Citi Custom Cash vs. Amex Blue Cash Preferred

The Citi Custom Cash Card charges no annual fee, while the American Express Blue Cash Preferred charges a $95 annual fee ($0 intro annual fee for the first year). If you’re just looking to avoid the annual fee, Citi Custom Cash will be your winner. But don’t write off Blue Cash Preferred before doing the math. If you max out the 6 percent grocery category alone (on up to $6,000 spent annually), you’ll earn $360 just on those purchases, more than enough to offset the annual fee.