Citi Custom Cash vs Capital One Venture X
Side-by-side comparison across fees, rewards, welcome bonuses, and eligibility.
Capital One Venture X wins 4-2. Premium travel — $395 fee easily offset by $300 travel credit + 10K anniversary miles. Citi Custom Cash is still the right call if auto-detects your top spend category each cycle — set-and-forget..
Side-by-side
| Criterion | Citi Custom Cash | Capital One Venture X |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | No annual fee | · $395 |
| Joining fee | = None | = None |
| Top reward rate | · 5% (shopping) | 10% (travel) |
| Base reward rate | · 1% | 2% |
| Forex markup | · 3% | No FX fee |
| Welcome bonus | = $200 cashback after $1,500 in 6 months | = 75,000 miles after $4,000 spend in first 3 months |
| Fee waiver threshold | = N/A (no fee) | = No waiver |
| Min income | = — | = — |
| Min credit score | 670 | · 720 |
| Editorial rating | · 4.5/5 | 4.7/5 |
Benefits compared
Citi Custom Cash
- 5% cashback in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle (up to $500)
- 1% on everything else
- Eligible categories: restaurants, gas, grocery, travel, etc.
- No annual fee
- 0% intro APR for 15 months
Capital One Venture X
- 10x miles on hotels + rental cars via Capital One Travel
- 2x miles on every purchase
- $300 annual Capital One Travel credit
- 10,000 miles anniversary bonus (worth $100)
- Unlimited Priority Pass + Capital One Lounges access
- Up to $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit
FAQ
›Citi Custom Cash vs Capital One Venture X: which is better?
Capital One Venture X wins on more dimensions (4 vs 2). But the right answer depends on your specific spending pattern — see the calculator below.
›Can I get both?
Yes — if your credit profile supports it, holding both is the optimal play. Use Citi Custom Cash for its best categories, Capital One Venture X for its best categories. Just watch the combined annual fees against your spend.
›Which one has the better welcome bonus?
Citi Custom Cash: $200 cashback after $1,500 in 6 months. Capital One Venture X: 75,000 miles after $4,000 spend in first 3 months.