American Express Blue Cash Preferred
What it earns on groceries, streaming, transit and gas, the streaming credit and its catch, the protection, and whether the $95 fee pays for itself.
← No annual fee and cash back cards
Points Atelier may earn from partner links. Ratings never depend on it.
No annual fee and cash back · American Express
Welcome offer
As high as $300 back
Annual fee
$0 the first year, then $95
As high as $300 back after $3,000 in purchases in the first 6 months, paid as Reward Dollars. Amex shows the exact offer before acceptance; some applicants get less or none, including anyone who has had this card or the Morgan Stanley Blue Cash Preferred. There is also a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months; the length can vary by offer.
Foreign transaction fees: 2.7%Rewards: Cash back (Reward Dollars)Intro APR: 0% for 12 months (can vary by offer)
The Atelier Take
For grocery-heavy households that want cash, it earns its fee in the first few months.
Who it suits
Families with a large supermarket bill and several streaming subscriptions who prefer cash to points.
Who should skip it
Anyone spending under about $3,200 a year at U.S. supermarkets: the no-fee Blue Cash Everyday then returns more. Also not a card for use abroad, with a 2.7% foreign transaction fee.
The credit, and its catch
Disney streaming credit
Up to $120 a year
Subscriptions bought directly at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com or Stream.ESPN.com, including bundles. An unused month is lost.
What it earns
Rewards: cash back as Reward Dollars, redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout at the same value.
6%
U.S. supermarkets
Up to $6,000 a year, then 1%
6%
Select U.S. streaming subscriptions
3%
Transit
Taxis, rideshare, parking, tolls, trains and buses
3%
U.S. gas stations
1%
Everything else
Cash back is paid as Reward Dollars, worth the same as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. There are no transfer partners.
Other benefits
Amex Offers
Targeted merchant offers added to the card.
Amex ticket access
Presale and reserved tickets for selected events.
Will the $95 fee pay off?
Enter what would go on this card. The result adds the cash back, the credits that would actually be used and, in year one, the welcome offer, then sets the total against a no-fee card that pays 2% back on everything.
1 · Spending on this card
Example figures are filled in; replace them with real ones.
U.S. supermarketsUp to $6,000 a year, then 1%
6%
Select U.S. streaming subscriptions
6%
TransitTaxis, rideshare, parking, tolls, trains and buses
3%
U.S. gas stations
3%
Dining
1%
Flights
1%
Hotels
1%
Everything else
1%
2 · Credits that would be used
Tick only what would be used anyway, at full value.
3 · Assumptions
The result
Cash back is counted at face value, as Reward Dollars redeem for a statement credit at the same rate. The fee is $0 in year one and $95 after. Not counted: the 0% intro APR, car rental cover and return protection.
Insurance and protections
Pay for the trip or purchase with the card to be covered. Travel cover is secondary: it pays after any other insurance. Amex’s Guides to Benefits have the full terms and exclusions.
Car rental loss and damage
Up to $50,000 for theft or damage to a rental car, for rentals up to 30 days, when the rental company’s damage waiver is declined. Secondary.
Purchase protection
Theft or accidental damage within 90 days of purchase: up to $1,000 per item and $50,000 a year.
Extended warranty
Adds up to one year to manufacturer warranties of five years or less: up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 a year.
Return protection
If a store won’t take back an eligible item within 90 days, Amex may refund up to $300 per item and $1,000 a year.
Pros and cons
Pros
- 6% on groceries is one of the highest grocery returns available
- 6% on streaming and 3% on transit and gas
- Cash back needs no valuation
- A $0 first-year fee and a long 0% intro APR
Cons
- The 6% grocery rate stops at $6,000 a year
- 1% on dining and everyday spending
- No transferable points
- 2.7% foreign transaction fee
Card terms change often and some offers are personalized; the issuer’s page is the final word.