AmEx Blue Cash: Everyday or Preferred? - NerdWallet (2024)

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Choosing between the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express used to boil down to one basic question: Are you willing to pay an annual fee in exchange for best-in-class rewards on groceries, or not? And that's still a core part of the decision. But the Everyday version of the card underwent an overhaul in July 2022 that complicated matters.

  • The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express charges an annual fee, currently: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. It pays much higher cash-back rates at U.S. supermarkets, on select streaming services and on transit, and it offers uncapped bonus rewards at U.S. gas stations. If you spend a lot on groceries and streaming, this card may be the better fit. It's also appealing to commuters.

  • The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express has a $0 annual fee. It pays a lower cash-back rate at U.S. supermarkets but a higher rate on U.S. online retail purchases. It pays the same rate at U.S. gas stations, but its bonus rewards on gas are capped. If your grocery bills are modest and you shop online frequently, this card may come out ahead.

» TRY OUR CALCULATOR: Compare the rewards you'd get on these cards

How the cards compare

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Apply now

on American Express' website

Annual fee

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. Terms apply.

$0. Terms apply.

Welcome offer

Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. Terms Apply.

Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. Terms Apply.

Rewards

  • 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 in spending per year.

  • 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.

  • 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations.

  • 3% cash back on transit.

  • 1% cash back on other purchases.

  • Terms apply.

  • 3% back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 spent per year.

  • 3% back at U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 spent per year.

  • 3% back on U.S. online retail purchases on up to $6,000 spent per year.

  • 1% back on other purchases.

  • Terms apply.

Additional information

Still not sure?

Read Review
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Grocery rewards

  • The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express gives you 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in spending annually, and 1% back beyond that.

  • The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express gives you 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 a year in spending, and 1% back beyond that.

  • Terms apply.

If you're going only by grocery rewards, you'll come out ahead with the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express if you spend at least $61 a week at U.S. supermarkets.

» MORE: See NerdWallet's best grocery cards

🤓Nerdy Tip

Many supermarkets sell gift cards for a variety of retailers, restaurants and other merchants. Buying gift cards with either of the Blue Cash cards, then using those gift cards, means you can effectively extend your bonus cash back to a much wider range of categories.

Gas and transportation rewards

  • The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and other types of transit including trains, buses, parking, tolls, taxis and rideshares, with no cap on spending.

  • The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express earns 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 in spending per year. There are no elevated rewards on other forms of transit.

  • Terms apply.

» MORE: NerdWallet's best gas credit cards

Rewards on streaming services

  • The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services including Hulu, Netflix, Pandora and Spotify. The card also offers up to $84 a year in credit for the Disney Bundle streaming subscription, which includes Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+. It comes in the form of a $7 monthly statement credit.

  • The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express doesn't offer bonus rewards on streaming, so spending in this category earns 1% back. However, the card also comes with the same $7 monthly statement credit for the Disney Bundle streaming subscription.

  • Terms apply.

» MORE: NerdWallet's best cards for entertainment spending

Rewards for online purchases

  • The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express does not offer bonus rewards for online purchases. Online shopping would earn 1% back.

  • The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express earns 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 in spending per year. Eligible purchases include goods bought through a retailer’s website or app. The online purchase of services, like travel bookings or food delivery, aren’t eligible and would earn 1% back.

  • Terms apply.

» MORE: NerdWallet’s best cards for online shopping

Bonus offers for new cardholders

Both cards come with a rewarding welcome offer.

  • The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. Terms Apply.

  • The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. Terms Apply.

» MORE: Full review of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Making the choice

The eye-popping rewards on U.S. supermarket spending is what makes the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express so distinctive and attractive. The chart below uses grocery spending to illustrate the relative value of carrying the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and paying the annual fee. It shows three scenarios:

  1. The amount you would need to spend with the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express to break even on the annual fee.

  2. The amount you would need to spend with the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express to earn more cash back than you would with the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, taking into account the cost of the annual fee.

  3. The total amount of bonus cash back on the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express when you max out the 6% U.S. supermarket bonus category. (All spending over this amount earns 1% back on either card.)

The comparison

Yearly spending

Weekly spending

Yearly cash back after subtracting annual fee

1. U.S. supermarket spending needed to break even on the annual fee for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, after the first year

$1,583

$31

$0

2. U.S. supermarket spending needed to beat the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

$3,167

$61

$95

3. Maximum bonus cash back on U.S. supermarkets

$6,000

$116

$265

» MORE: Full review of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Comparing your own spending to this chart helps determine whether you should choose the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express or the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express — but it doesn't paint the whole picture since you also have to take into account other spending.

And the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express still has pluses going for it. If you're dead-set against any kind of annual fee, if you drive yourself to work rather than rely on public transit and if you happen to spend a bunch of money shopping online, it could still be the right pick.

Use our calculator below to see which card is the better deal for you based on your monthly spending patterns.

Note: U.S. supermarket rewards on both the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express apply only at stand-alone grocery stores and supermarkets — not warehouse clubs (e.g., Costco, Sam's Club) or big-box stores with grocery sections (e.g., Target, Walmart). Gas rewards apply only at U.S. gas stations — not superstores, supermarkets or warehouse clubs that also sell gasoline.

To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, see this page.

AmEx Blue Cash: Everyday or Preferred? - NerdWallet (2024)

FAQs

Is Blue Cash Everyday better than Blue Cash Preferred? ›

The Blue Cash Preferred offers higher rewards rates in popular categories like U.S. supermarkets and select U.S. streaming subscription services. However, after the Blue Cash Everyday's updates in July 2022, both cards now earn the same 3 percent cash back rate at U.S. gas stations.

Is it worth upgrading to Amex Blue Cash Preferred? ›

Should I get the Blue Cash Preferred or Blue Cash Everyday? Both cards earn bonus rewards at U.S. supermarkets, though at differing rates. If you'll need to earn enough rewards with the Blue Cash Preferred to offset the cost of that card's $95 annual fee (see rates and fees), it's your better option.

Is it hard to get approved for Amex Blue Cash Everyday? ›

Is it hard to get the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express? It's usually not hard to get the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express if you have good credit. While American Express looks at your entire financial profile, applicants should aim for a FICO® Score of 670 or above.

Is Amex Blue Cash Preferred hard to get? ›

Yes, Blue Cash Preferred is hard to get because it requires a credit score of 700+ for approval, which means you need good to excellent credit to get this card. Since the average credit score is lower than this requirement, most people will not be able to get the Blue Cash Preferred card.

What is the grocery cap for Blue Cash Preferred? ›

At U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).

Does Costco count for Blue Cash Preferred? ›

The Blue Cash Preferred Card doesn't offer supermarket bonus rewards when you buy at superstores like Walmart and Target or wholesale clubs like Costco and Sam's Club. Since I do most of my grocery shopping at a locally-owned supermarkets, the Blue Cash Preferred is the perfect fit.

Can I downgrade from Blue Cash Preferred to everyday? ›

Fortunately, you'll have an entire year to figure out whether the annual fee aligns with your spending habits. If that's the case, you can downgrade to its no-annual-fee counterpart, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express.

Is the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card plastic or metal? ›

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is not a metal credit card, as it is made of plastic like most other credit cards.

Do you have to pay off Amex Blue Cash Preferred every month? ›

No, American Express Blue Cash credit cards do not have to be paid in full every month. Cardholders with a Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express or a Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express are only required to pay off a small percentage of their balance each month.

What are the income requirements for Amex Blue Cash Everyday? ›

The Amex Blue Cash Everyday has no disclosed minimum income requirement. However, as with any credit card, you will need to have sufficient income to afford payments. When applying, your total annual income may include wages, retirement income, rental properties and other personal income you can rely upon.

Does Amazon count for Amex Blue Cash Everyday? ›

Online retailers like Target.com and Amazon.com do count for U.S. online retail purchases, though. Other purchases earn 1% rewards rates, and cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.

What is the easiest Amex card to get? ›

The easiest American Express cards to get are those that require a minimum of good credit for approval as opposed to excellent credit only. The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express and the American Express Cash Magnet® Card are two of the easiest Amex cards to get because they only require good credit.

What is the most difficult Amex to get? ›

Why it's one of the hardest credit cards to get: The hardest credit card to get is the American Express Centurion Card. Known simply as the “Black Card,” you need an invitation to get Amex Centurion. And only the super rich and famous can expect to get the call, as...

Should I upgrade to American Express Blue Cash Preferred? ›

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred is worth holding due to the grocery-related category alone. If you max out this rewards category — by spending $500 per month on U.S. supermarket purchases (on up to $6,000 per year, then 1 percent back) — you can earn $360 in cash back rewards per year in this category alone.

Does Amex Blue Cash Preferred have lounge access? ›

Blue Cash Preferred: Travel coverage and purchase protection. Up to $189 CLEAR Plus statement credit annually, which helps you move through security faster at certain airports. Enrollment is required. Up to $100 annual statement credit for LoungeBuddy lounge access.

What credit score do you need for the Blue Cash Everyday card? ›

The Amex Blue Cash Everyday credit score requirement is 700, at a minimum.

Can you downgrade Blue Cash Preferred to everyday? ›

Fortunately, you'll have an entire year to figure out whether the annual fee aligns with your spending habits. If that's the case, you can downgrade to its no-annual-fee counterpart, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express.

Does Blue Cash Preferred have a credit limit? ›

The credit limit on your Blue Cash Preferred® Card is set based on your income and credit history. If your score falls into the good range, you may start out with a limit of $1,000. If you have an excellent credit score and a long history of responsible credit card usage, you may qualify for a much higher limit.

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