takeaways
- Both the Citi Custom Cash® Card and the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card feature no annual fee and intro APR offers on purchases and balance transfers.
- If you need as much time as possible to pay down existing debt, the Citi Diamond Preferred Card would be the better choice since it comes with one of the longest intro APR offers for balance transfers on the market.
- If you don’t need a long period of time to pay down debt, and if you’re looking for a card with more long-term value, the Citi Custom Cash would be the better choice given its ongoing rewards structure.
Citi is an advertising partner
Credit cards with introductory APR offers can come in handy in more ways than one. Depending on the card, you can get a year or longer to either pay down your new purchases or chip away at balances transferred from other credit cards without accruing interest.
Enter the Citi Custom Cash® Card and the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card, both of which come with intro APR offers on purchases and balance transfers and no annual fee. But while the Citi Diamond Preferred focuses on its balance transfer offer with few other benefits, the Citi Custom Cash combines intro APRs with competitive rewards.
Main details
| Card | Citi Custom Cash® Card | Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | Earn 20,000 ThankYou Points (worth $200 in cash back) after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months | None |
| Rewards rate | 5% cash back in your top eligible spending category (on up to $500 each billing cycle, then 1% back), 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through Citi Travel, 1% cash back on all other purchases | None |
| Foreign transaction fees | 3% fee on foreign transactions | 3% fee on foreign transactions |
| Intro APR | 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then a 18.24% – 28.24% (Variable) APR; transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening; 5% balance transfer fee (minimum $5) applies | 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months and on balance transfers for 21 months, then a 17.24% – 27.99% (Variable) APR; transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening; 5% balance transfer fee (minimum $5) applies |
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
Citi Diamond Preferred vs. Citi Custom Cash highlights
Let’s take a look at what these cards offer and see which one comes out on top.
Welcome bonus winner
Rewards rate winner
Annual fee winner
Foreign transaction fee winner
Intro APR winner
Which card earns the most?
The Citi Custom Cash is in a class by itself here, as the Citi Diamond Preferred doesn’t provide you with an opportunity to earn rewards. With the Citi Custom Cash, your top eligible spending category will earn you 5 percent cash back on up to $500 worth of purchases each billing cycle (1 percent back after that limit is met). You’ll also earn 4 percent cash back on hotels, rental cars and attractions by booking through Citi Travel plus 1 percent cash back on all other purchases.
Spending example
Let’s say you spend $600 at restaurants in a month, $500 at grocery stores and $100 at gas stations. This means you’d get:
- $26 back on restaurant spending ($25 for the first $500, $1 for the remaining $100)
- $5 back on grocery store spending
- $1 back on gas station spending
That comes to a total of $32 in cash back for that billing cycle. What you earn the next month could be different and come from a different eligible spending category, but it’s all great when the Citi Diamond Preferred earns you nothing in comparison.
Why should you get Citi Diamond Preferred?
If you want to transfer a balance and get the longest possible intro APR offer available, then the Citi Diamond Preferred is certainly worth it.
Why should you get Citi Custom Cash?
The Citi Custom Cash is worth it if you don’t want to have to remember which spending category earns you 5 percent cash back, and you simply want a card that adapts to your spending month to month. You should also get this card if you want to earn a welcome bonus, receive intro APR offers and not pay an annual fee.
The bottom line
Sure, the Citi Diamond Preferred Card has one of the longest intro APR offers available for balance transfers, along with no annual fee, but that’s pretty much all it has. The Citi Custom Cash Card offers 5 percent cash back on one eligible top category each billing cycle (on up to $500 per billing cycle, then 1 percent back). As a result, unless you need a longer introductory balance transfer period, the Citi Custom Cash beats the Citi Diamond Preferred — and it isn’t all that close.
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