The Amex Blue Cash Preferred® Card is one of the best cash back credit cards available, particularly for consumers who spend a lot of money at U.S. supermarkets, use streaming services, or have many commute-related expenses.
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers from the date of account opening
20.24% - 29.24% variable
Earn a $250 statement credit
Good to Excellent
- Generous bonus rewards, especially at U.S. supermarkets
- One of a small handful of credit cards that offer bonus rewards on select streaming services
- Intro APR offer
- Unlike many other cash-back cards, it charges an annual fee
- If you spend more than $6,000 at US supermarkets each year, you'll want to use another card once you reach that cap
The Amex Blue Cash Preferred® is one of the best cash-back cards, particularly for consumers who spend a lot of money at U.S. supermarkets, use streaming services, or have lots of commuting and gas expenses. The annual fee is worth it if your typical spending lines up with the card's bonus categories.
- Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- Buy Now, Pay Later: Enjoy $0 intro plan fees when you use Plan It® to split up large purchases into monthly installments with a fixed fee. Pay $0 intro plan fees on plans created during the first 12 months from the date of account opening. Plans created after that will have a monthly plan fee up to 1.33% of each eligible 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 on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 20.24% - 29.24%.
- 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 or at Amazon.com checkout.
- $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.com or Plus.espn.com in the U.S.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
Amex Blue Cash Preferred Overview
If you spend a lot on groceries, streaming, or commuting, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is one of the MLB.TV
Suppose you are the average family who spends a lot more than $6,000 per year (or $500 per month) at the supermarket. In fact, you spend $10,000 per year at Kroger or Whole Foods. With the Amex Blue Cash Preferred® Card, you would earn $360 in cash back on the first $6,000 you spent and another $40 back earning 1% beyond the $6,000 cap each year. That's $400 already in the bank.
Now imagine you spend another $100 per month at U.S. gas stations — at 3% back, that's another $36 per year. Put $30 per month ($360 per year) in streaming services on the card, and you're approaching $500 per year — and that's not counting any other regular spending on the card or the $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new card within the first six months from account opening. This is why the annual fee is worth it — especially the first year.
If you maximize the 6% back at U.S. supermarkets, you'll get $360 in rewards every year at a bare minimum. That's more than enough to make up for the annual fee — and a lot more than you'd earn with a standard 1% cash-back credit card.
Redeeming Rewards
The Amex Blue Cash Preferred® Card is a straightforward cash-back credit card that doesn't offer multiple options for redeeming your rewards.
The cash back you earn from the Amex Blue Cash Preferred® Card is issued in the form of Reward Dollars, which you can apply to your account as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout in any amount. However, you can't use your rewards toward the minimum payment due.
You can't redeem your rewards directly for travel like you could with an Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express are both cash-back cards, but they differ when it comes to bonus categories, reward amounts, and annual fees.
While the Amex Blue Cash Preferred® Card has an annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $95 (rates and fees), the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express has a $0 annual fee.
The Amex Blue Cash Preferred® Card has higher cash-back bonus categories, too; the Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card earns 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, at U.S. gas stations, and on U.S. online retail purchases (on up to $6,000 per category per year, then 1%) and 1% cash back on other purchases (cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout). Terms apply.
The best option for you will ultimately come down to which bonus categories you prefer, and whether you're willing to pay an annual fee.
Read our Chase Sapphire Preferred card review to learn more.
Amex Blue Cash Preferred Cardholder Insights
In addition to compiling our experts' take on this card, we looked at online forums such as Reddit and Facebook to see what everyday cardholders have to say about this card.
"Underrated for Cash Back"
Many Redditors praise this card for its generous bonus categories, at least until they reach the annual caps on 6% categories.
One commenter specifically stated that this card felt like it was really underrated for cash-back categories.
6% Cash Back on Streaming is the "Silent MVP"
One Redditor earns around $180 a year on this card from paying for streaming subscriptions, calling it the "silent MVP" for their household and why this card makes sense for their family.
Others shared that they don't spend as much on streaming services each year so they don't earn such generous returns, but also find this benefit to be a great deal.
Amex Blue Cash Preferred Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Amex Blue Cash Preferred worth it?
Yes, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred® Card is worth it if you spend a lot in the card's bonus categories, particularly at U.S. supermarkets and U.S. streaming services. If you're not sure you'll spend enough to justify the annual fee, consider the card's no-annual-fee sibling, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express (rates and fees).
What credit score do I need for the Blue Cash Preferred?
Most people who are approved for the Amex Blue Cash Preferred® Card have at least a good credit score, which is a FICO score of at least 670.
Is the Amex Blue Cash Preferred metal?
No, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred® Card isn't made of metal — it's a plastic card.
Is the Amex Blue Cash Preferred a credit card or charge card?
The Amex Blue Cash Preferred® Card is a credit card, not a charge card. That means you'll have a credit limit, which will be based on factors like your credit score at the time of application.
Can I upgrade my Amex Blue Cash Everyday card to the Blue Cash Preferred?
Yes, you may be able to upgrade the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express to the Amex Blue Cash Preferred® Card if you've had the card for at least a year. In fact, American Express is known to send out upgrade offers, which can include a bonus for meeting a minimum spending requirement.
Can you transfer Blue Cash Preferred rewards to the Amex Platinum or other cards?
No, you can't transfer cash back (Reward Dollars) from the Amex Blue Cash Preferred® Card to other Amex cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express or the American Express® Gold Card. Similarly, you can't transfer Amex Membership Rewards points from cards like the Amex Platinum Card to cash-back cards like the Amex Blue Cash Preferred® Card.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed the Amex Blue Cash Preferred
Business Insider's credit card experts evaluated the Amex Blue Cash Preferred® Card by comparing it to similar cash-back cards and other rewards cards with a similar annual fee. These were the main criteria that factored into our review:
- Simplicity — How easy is the card to use and maximize? Is earning and redeeming rewards a simple process, or are there any hoops to jump through?
- Rewards earning potential — Does the card make it easy to earn significant cash back? Are its bonus rewards categories useful for the average cardholder?
- Benefits — Are the card's benefits, beyond the rewards, appealing? Can the average cardholder get significant value from them?
- Annual fee — Does the card's annual fee make sense given its selection of perks and the bonus categories for earning rewards? And does it compare favorably to other similar cards?
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Trip Delay Insurance, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance, and Cell Phone Protection Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. Global Assist Hotline Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, Card Members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. Extended Warranty, Purchase Protection, and Baggage Insurance Plan Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
