Key takeaways
- The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express offers a wide range of benefits alongside its lucrative rewards rate.
- Cardholders can get a variety of statement credits and also take advantage of the standard benefits that come from American Express
- Those with a higher household spending threshold, particularly in grocery store purchases, might prefer the rates and benefits from the Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card instead.
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is a solid rewards credit card for the everyday spender and a great option for families. It has no annual fee and offers a generous rewards rate for purchases made at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and U.S. online retail purchases since the card was upgraded in July 2022.
The Blue Cash Everyday is one of two main cash back cards offered by American Express — the other being the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, which comes with a $95 annual fee ($0 intro annual fee for the first year). Although these two cards offer fairly similar benefits, the Blue Cash Everyday is likely a better fit for cardholders who may not earn enough rewards to offset the Blue Cash Preferred’s annual fee.
Here’s a look at the benefits offered by the Amex Blue Cash Everyday to help you decide if it’s a good cash back option for you.
Rewards rate and welcome offer benefits
To start, the Blue Cash Everyday Card lets cardholders earn the following cash back rates on common, everyday purchases:
- 3 percent cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1 percent)
- 3 percent back at U.S. gas stations (on up to $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1 percent)
- 3 percent back at U.S. online retailers (on up to $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1 percent)
- 1 percent back on all other purchases
$200 welcome bonus
New cardholders can also earn up to $200 in statement credits after spending $2,000 in purchases on the new card within the first six months from account opening.
0% intro APR
The Blue Cash Everyday offers a 0 percent intro APR on both purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, followed by a variable APR of 19.24 percent to 29.99 percent. This makes it a solid balance transfer credit card option, while also offering the ability to pay off a large purchase over time sans interest.
Statement credit benefits
Annual credits
The Blue Cash Everyday Card boasts a couple of annual statement credits that could be worth up to $264. Those include:
- Up to $180 in Home Chef credits per year ($15 in monthly statement credits for online meal kit purchases, subject to auto renewal. Enrollment required)
- Up to $84 in credits for The Disney Bundle per year ($7 monthly statement credit after you spend $9.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription (subject to auto renewal) to The Disney Bundle, which includes Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. Enrollment required)
These credits mean you’ll get even more value from this no-annual-fee card on top of the cash back rewards, welcome bonus and zero-interest offer on purchases and balance transfers.
Access to Amex Offers
All U.S. American Express consumer and business cards are also eligible to participate in the Amex Offers program. In addition to each Amex card’s given rewards and perks, Amex Offers allows members to earn statement credits on qualifying purchases from select brands. In the past, some of the brands have included PayPal, Best Buy, Home Depot, Samsung, Goldbelly and Instacart.
Cardholders can browse Amex Offers and choose which offers to activate before making a purchase, and it’s possible you could earn more than 25 percent cash back on a purchase. It’s important to note that each Amex Offer has a spending requirement and an expiration date. To maximize these benefits, cardholders should regularly check Amex Offers for promotions that fit their spending.
Amex Blue Cash Everyday perks
Amex Express Experiences
Cardholders of the Blue Cash Everyday have access to American Express Experiences, which includes access to exclusive presale tickets and entry into member-only events — from Broadway shows and concerts to sporting events and one-of-a-kind art exhibits.
Card protections and insurance benefits
The Blue Cash Everyday card includes Amex purchase protection from accidental damage or theft for up to 90 days from the purchase date. You’ll be reimbursed up to $1,000 per eligible item with an annual limit of $50,000 per card. In the event of fraudulent or incorrect charges, American Express also provides dispute resolution assistance.
Amex also offers car rental loss and damage insurance when you use your card to reserve and pay for a rental. Not all vehicle types and rentals are covered, however, and liability coverage is not included. Coverage also might not be not available in select countries.
Travel benefits
The Amex Blue Cash Everyday travel benefits are relatively bare bones, as this is more of a card for everyday spenders (specifically gas and grocery spenders) than frequent travelers. However, American Express offers a Global Assist Hotline to support its members whenever they travel 100 miles or more from home. Representatives are available by phone to assist with lost passports, translation services, missing luggage and emergency legal or medical referrals.
It’s also important to note that the Amex Blue Cash Everyday has a 2.7 percent foreign transaction fee for every purchase made in foreign currency — meaning if you plan to travel abroad or shop online with merchants based abroad, you may want to pay with a card that doesn’t charge these fees.
Payment option benefits
The Blue Cash Everyday includes the American Express Pay It, Plan It program. The Pay It option allows you to quickly make payments for small, qualifying purchases under $100, while the Plan It option allows you to put purchases over $100 into extended monthly payment plans for a fixed fee. You won’t be able to add purchases to Plan It if the purchase would cause your balance to exceed 95 percent of your Account Total New Balance on your last billing statement, cause your plan balance to exceed 95 percent or cause you to exceed your Pay Over Time Limit. Purchases made under either option will still earn rewards like any other purchase.
Additionally, the zero-interest intro offer on purchases applies to purchases split up into Plan It monthly installments. After the introductory period ends, Plan It purchases will include a monthly plan fee of up to 1.33 percent of each purchase amount moved into the plan (and based on its plan duration), along with the variable 19.24 percent to 29.99 percent APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase.
Maximizing the Amex Blue Cash Everyday
It’s important to get the most out of your credit cards and take full advantage of what they offer. To maximize the benefits of the Amex Blue Cash Everyday, cardholders should first focus on offers that are time-sensitive, such as its first-year welcome bonus and zero-interest offer on purchases and balance transfers (if you need it).
After that, it’s important to plan out your spending in order to make the most out of the 3 percent categories — and be sure to regularly check Amex Offers to see if any of the program’s current offerings align with your shopping plans or habits.
Blue Cash Everyday vs. Blue Cash Preferred
If your spending habits are beyond this card’s offerings, then you may want to upgrade to the Blue Cash Preferred Card and maximize its benefits. Want to know how to choose between the two? Let’s do a side by side comparison:
| Card details and benefits | Amex Blue Cash Everyday | Amex Blue Cash Preferred |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | None | $0 for the first year, then $95 |
| Rewards rate | 3 percent cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year (then 1 percent)3 percent cash back at U.S. online retailers on up to $6,000 per year (then 1 percent)3 percent cash back at U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 (then 1 percent)1 percent cash back on other eligible purchases. | 6 percent cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year (then 1 percent)6 percent cash on select U.S. streaming subscriptions3 percent back on U.S. gas stations and eligible transit1 percent back on other purchases |
| Statement credits | $180 Home Chef credit$84 Disney Bundle credit | $120 Equinox+ credit$84 Disney Bundle credit |
| Welcome bonus | $200 back when you spend $2,000 in the first six months | $250 back when you spend $3,000 in the first six months |
| Introductory APR | 0 percent APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then 19.24 percent-29.99 percent variable APR | 0 percent APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months, then 19.24 percent-29.99 percent variable APR |
Although both cards have a $6,000 cap on U.S. supermarket purchases per year (then 1 percent), the Blue Cash Preferred’s 6 percent cash back rate at U.S. supermarkets provides the chance to earn $360 in cash back annually (in addition to 1 percent on purchases thereafter). The Blue Cash Everyday, on the other hand, has the potential to earn only $180 in cash back (plus 1 percent on purchases after that) on supermarket purchases per year.
For a single person or a couple, the Blue Cash Everyday might be worth it. But for a family of three or four that spends more annually on everyday purchases, the Blue Cash Preferred could be a better choice, as it offers the chance to earn enough rewards to offset the card’s ongoing $95 annual fee.
The bottom line
The Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express provides great benefits for the right type of spender — those who want to be rewarded for everyday spending but don’t want to pay an annual fee.
Other perks include an intro APR offer and the benefits of simply being an American Express member: purchase protection, travel assistance, American Express Experiences, Amex Offers and more. If you’re looking for a top no-annual-fee card with a generous rewards rate on gas and groceries, the Blue Cash Everyday is a great choice.
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 and Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Read the full article here
