Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express review
This can be a great everyday card for the right spender, earning you bonus rewards on everyday purchases. There's also a generous welcome bonus for new cardholders.
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Key Features
descriptionEditor Analysis:
- Elevated bonuses on everyday expenses makes this a great card for the everyday spender.
- A nice welcome bonus is available for new cardholders, helping to start membership off on the right foot.
- Cash back is received in the form of reward dollars which can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
- This is a great card with outstanding benefits for those who spend a lot on food costs; however, if you don't often shop at U.S. supermarkets you may have a difficult time offsetting the annual fee.
card_name benefits
The CardName is one of the most popular cards with our readers because of such generous cash back on everyday purchases. In fact, its popularity regularly earns it a spot on our best credit cards of 2024 list as the best credit card for groceries. American Express is a CardRatings advertiser.
In addition to 6% back on up to $6,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets annually, unlimited 3% back at U.S. gas stations, and 1% back on other purchases, users can also earn 6% back on select U.S. streaming services and 3% back on transit purchases.
The card carries a AnnualFees This shouldn’t be hard to offset after the first year if you regularly use your card at U.S supermarkets. Plus, new cardholders can earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases on the card within the first six months. There’s also a low intro APR period of 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening (then RegAPR). (See Rates and Fees.)
The bonus categories aren’t rotating so the cash back-eligible businesses are predictable. If you’re more of a set-it and forget-it type of person who doesn’t want to have to worry about activating bonus categories and missing out on extra rewards, this card is perfect – especially if you regularly spend money at U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations, have a U.S. streaming subscription such as Spotify, Hulu, Netflix, or Pandora (which who doesn’t these days?) or if you’re a regular commuter. It should be noted though that "transit" is exclusive to ground transit, meaning you won’t gain points on flights. However, "ground transit" in this case has a broad meaning, covering everything from taxis, to ferries to parking fees.
CardRatings Tip
Cash back is received in the form of reward dollars which can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. This is especially beneficial for those who in addition to U.S. supermarket spending, also do a lot of shopping on Amazon.
card_name annual fee
The CardName has a AnnualFees Don’t let the annual fee after the first year deter you though. Think of it this way: if you spend $1,585 at U.S. supermarkets annually, at 6% cash back you’ve already covered the annual fee (6% x $1,585 = $95.10)! If you’re an avid card user, the high rewards percentages allow you to quickly offset the annual fee, assuming you use your credit card for the categories honored by American Express like at U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations.
card_name credit score
American Express doesn’t explicitly state what credit score is needed to receive the CardName; however, this card is reserved for those with good to excellent scores. A good FICO score is typically anything above 670, according to the credit scoring agency Experian, but having a score above 740 or even 800 may further increase your chances of approval. Please note though that these numbers can vary between different bureaus.
card_name eligible supermarkets
Earning 6% cash back on U.S. supermarket purchases is one of the biggest benefits of the CardName. Although, to make the most of this perk, you need to understand how American Express defines a supermarket. Not every store that sells groceries will qualify.
For instance, American Express does not consider any of the following to be supermarkets:
- Superstores such as Walmart and Target
- Amazon
- Convenience stores
- Specialty shops such as cheese or wine stores
- Warehouse clubs like Costco or Sam’s Club
The company defines supermarkets as stores that offer a wide variety of food items as well as household goods, pet supplies and pharmacy products. They include the following chains, among others:
- Meijer
- Whole Foods
- Winn-Dixie
- Vons
- Stop and Shop
- Trader Joe’s
- ALDI
- ShopRite
Please visit the American Express website for a complete list.
To receive the 6% cash-back rate, all purchases must be made at a qualifying U.S. location.
card_name foreign transaction fee and other potential downsides
Like with any credit card it’s imporant to read the fine print. In this case, as we discussed above, some stores that may seem like "supermarkets" may not actually qualify for the rebate. Wholesale clubs, superstores and alcohol retailers are typically the culprits for this confusion.
Also, while this rewards card is excellent for particular categories, if you’re a traveler who uses airlines frequently or a fine restaurant dining connoisseur, you may be missing the boat with the rewards offered with this card.
The CardName is also not really great for traveling abroad, or it’s at least probably not the best card to exclusively hold if it’s traveling abroad where you hope to earn your rewards, and plus, using it internationally will come at a price. Foreign transaction fees for this card are foreign_fee (See Rates and Fees.) This might not seem like too big of a deal, but think of it this way: if you spend $2,000 on a trip abroad, you’ll end up paying $54 in fees. If you travel internationally often, this fee can cause things to add up in a hurry.
How do cardholders rate the card_name?
CardRatings conducts a survey annually to learn what actual cardholders think of their cards. Here are the results for the CardName:
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 78.5 | 78.2 |
| Features Satisfaction | 7.6 | 7.8 |
| Customer Service | 7.7 | 8 |
| Website/App Usability | 8.1 | 7.7 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 8.3 | 8.2 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 8.2 | 7.5 |
How the card_name compares to other cards
Blue Cash Preferred® vs. CardName
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Some of the rewards categories are the same with these two cards. CardName offers 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and on U.S. online retail purchases (up to $6,000 spent in each category per year, then 1%), and 1% back on other eligible purchases. The decision between which of the two offers is right for you will boil down to how much you use your card and where you shop.
The Blue Cash Everyday® does not have an annual fee so if you spend less than $50 a week with your card it might make more sense. On the other hand, spending over $50 offsets the annual fee moving forward for the Blue Cash Preferred® card, and the higher rewards rates could be more beneficial to you.
Finally, the Blue Cash Everyday® offers new cardholders the opportunity to earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card within the first six months.
Blue Cash Preferred® vs. American Express® Gold Card
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Both the Blue Cash Preferred® and CardName are solid rewards cards from American Express. However, they cater to different rewards seekers.
Offering 6% cash back on up to $6,000 spent at U.S. grocery stores, Blue Cash Preferred® is a strong cash back credit card contender. It also gives cardholders 3% cash back for transit and U.S. gas purchases and 1% cash back on other purchases, making it a solid choice for everyday use.
Meanwhile, the American Express® Gold Card is geared to many categories. It offers 4X points per $1 spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 spent annually), then 1X points; 4X points per $1 spent at US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 spent annually) then 1X points; 3X points per $1 spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com; 2X points per $1 spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com; and 1X point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases. Points can be redeemed for travel or transferred to other rewards partners.
Both cards have welcome bonus offers although there is a lower spending requirement for the Blue Cash Preferred® card. With the Gold Card, for a limited time, cardholders can receive 60,000 points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.
There is also a notable difference in the annual fees for each card. The American Express® Gold Card will set you back AnnualFees each year. (See Rates and Fees.)
Is the card_name a good card?
The CardName is great for frequent commuters, those who enjoy listening to their favorite albums throughout the day (or who appreciates a good Netflix binge), and for anyone who frequently spends at U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations: think soccer parents toting kids to and fro while simultaneously ensuring they have a home-cooked meal to keep their energy up (maybe with some good music on the background to help keep everyone happy).
Frequently asked questions
Does the Blue Cash Preferred® Card work at Walmart?
What is the Blue Cash Preferred® interest rate?
How much is the Blue Cash Preferred Card® annual fee?
What stores count as supermarkets for the Blue Cash Preferred Card®?
Our Methodology
Survey methodology: CardRatings commissioned Op4G in September 2023 to conduct surveys among 1,869 cardholders nationwide. CardRatings website analytics from Jan. 1, 2023-Aug. 31, 2023 were used to determine a selection of the most popular cards and additional cards were included to add survey breadth. Responses to each of nine questions were given on a scale of 1-10 and respondents’ scores were then averaged under broad topics. To determine the overall score, responses from questions 1-8 were summed and the answer to "How likely are you to recommend this card to a friend, coworker or family member?" was double weighted. “Current Scores” reflect scores from the most recent survey (2023); "Past Scores" reflect scores from the 2022 survey.
Disclaimer:The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.
This content is not provided by any company mentioned in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed here are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any such company. CardRatings.com does not review every company or every offer available on the market.
To see the rates and fees for the American Express cards featured, please visit the following links: CardName: See Rates and Fees; CardName: See Rates and Fees; CardName: See Rates and Fees
