Which card has the bigger sign-up bonus, American Express Gold Card or Citi Custom Cash?

The American Express Gold Card has the bigger bonus, 100,000 points, worth roughly $2,000, versus $200 cash back (~$200) on the Citi Custom Cash.

Is the American Express Gold Card's $325 annual fee worth it compared to the Citi Custom Cash?

At $325/yr, the American Express Gold Card is in the mid-fee tier. Compare its specific perks (lounge access, travel credits, primary rental insurance) to the Citi Custom Cash's, pick the one whose perks you'll actually use.

Can I have both the American Express Gold Card and Citi Custom Cash?

Yes, since they're from different issuers (American Express and Citi) the application rules don't conflict. Many points enthusiasts hold both, they pair well when one earns flexible bank points and the other earns a different currency.

Should I get the American Express Gold Card or the Citi Custom Cash first?

Get the one whose sign-up bonus you can hit comfortably without overspending. American Express Gold Card: $8,000 spend in 6 months. Citi Custom Cash: $1,500 in 6 months. Pick the easier minimum spend if you're new to points; pick the larger bonus if you have planned big purchases coming up.

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Side-by-side

American Express Gold Card vs Citi Custom Cash

Both are well-respected travel cards. The American Express Gold Card comes from American Express at $325/yr; the Citi Custom Cash from Citi at $0/yr. Below: side-by-side specs, an opinionated verdict, and the FAQs people actually ask before applying.

Bottom line

For most people the American Express Gold Card is the stronger pick today, the sign-up bonus is meaningfully larger ($1,800 more in estimated value) than the Citi Custom Cash's. Get the American Express Gold Card first; revisit the Citi Custom Cash after you've earned that bonus.

Feature	American Express Gold Card	Citi Custom Cash
Annual fee	$325	$0
Sign-up bonus	100,000 points	$200 cash back
Bonus value (est.)	$2,000	$200
Min spend to unlock bonus	$8,000 in 6 mo	$1,500 in 6 mo
Issuer	American Express	Citi
Card category	travel	cashback
Best earning category (Prepaid_hotels_amex)	5x	1x
Transfer partners	amex-mr	citi-ty
Headline benefits	4x on restaurants worldwide 4x on U.S. supermarkets $120 dining credit $120 Uber Cash	5% on top category Auto-selected monthly No annual fee TY transfers at 0.7 of premium

Read the full review

American Express Gold Card

$325/yr · 100,000 points

Read the full review

Citi Custom Cash

$0/yr · $200 cash back

Editorial take: American Express Gold Card

The ultimate foodie card, earning bonus points at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. Plus over $400 in easy-to-use statement credits make the annual fee a no-brainer.

Editorial take: Citi Custom Cash

Genuinely clever. 5% on whichever category you spent most on each month, capped at $500/month. Earns $25/month = $300/year effortlessly. The cash back is paid as ThankYou Points, which transfer directly to Citi's airline and hotel partners at 0.7 of the premium ratio; moving them onto a Citi Strata Premier or Strata Elite account gets the printed ratios.

The real-world take

TL;DR. Two cards aimed at category spenders. Amex Gold ($325) earns 4x on restaurants worldwide and 4x on U.S. supermarkets (uncapped, full transfer partner access). Custom Cash ($0) earns 5x on your top spending category each month, capped at $500 in spend ($25 cash back). Gold wins for high-spend foodies. Custom Cash wins for low spenders or as a complementary card to a Premier.

The three dimensions that actually decide it. First, cap. Custom Cash caps at $500/month per category. Gold has no cap on dining or grocery. Second, fee. $325 difference. Custom Cash is free. Third, transferability. Gold earns transferable Membership Rewards. Custom Cash earns ThankYou Points that transfer to Citi's partners directly at 0.7 of the premium ratio, and at the printed ratios on a Citi Strata Premier account ($95 fee).

Real customer scenario for each. If you spend $1,500 a month on dining and groceries, Gold earns 72,000 MR a year on those categories, worth roughly $1,440 in transferable currency, easily justifying its $325 fee. If instead you spend $400 a month on dining (within the Custom Cash cap), Custom Cash's 5% earns roughly $240 a year in cash back at $0 fee, a better fee-adjusted return.

The trap to avoid. Choosing Custom Cash as your "only" dining card if you spend more than $500/month on dining. The cap is hard and limits you to $25 a month in cash back regardless of how much you actually spend.

Common questions

Which card has the bigger sign-up bonus, American Express Gold Card or Citi Custom Cash?: The American Express Gold Card has the bigger bonus, 100,000 points, worth roughly $2,000, versus $200 cash back (~$200) on the Citi Custom Cash.
Is the American Express Gold Card's $325 annual fee worth it compared to the Citi Custom Cash?: At $325/yr, the American Express Gold Card is in the mid-fee tier. Compare its specific perks (lounge access, travel credits, primary rental insurance) to the Citi Custom Cash's, pick the one whose perks you'll actually use.
Can I have both the American Express Gold Card and Citi Custom Cash?: Yes, since they're from different issuers (American Express and Citi) the application rules don't conflict. Many points enthusiasts hold both, they pair well when one earns flexible bank points and the other earns a different currency.
Should I get the American Express Gold Card or the Citi Custom Cash first?: Get the one whose sign-up bonus you can hit comfortably without overspending. American Express Gold Card: $8,000 spend in 6 months. Citi Custom Cash: $1,500 in 6 months. Pick the easier minimum spend if you're new to points; pick the larger bonus if you have planned big purchases coming up.

Card details on this page reflect the most recent data we've verified against the issuer's own site. Sign-up bonuses and fees can change at any time, confirm the current offer on the issuer's page before applying.