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Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card – Full Review [2022]

Name: Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card – Full Review [2022]
Item: Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card
Rating: 4.55
Author: Jarrod West

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"A Stay-at-Home Lifestyler’s Dream"

This card is great for those who want to earn cash-back with U.S. supermarkets, U.S. streaming subscriptions, transit, and U.S. gas stations.

Learn More (at Amex's secure site)

Jarrod West

- UPDATED: June 17, 2022

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a stellar cash-back credit card for those looking to maximize every purchase they make. With bonus categories like U.S. supermarkets, select streaming services, U.S. gas stations, and transit purchases, this card rewards you for the items you spend the most on in a big way! For those looking to earn up to 6% cash-back on their purchases, this could be the card for you!

Pros

6% back at U.S. supermarkets and on select streaming services
3% back on U.S. gas stations and transit (including rideshares, parking, etc.)
1% back on all other purchases

Cons

$95 annual fee (rates and fees)

Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card - Card Snapshot

Welcome Bonus & Info (Partner Content)
- Earn a $350 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- Buy Now, Pay Later: Enjoy $0 intro plan fees when you use Plan It® to split up large purchases into monthly installments. Pay $0 plan fees on plans created during the first 12 months after account opening. Plans created after that will have a fixed monthly plan fee up to 1.33% of each purchase amount moved into a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors.
- Low intro APR: 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 15.49% to 25.49%
- 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
- 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more).
- 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
- Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
- $95 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Card Categories:
- Credit Card Reviews
- Cash-Back Credit Cards
Rewards Center
Redeem cash-back through your American Express account
Login Link
https://www.americanexpress.com/
Related Articles

Great Card If

You spend heavily at U.S. supermarkets and eat at home a lot
You commute often or go on a lot of road trips
You use a lot of streaming services like Netflix and Hulu
You’re a routine-type person and will continually use the card (ensuring you reach the redemption minimums)

Don't Get If

You eat out more than you cook
You do all of your shopping at warehouse clubs or big-box stores like Target
You won’t use the card frequently enough to pay off the annual fee

Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card - Fees

Annual Fee
- $95
Foreign Transaction Fees
2.7% of each transaction after conversion to U.S. dollars
Interest Rates
- 0% on purchases for 12 months, from the date of account opening; ongoing variable APR of 15.49%-25.49% applies thereafter
Late fees
- Up to $40
- Penalty APR: 29.99% variable
Cash Advance APR
- 26.74% Variable
- Fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
Additional Info
Rates & Fees

Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card - Is It Worth It?

Get Cash Back — The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card is perfect for those who want to maximize their cash-back on each purchase. Image Credit: kenary820 via Shutterstock

If you’re someone who highly values earning cash-back, then the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card is likely to be well worth it to you.

Sure, the card does have a $95 annual fee, which might feel counterintuitive for a cash-back card, but when you factor in the earning potential, you’re likely to come out way ahead.

Considering that you’ll earn 6% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in spend each year, this cash-back alone would be $360 if you hit the $6,000 threshold.

When you then account for the cash-back you’d earn on your streaming subscriptions, transit purchases, U.S. gas station purchases, and everyday spending, you can easily see how you can rake in the cash-back with this card.

Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card Top Benefits

Cash-Back Opportunities

The primary benefit is the numerous bonus categories that the card offers. Cardholders will earn between 3% to 6% back on their purchases that fall within the U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, select streaming subscriptions, and transit categories, plus the 1% back you’ll earn on all other purchases.

Return Protection

When you purchase a product with your card, return protection covers you if the seller won’t accept a return for the item, up to 90 days from the date of purchase.

Return protection covers you for up to $300 per item, and up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year.

Car Rental Coverage

When you pay for your rental car with your Amex Blue Cash Preferred card, it comes with complimentary secondary car rental insurance. This insurance covers any damage or theft to the rental car. Keep in mind that this is secondary coverage, so you’ll need to file a claim with your primary insurance first.

Best Way To Earn and Redeem Cash-Back Rewards

Family Grocery Shopping — Get a card that rewards you for the items that you spend the most on. Image Credit: Gustavo Fring via Pexels

As we’ve outlined, earning cash-back with your Amex Blue Cash Preferred card on all of your purchases is easy.

However, if you want to make sure you’re earning as much cash-back as possible, you must make certain to use the card on purchases in its 4 bonus categories: U.S. supermarkets, select streaming services, U.S. gas stations, and select transit purchases.

When you make purchases with your card, you’ll accrue your cash-back month to month that can be redeemed as a statement credit to offset purchases on your card when the bill comes due.

One caveat, though, is that you must have accrued at least $25 in cash-back in order to redeem it, meaning if your cash-back balance at the end of 1 month is $23.50, you’ll need to wait until you surpass $25 to redeem those funds.

Alternative Cards to the Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

If you want a similar card that doesn’t charge an annual fee, then the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card is the perfect option. With the card, you’ll earn 3% back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year), 2% back at U.S. gas stations and select U.S. department stores, and 1% back on all other purchases.

See how these 2 cards stack head-to-head in our comparison of the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card vs. Amex Blue Cash Everyday card.

Chase Freedom Flex℠ Credit Card

If you like the idea of a no-annual-fee, cash-back card, but prefer different bonus categories, the Freedom Flex card is a great option to consider. You’ll earn 5% back on a quarterly rotation bonus category and travel purchases through Chase, 3% back on dining and drugstores, and 1% back on all other purchases.

We’ve also compared the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card against another popular rewards card:

Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card vs. American Express® Gold Card

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, click here.

Featured Image Credit: American Express

Frequently asked questions

Is the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card worth it?

The card is marketed to the non-traveler or family-type buyer. Those who frequent U.S. gas stations will benefit by earning 3% cash-back on purchases there, and when you shop at U.S. supermarkets you can earn 6% cash-back on up to $6,000 in purchases, then 1%.

The card has a $95 annual fee; if you’re not spending enough to pay for that, then you should downgrade to the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card.

However, there are some good benefits to this rewards card. First, you can use the high-value cash-back to purchase gift cards to places where you wouldn’t earn many points otherwise.

There are also a variety of benefits and insurances that can help while you’re traveling (if you find that valuable).

What is the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card U.S. supermarkets list? Does it work at Costco, Sam's Club, etc.?

The card does not work at warehouse stores like Costco and Sam’s, but does include chains like Trader Joe’s, Kroger, Meijer, Whole Foods, Winn-Dixie, and more. For the full list, you can access the rewards information section of the American Express website.

What is the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card login?

You can sign in to your card at the American Express login.

Can I earn points with the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card? If so, do they expire?

No, unfortunately, the card only earns cash-back that can be added to your statement as credit or used as cash for Amex’s various shopping portal items.

The cash reward cannot be used directly for travel items at this time. Your cash-back will not expire as long as you keep your account open.

Is there an annual fee on the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card?

Yes. The annual fee is $95.

What is the foreign transaction fee for the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card?

The foreign transaction fee is 2.7%.

Which is better: the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card or the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card?

The difference between these 2 is that the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card gives larger rewards and carries an annual fee. If your spending is at a high enough level to make up for the annual fee, then you’ll want to go with this version.

Awards on the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card are from 1% to 3% depending on category; the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card rewards are from 1% to 6% depending on category.

If the cash-back you’d earn from the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card would exceed the cost of the annual fee, then that is the card you should go for.

Can I convert or upgrade my Amex Blue Cash Everyday card to the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card? What about downgrade?

Yes. You can apply to upgrade your card at this link. You will simply pay the annual fee and your awards rate will increase from that point forward.

You will not receive any retroactive rewards, and your card number and information will not change; they will simply send you updated cards. You may have to pay the annual fee right away, but your awards rate will increase from that point forward.

Downgrading is possible; call your customer service number to inquire. If you’ve already paid your annual fee, ask if you can get it prorated back to you; you may be able to be refunded some of the cost.

What is the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card credit limit?

The card has starting credit limits as low as $1,000 but can range up to $20,000 depending on qualifying factors.

About Jarrod West

Jarrod has been writing about credit cards and loyalty programs, along with various travel and finance topics, for over 5 years. As an expert in the field, he is regularly called upon to comment on the latest news in the space, and has been featured in publications like the New York Times, Matador Network, and Yahoo Finance. With a B.S. in Economics earned from Northern Kentucky University, Jarrod uses his experience to analyze the best credit cards and rewards programs for readers. He also regularly attends conferences to learn and share ideas with fellow travelers. So, if you see him at conferences like TravelCon, CardCon, or Frequent Traveler University, be sure to stop and say hello!

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