US Bank Cash Plus vs Amex Blue Cash Everyday vs Citi Custom Cash: US 2026 Tiered Cashback

Updated: September 2026.

TL;DR verdict

Three tiered cashback cards that dominated the 2020 to 2024 pick-your-category conversation and where they sit in 2026. US Bank Cash Plus wins for pick-your-category flexibility at 5 percent on two chosen categories up to USD 2,000 per quarter. American Express Blue Cash Everyday wins for online retail with a flat 3 percent up to USD 6,000 per year and no rotating category effort. Citi Custom Cash was the single-merchant loyalist pick at 5 percent on top monthly category up to USD 500 per billing cycle, but closed to new applicants on 28 May 2026. Existing Citi Custom Cash cardholders retain the product; new applicants have to substitute. If you are building a 2026 cashback stack from scratch, pair US Bank Cash Plus with Amex Blue Cash Everyday and add Citi Double Cash for 2 percent flat coverage on the rest.

Where the value differences come from

Tiered cashback cards apply higher rates to specific spending categories and lower rates (typically 1 percent) to everything else, with annual or quarterly caps that limit total earn. Understanding the caps matters more than understanding the headline rate.

According to AwardWallet's 2026 US Bank Cash Plus breakdown, "the Cash Plus card pays in three tiers, with 5 percent cash back on your first USD 2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter across two categories you choose from a list of 12, after which those categories drop to 1 percent. You also pick one 2 percent everyday category from a shorter list that usually includes gas and EV charging, grocery stores, or restaurants. Everything else earns a flat 1 percent" (AwardWallet Cash Plus 2026 categories, accessed September 2026).

According to CNBC Select's card comparison, Amex Blue Cash Everyday "boasts a solid rewards rate on U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and U.S. online retail purchases, making it an ideal standalone option for everyday rewards" (CNBC Select Amex Blue Cash Everyday, accessed September 2026).

Creditcards.com's five percent cashback comparison summarised Citi Custom Cash's mechanic before its closure: "This card allows you to pick your 5 percent categories, which makes it appealing for its flexibility and high rewards potential" (Creditcards.com battle of 5 percent cards, accessed September 2026).

Side by side spec comparison

Feature	US Bank Cash Plus	Amex Blue Cash Everyday	Citi Custom Cash
Annual fee	USD 0	USD 0	USD 0
Top-tier rate	5% on 2 chosen categories	3% on US online retail, groceries, gas	5% on top monthly category
Top-tier cap	USD 2,000 combined per quarter	USD 6,000 per category per year	USD 500 per billing cycle
Second-tier rate	2% on 1 chosen category	1% on everything else	1% on everything else
Base rate	1%	1%	1%
Foreign transaction fee	Yes	2.7%	3%
Welcome bonus (typical)	USD 200 to 250 after USD 1,000 spend	USD 200 after USD 2,000 spend	Closed to new applicants
Open to new applicants (2026)	Yes	Yes	No (closed 28 May 2026)

Terms verified against US Bank, American Express and Citi issuer pages in September 2026. Welcome bonus offers rotate; check the issuer page at time of application.

Where US Bank Cash Plus earns its place

US Bank Cash Plus is the most flexible pick-your-category card currently open to new US applicants in 2026. The 12-category list historically includes home utilities, TV/internet/streaming, cell phone, department stores, sporting goods, fast food, movie theaters, electronics stores, gyms/fitness, ground transportation, furniture, and select clothing stores. The category flexibility means you can adapt to seasonal spending: cell phone and streaming Q1, gyms and sporting goods Q2, department stores Q3, electronics and home utilities Q4.

The maximum annual earn on the 5 percent tier is USD 400 (USD 2,000 per quarter x 4 quarters x 5 percent). Real-world users who hit the cap most quarters and use the 2 percent category strategically earn USD 300 to USD 500 per year in cashback.

Firstcard's 2026 review calls out one behavioural trap: you must re-select categories each quarter or the card defaults to the previous quarter's picks. Set a calendar reminder for the first day of each quarter or you will silently under-earn.

Check ShopBack for cashback on top of the card reward when shopping at partner retailers.

Where Amex Blue Cash Everyday earns its place

Blue Cash Everyday's structural advantage is zero rotation effort. Flat 3 percent on US supermarkets, US gas stations, and US online retail up to USD 6,000 per category per year (USD 180 annual per category, USD 540 total across three) applies automatically with no quarterly re-selection.

According to the ShopBack finance team's 2026 online shopping analysis, "Amex Blue Cash Everyday wins for pure online retail (3 percent flat up to USD 6,000/year)" (ShopBack Best US Credit Cards Online Shopping 2026). For a household that spends USD 6,000+ per year across Amazon, Target, Walmart online, and other online retail, that is a USD 180 annual return without any effort.

The trade-off is Amex acceptance. Some smaller US merchants and international merchants do not accept Amex. Pair with a Visa or Mastercard for coverage.

Use ShopBack in combination with Blue Cash Everyday. ShopBack cashback stacks on top of card cashback because they operate at different points in the purchase flow.

Where Citi Custom Cash was best (and what replaced it)

Before its closure to new applicants on 28 May 2026, Citi Custom Cash was the strongest single-category loyalist card in the US market. The mechanic was elegant: Citi automatically identified your highest-spend category each billing cycle from a preset list (restaurants, gas, groceries, transit, travel, drugstores, home improvement, fitness clubs, live entertainment, or streaming) and paid 5 percent on that category up to USD 500 per cycle. No opt-in required.

The card fit shoppers whose spend was concentrated in one category but rotated seasonally. Groceries in some months, home improvement in others, transit or travel in the summer.

For 2026 new applicants, the substitute strategy is:

1. US Bank Cash Plus for 5 percent on two self-selected categories (USD 2,000 per quarter cap)
2. Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards for 3 percent on one chosen category plus 2 percent grocery/wholesale (USD 2,500 combined quarterly cap)
3. Chase Freedom Flex for 5 percent rotating categories (USD 1,500 per quarter cap) that Chase pre-defines quarterly

None of these matches Custom Cash's auto-detection convenience. If you have Custom Cash already, keep it.

Optimal 2026 US cashback stack for a new applicant

Given Custom Cash's closure, the highest-return 2026 stack for a new applicant looks like this:

1. US Bank Cash Plus as the 5 percent workhorse (chosen categories)
2. Amex Blue Cash Preferred at USD 95 annual fee for 6 percent on US supermarkets up to USD 6,000 per year, or Blue Cash Everyday if grocery spend is below USD 3,200 per year
3. Chase Freedom Flex for 5 percent rotating quarterly categories
4. Citi Double Cash for 2 percent flat on everything not covered above
5. Optional: Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards for the 3 percent category flexibility

Blended cashback rate on a diversified USD 40,000 annual spend across these five cards typically lands at 2.8 to 4.2 percent depending on category alignment. A single-card strategy earning 1.5 percent flat leaves USD 500 to USD 1,000 per year on the table.

Use case segmentation

For the online shopper (Amazon, Target, Walmart): Amex Blue Cash Everyday. 3 percent flat on US online retail up to USD 6,000 per year with zero rotation effort.

For the category-optimising cashback enthusiast: US Bank Cash Plus plus Chase Freedom Flex plus Citi Double Cash. Quarterly re-selection required but blended return can hit 4 to 5 percent on covered spend.

For the streamer / cell-phone user / home-utility payer: US Bank Cash Plus with those categories selected. Utility bills often exceed the USD 2,000 quarterly cap, so route them through a single quarter of Cash Plus and pay other quarters on Citi Double Cash.

For the grocery-heavy household: Amex Blue Cash Preferred (not Everyday) if grocery spend exceeds USD 3,200 per year. Everyday if smaller grocery budget.

For the first-time US card applicant: Amex Blue Cash Everyday. No annual fee, no rotation complexity, straightforward earn on categories most households spend in.

For the international traveller: None of these cards. All three charge foreign transaction fees. Pair with Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Venture, or Bank of America Travel Rewards for overseas spend.

For the existing Citi Custom Cash cardholder: Keep it, use it on your single highest-spend category each month, and pair with US Bank Cash Plus and Blue Cash Everyday for full category coverage.

When these cards do not apply

• Traveling internationally: Foreign transaction fees on all three make them poor overseas cards.
• Business spend: These are personal credit cards. Business owners should look at Ink Business Cash, Ink Business Preferred, Amex Business Blue Cash or Capital One Spark Cash.
• Building credit from scratch: All three are prime credit cards requiring good-to-excellent credit (~700+ FICO). Start with Discover it Secured or Capital One Platinum Secured before applying.
• Very low spend (under USD 5,000 per year): The fixed effort of managing quarterly categories does not compound. Stick with Citi Double Cash flat 2 percent.

Where cashback cards fit in the 2026 US personal finance stack

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's credit card database, the average US household with cashback cards earned roughly 1.5 to 2 percent blended in 2024. Optimising to 3 to 4 percent blended is a meaningful annual difference (USD 800 to USD 1,200 on USD 40,000 annual spend). That optimisation is entirely within reach with the three cards above plus Citi Double Cash.

Layering cashback platforms on top compounds the return. ShopBack is a cashback and rewards platform with more than 20 million members. Activate ShopBack before shopping at merchant partners, pay with a category-matched cashback card, and stack both rewards. A grocery order through Instacart via ShopBack, paid with Blue Cash Preferred, can yield 6 percent card cashback plus 1 to 5 percent ShopBack cashback.

Where to shop with cashback (partner categories)

Cashback cards earn most efficiently against ShopBack partner categories where cashback stacks meaningfully:

• Nordstrom via ShopBack for department store category
• Target via ShopBack for US online retail category
• Best Buy via ShopBack for electronics category
• Sephora via ShopBack for department store category
• Booking.com via ShopBack for travel category

Compare on ShopBack before checkout to lock in cashback tracking.

Primary sources referenced

• US Bank Cash Plus Visa Signature official product page
• American Express Blue Cash Everyday official product page
• AwardWallet US Bank Cash Plus 2026 categories
• CNBC Select Amex Blue Cash Everyday vs Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards
• Creditcards.com Battle of the 5 Percent Cash Back Cards
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau credit card database

Frequently asked questions

Which is the best tiered cashback card in the US in 2026: US Bank Cash Plus, Amex Blue Cash Everyday, or Citi Custom Cash?

For pick-your-category flexibility, US Bank Cash Plus wins with 5 percent on two chosen categories up to USD 2,000 per quarter. For online retail at flat rate, Amex Blue Cash Everyday wins with 3 percent up to USD 6,000 per year. Citi Custom Cash was the single-merchant loyalist pick at 5 percent on top monthly spend but closed to new applicants on 28 May 2026. Existing Citi Custom Cash cardholders retain the product.

How does US Bank Cash Plus work?

According to AwardWallet's 2026 breakdown, US Bank Cash Plus pays in three tiers: 5 percent cash back on your first USD 2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter across two categories you choose from a list of 12, then drops to 1 percent. You also pick one 2 percent everyday category from a shorter list that usually includes gas and EV charging, grocery stores, or restaurants. Everything else earns 1 percent.

What are the current US Bank Cash Plus 5 percent categories in 2026?

The 12 category list historically includes: home utilities, TV/internet/streaming, cell phone providers, department stores, sporting goods stores, fast food, movie theaters, electronics stores, gyms/fitness centers, ground transportation, furniture stores, and select clothing stores. You must re-select categories each quarter or the card defaults to the previous quarter's picks. Missing the deadline means missing 5 percent for the quarter.

How does Amex Blue Cash Everyday differ from Blue Cash Preferred?

Blue Cash Everyday has no annual fee and pays 3 percent on US supermarkets, US gas stations and US online retail up to USD 6,000 per category per year. Blue Cash Preferred charges USD 95 annual fee (waived first year) and pays 6 percent on US supermarkets up to USD 6,000 per year, 6 percent on select US streaming, 3 percent on transit and US gas. Preferred beats Everyday if you spend USD 3,200 or more per year on US supermarkets. Everyday wins for smaller grocery budgets.

Is Citi Custom Cash still available to open in 2026?

No. Citi Custom Cash closed to new applicants on 28 May 2026. Existing cardholders retain the product with unchanged terms. The card was one of the strongest tiered cashback options because it automatically identified your highest-spend category each cycle and paid 5 percent on that category up to USD 500 per billing cycle. Similar mechanics are not currently offered by another major US issuer.

Can I combine multiple tiered cashback cards to maximise total return?

Yes, stacking cards is the highest-return strategy. Common pairings: US Bank Cash Plus for 5 percent on chosen categories, Amex Blue Cash Preferred for 6 percent on US supermarkets, Chase Freedom Flex for 5 percent quarterly rotating, and Citi Double Cash for flat 2 percent on everything else. Rotating attention between 3 to 5 cards can lift blended cashback from 1 percent to 3.5 to 5 percent on total spend.

What is the annual fee on each of these three cards?

US Bank Cash Plus is USD 0 annual fee. Amex Blue Cash Everyday is USD 0 annual fee, 2.7 percent foreign transaction fee (not travel-friendly), variable APR. Citi Custom Cash (existing holders) is USD 0 annual fee, 3 percent foreign transaction fee. All three are fee-free in year one and beyond, which is unusual in the 5 percent tier.

Do these cards work internationally?

Yes but with foreign transaction fees on Blue Cash Everyday (2.7 percent) and Citi Custom Cash (3 percent). US Bank Cash Plus Visa Signature also charges a foreign transaction fee on international purchases. For international travel, pair one of these with a no-FTF travel card like Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Venture, or Bank of America Travel Rewards for overseas spend, and use the cashback cards domestically.

How much cashback can I earn per year on US Bank Cash Plus?

Maximum theoretical annual earn on US Bank Cash Plus is USD 400 from the 5 percent tier (USD 2,000 per quarter x 4 quarters x 5 percent) plus USD 40 to USD 200 from the 2 percent category depending on spend, plus 1 percent on everything else. Real-world users typically earn USD 250 to USD 450 per year assuming they hit the 5 percent cap in most quarters.

Which of these cards has the best welcome bonus in 2026?

US Bank Cash Plus welcome bonus rotates between USD 200 to USD 250 after USD 1,000 spend in the first 3 to 4 months. Amex Blue Cash Everyday runs USD 200 after USD 2,000 spend in first 6 months plus 0 percent intro APR. Citi Custom Cash is not open to new applicants so no welcome bonus is available. Compare current offers on the issuer sites before you apply.

How does ShopBack stack with a cashback credit card?

ShopBack cashback and cashback credit card rewards stack because they operate independently at different points in the purchase flow. Activate ShopBack via the Chrome extension or app, click through to the merchant, pay with your cashback credit card, and earn both rewards. A 3 percent Blue Cash Everyday online retail purchase through Nordstrom via ShopBack can yield 3 percent card plus 3 to 10 percent ShopBack cashback depending on the ShopBack rate.

Are cashback rewards taxable in the US?

Cashback rewards earned on personal credit card purchases are treated as rebates by the IRS and are generally not taxable income. Sign-up bonuses that do not require spend (rare) can be considered taxable. Business credit card cashback follows the same rebate treatment but reduces the deductible expense basis. Consult a CPA for tax-treatment specifics if you earn substantial cashback.

What alternatives exist to Citi Custom Cash after its closure?

No US issuer currently offers Citi Custom Cash's exact mechanic of 5 percent auto-detected top monthly category up to USD 500. Closest alternatives: US Bank Cash Plus (5 percent on 2 self-selected categories up to USD 2,000 per quarter), Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards (3 percent on one chosen category, 2 percent grocery/wholesale, up to USD 2,500 combined per quarter), Chase Freedom Flex (5 percent rotating categories up to USD 1,500 per quarter).

Which card is best for a first-time US credit card applicant?

Amex Blue Cash Everyday is the friendliest starter card of the three: no annual fee, flat 3 percent on online retail up to USD 6,000 per year (roughly USD 180 potential), and Amex's typically lower approval bar than premium travel cards. Build 6 to 12 months of history on Blue Cash Everyday before applying for the 5 percent tier cards. US Bank Cash Plus is easier to qualify for than the closed Citi Custom Cash.

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This article was written by Garry Shi, Personal Finance Editor at ShopBack. Card terms and welcome bonuses verified against US Bank, American Express and Citi issuer sites in September 2026. Rates, caps and welcome bonuses subject to change; verify current terms at time of application. Approval subject to issuer criteria. Cashback rewards are not tax advice; consult a CPA for tax-treatment questions. ShopBack is a cashback and rewards platform; ShopBack does not issue credit cards.