U.S. Bank Cash+ vs. Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards
These two no-annual-fee cards both let you choose your own bonus categories, which is why they get compared so often. They reward very different spending, though. The U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature goes deep: 5% on two categories you pick each quarter, from a list that includes household bills most cards ignore. The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card goes broad: 3% on one popular category you can switch every month, with a higher 6% rate in the first year.
Neither one is better for everyone. The right choice depends on where your money actually goes, and on whether you'll keep up with each card's small chores.
The short answer
- Your big monthly bills are utilities, cell phone, or TV/internet/streaming: Cash+ is the stronger card. Few cards pay 5% on home utilities.
- You spend most on online shopping, dining, gas, or travel and want flexibility: Customized Cash is simpler and pays well, especially in year one.
- You have Bank of America deposits or investments: Preferred Rewards can raise Customized Cash's earning by 25% to 75%, which changes the math.
- You won't remember quarterly tasks: Customized Cash is more forgiving. Cash+ pays only 1% if you skip choosing categories.
Side-by-side
| U.S. Bank Cash+ | BofA Customized Cash Rewards | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
| Top rate | 5% on two categories you choose | 3% on one choice category (6% in year one) |
| Cap on top rate | First $2,000 in combined purchases per quarter | $2,500 per quarter, shared with the 2% grocery/wholesale rate |
| Second tier | 2% on one everyday category (no cap) | 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs |
| Everything else | 1% | 1% |
| How often you choose | Every quarter, and you must activate | Change once per calendar month; it stays put otherwise |
| If you do nothing | All purchases earn 1% | Choice category defaults to gas & EV charging |
| Welcome offer | $200 after $1,000 in 90 days | $200 after $1,000 in 90 days |
| Rewards expiry | 36 months after earned | Don't expire while the account is open |
Offers and rates were checked on each bank's pages on October 19, 2026. See facts and sources on our Cash+ card page and Customized Cash page.
What you can choose
Cash+ 5% categories (pick two each quarter): fast food, home utilities, TV/internet/streaming services, department stores, cell phone providers, electronics stores, sporting goods stores, furniture stores, movie theaters, ground transportation, gyms/fitness centers, and select clothing stores.
Cash+ 2% category (pick one): grocery stores and grocery delivery, restaurants, or gas stations and EV charging. U.S. Bank excludes discount stores, supercenters, and wholesale clubs from the grocery choice. Cash+ also pays 5% on prepaid air, hotel, and car reservations booked in the U.S. Bank Travel Center.
Customized Cash 3% category (pick one): gas and EV charging, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores and pharmacies, or home improvement and furnishings. Bank of America's offer page says the online shopping category also includes cable, internet, phone plans, and streaming.
The caps, in dollars
The caps decide how much these cards can really pay.
- Cash+: 5% on $2,000 a quarter is at most $100 a quarter, or $400 a year, from the 5% categories. The 2% category has no cap.
- Customized Cash: 3% on $2,500 a quarter is at most $75 a quarter, or $300 a year. In the first year, at 6%, the maximum is $150 a quarter.
Here is the Customized Cash catch. The $2,500 cap is shared between the 3% choice category and the 2% grocery/wholesale rate. If you spend $1,500 a quarter at the supermarket and Costco, only $1,000 of room is left for your 3% category before everything drops to 1%. Heavy grocery spenders should run the numbers before assuming they'll get the full 3%.
Three sample households
Household A: big bills. $250 a month on utilities, $150 on cell phones, $400 at grocery stores.
- Cash+: utilities + cell phone at 5% ($1,200 a quarter → $60), groceries at 2% ($1,200 → $24). $84 a quarter.
- Customized Cash: no utilities category. Online shopping covers phone plans, so cell phone at 3% ($450 → $13.50), groceries at 2% ($1,200 → $24), utilities at 1% ($750 → $7.50). $45 a quarter (more in year one).
Household B: online shopper. $700 a month online, $300 dining.
- Customized Cash with online shopping: $2,100 at 3% → $63 (year one at 6% → $126), dining at 1% → $9. $72 a quarter.
- Cash+: online orders only earn 5% if the merchant codes as one of your chosen store types, such as electronics or department stores. Mixed online shopping often earns 1%, while restaurants at 2% → $18. Usually under $40 a quarter.
Household C: one big category. $800 a month on gas and EV charging.
- Customized Cash: $2,400 at 3% → $72 (year one: $144).
- Cash+: gas at 2% with no cap → $48.
Preferred Rewards can tip it
If you keep money with Bank of America or Merrill, Customized Cash can earn 25% to 75% more through Bank of America's relationship program, depending on your tier. At the top boost, the 3% category works out to 5.25%. Bank of America is moving these tiers into a newer rewards program, so check the current tier names and balance requirements on Bank of America's site before you count on the boost.
U.S. Bank has no equivalent boost on Cash+ in the terms we reviewed.
The traps
Cash+: forgetting to choose. You must choose and activate your 5% and 2% categories each quarter, or every purchase earns 1%. Put a recurring reminder in your calendar a week before each quarter starts.
Cash+: merchant coding. 5% categories depend on how the merchant is coded, not what you bought. A TV bought at a supercenter is not an "electronics store" purchase.
Cash+: rewards expire. U.S. Bank says cash rewards expire 36 months after they're earned. Redeem at least once a year.
Customized Cash: the shared cap. As above, grocery spending uses up your 3% room.
Customized Cash: year one ends. The 6% rate is for the first year only. Plan on 3% afterwards.
Both: foreign transactions. Both cards charge a 3% foreign transaction fee, so neither is a good card to take overseas. Our foreign transaction fee guide explains the fee and how to avoid dynamic currency conversion.
Intro APR
Cash+ currently lists a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 billing cycles, with a balance transfer fee of 5% (minimum $5). If you're moving a balance, read our balance transfer guide first. The fee and the post-intro APR matter more than the rewards. Check Bank of America's page for any current Customized Cash intro APR.
Using both
These cards pair well. A common setup: Cash+ on utilities and cell phone at 5% with groceries at 2%, and Customized Cash on online shopping or dining at 3%. Putting groceries on Cash+ also leaves Customized Cash's whole $2,500 cap for its 3% category. A flat 2% card can catch everything else. Our card portfolio guide covers how to build a simple two- or three-card setup without losing track.
If you want 5% on rotating categories you don't have to pick, Chase Freedom Flex is the usual alternative. If you'd rather not think about categories at all, Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards pays a flat rate.
Who should pick which
Choose Cash+ if you have meaningful utilities, phone, streaming, or internet bills, you're happy to set categories each quarter, and you'll redeem rewards regularly.
Choose Customized Cash if your biggest category is online shopping, dining, gas, or travel, you bank with Bank of America, or you want a card that keeps working if you ignore it for a few months.
Get both if you can keep track of two cards and pay both in full every month. Applying for two cards close together affects your credit profile; our credit utilization guide and application sequencing guide help you plan.
Card terms, rates, and offers change. Facts in this guide were checked against the issuers' pages and our card records on October 19, 2026; confirm current terms with the issuer before applying.