Home › Credit cards › Compare › Citi Secured Mastercard vs BofA Customized Cash Rewards Secured

Citi Secured Mastercard vs BofA Customized Cash Rewards Secured

Not credit advice. Facts and math from issuer pages and the CFPB, each with its date. Offers change; approval depends on your credit. Verify on the issuer's site.

Rubric: BofA Customized Cash Rewards Secured leads by 5.3 pts. Scores: Citi Secured Mastercard 38.1%, BofA Customized Cash Rewards Secured 43.4%.

At a sample $1,920/month (groceries $500, dining $300, gas $150, travel $150, online $200, other $400 …): Citi Secured Mastercard nets $0/yr, BofA Customized Cash Rewards Secured nets $362/yr after annual fees. Use your own numbers →

Criterion scores (0–10)

Annual feeMastercard: 10.0 · Secured: 10.0
Rewards rateMastercard: 0.0 · Secured: 5.0
Sign-up bonusMastercard: 0.0 · Secured: 0.0
Intro 0% APRMastercard: 0.0 · Secured: 0.0
Regular APRMastercard: 5.7 · Secured: 4.4
Foreign transaction feeMastercard: 3.0 · Secured: 3.0
Regulatory record (CFPB)Mastercard: 8.0 · Secured: 8.0

Citi Secured Mastercard

IssuerCiti
Typesecured
Annual fee$0 (CFPB TCCP; issuer page did not render a clear fee) files.consumerfinance.gov, 2025-12-31
Regular purchase APR25.99% variable files.consumerfinance.gov, 2025-12-31
Rewards0% base citi.com, 2026-10-12
Sign-up bonus (≈$)$0 No sign-up bonus citi.com, 2026-10-12
Intro APRnone No intro APR shown citi.com, 2026-10-12
Foreign transaction fee3% files.consumerfinance.gov, 2025-12-31
Penalty APRup to 29.99% up to; per Citi agreement pricing table consumerfinance.gov, 2026-06-30
Late feeup to $41 up to (first and repeat late fee) files.consumerfinance.gov, 2025-12-31
Balance transfer fee5% files.consumerfinance.gov, 2025-12-31
Cash advance fee5% files.consumerfinance.gov, 2025-12-31
Credit neededno credit score, ≤619, 620–719, 720+ (CFPB TCCP targeted tiers) files.consumerfinance.gov, 2025-12-31
Grace period23 days files.consumerfinance.gov, 2025-12-31
Cash advance APR29.74% files.consumerfinance.gov, 2025-12-31

BofA Customized Cash Rewards Secured

IssuerBank of America
Typesecured
Annual fee$0 bankofamerica.com, 2026-10-12
Regular purchase APR27.49%–28.24% variable files.consumerfinance.gov, 2025-12-31
Rewards1% base; 2% groceries (to $10,000/yr); 3% choice of gas/online/dining/travel bankofamerica.com, 2026-10-12
Sign-up bonus (≈$)$0 Secured cards not eligible for a new-account bonus (issuer page) bankofamerica.com, 2026-10-12
Intro APRnone No intro APR shown bankofamerica.com, 2026-10-12
Foreign transaction fee3% files.consumerfinance.gov, 2025-12-31
Penalty APRup to 29.99% up to; per BofA agreement consumerfinance.gov, 2026-06-30
Late feeup to $40 up to (first and repeat late fee) files.consumerfinance.gov, 2025-12-31
Balance transfer fee4% files.consumerfinance.gov, 2025-12-31
Cash advance fee5% files.consumerfinance.gov, 2025-12-31
Credit needed≤619, 620–719 (CFPB TCCP targeted tiers) files.consumerfinance.gov, 2025-12-31
Grace period25 days files.consumerfinance.gov, 2025-12-31
Cash advance APR29.24% files.consumerfinance.gov, 2025-12-31

Downsides

Citi Secured Mastercard38.1%
Citi · secured
Annual fee $0 (CFPB TCCP; issuer page did not render a clear fee)APR 25.99% variableRewards 0% baseCredit no credit score, ≤619, 620–719, 720+ (CFPB TCCP targeted tiers)
⚠ 3% foreign transaction fee · Penalty APR up to 29.99% · Late fee up to $41
BofA Customized Cash Rewards Secured43.4%
Bank of America · secured
Annual fee $0APR 27.49%–28.24% variableRewards 1% base; 2% groceries (to $10,000/yr); 3% choice of gas/online/dining/travelCredit ≤619, 620–719 (CFPB TCCP targeted tiers)
⚠ 3% foreign transaction fee · APR up to 28.24% if you carry a balance · Penalty APR up to 29.99%

No paid placement. No issuer pays VaultRubric for inclusion or rank; links go to the issuer's own page. Ranks come only from the published rubric below.

FAQ

Which is better, Citi Secured Mastercard or BofA Customized Cash Rewards Secured?

On VaultRubric's rubric: BofA Customized Cash Rewards Secured scores higher. The better card for you depends on where you spend; the calculator shows net value for your spending.

Estimates, not financial advice. Taxes, insurance, PMI and fees vary by lender, county and city; confirm with your lender, dealer and state agency before acting.