Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express 2024 review: Strong rewards on groceries at supermarkets & gas in the U.S., transit and more

Despite the annual fee, which kicks in after the first year, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (terms apply, rates & fees) will likely be worth it for many consumers. The cash-back program is generous, including cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to an annual spend cap) and cash back at gas stations in the U.S. and transit.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

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BLUEPRINT RATING

Our ratings are based on specific use cases for each card. We compared this card to others in the same category and developed our rankings based on this criteria, along with our editorial input. Note that although we chose this card as the best in its category, the right card for you will depend on your own financial circumstances.

Rates & fees / Terms apply

Rates & fees / Terms apply

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BLUEPRINT RATING

Our ratings are based on specific use cases for each card. We compared this card to others in the same category and developed our rankings based on this criteria, along with our editorial input. Note that although we chose this card as the best in its category, the right card for you will depend on your own financial circumstances.

Welcome bonus

Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.

Earn $250

Annual fee

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95

Regular APR

19.24%-29.99% Variable

Credit score

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

(700 – 749) Good, Excellent

Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%); Earn 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions; Earn 3% cash back on transit (e.g., taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more) and at U.S. gas stations; Earn 1% cash back on other eligible purchases. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or for eligible items at Amazon.com checkout.

Editor’s take

Pros

• Earns generous cash back in numerous categories.
• Intro APR periods on purchases and balance transfers.
• Generous welcome bonus.

Cons

• Ongoing annual fee.
• Annual spending cap on elevated earnings at U.S. supermarkets.
• Redemptions are only in the form of statement credits.

The Blue Cash Preferred Card offers one of the highest cash-back rates for groceries at U.S. supermarkets you’ll find (subject to an annual spending cap). You’ll earn strong rewards rates on select streaming services, at U.S. gas stations and on other transit purchases. Heavy spenders can easily recoup the card’s annual fee.

Card details

• 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. 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% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 19.24% – 29.99%.
• 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.
• 3% Cash Back 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 on Amazon.com at 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.
• Terms Apply.

About the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card

Are you a human being who likes to eat? Do you often find yourself in need of getting from one place to the other, either by car or public transit? If you answered yes to those questions — as we suspect most readers will — the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express could be a good cash-back credit card for your life, as long as you’re OK with paying an annual fee.

There is a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.

Cardholders earn rewards on a range of useful categories, including 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, 3% cash back on transit and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Rewards Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or for eligible items at Amazon.com checkout.

You can also earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership. Finally, you’ll get a 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers requested in the first 60 days, then a variable APR of 19.24% to 29.99%. A balance transfer fee of $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, applies.

American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card basics

• Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
• Welcome bonus: Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership.
• Rewards: 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, 3% cash back on transit and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Rewards Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or for eligible items at Amazon.com checkout.
• APR: 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers requested in the first 60 days, then a variable APR of 19.24% to 29.99%. A balance transfer fee of $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, applies.
• Other perks and benefits: $7 per month in statement credits (up to $84 per year) after spending $9.99 or more each month on an eligible Disney Bundle subscription (enrollment required; subject to auto-renewal); return protection¹; secondary rental car coverage³; Global Assist® Hotline³ when traveling more than 100 miles from home; Amex Offers. 
• Does the issuer offer a preapproval tool? Yes.
• Recommended credit score: Good to excellent.

American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card other details

American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card rewards

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred lets cardholders earn 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, 3% cash back on transit and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Rewards Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or for eligible items at Amazon.com checkout.

There’s also a welcome bonus. You can earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership.

American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card rewards potential

Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a household in the U.S. that would be in the market for this card has an annual income of $84,352 and $25,087 in expenses they are likely to be able to charge to a credit card. Here’s what you could earn:

• $4,942 in spending on groceries x 6% back = $296.52
• $564 in spending on streaming services x 6% back = $33.84
• $3,009 in spending on gas and transit x 3% back = $90.27
• $16,572 in remaining credit card spending x 1% back = $165.72

In total, this hypothetical household could earn $586.35 in cash back annually.

American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card APR

This card offers a 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers requested in the first 60 days, then a variable APR of 19.24% to 29.99%. A balance transfer fee of $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, applies.

American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card pros

• Elevated cash back at U.S. supermarkets: This card is one of the best around for earning a high cash-back rate at U.S. supermarkets. Just be aware spending at superstores, convenience stores, warehouse clubs and on meal kit delivery services won’t earn the elevated rate.
• Transit category is broad: You’ll earn cash back for transit when spending on taxis, rideshares, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more.
• No minimum redemption required: Some cards may require a minimum redemption amount, often set at $25. The Amex Blue Cash Preferred earns cash back in the form of Reward Dollars you can redeem for a statement credit or for eligible items at Amazon.com checkout with no minimum.

American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card cons

• Annual fee: There is a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 to carry the card. It’s easy enough to recoup that in cash back, but if you don’t spend heavily on the reward categories, you could be better off getting a no-annual-fee card than paying the annual fee to keep this one in your wallet.
• Cap on groceries U.S. supermarket earnings: You’ll only earn elevated back at U.S. supermarkets on up to an annual spend cap per year. After that, your earning rate drops to the base rate on such purchases. In our estimate, the typical household spends around $4,942 per year on groceries, so the cap would not be an issue in that case. But if your monthly grocery budget often runs high, you could end up hitting the annual spending cap on the elevated rate.
• Foreign transaction fees: We recommend taking a card with no foreign transaction fee when traveling abroad since this one incurs a fee of 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.

How the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card compares to other rewards cards 

American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card vs. Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

The no-annual-fee Blue Cash Everyday (terms apply, rates & fees) could be a better fit for consumers who don’t spend enough in the Blue Cash Preferred Card’s bonus categories to justify that card’s annual fee.

Cardholders with the Amex Blue Cash Everyday earn the following: 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and online retail purchases in the U.S. (on up to $6,000 in each 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 for eligible items at Amazon.com checkout.

Plus, new Amex Blue Cash Everyday cardholders can also earn a $200 statement credit after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first six months of card membership.

American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card vs. U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card * The information for the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Looking to earn credit card points you can redeem for travel? Consider the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect, which packs a lot of value into a card with a $0 introductory annual fee for the first 12 months, then $95 annual fee.

Cardholders using the Altitude Connect Visa earn 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center, 4 points per $1 on travel, 4 points per $1 at gas stations and EV charging stations through September 8, 2024, after that 4 points per $1 on the first $1,000 spent each quarter (wholesale clubs, discount stores/supercenters and grocery stores excluded), 2 points per $1 on dining, streaming services and at grocery stores (discount stores/supercenters and wholesale clubs excluded effective September 9, 2024) and 1 point per $1 on all other eligible purchases.

You can earn a welcome bonus of 50,000 points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 120 days of account opening.

Finally, there are no foreign transaction fees with the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect.

American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

If keeping track of bonus cash-back categories isn’t your thing, consider one of the best flat-rate cash rewards credit cards on the market — the Wells Fargo Active Cash. Cardholders earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases and there’s no annual fee. The Active Cash offers a welcome bonus of $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Should you get the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card?

For those who spend heavily at the supermarket, as well as on gas, transit or both, it makes sense to add the Blue Cash Preferred to your wallet. You’ll be rewarded generously on purchases in the card’s bonus categories, and it likely won’t be difficult to recoup the amount of the annual fee.

The Blue Cash Preferred could be a particularly useful credit card for consumers budgeting for a large family. This card’s list of bonus cash-back categories is no-nonsense and includes U.S. supermarket spending, select streaming services, U.S. gas station purchases and transit spending (with that last category encompassing taxis, ride-shares, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more).

That said, the Blue Cash Preferred won’t make sense for everyone. If you don’t spend enough in the bonus categories to recoup the annual fee, or if you want the simplicity of earning the same flat rate on every purchase, consider one of the alternative rewards credit cards listed above.

American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card summary

AMERICAN EXPRESS BLUE CASH PREFERRED CARD SUMMARY
Annual fee	$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95
Rewards	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, 3% cash back on transit and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Rewards Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or for eligible items at Amazon.com checkout
Welcome bonus	Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first six months of card membership
APR	0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers requested in the first 60 days, then a variable APR of 19.24% to 29.99%. A balance transfer fee of $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, applies
Foreign transaction fees	2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
Major benefits	Return protection¹; Secondary rental car coverage³; $7 monthly statement credit (up to $84 per year) after spending $9.99 or more each month on an eligible Disney Bundle subscription (enrollment required; subject to auto-renewal).

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Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

^{For rates and fees for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express please visit this page.}

^{For rates and fees for the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express please visit this page.}

^{¹Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.}

^{²Eligibility 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.}

^{³Eligibility 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.}