Dedicated comparison page

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Citi Custom Cash Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Citi Custom Cash Card on Luminxo. Compare annual fees, rewards, welcome offers, credit requirements, and who each card is best for.

Lowest annual feeCiti Custom Cash CardNo annual fee
Highest reward rateChase Sapphire Preferred1.0%
Lowest starting credit rangeCiti Custom Cash Card670+

Quick Take

Chase Sapphire Preferred

by Chase

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Chase Sapphire Preferred is a travel card from Chase with a $95 annual fee, 60,000 points after $4,000 in 3 months, and good to excellent credit.

Best for: People focused on travel rewards who can justify a $95 annual fee and who typically have good to excellent credit.

  • 5% on Travel
  • 60,000 points after $4,000 in 3 months
  • No foreign transaction fee
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Citi Custom Cash Card

by Citi

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Citi Custom Cash Card is a cashback card from Citi with no annual fee, $200 cashback after $1,500 in 6 months, and fair to good credit.

Best for: People focused on cashback rewards who want to avoid an annual fee and who typically have fair to good credit.

  • 5% on Dining
  • $200 cashback after $1,500 in 6 months
  • Foreign transaction fee: 3%
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Side-by-Side Facts

MetricChase Sapphire PreferredCiti Custom Cash Card
Annual Fee$95None
Reward Rate1.0%1.0%
Signup Bonus60,000 points after $4,000 in 3 months$200 cashback after $1,500 in 6 months
Foreign Transaction FeeNone3.0%
Recommended CreditGood to excellent creditFair to good credit
Rewards SummaryEarn elevated rewards with 5% on Travel, 3% on Dining and 3% on Online, plus 1% on other purchases.Earn elevated rewards with 5% on Dining, 5% on Gas and 5% on Groceries, plus 1% on other purchases.

Who Should Pick Which Card?

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Its strongest earning category is Travel at 5%, backed by 1% on general spending. It also avoids foreign transaction fees.

Best for: People focused on travel rewards who can justify a $95 annual fee and who typically have good to excellent credit.

Pros

  • 60,000 points after $4,000 in 3 months
  • Potentially worthwhile if you use the card enough to cover the $95 annual fee
  • Earns 5% on Travel
  • Earns 3% on Dining

Tradeoffs

  • Annual fee of $95 means you need ongoing value from the card
  • Typically requires good to excellent credit
  • Signup bonus requires $4000 in spending within 3 months
  • Base rewards on non-bonus spending are relatively modest

Citi Custom Cash Card

Its strongest earning category is Dining at 5%, backed by 1% on general spending.

Best for: People focused on cashback rewards who want to avoid an annual fee and who typically have fair to good credit.

Pros

  • $200 cashback after $1,500 in 6 months
  • No annual fee to offset rewards
  • Earns 5% on Dining
  • Earns 5% on Groceries

Tradeoffs

  • Foreign transaction fee of 3% can hurt value abroad
  • Base rewards on non-bonus spending are relatively modest

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between Chase Sapphire Preferred and Citi Custom Cash Card?

The biggest tradeoffs are annual fee, reward concentration, and the level of credit usually needed to qualify. This page compares those inputs directly so you can choose the card that fits your spending and tolerance for annual fees.

Which card is easier to qualify for?

Citi Custom Cash Card has the lowest published starting credit range in this comparison at 670.

Which card has the lowest annual fee?

Citi Custom Cash Card has the lowest annual fee in this comparison at no annual fee.