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★★★★★
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
$250
Welcome offer
Up to 6%
Cash back
$0
Annual fee
intro for the first year ($95 thereafter)
0%
Intro purchase APR
for the first 12 months (then 18.24% to 28.24% variable)
Annual fee | $0 intro annual fee for the first year ($95 thereafter) |
---|---|
Annual fee conditions | $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. |
Welcome offer | $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in the first 6 months |
Rewards | 6% on select U.S. streaming services, 3% on transit and U.S. gas stations, 6% at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 annually, then 1% after that and on other eligible purchases (redeem as statement credit) |
Purchase APR | 0% intro for the first 12 months (then 18.24% to 28.24% variable) |
Balance transfer APR | 0% intro for the first 12 months (then 18.24% to 29.24% variable) Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater |
Minimum credit score | 670 |
Issuer | American Express |
cta text | Go to site |
Review by
Kliment Dukovski is a personal finance writer at Finder, specializing in investments and cryptocurrency. He's written more than 700 articles to help readers compare the best trading platforms, understand complex investment terms and find the best credit cards for their needs. His expert commentary has been featured in such digital publications as Fox Business, MSN Money and MediaFeed. He’s also well-versed in money transfers, home loans and more — breaking down these topics into simple concepts anyone can understand. In another life, Kliment ghostwrote guides and articles on foreign exchange, stock market trading and cryptocurrencies.
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a busy family’s best friend. It offers 6% cash back as statement credit at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases and 1% on eligible purchases after that. Spending $500 each month at U.S. supermarkets can earn you $360 annually in this category alone, which is the highest reward rate on groceries you can get with a credit card.
What’s more, this isn’t the only high cashback rate category. Earn 6% back on select U.S. streaming services and 3% back at U.S. gas stations and transit purchases. For all other eligible purchases, you’ll earn 1% back.
The only consideration is a $95 annual fee. But the annual fee only applies after the first year you own the card — for the first year, the card’s intro offer means you’ll pay $0 to own the card. After the first year, you can easily offset the $95 annual fee with everyday spending.
Despite the annual fee, this is one of the most rewarding credit cards you can currently get. The card’s earning categories make it an excellent fit for an average-sized family, solo or duo city-dwellers who can take advantage of both the supermarket earnings as well as transit earnings.
To apply for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, you’ll just need to do the following:
There’s a lot of competition in the everyday rewards space, so here’s a breakdown of the Blue Cash Preferred vs. two similar cards to give you a sense of how the Blue Cash Preferred stacks up.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express |
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express |
Chase Freedom Unlimited® |
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★★★★★ |
★★★★★ |
★★★★★ |
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Minimum credit score 670 |
Minimum credit score 670 |
Minimum credit score 670 |
Annual fee $95 after the first year intro |
Annual fee $0 |
Annual fee $0 |
Purchase APR 0% intro |
Purchase APR 0% intro |
Purchase APR 0% intro |
Balance transfer APR 0% intro for the first 12 months (then 18.24% to 29.24% variable) Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater |
Balance transfer APR 0% intro for the first 15 months (then 18.24% to 29.24% variable) Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. |
Balance transfer APR 0% intro for the first 15 months (then 19.24% to 27.99% variable) $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater in the first 60 days |
Rewards Up to 6% cash back |
Rewards Up to 3% cash back |
Rewards Up to 6.5% cash back |
Welcome offer $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in the first 6 months |
Welcome offer Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. |
Welcome offer Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back |
Compare even more credit cards
Here’s a quick example of the kind of cashback you might in a month earn using the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, assuming some common spending values.
Category | Spending | Cashback earned |
---|---|---|
U.S. supermarkets (6% on up to $6,000 annually, then 1%) | $500 | $30 |
U.S. gas stations and transit (3%) | $200 | $6 |
U.S. streaming services (6%) | $50 | $3 |
Other purchases (1%) | $2,000 | $20 |
Total cashback in one month = $59 in statement credits. If you keep the same spending amounts, that’s $708 back in one year.
As of August 2021, American Express sports an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and has been accredited since 1948. It has received 3,331 customer complaints, all of which the provider has addressed and closed out.
Trustpilot rates the provider a bit lower with a 1.9 out of 5.0. A majority of the negative customer reviews on the site mention American Express customer service as the primary pain point.
Users on social media, such as Reddit, tend to praise this card for the large earning rate and solid customer service American Express offers. Those less satisfied with the card point to supermarket and gas station restrictions as a big point to watch out for — especially if you often shop at stores like Target and Walmart.
Amex makes it easy to make the most out of your Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express so long as you spend it on the right categories. Here are a few quick tips for maximizing rewards using the card:
Under transit, you’ll get rewards for:
Current supported streaming services include:
If you’re looking for a superb cashback card designed for the modern day family, look no further than the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. While there are other grocery and gas cashback cards out there, none offer up to a 6% rate like Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. The raw earning power of this card across a variety of categories and flexible welcome offer make it a great choice for families who want a rewards card.
If you’re looking for more than just cash back on your rewards card, however, compare your other plenty of rewards card options to find one that best fits your financial needs.
To determine the average value of an Amex Membership Rewards point, we looked at the equivalent dollar value a redemption option would cost in the Amex Membership Rewards program. We calculated this average across all redemption options available through Amex to reach the approximate value you can expect when redeeming these points on average. In this case, the average value of a single Membership Rewards point came out to 2 cents per point.
Remember that your points could be worth more or less depending on what you redeem them on, so this value should be used as a general guide.
Editorial note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.
Insurance benefit note: Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
Images: AmericanExpress.com
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Our team evaluates credit cards to determine their value against similar cards on the market.
We rank card types — travel, cash back, business — on a set of factors that are most relevant to that type of card. We create these rankings to help you narrow down a credit card that best suits your spending and budget.