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Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express review: No annual fee, great benefits

By Credible
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Cash back rewards, no annual fee, and Amex’s signature perks and benefits make the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express well worth a look. (iStock)

American Express is a pioneer in the credit card industry, so it’s no surprise that Amex offers more than a dozen credit cards to cater to a wide range of consumer preferences — including people who want cash back for their spending. 

Among the credit giant’s three cash back cards, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express stands out for its $0 annual fee and competitive rewards.

Top card highlights 

  • No annual fee
  • 0% APR on purchases for the first 15 months
  • $100 welcome offer (estimated reward)
  • Up to $150 back on Amazon purchases made in the first six months
  • 1% to 3% cash back rewards rate (depending on type of purchase)

Learn about the Blue Cash Everyday from Amex and other cash back credit cards when you compare credit cards using Credible.

How rewards work

The Blue Cash Everyday from Amex gives you a percentage of your purchases as cash back in the form of Rewards Dollars that you redeem as statement credits. The amount of Rewards Dollars a purchase earns depends on the type and amount of the purchase:

  • 3% at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1% on purchases in excess of $6,000)
  • 2% at U.S. gas stations and select U.S. department stores
  • 1% on other purchases

What to know about the welcome bonus

New card members get some extra bonuses for opening a Blue Cash Everyday card:

  • For the first six months of membership, you can earn 20% back on Amazon.com purchases made with your card — up to $150.
  • If you make $2,000 worth of purchases on your new card within the first six months, you can earn an additional $150 back.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT CREDIT CARD ANNUAL FEES

What to know about rates and fees

The $0 annual fee is a big perk of the Blue Cash Everyday card, but it’s not the only cost-related benefit. This card gives you Plan It® — a payment program that allows you to choose purchases of $100 or more and split them into monthly payments with a fixed fee and no interest.

During the first 15 months of card membership, the card offers a 0% intro APR on purchases. The rate then rises to a variable APR ranging from 13.99% to 23.99%.

Card pros 

  • No annual fee
  • Virtually every purchase earns cash back
  • Potential to earn up to $300 back in the first six months (provided you meet purchase thresholds)
  • 0% introductory purchase APR

Card cons

  • High end of APR range is comparatively high
  • 2.7% foreign transaction fee
  • Cash back is mostly for domestic purchases
  • High cost for missed or late payments — fees of up to $40 and APR increase to 29.99%

Who the card is good for (and who it’s not)

If you regularly use the card for grocery store purchases, gas and other purchases, and can take full advantage of the rewards for Amazon purchases, the Blue Cash Everyday card from Amex could give you a satisfying amount of cash back.

But if you want a card to use for dining out a lot or need a card while traveling internationally that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, American Express likely has at least one other cash rewards credit card that will suit you better.

HOW MANY CREDIT CARDS SHOULD YOU HAVE?

Alternative to Blue Cash Everyday® Card from Amex

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers more generous rewards than Blue Cash Everyday, including cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. With the Blue Cash Preferred® card you’ll get a 0% intro purchase APR for the first 12 months and $0 annual fee for the first year (the annual fee is $95 after the first year).

You can compare the Blue Cash Everyday, the Blue Cash Preferred and other credit cards by visiting Credible.

Some final observations

Keep in mind that credit card terms and conditions can change, so be sure to check the card issuer’s website for the most current information before applying for any credit card. Paying off credit card balances on time and in full every month is the best way to avoid interest charges and prevent credit card debt from accumulating.

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