No trip cancellation. This benefit is not included with this card. Prepaid flights, hotels, and tours are not reimbursable if you cancel. A standalone travel insurance policy is required for this coverage.
What benefits does the Citi Custom Cash card actually include?
Citi·$0/year·Mastercard·none
Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviewsUpdated June 24, 20268 min read
0,2/5Independent review · verified June 2026
0,0
0,0
2,0
Our Verdict · Travel Insurance
Our take on travel insurance for the Citi Custom Cash
Expert review · Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviews
No travel insurance. None. Trip cancellation, emergency medical, evacuation: all absent from this card's benefit guide. Book a flight with this card and cancel for a covered reason, and that non-refundable ticket is yours to absorb. Most cardholders assume credit cards handle at least the basics abroad. They do not, on this one. A serious ER visit in Japan or Europe averages $15,000 to $60,000. Zero of that comes back through this card. For a domestic weekend, the risk is manageable. For an international trip with non-refundable bookings, the exposure is real.
What works on travel
- No annual fee: you're paying $0 for the cashback and purchase protection this card actually delivers
Where travel breaks down
- No trip cancellation: prepaid flights, hotels, and tours are fully at risk if you cancel for any reason
- No emergency medical: every hospital bill abroad starts at dollar one with no card support
- No evacuation coverage: transoceanic air ambulance runs $200,000 to $300,000, all out of pocket
- No trip delay: meals, lodging, and transportation during any delay are the cardholder's responsibility
Our methodology
Every score is derived from official bank documents: terms and conditions, benefit guides, and claim procedures. No commercial relationship influences our ratings.
Travel Insurance · 11 guarantees
What does Citi Custom Cash Travel Insurance actually cover?
No trip cancellation exists in the Guide to Benefits. A $1,500 non-refundable vacation package is entirely at your expense if you cancel for any reason.
What's not covered
- All trip cancellation scenarios: no covered reasons exist on this card
No emergency medical insurance exists in the Guide to Benefits. Every dollar of any hospital bill abroad is yours. A serious ER visit in Europe or Asia runs $10,000 to $80,000.
No emergency medical coverage. Travel and Emergency Assistance provides referrals only. All medical costs abroad are the cardholder's responsibility. A single ER visit in Japan or Europe typically runs $10,000 to $80,000.
What's not covered
- All medical expenses abroad: no coverage of any kind
No evacuation coverage. Air ambulance from remote destinations runs $200,000 to $300,000 with zero reimbursement through this card.
No emergency evacuation benefit. Commercial medical evacuation is not covered. Emergency transportation costs are entirely the cardholder's responsibility. A transoceanic air ambulance from Southeast Asia runs $200,000 to $300,000.
What's not covered
- All evacuation and repatriation costs: not covered
No trip interruption coverage. If your trip is cut short, non-refundable prepaid expenses are not reimbursed. Costs from a trip cut short (return flights, unused hotels) are out of pocket.
What's not covered
- All trip interruption scenarios: no covered reasons on this card
No trip delay benefit. This card does not cover delays of any length. Meals, lodging, and transportation during a delay are the cardholder's responsibility.
What's not covered
- All trip delay scenarios: no benefit of any kind
No missed connection coverage. If a delayed inbound flight causes you to miss a connection, rebooking costs and expenses are not covered. Last-minute rebooking on a missed international connection can cost $300 to $800.
What's not covered
- All missed connection scenarios: not covered
No early return benefit. Additional transportation costs from cutting a trip short are not reimbursed. A last-minute one-way flight home can cost $800 to $2,000.
What's not covered
- All early return scenarios: not covered
No baggage delay reimbursement. Essential purchases during a baggage delay are at your expense. Purchases of essential items during a bag delay are out of pocket.
What's not covered
- All baggage delay expenses: not covered
No lost or stolen baggage coverage. If your luggage is permanently lost or stolen in transit, the airline's liability limit typically applies ($3,700 domestic / $1,900 international). Replacement costs for lost or damaged bags are the cardholder's responsibility.
What's not covered
- All baggage loss scenarios: not covered beyond airline liability
No travel accident insurance. Accidental death or dismemberment while traveling is not covered. No lump-sum payment in the event of death or dismemberment on a covered trip.
What's not covered
- All travel accident scenarios: not covered
No hotel theft protection. Personal belongings stolen from your hotel room are not covered by this card. Electronics and valuables left in a hotel room can total $1,000 to $3,000 with no recourse if stolen.
What's not covered
- All hotel theft scenarios: not covered
Policy document
We source benefits from official card guides, but PDFs are sometimes hard to obtain or update. Spotted something off?
Coverage Radar
Where the Citi Custom Cash wins, where it loses
Coverage snapshot for this tab — click any layer to highlight its scores.
Compare
Custom CashThis card0.2/5?
$0/yrWith travel insuranceIdeal
Complete coverage · 5.0 / 5Premium card avg.
$150 avg. annual feeClick a layer to highlight its scores on the radar.
Side-by-side comparison
How the Citi Custom Cash stacks up against the alternatives
Same 5 coverage dimensions, ranked head-to-head against the cards most Custom Cash shoppers also consider.
| Card | This card Custom Cash Citi · $0/yr 0.2/5? | Prestige Citi · $495/yr 3.5/5? | Aeroplan Chase · $95/yr 3.2/5? | Sapphire Reserve Chase · $795/yr 3.9/5? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Trip cancellation Per person, per trip cap | $5,000 per trip Hotels + flights covered | $1,500 per person All prepaid travel | $10,000 per person 13 covered reasons | |
Emergency medical Hospital bills abroad | Not covered | $2,500 Reimbursement only | $2,500 | $50 deductible $50 deductible | |
Emergency evacuation Air ambulance + repatriation | $100,000 | pre-auth required Pre-authorization required | $100,000 Pre-auth required | $100,000 | pre-auth required Pre-authorization required | |
Trip delay trigger Hours before benefits kick in | $500 after 3 hours Trigger: 3 hours | 12h / $500 Trigger: 12 hours | $500 after 6 hours Trigger: 6 hours | |
Trip interruption Covered amount | $5,000 per trip Hotels + flights covered | $1,500 per person All prepaid travel | $10,000 per person Shared limit with cancellation |
StrongLimited / misleadingNot covered
Data verified against each card's Guide to Benefits, May 2026.
Cardholder reviews
What cardholders say about the Citi Custom Cash
Real experiences on purchase protection and extended warranty claims 45 reviews
RC
r/creditcards
Extended warranty is worth having at $0 cost
I'm the kind of guy who never buys extended warranty because I know they wouldn't offer it to me unless they made money from it. With credit cards, it's different. It's already paid for.
CC
CFPB complaint (Citi)
Extended warranty denied for wear and tear
Assurant denied the extended warranty claim: failure of my cell phone is normal wear and tear and therefore not covered.
RC
r/creditcards
Claim process was a long back-and-forth
The whole process was tedious, old-fashioned, and constantly full of the feeling of getting the run-around. They held their end of the bargain eventually. But this was definitely a time-wasting hassle.
Emergency · Card assistance line
How to contact Citi Custom Cash assistance?
US Assistance
1-866-918-4670
Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. ET
International Assistance
collect: +1-312-356-7839
Collect calls accepted · Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. ET
Benefit administrator: Virginia Surety Company, Inc. (VSC) for Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty
Claims & pre-authorizations
How to file a Custom Cash benefit claim
1
Step 1: Notify as soon as possible after the incident
Call 1-866-918-4670 (Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. ET) as soon as possible after the damage, theft, or product failure. You can also start the claim online at mybenefits.cardbenefitclaims.com. They will ask a few questions and advise you what documents to gather. Getting a claim number immediately is important: it anchors the timeline.
2
Step 2: Gather required documents
For Purchase Protection: original itemized receipt, Citi card statement showing the charge, description of the incident (damage or theft), and a police report if the item was stolen. For Extended Warranty: original itemized receipt, card statement, original manufacturer's warranty documentation, and a description of the specific failure. Keep the damaged item: you may be asked to provide it.
3
Step 3: Submit all documents within 180 days
Return all required documents within 180 days of the date of the incident. Virginia Surety Company will notify you of their decision after processing. If your claim is denied for normal wear and tear, ask for the specific denial reason in writing. Frame your submission around the specific failure event, not general degradation.
FAQ
What people ask about the Citi Custom Cash
- Most Citi Custom Cash benefits activate automatically when you pay for purchases using your card or ThankYou Points. No pre-registration required. For Purchase Protection, pay at least partially with your Citi Card and keep your original receipt. For Extended Warranty, you need the original purchase receipt and any manufacturer warranty documentation. If you need to file a claim, call 1-866-918-4670, Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. ET, or visit mybenefits.cardbenefitclaims.com as soon as possible after the incident.
- Coverage extends to the primary cardholder and any Authorized Users on the account. Both are covered for Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty on eligible purchases made using the Citi Card or ThankYou Points. There is no coverage for purchases made by other household members unless they hold Authorized User status. If you add a family member as an Authorized User, their eligible purchases fall under the same benefit terms, subject to the same conditions and exclusions.
- The Citi Custom Cash does not include rental car coverage. There is no CDW (collision damage waiver), no liability coverage, and no roadside assistance in the card's Guide to Benefits. If you rent a car and damage occurs, all repair and replacement costs are your responsibility. For rental car protection, use a separate card that includes primary CDW, or purchase the rental agency's collision waiver at the counter. This card is built for cashback, not rental car protection.
- Call 1-866-918-4670, Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. ET, as soon as possible after the incident. You can also submit claims at mybenefits.cardbenefitclaims.com. Have your original purchase receipt, card statement showing the charge, and a description of what happened. For Extended Warranty claims, also gather the manufacturer's warranty documentation and a repair estimate. All required documents must be returned within 180 days of the incident. File the day the incident happens. Do not wait.
- This card provides no travel insurance of any kind: no trip cancellation, no emergency medical, no evacuation, no trip delay, and no baggage coverage. There is also no rental car protection. For Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty, items explicitly excluded include: vehicles, boats, aircraft, jewelry, watches, currency, gift cards, all event tickets (concerts, airlines, sports), items purchased for resale, and anything subject to normal wear and tear or product defect. Acts of God (flood, hurricane, earthquake) and items left in the care of a third party (delivery services, airlines) are also excluded.
- Yes. The Citi Custom Cash offers no emergency medical coverage abroad. There is no benefit for hospital fees, doctor visits, or emergency evacuation when traveling outside the United States. Medicare covers zero dollars for care abroad. A serious ER visit in Japan or Europe routinely runs $15,000 to $80,000. If you travel internationally with this card as your only coverage, every medical cost is fully out of pocket. A standalone travel insurance policy or a dedicated travel credit card with medical benefits would address this gap entirely.
- No. The Citi Custom Cash does not include cell phone protection. Theft, accidental drops, and screen damage to your phone are not covered through this card's benefit guide. Replacing a flagship smartphone out of pocket costs $800 to $1,300. Screen repair alone typically runs $150 to $500. If you want cell phone coverage on a no-annual-fee card, some Mastercard and Visa cards include this benefit when you pay your monthly phone bill with them. The Custom Cash is not one of them.
- No. The Citi Custom Cash provides no travel protection. It does not cover trip cancellation, emergency medical, evacuation, delays, lost bags, or rental car damage. The card's strengths are its 5% cashback structure and purchase protection for everyday shopping, not travel. For any trip with non-refundable bookings, use a dedicated travel card or purchase a separate travel insurance policy. A single medical emergency abroad can cost tens of thousands of dollars with no coverage available through this card.
- Yes. The Citi Custom Cash includes Damage and Theft Purchase Protection for eligible purchases made with the card or ThankYou Points. Coverage applies within 90 days of purchase or delivery, whichever comes first. The benefit reimburses up to $1,000 per incident, with a $50,000 annual limit per account. Coverage is secondary, meaning your homeowner's or renter's insurance pays first, and this card covers the remainder including any deductible. Key exclusions: vehicles, jewelry, tickets of any kind, consumables, and items purchased for resale.
- Yes. The Citi Custom Cash extends the manufacturer's warranty by 24 months on eligible purchases made at least in part with your card or ThankYou Points. If your item comes with a 12-month factory warranty, the card extends total protection to 36 months. Coverage caps at $10,000 per item, with a maximum of 7 years total from the purchase date. Claims go through Virginia Surety Company. Call 1-866-918-4670 or visit mybenefits.cardbenefitclaims.com within 180 days of the covered failure. Keep your original receipt and manufacturer warranty documentation.
Not just Citi
Other cards worth considering
Custom Cash is a strong choice — but depending on what you prioritize, one of these may suit you better.
Sapphire Reserve
Chase
Sapphire Reserve Business
Chase
Ritz-Carlton
Chase
Prestige
Citi
Recommended for your trip
Find your ideal travel insurance
Tell us about your trip and get a tailored recommendation.
Step 1 of 3
