Key facts
With strong earning potential in a tiered rewards structure at U.S. Supermarkets, select U.S. streaming subscriptions, transit expenses and purchases at U.S. gas stations, the American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card is a powerhouse for racking up cash back rewards.
Min. Credit Score for Approval:
Good *APR on Purchases:
0 % Intro APR on purchases for 12 months, 18.24%-29.24% thereafterAPR on Balance Transfers:
0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 12 months, 18.24%-29.24% thereafterBalance transfer fees
Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.Foreign Transaction Fee:
2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.Beyond the day-to-day, you can earn monthly statement credits toward The Disney Bundle streaming subscriptions and Equinox+ for at-home workouts. (Terms Apply – see details below).
Combined with return protection (Terms Apply, see details below) — a benefit we’re rarely seeing offered by credit cards nowadays — as well as extended warranty and secondary car rental loss insurance (Terms Apply, see details below), the Blue Cash Preferred is a fantastic option for many U.S. households.
Reward multipliers
The Blue Cash Preferred gives you 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to the first $6,000 per year; then 1% cash back) and select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back on eligible transit purchases and U.S. gas station purchases; and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
* American Express defines a supermarket as offering a wide variety of food and household products such as meat, fresh produce, dairy, canned and packaged goods, household cleaners, pharmacy products and pet supplies. (Superstores, convenience stores and warehouse clubs are NOT considered supermarkets.)
Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit on Amazon.com at checkout.
Earns bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
At U.S. Supermarkets on the first $6,000 of yearly spend; 1X thereafter. * American Express defines a supermarket as offering a wide variety of food and household products such as meat, fresh produce, dairy, canned and packaged goods, household cleaners, pharmacy products and pet supplies. (Superstores, convenience stores and warehouse clubs are NOT considered supermarkets.)
Estimated Rewards Value: 6%
Estimated Rewards Value: 3%
Key features
Unique Card Benefits
American Express Experiences
0% Intro APR on Purchases
0 % Intro APR on purchases for 12 months, 18.24%-29.24% thereafter
0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers
0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 12 months, 18.24%-29.24% thereafter
Balance Transfer Fees: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Annual Statement Credits
The Disney Bundle Monthly Statement Credit
$84 Disney Bundle Credit: With your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred Card, spend $9.99 or more each month on an auto-renewing Disney Bundle subscription, to receive a monthly statement credit of $7. Valid only at Disney Plus.com, Hulu.comor Plus.espn.com in the U.S.
Enrollment required.
Secondary Car Rental CDW Waiver
When you use your Blue Cash Preferred to reserve and pay for your entire car rental and decline the collision damage and loss waiver coverage at the car rental company counter, you’ll receive secondary CDW coverage that is supplemental to any other coverage available to you.
Terms:
Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply.
· 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. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
Extended Warranty
You can extend a manufacturer’s warranty on eligible purchases by one additional year on warranties of five years or less.
Terms:
When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty§ can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year.
· 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.
Purchase Protection
If eligible purchases you make on the card get stolen or damaged within 90 days of purchase, you may be able to receive reimbursement for the item up to a certain limit.
Terms:
When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase with their Eligible Card, Purchase Protection can help protect their Covered Purchases for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date if it is stolen or accidentally damaged. The coverage is limited up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year.
· 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.
Return Protection
Return Protection
Bought something on the card but decided you want to return it? If the original merchant won’t process the refund, this card’s return protection benefit will refund the full purchase price up to $300 per approved claim (up to $1,000 per calendar year) within 90 days of purchase.
Terms:
With Return Protection, you may return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won’t take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. American Express may refund the full purchase price excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per Card account, if you purchased it entirely with your eligible American Express® Card. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories.
- Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.
- Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
In case of an emergency while traveling, you may contact the Global Assist Hotline for coordination or referral services. Card Members are responsible for the cost of any third-party services rendered.
Terms:
You can rely on Global Assist Hotline 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Third-party service costs may be your responsibility.
· Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.
· Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
No Fees for Authorized Users
There’s no additional annual fee for adding authorized users on the card. Plus, all of the purchases made on the card will accrue reward dollars to the primary account holder’s cash back balance.
Amex Offers
You can browse 100 Amex Offers at a time, giving you great discounts for travel, shopping, entertainment, dining and more. We’re huge fans of Amex Offers.
Earn more rewards by combining credit cards
Pros & cons
- Industry-leading 6% cash back rate for U.S. supermarket spending (up to the first $6,000 per year) and select U.S. streaming subscriptions
- Monthly statement credits for The Disney Bundle that could potentially save you hundreds of dollars per year
- 0% intro APR for purchases and balance transfers during the first 12 months of account opening (See "Key Facts" and rates & fees for details)
- Charges a $95 annual fee every year after the $0 intro annual fee
- This card's foreign transaction fee clocks in at 2.7%
- Blue Cash reward dollars are limited to cash back redemptions
Our review
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a rewarding cash-back card thanks to its range of useful bonus categories. Perhaps the most valuable bonus category is the ability to earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, on the first $6,000 spent annually. Households who spend $500 or so can maximize this threshold to earn a tremendous $350 in reward dollars every year, and that’s before you consider the other bonus cash-back opportunities like 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations. Still, you will want to subtract the $95 annual fee from that bounty.
The 6% cash back rate applies to select U.S. streaming subscriptions, which covers virtually every participating provider out there. From Apple Music to YouTube TV to Netflix to Prime Video, it’s likely that you subscribe to one (or more) of these popular live TV, movie or music streaming services.
Not to mention, you can enroll your card within your American Express account to receive a $7 monthly statement credit when you spend $9.99 (or more) each month on a subscription to The Disney Bundle, which includes Disney+, Hulu, or ESPN+. If you already subscribe to one of these eligible services, that’s an instant savings of $84 every year.
You can also earn bonus cash back when you’re on the road. The Blue Cash Preferred provides 3% at U.S. gas stations and for local transit expenses, which includes anything such as taxis, rideshare services like Lyft and Uber, parking expenses, tolls, and train and bus fares.
Simply put, the cash back earnings add up swiftly with the Blue Cash Preferred, especially if you have a large household. You’ll earn cash back in the form of reward dollars, which can then be redeemed for any amount on your monthly statement credit through American Express. One reward dollar equals $1.
Other benefits on the card, such as purchase protection, return protection and access to Global Assist Hotline may be used less frequently, but will still come in handy when it’s least expected.
Best of all, there’s no annual fee for the first year of card membership, giving you time to test drive the card’s earning rates and benefits before you commit to paying the ongoing $95 annual fee. It is possible to downgrade after one year to the Blue Cash Everyday® Card if you find it more suitable.
Rates and Fees for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Frequently asked questions
Does Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express have an annual fee?
The annual fee on the Blue Cash Preferred is waived for the first year, but costs $95 after each account anniversary.
Does Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express get you into airport lounges?
No, the Blue Cash Preferred does not offer airport lounge access.
Is it hard to get the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express?
It can be difficult to qualify for the Blue Cash Preferred if you don’t have a good to excellent credit score and a strong payment history.
Is it worth getting Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express?
Between groceries, gas stations and everything in between, the Blue Cash Preferred is one of the best cash back cards to maximize everyday purchases. With no annual fee for the first year (then $95), it’s a solid rewards card from American Express.
How do I earn cash with the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express?
You earn cash back for every purchase made on the card through reward dollars, which can be redeemed for a statement credit.
Is there a better credit card than the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express?
If you spend a big chunk of your budget at restaurants or flights, the American Express® Gold Card may offer a better earning rate for you as it offers 4x points on dining worldwide and U.S. supermarket spending (up to the first $25,000 per year; then 1x); 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel; and 1x points on all other purchases.
Does the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express charge foreign transaction fees?
Yes, there’s a 2.7% foreign transaction fee of every purchase you make in a non-U.S. currency.
Does the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express have car rental collision damage waiver (CDW) coverage?
The Blue Cash Preferred offers secondary car rental loss and damage insurance that kicks in after your own insurance when you reserve and pay for your rental with your Blue Cash Preferred Card.
Does the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offer extended warranty?
With the Blue Cash Preferred’s extended warranty policy, a manufacturer’s warranty on eligible purchases can be extended by one additional year on warranties of five years or less.
Does the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offer purchase protection?
Yes, the Blue Cash Preferred offers purchase protection on damaged or stolen items for up to 90 days. The coverage is limited up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year.
Does the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offer trip protections?
No, the Blue Cash Preferred does not offer trip protections like trip cancellation and delay insurance or lost or stolen baggage benefits.
What credit score do I need to get a Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express?
You’ll most likely need a good to excellent credit score to qualify, so ideally a 670 or higher.
What can I do with the points earned for spending on the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express?
You’ll earn reward dollars (cash back) with the Blue Cash Preferred, which can be redeemed in the form of statement credits — and there’s no minimum redemption amount.
Does Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express have Cell Phone Protection?
No, the Blue Cash Preferred Card does not come with cell phone protection benefits.