Two grocery-friendly cards at different price points and cap structures. The Blue Cash Preferred ($95) pays 6% at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000/yr) plus 6% on select streaming. The Custom Cash ($0) pays 5% in your single top eligible category each cycle — including groceries — but only on the first $500 of spend. Both effectively cap grocery rewards around $6,000/yr; the break-even math and the streaming bonus decide it. One note before the math: Citi stopped taking new Custom Cash applications on 2026-05-28 and now points new applicants to Citi Double Cash instead — the pickB math below is for existing Custom Cash cardholders deciding whether to keep the card, not a live application option.
Scored against our published methodology · Updated July 20, 2026
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American Express
Family households that spend $3,000+ a year at U.S. supermarkets and $1,200+ on streaming. The 6% on groceries (up to $6,000/yr) and 6% on streaming is industry-best cashback if you actually use both.
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Citi
Closed to new applicants — Citi stopped taking Custom Cash applications on 2026-05-28. Existing cardholders deciding whether to keep it: moderate spenders who concentrate buying in one category each month — groceries, gas, dining, or streaming — and want an automatic 5% without activating anything.
Find your matchBest for — by the numbers
Per-spec leads are computed from each issuer's published facts and our scored methodology — there is no single overall winner. Reviewed July 20, 2026. ClearValue Cards earns compensation through our CardRatings partnership, paid when a reader clicks out to CardRatings from our match tool, and through separately labeled, paid partner placements (marked "Advertiser Disclosure · Sponsored") that sit outside our card rankings. Neither compensation source influences editorial scoring or ordering.
| Spec | American Express Blue Cash Preferred | Citi Custom Cash |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $95 | $0 |
| 0% intro APR period | 12 months | 18 months |
| Ongoing APR (from) | 19.49% | 17.49% |
| Foreign transaction fee | 2.7% | 3% |
| Rewards score | 17/20 | 17/20 |
| Fee-structure score | 14/20 | 19/20 |
| ClearValue score | 81/100 | 85/100 |
| Balance transfer fee | $5 or 3% | $5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater |
A check marks the card that leads that spec on published figures. Rows with no marker are either tied or judgment calls (fee wording, late-fee terms) where a single "winner" would misrepresent the data.
Tap the spec you care about — we'll show which card leads on it.
For Annual fee, the Citi Custom Cash leads ($0).
High-grocery families (over ~$3,167/yr at U.S. supermarkets) who also pay for streaming
6% on groceries plus 6% on streaming clears the $95 fee once supermarket spend passes the break-even. The 6% is capped at $6,000 of grocery spend ($360 max), but adding the streaming credit pushes it past what a $0-fee card can return.
See your matchesExisting Custom Cash cardholders — new applicants can't get this card
Citi closed Custom Cash to new applications on 2026-05-28; this is the case for keeping it, not applying. The 5% auto-applies to whatever category you spend most on each cycle — groceries, gas, or dining — up to $500 of spend ($6,000/yr equivalent). At the cap it returns ~$300/yr with no fee, which can edge the Preferred's ~$265 net if you don't also lean on streaming. New readers who want this earn style should compare Citi Double Cash.
See your matchesWarehouse-club and superstore grocery shoppers — Walmart, Target, and Costco don't code as supermarkets, so neither card's grocery bonus applies. And travelers: the Preferred charges 2.7% FX, the Custom Cash 3%, so keep a no-FX card for trips.
Weighing the numbers yourself? Run our free rewards vs. interest calculator.
Answer a few questions about how you spend and we'll point you to the cards that actually fit — no guesswork.
Take the 60-second quizAnnual fee
American Express Blue Cash Preferred: $95
Citi Custom Cash: $0
Grocery rate
American Express Blue Cash Preferred: 6% at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000/yr, then 1%
Citi Custom Cash: 5% if groceries are your top category, up to $500/cycle
Streaming
American Express Blue Cash Preferred: 6% on select U.S. streaming
Citi Custom Cash: Only if streaming happens to be your top category that cycle
Grocery cap
American Express Blue Cash Preferred: $6,000/yr ($360 max at 6%)
Citi Custom Cash: $500/cycle (~$6,000/yr; ~$300 max at 5%)
Break-even
American Express Blue Cash Preferred: Pays off above ~$3,167/yr in supermarket spend
Citi Custom Cash: No fee — wins on net value below the Preferred's break-even
Foreign transaction fee
American Express Blue Cash Preferred: 2.7%
Citi Custom Cash: 3%
Honest knock
American Express Blue Cash Preferred: The $6,000 grocery cap tops out the fee math — heavy Q4 spenders earn 1% after they hit it
Citi Custom Cash: The 5% only lands on one category per cycle up to $500 — it's a sidecar, not a household's main grocery card
Neither is universally better — it depends on how you spend. On our published 100-point methodology the American Express Blue Cash Preferred scores 81/100 (Solid pick) and the Citi Custom Cash scores 85/100 (Solid pick). High-grocery families (over ~$3,167/yr at U.S. supermarkets) who also pay for streaming should lean American Express Blue Cash Preferred; existing Custom Cash cardholders — new applicants can't get this card should lean Citi Custom Cash. Take the 60-second quiz to see which fits your profile.
The American Express Blue Cash Preferred carries $95, sourced from the issuer's published Schumer Box as of July 15, 2026. The Citi Custom Cash carries $0 (no annual fee), as of July 20, 2026. Fees change — confirm the current number at the issuer before you decide.
For purchases outside the U.S., the American Express Blue Cash Preferred is the cleaner pick — it charges a 2.7% foreign transaction fee, versus 3% on the Citi Custom Cash.
We score every card across five dimensions — effective rewards, fee structure, audience fit, transparency, and the weakness named — 0–20 each for a 100-point total. The American Express Blue Cash Preferred earned 81/100 and the Citi Custom Cash earned 85/100. Scoring follows our published methodology and is never influenced by compensation.
Independent editorial comparison. ClearValue Cards is not a card issuer, a bank, or a lender. ClearValue Cards earns compensation through our CardRatings partnership, paid when a reader clicks out to CardRatings from our match tool, and through separately labeled, paid partner placements (marked "Advertiser Disclosure · Sponsored") that sit outside our card rankings. Neither compensation source influences editorial scoring or ordering. Card facts are sourced from each issuer's published Schumer Box and terms — confirm current numbers at the issuer. See disclosure.
