Review: Apply now for the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
American Express has lots of great products, and personally I love using cards that earn Amex Membership Rewards points. The portfolio of cards earning cash back is a bit more limited, especially when it comes to personal cards.
In this post:
9 reasons to get the Amex Blue Cash Everyday
In this post, I wanted to take a look at the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, and share nine reasons you may want to consider this card. This card has undergone some major changes that make it more compelling than ever before. In no particular order:
No annual fee
The Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card has no annual fee (Rates & Fees). Not the first year, and not in any subsequent year either. Lots of people try to minimize their credit card annual fees, and for those purposes, this card could be lucrative.
$200 welcome bonus
The Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card is offering a welcome bonus of a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
0% intro APR for 15 months
As part of its welcome offer, the Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card is offering 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening. After that, there’s variable APR, currently between 18.74% - 29.74% (Rates & Fees).
This isn’t for everyone, and quite to the contrary, in general I recommend avoiding financing purchases through credit cards. Then again, if a short-term 0% APR opportunity can help you and you can pay off the amount before the interest rate increases, it’s an option at least worth being aware of.
3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets
The Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card offers 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%). Earning 3% cash back at supermarkets with no annual fee is solid, and this is one of the better cards for supermarket and grocery store spending.
3% cash back at U.S. gas stations
The Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card offers 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%). Earning 3% cash back at gas stations with no annual fee is excellent, and this is one of the better cards for gas station spending.
3% cash back for U.S. online retail purchases
The Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card offers 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%). This is a pretty compelling bonus category, as you don’t see this on many other cards.
U.S. online retail purchases include purchases made on a website or app from a U.S. retail merchant that sells physical goods or merchandise directly to consumers.
Up to $264 in annual credits
The Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card offers two types of credits to cardmembers. Here’s what you can expect (Enrollment is required for select benefits):
- Up to $84 in Disney Bundle credits annually; receive up to $7 per month in statement credits when you spend $9.99 or more per month on eligible subscriptions to Disney Bundle, which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, with your card.
- Up to $180 in Home Chef credits annually; receive up to $15 per month in statement credits when you purchase Home Chef meal solutions online with your card
While these are pretty niche, this could prove hugely valuable if you’re someone who would otherwise pay for either of those.
Save money with the Amex Offers program
The Amex Offers program can save you money with a variety of retailers, just by registering your American Express card and then making an eligible purchase.
Different American Express cards are eligible for different offers, so in general, I try to have as many Amex cards as possible to be able to take advantage of this program. Having no annual fee cards is ideal since the card isn’t costing you anything, but you’re potentially going to save money.
Use no annual fee cards to improve your credit score
Having no annual fee cards long term is a great way to help improve and stabilize your credit score:
- 30% of your credit score is made up of your credit utilization, and the more credit you have available but don’t use, the better
- 15% of your score is made up of your credit history, and the older your average account age is, the better
My strategy is to get several no annual fee cards and keep them long term, since it can be beneficial for your credit score.
2 reasons NOT to get the Blue Cash Everyday
While there are several reasons to consider the Blue Cash Everyday Card, there are also a couple of reasons to not get this card, or at least not apply outright for it. In no particular order:
Get the Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card instead
If you generally like the idea of the Blue Cash Everyday Card, there might still be a better play here. The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (review) is the premium version of the card, and it could be worth applying for it instead (Enrollment is required for select benefits):
- The card is offering a straightforward welcome bonus, of a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 within the first six months
- The card has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 annual fee (Rates & Fees)
- The card has more robust bonus categories, as it offers 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 of spending per year, and then 1%), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services, 3% cash back on transit, and 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations
- The card offers up to $84 back annually toward The Disney Bundle; Get a $7 monthly statement credit after using your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred Card to spend $9.99 or more each month on a subscription to the Disney Bundle. Valid only at Disneyplus.com, Hulu.com, or Plus.espn.com in the U.S.
- Even if you’re someone who prefers a no annual fee card long term, there really is value to getting this card instead
There are better cash back cards for everyday spending
While there are lots to like about the Blue Cash Everyday, it’s also not particularly well-rounded if you’re looking for an all-in-one cash back credit card.
The card offers 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. online retail purchases (up to certain limits), but on other purchases you’ll earn 1% cash back.
Everyone will have to crunch the numbers for themselves, but 1% cash back is pretty uncompetitive nowadays for savvy consumers. For example, the no annual fee Citi Double Cash® Card (review) offers 1% cash back when you make a purchase, and 1% cash back when you pay for that purchase (in the form of ThankYou points).
For your everyday spending, you’ll come out ahead on that card vs. the Blue Cash Everyday, unless you spend a lot at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, U.S. online retail purchases, and not a lot elsewhere. There are still some advantages to the Blue Cash Everyday, including its welcome offer, access to Amex Offers, and more.
Bottom line
If you’re looking for a no annual fee personal American Express cash back card, the Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card is as good as it gets. The card offers a solid earning rate at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. online retailers, and a good welcome bonus, plus it gives you access to Amex Offers.
The card isn’t for everyone, though, and for some, it could make sense to instead consider the Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card.
If you want to learn more about the Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card or want to apply, follow this link.
The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express (Rates & Fees), and Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (Rates & Fees).
Amex credits are getting tougher and tougher ...
Home Chef has a $49.95 per WEEK minimum order ... sounds sort of like the $300 off a Soul Cycle bike up to 15 bikes. Though it's no annual fee, so it makes sense if you use this service already and want cash back.
I really like home chef, but I don't get it every month. Looks like the gift cards they sell are through homechef.giftnow.com - so presumably if i buy a $15 gift card from giftnow it won't get reimbursed.
But that's ok, it has no annual fee, so if i miss a month or so of the credits, I'm not really losing anything.