Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card Review: Valuable Rewards

Link: Apply now for the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card

While American Express has refreshed much of its card portfolio in the past few years, one card that hasn’t changed much is the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card. Unlike many other Amex cards, this card still has quite a low annual fee, and doesn’t have restrictive credits. This is one of the best cards for earning Amex Membership Rewards points, so let’s talk about why.

Amex EveryDay Preferred Card Basics For November 2024

The Amex EveryDay Preferred Card has a reasonable annual fee, valuable bonus categories, and offers even more bonus points if you make at least 30 transactions every billing cycle. It’s potentially the most rewarding personal Amex card for everyday spending.

On top of that, Amex Membership Rewards points are incredibly valuable, and there are lots of opportunities to use this card in conjunction with other Amex cards to really maximize your points earning potential.

Amex EveryDay Preferred Card $95 Annual Fee

The Amex EveryDay Preferred Card has a $95 annual fee, which is in line with many other mid-range premium cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) and the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (review). This is reasonable, especially when you consider how much the annual fees on some other cards have increased in recent years.

Amex EveryDay Preferred Welcome Bonus

The Amex EveryDay Preferred offers a standard welcome bonus of 15,000 Membership Rewards bonus points after spending $2,000 within three months. This definitely isn’t one of the most exciting welcome bonuses out there, though this is primarily a card you get because it’s a good fit for your long-term spending patterns.

All of the standard Amex restrictions on credit card applications apply, like that you can only have at most five American Express credit cards at a time.

0% Intro APR

The Amex EveryDay Preferred is offering 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months. After that, your APR will be a variable rate (currently in the range of 18.24% to 28.24%), so if you do take advantage of this, make sure you can pay back the full amount within that period.

Amex EveryDay Preferred Foreign Transaction Fees

I wouldn’t recommend using the Amex EveryDay Preferred for purchases outside the United States, as the card does have 2.7% foreign transaction fees, which will eat up most of the value of your rewards.

The information and associated card details on this page for the Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card has been collected independently by OMAAT and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Earning Points With The Amex EveryDay Preferred Card

The one area where the Amex EveryDay Preferred Card really excels is when it comes to points earning potential. If you’re using the EveryDay Preferred correctly, then you should be earning anywhere from 1.5-4.5x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent.

I value Amex points at ~1.7 cents each, so to me that’s the equivalent of a return of ~2.55% to ~7.65% on spending.

50% Points Bonus With 30 Transactions

To start, the Amex EveryDay Preferred Card offers a 50% points bonus when you use your card at least 30 times per billing cycle. This can include purchases of any amount, so even small purchases of just a few dollars will count towards that total.

Let me share upfront that I think this card really only makes sense if you’re going to make at least 30 purchases per billing cycle. Admittedly that can be tough to maximize. In the past I used to be able to automatically reload my Amazon balance every day with under a dollar, but I don’t think that’s possible anymore. Now I just use the card to pay for parking, which is typically in small transaction amounts.

3-4.5x Points At US Supermarkets

The Amex EveryDay Preferred offers 3x points at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 per calendar year in purchases (after that, you’ll earn 1x).

Given the 50% points bonus, this means if you’re making at least 30 transactions per billing cycle, then you could be earning 4.5x points at supermarkets, making this one of the best credit cards for supermarket spending.

2-3x Points At US Gas Stations

The Amex EveryDay Preferred offers 2x points at US gas stations, with no caps.

Given the 50% points bonus, this means if you’re making at least 30 transactions per billing cycle then you could be earning 3x points at gas stations, making this one of the best credit cards for gas station spending.

1-1.5x Points On Other Purchases

The Amex EveryDay Preferred offers 1x points on all other purchases, though if you’re making 30 transactions per billing cycle, you’re earning 1.5x points per dollar spent. This makes it one of the best credit cards for everyday spending, at least among Amex’s personal card portfolio.

The information and associated card details on this page for the Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card has been collected independently by OMAAT and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Amex EveryDay Preferred Card Benefits

The Amex EveryDay Preferred Card has a fairly limited number of benefits outside of the points earning potential, as that’s the main draw to the card. However, there are a couple of potentially valuable perks to be aware of.

Amex Offers

One of the great features of Amex cards is access to Amex Offers, which offers savings or bonus points on purchases with all kinds of retailers. There’s huge value to be had in getting as many Amex cards as possible, so that you can get these offers on multiple cards.

Amex Offers could save you hundreds of dollars per year. You can access these offers by logging into your account and scrolling down to the bottom of your account summary page.

ShopRunner Membership

For having the American Express EveryDay Preferred Card you get a ShopRunner membership, which gets you free two-day shipping on eligible items at a network of 100+ online stores. You just have to enroll in your complimentary membership and can then start taking advantage of it.

The information and associated card details on this page for the Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card has been collected independently by OMAAT and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Is The Amex EveryDay Preferred Card Worth It?

The Amex EveryDay Preferred Card is a product that I personally have, and over the years I have gotten good value out of the card. In particular, it’s a great card for supermarket, gas station, and everyday spending, which covers a lot of useful spending categories. You’ll also get the most value out of this card if you can rack up at least 30 transactions per billing cycle.

There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to deciding whether the Amex EveryDay Preferred Card is worth it, given how the card landscape has changed. I wanted to address some of the things to consider when deciding whether to get this card, like comparing the no annual fee Amex EveryDay Card, and looking at some of the other Amex cards that I’d consider to be alternatives.

Quick Comparison: Amex EveryDay Vs. EveryDay Preferred

In addition to the $95 annual fee EveryDay Preferred, Amex also has the no annual fee Amex EveryDay® Credit Card (review). How do the two cards compare?

• The EveryDay Preferred offers a 50% points bonus when you make 30 purchases per billing cycle, while the EveryDay offers a 20% points bonus when you make 20 purchases per billing cycle
• The EveryDay Preferred offers 3-4.5x points at US supermarkets, while the EveryDay offers 2-2.4x points at US supermarkets
• The EveryDay Preferred offers 2-3x points at US gas stations, while the EveryDay offers 1-1.2x points at US gas stations
• The EveryDay Preferred offers 1-1.5x points on everyday purchases, while the EveryDay offers 1-1.2x points on everyday purchases

While the Amex EveryDay is great as a no annual fee card that earns Membership Rewards points, for someone who spends a lot at supermarkets and gas stations, I would say the EveryDay Preferred is worth the premium.

The information and associated card details on this page for the Amex EveryDay Credit Card and Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card has been collected independently by OMAAT and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

How Does The Amex Gold Compare?

The American Express® Gold Card (review) is one of my favorite cards for earning Amex points, and it’s a real competitor to the Amex EveryDay Preferred. The Amex Gold has a $325 annual fee (Rates & Fees) and offers:

• 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year and then 1x
• 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year and then 1x
• 3x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.com

On top of that, the card offers significant annual dining-related credits.

Assuming you can take advantage of the credits and spend a decent amount on dining and/or supermarkets, then I think this is largely going to be the better option.

How Does The Amex Green Compare?

The American Express® Green Card (review) is another one of my favorite consumer cards for earning Membership Rewards points. The card has a $150 annual fee (Rates & Fees) and offers:

• 3x Membership Rewards points at restaurants globally
• 3x Membership Rewards points on all travel purchases, including transit

On top of that, the card offers up to almost $300 in credits annually, including:

• Up to $100 in LoungeBuddy credits
• Up to $199 in CLEAR Plus credits (Enrollment required)

Personally, I think this card is hard to beat, given the up to almost $300 in annual credits, not to mention the 3x points on dining and travel, which is very well-rounded.

The information and associated card details on this page for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by OMAAT and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Complement: Amex Blue Business Plus

Regardless of which personal Amex card you choose to get, I’d recommend complementing it with The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (review), which offers 2x points on the first $50,000 spent every calendar year (1x after that).

It’s a pretty unbeatable combination to earn 2x points on everyday business spending and bonus points on your personal spending.

Bottom Line

The Amex EveryDay Preferred Card has been around for years, and is one of Amex’s cards that hasn’t been refreshed lately. Assuming you spend a lot at supermarkets and/or gas stations, and assuming you can make at least 30 purchases per billing cycle, then this card is potentially worthwhile.

However, personally I think the Amex Gold Card or Amex Green Card are better options for most consumers, assuming the gas station bonus category isn’t important to you. Both have very well-rounded bonus categories, offer statement credits, and don’t have that 30 transaction requirement per billing cycle to maximize points.

With there being more and more cards that are useful for maximizing points, I think it’s increasingly difficult to justify putting 30 purchases per month on a single card. Personally, I prefer the Amex Gold if you spend a lot at supermarkets, while I prefer the Amex Green if you spend a lot on travel. Meanwhile, both cards are great for restaurant dining.

If you want to learn more about the Amex EveryDay Preferred Card or apply, follow this link.

The information and associated card details on this page for the Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card and American Express Green Card has been collected independently by OMAAT and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees), and American Express® Green Card (Rates & Fees).