American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card: A Comprehensive Guide

The American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card is a popular choice for those who want to earn cash back on their everyday purchases. It offers a generous 6% cash back on groceries, 3% on gas, and 1% on everything else.

The card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, which can be a big plus for new users. After that, the fee is $95 per year.

To be eligible for the card, you'll need to have a good credit score, typically 690 or higher. This is because the card issuer wants to ensure you can handle the credit responsibly.

The card also offers a generous sign-up bonus of $250 after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months.

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card offers a straightforward cashback system, with a generous earning structure that rewards you for everyday purchases. You earn 6% cash back on U.S. supermarket purchases, up to $6,000 per year, then 1% back for additional U.S. supermarket spending.

This means you can earn up to $360 in cash back per year on your weekly groceries. To put that into perspective, if you spend $10,000 per year at Kroger or Whole Foods, you'll earn $360 in cash back on the first $6,000, plus another $40 back earning 1% beyond the $6,000 cap each year.

You can also earn 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, such as Netflix, Spotify, Hulu, MLB.TV, Disney+, NBA League Pass, and more. This is a great perk for families or individuals who spend a lot on streaming services.

In addition to these bonus categories, you'll earn 3% cash back on transit and U.S. gas stations, with no cap on the earnings. This means you can earn cash back on your daily commute, gas fill-ups, and other transit-related expenses.

Here's a breakdown of the cashback categories:

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card is a great option for families or individuals who spend a lot on groceries, streaming services, and transportation. With its generous cashback system and no annual fee for the first year, it's definitely worth considering.

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card offers a welcome bonus of a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new card within the first six months from account opening.

This bonus effectively eliminates the out-of-pocket costs of the card for over two years, considering the $0 annual fee in the first year.

You can use the bonus cash back however you like, whether it's treating yourself to a spa day, grabbing some pricier essentials, or covering a short flight.

The welcome bonus can jump-start your cash back, helping you start piling up rewards dollars quickly.

The Blue Cash Preferred Card can earn you rewards dollars that you can redeem for a statement credit or when checking out at Amazon.

The American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card offers a range of benefits and features that make it a valuable addition to your wallet.

The card comes with typical Amex benefits, including extended warranties, rental car insurance, Global Assist, and purchase protection. These features can provide peace of mind when making purchases or traveling.

You'll also have access to cardholders-only events, which can be a great way to experience exclusive entertainment and cultural events.

Here are some of the specific benefits of the Blue Cash Preferred Card:

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card has a few fees you should be aware of. The annual fee is $95 after the first year, but it's worth it if you spend enough in the card's bonus categories.

The card has a 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers, which can help you save money on interest. Regular APR is 18.24% - 29.24% Variable.

If you need to transfer a balance, there's a balance transfer fee of $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. Foreign transaction fees are also charged, at 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to U.S. dollars.

You'll also be charged fees for late payments, returned payments, and cash advances. These fees can be avoided by paying your balance off in full each month.

To break even on the annual fee, you'll need to spend about $1,600 each year at U.S. supermarkets, or roughly $30 per week.

The American Express Blue Cash Preferred card has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95, while the Blue Cash Everyday card has a $0 annual fee.

The Blue Cash Preferred card earns higher cash-back bonus categories, including 3% back at U.S. supermarkets on the first $6,000 spent each calendar year, then 1% back.

In contrast, the Amex Gold Card earns 4x points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 in purchases per year, then 1x, which could be more valuable than cash back if redeemed for travel.

The Blue Cash Preferred card also offers 3% back at U.S. gas stations on the first $6,000 spent each calendar year, then 1% back, and 3% back at U.S. online retailers on the first $6,000 spent each calendar year, then 1% back.

Business Insider's points and miles valuations peg Membership Rewards points at 1.8 cents apiece on average, making them potentially more valuable than cash back.

The Amex Gold Card has an annual fee of $325, which is significantly higher than the Blue Cash Preferred card's $95 annual fee.

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card has a relatively high annual fee, but it's worth it if you spend a lot in its bonus categories, particularly U.S. supermarkets and U.S. streaming services.

If you're not sure you'll spend enough to justify the annual fee, consider the card's no-annual-fee sibling, the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express.

Most people who are approved for the Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card have at least a good credit score, which is a FICO score of at least 670.

You'll have a credit limit on this card, based on factors like your credit score at the time of application.

If you have the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express, you might be eligible to upgrade to the Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card if you've had the card for at least a year.

American Express often sends out upgrade offers, which can include a bonus for meeting a minimum spending requirement.

You can't transfer cash back (Reward Dollars) from the Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card to other Amex cards like The Platinum Card from American Express.

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card is a credit card, not a charge card, so you'll have more flexibility in how you use it.

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card rewards you with cash back in the form of reward dollars, which you can apply to your account as a statement credit.

You can also use your reward dollars at Amazon.com checkout in any amount, making it a convenient way to redeem your earnings.

However, keep in mind that you can't use your rewards toward the minimum payment due, so make sure you're paying at least the minimum on your card each month.

The cash back rewards on the Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card can be redeemed in a variety of ways, but not for travel - a notable difference from some other American Express cards.

With the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card, you can get reimbursed for eligible purchases that are stolen or damaged. You can receive up to $1,000 per purchase.

If your item is stolen or damaged, you can file a claim and get reimbursed up to 90 days from the purchase date. The reimbursement limit is $50,000 per calendar year.

This protection can give you peace of mind when making purchases, especially for valuable items.

The American Express Blue Cash Preferred card comes with access to the Amex Offers program, which can get you cash back or bonus points when you shop with specific retailers and travel brands.

You can view all your available offers by logging into your card account and scrolling down, but keep in mind that eligibility for these offers is limited and enrollment is required in the Amex Offers section of your account before redeeming.

To earn cash back, you can take advantage of the card's rewards structure, which includes 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back on transit, and 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations.

Here are the details of the cash back categories:

You can also earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months, and enjoy $0 intro plan fees when you use Plan It to split up large purchases into monthly installments.

The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express has its share of pros and cons.

One of the cons is that the intro offer isn't the most lucrative. There's also an annual fee to consider.

On the plus side, you can earn generous cashback at U.S. supermarkets and on U.S. streaming services. You can also get statement credits for the Disney+ Bundle.

However, there is a cash back limit and exclusions on bonus categories. This might be a drawback for some users.

The annual fee could be cost-prohibitive if you don't spend much on groceries or transportation. But, if you spend enough in the card's bonus categories, you might be able to make up for it.

To break even on the annual fee with rewards from grocery purchases alone, you'd need to spend about $1,600 each year at U.S. supermarkets. This translates to roughly $30 per week.

Here's a quick summary of the pros and cons:

The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express is a cashback powerhouse. Here are some quick facts to get you started:

You can earn 6% cashback on purchases at U.S. supermarkets, up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.

The welcome offer is a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in the first six months.

The annual fee is $0 intro for the first year, then $95.

Here's a breakdown of the rewards rate:

Note: Cashback is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or on Amazon.com at checkout.