Everyday drivers and broad spenders who want 3x points across six categories — gas and EV charging, travel, dining, tran
Key specs
Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months
Ongoing APR
18.49% – 28.49% variable
Foreign transaction fee
None
Pros
Everyday drivers and broad spenders who want 3x points across six categories — gas and EV charging, travel, dining, transit, streaming, and phone plans — at a $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fee.
Trade-offs
People who want cash simplicity or a single dominant category — a 5% rotating or category-specific card can out-earn 3x where your spend concentrates, and the points ecosystem is less deep than Chase UR or Amex MR for transfer-partner redemptions.
The catch
The strength is category breadth, not depth — 3x across six everyday categories is generous, but Wells Fargo's transfer-partner program is thinner than Chase or Amex, so most people will redeem points closer to 1 cpp rather than optimizing transfers.
Closed to new applicants — Citi stopped taking Custom Cash applications on 2026-05-28
Key specs
Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% for 18 months on purchases and balance transfers (must complete within 4 months of account opening)
Ongoing APR
17.49% – 27.49% variable
Foreign transaction fee
3%
Balance transfer fee
$5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater
Pros
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.
Trade-offs
New applicants — the card isn't open for new applications; Citi now points signups to Citi Double Cash. Among existing cardholders: high-volume spenders in a single category (the 5% is capped at $500 of spend per billing cycle, so $25/month is the ceiling on the bonus) and international travelers — the 3% foreign transaction fee makes it a poor abroad card.
The catch
Citi stopped taking new Custom Cash applications on 2026-05-28; this review is for existing cardholders. The 5% only applies to your single highest eligible category each cycle, up to $500 of spend. Above that cap, or across your other categories, you're earning 1%. It rewards concentrated, moderate spending — not broad or heavy spending.
Citi ThankYou Points builders who want a broad 3X earn across supermarkets, select transit and gas/EV charging, and a se
Key specs
Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months
Ongoing APR
18.49% – 28.49% variable
Foreign transaction fee
3%
Balance transfer fee
3% (min $5) within first 4 months, then 5% (min $5)
Pros
Citi ThankYou Points builders who want a broad 3X earn across supermarkets, select transit and gas/EV charging, and a self-select category (fitness, streaming, entertainment, beauty, or pet stores) plus 2X dining — all at a $0 annual fee. It's the July-2025 successor to the Citi Rewards+.
Trade-offs
International travelers (3% foreign transaction fee) and anyone who wants a simple flat rate — the value depends on your spend landing in the 3X buckets, and the self-select category needs occasional attention.
The catch
The 3X categories are broad but not universal, and the self-select bonus is only useful if you pick the category matching your spend. Outside those buckets it's a 1X card. It also carries a 3% FX fee, so keep it stateside.
Navy Federal members who dine out or spend on gas regularly and want rewards without giving up a low ongoing APR — 3 poi
Key specs
Annual fee
$0
Ongoing APR
13.49% – 18.00% variable
Pros
Navy Federal members who dine out or spend on gas regularly and want rewards without giving up a low ongoing APR — 3 points per $1 at restaurants, 2 points per $1 at gas stations, 1x elsewhere, at a 13.49%–18.00% variable APR with no annual fee. That's the lowest APR floor among the rewards cards Navy Federal offers.
Trade-offs
Non-members and people who want frictionless flat cash back — this earns points that require redemption for cash, travel, gift cards, or merchandise.
The catch
Points (not cash back) mean an extra redemption step, and there's no 0% intro period. If minimizing your rate is the only goal, the plain Navy Federal Platinum's 10.24% floor beats this; GO REWARDS makes sense when your dining and gas spend earns back the small APR-floor difference.
Navy Federal members who spend heavily on groceries and dining and want the widest category coverage among Navy Federal'
Key specs
Annual fee
$0
Ongoing APR
14.15% – 18.00% variable
Pros
Navy Federal members who spend heavily on groceries and dining and want the widest category coverage among Navy Federal's low-APR cards — 3 points per $1 at supermarkets, restaurants, transit, and gas stations, 1x elsewhere, at a 14.15%–18.00% variable APR with no annual fee.
Trade-offs
Non-members and anyone who wants flat, no-management cash back — this is a multi-category points card, and American Express acceptance is occasionally narrower than Visa or Mastercard at some merchants.
The catch
The 3x across four everyday categories is genuinely broad, but points require active redemption and the 14.15% APR floor matches the cashRewards card rather than beating the Platinum's 10.24%. Best when your grocery and dining spend is heavy enough to out-earn a lower-rate no-rewards card.
Frequent travelers who route bookings through Citi's travel portal (cititravel
Key specs
Annual fee
$95
Ongoing APR
20.24% – 28.24% variable
Foreign transaction fee
None
Balance transfer fee
$5 or 5%, whichever is greater
Late payment fee
Up to $41
Pros
Frequent travelers who route bookings through Citi's travel portal (cititravel.com) for the 10x rate, and who spend heavily across the broad 3x buckets — restaurants, supermarkets, gas/EV charging, air travel, and hotels booked directly. ThankYou Points transfer to airline and hotel partners.
Trade-offs
Anyone unwilling to book through cititravel.com to unlock the 10x tier, and lighter spenders who'd earn a similar 3x/1x structure on the no-fee Citi Strata without paying the $95 AF.
The catch
The headline 10x rate is portal-locked — book a hotel directly with the property, which most loyalty members do to protect elite status and price guarantees, and you drop to 3x. The $100 annual hotel credit needs a $500+ portal stay to trigger, another portal-lock most cardholders won't clear.
Costco members who drive a lot — 5% cash back on gas at Costco, 4% on other gas and EV charging worldwide (combined $7,0
Key specs
Annual fee
$0
Ongoing APR
18.74% – 26.74% variable
Foreign transaction fee
None
Balance transfer fee
$5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater
Pros
Costco members who drive a lot — 5% cash back on gas at Costco, 4% on other gas and EV charging worldwide (combined $7,000/yr cap, then 1%), plus 3% on restaurants and eligible travel and 2% at Costco. There's no card-level annual fee if you're already a member.
Trade-offs
Non-members (a paid Costco membership is required to hold the card) and anyone who wants flexible rewards — cash back is paid once a year as a certificate redeemable at Costco, not as an ongoing statement credit.
The catch
Rewards come as a single annual certificate each February, redeemable in-warehouse — not monthly cash. And the 5%/4% gas rates stop once combined gas/EV spend hits $7,000/yr, dropping to 1% after. The card is only as good as your Costco relationship.
Occasional Hilton guests who want complimentary Silver status and category earning (7x Hilton, 5x U
Key specs
Annual fee
$0
Ongoing APR
19.49% – 28.49% variable (Pay Over Time)
Foreign transaction fee
None
Late payment fee
Up to $40
Pros
Occasional Hilton guests who want complimentary Silver status and category earning (7x Hilton, 5x U.S. restaurants/supermarkets/gas) without paying an annual fee — the free entry point into the Hilton Honors ecosystem.
Trade-offs
Frequent Hilton guests (8+ nights/yr) who'd clear more value from the Surpass's Gold status and free-night certificate, and travelers who'd rather hold a general-purpose flat-rate or transfer-partner card.
The catch
Silver status is the weakest tier in Hilton's program — a 20% points bonus and a free fifth night on four-night award stays, not room upgrades or lounge access. Don't confuse 'complimentary status' with meaningful elite perks; it's a modest floor, not a ceiling.
