$0 intro annual fee the first year, then $95
Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
For American Express products listed in this page, 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.
The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express is a top-tier cash-back credit card that rewards you for everyday spending, making it especially valuable for those with substantial grocery and gas expenses (cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout). It offers generous cash-back on supermarket purchases, gas station purchases, and select streaming services. Although it comes with an annual fee, the cash-back potential often outweighs the cost (cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout).
Plus, you might be eligible to get an elevated welcome offer on this card by going through CardMatch, a simple and secure tool. Check it out here!
[.redeem] 6% [.redeem] cash-back at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 in spending per year
[.redeem] 6% [.redeem] cash-back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
[.redeem] 3% [.redeem] cash-back at U.S. gas stations
[.redeem] 3% [.redeem] cash-back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more)
[.redeem] 1% [.redeem] cash-back on other purchases
For American Express products listed in this page, 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.
🏆 Best for restaurants
Annual Fee: $325
🏆 Best for luxury benefits
🏆 Best for luxury benefits
Annual Fee: $695
Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
At Daily Drop, our mission is simple: to help you explore the world affordably and experience life-changing travel by maximizing miles and points. Our team of travel and credit card experts is here to help you make decisions about which cards belong in your wallet. Based on your travel goals, we offer unbiased advice to help you make the best choices. Keep in mind that our suggestions require responsible credit card use.
Here at Daily Drop, we score cards based on six different categories: annual fee, welcome offer, point redemption value, rewards rates, benefits, and travel protections. You’ll notice that APR is not considered because we never recommend carrying a credit card balance if your goal is to maximize miles and points for travel. While these scores are opinion-based, our team has earned and redeemed millions of miles and points and has traveled to almost every country in the world. After all, we wouldn’t be Daily Drop if we weren’t practicing what we preach.
Read our full methodology for more information.
This card is honestly tough to beat when it comes to spending on groceries. Or, if you stream everything under the sun, it's good for that, also. With solid cash back at U.S. supermarkets and streaming platforms, the Blue Cash Preferred racks up rewards very quickly.
I've known people to get this card, pay the low annual fee, earn hundreds of dollars back just on groceries and make "free" money back. If you like high earning rates and can handle the small fee, the Blue Cash Preferred is perfect for cash back on that everyday spend.
[.pro] Solid cashback on everyday purchases [.pro]
[.pro] Valuable welcome offer [.pro]
[.pro] Access to American Express Offers, which comes with extra savings and discounts on purchases [.pro]
[.con] Cashback rate is capped for U.S. supermarket spending, and after reaching the limit, the cashback rate is lower [.con]
[.con] Limited international acceptance compared to Visa and Mastercard [.con]
[.redeem] 6% [.redeem] cash-back at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 in spending per year
[.redeem] 6% [.redeem] cash-back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
[.redeem] 3% [.redeem] cash-back at U.S. gas stations
[.redeem] 3% [.redeem] cash-back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more)
[.redeem] 1% [.redeem] cash-back on other purchases
[.dontreco] We don’t recommend: Forgetting to redeem your rewards [.dontreco]
While the rewards are straightforward, make sure to regularly check your cash back balance and redeem it as needed. It's easy to let it accumulate without taking advantage of it.
[.sometimesreco] We sometimes recommend: Using it for Amazon purchases [.sometimesreco]
With the option to use cash back at checkout, the Blue Cash Preferred is a great option for your Amazon purchases.
[.alwaysreco] We always recommend: Using it for everyday purchases like groceries and gas [.alwaysreco]
Because of its great cash-back rates, use the Blue Cash Preferred for all your day-to-day spending. It's an effortless way to earn consistent rewards.
Use the Blue Cash Preferred for groceries and streaming, and then use the Amex Platinum to handle travel. You’ll enjoy lounges, points on flights, and points on hotel upgrades. Together, they work super well for anyone who loves cash back and luxury travel perks.
If you want to fill in all the “everything else” gaps, this is a great pairing. You’ll earn solid cash back on non-bonus spending, which will stack well with the Blue Cash Preferred's categories. It also gives you flexibility with your points if you ever switch to a more travel-focused card.
If your weekly Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods haul is the highlight of your routine (guilty!), this card is perfect for you. Just spending $500 a month at U.S. supermarkets gets you $360 back a year (which takes care of the annual fee). And if you're filling up your tank to get to said grocery stores, even better. From filling your gas tank to paying for subways, buses, or Ubers, solid cash back on transit and gas adds up quickly. It’s one of the only cards that includes transit.
Stream Netflix, Disney+, Spotify, HBO Max, Hulu? That 6% cash back on streaming adds up super fast. While other cards come with credits for those platforms, this card still puts cash back in your wallet. That said, this card is a great place to start.
If your grocery spending is under $250 per month or you rarely pay for streaming, it’s probably not worth the fee. Also, if you're looking for flight credits or hotel points, I'd look elsewhere. This is a cash back card before anything else.
The recommended credit score for the Blue Cash Preferred is good. But again, if you’re in a decent place with your credit and feel you are ready for a new card, don’t let the fear of being rejected keep you from applying. And generally speaking, this is a beginner card. It should help you build up your portfolio when used responsibly.