Key takeaways

  • The Amex EveryDay Credit Card earns Membership Rewards points, while the Blue Cash Everyday Card earns cash back in the form of statement credits.
  • The Blue Cash Everyday Card offers a better rewards rate overall and has more spending categories to choose from.
  • While the Amex EveryDay Credit Card's rewards rate might not be as strong, the Card could still be a better option for those who want to earn boosted travel rewards.

When comparing the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card and Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, there are a number of factors to consider — such as rewards rate, redemption options, welcome bonuses and the spending categories that garner more rewards. If you or your family spends a lot on groceries each month, then both cards are good options.

According to our analysis, the Blue Cash Everyday Card beats the Amex EveryDay. Plus, it offers more rewards at U.S. gas stations and on U.S. online retail purchases — two useful bonus categories for the average household.

However, if rewards in these categories aren’t as important to you as getting boosted rewards for travel redemption, then the Amex EveryDay card comes out on top. This card gives you the option to redeem points at higher values for certain travel spending.

Let’s take a look at other features that could help you decide between these two rewards credit cards.

Card details at a glance

Amex EveryDay Credit Card Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card
Welcome bonus 10,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 6 months Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months of card membership.
Rewards rate
  • 2X points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1X)
  • 2X points on eligible travel purchases booked through American Express Travel
  • 1X points on all other purchases
  • Use your card 20 or more times on purchases in a billing period and earn 20% more points on those purchases
  • 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and U.S. online retail purchases on up to $6,000 per calendar year in purchases in each category (then 1%)
  • 1% back on other purchases
Annual fee $0 $0

Amex EveryDay Credit Card vs. Blue Cash Everyday Card highlights

Both cards offer similar perks and benefits, but there are differences that could make either card better for one type of spender over the other. We’ll dissect the finer points of both cards so that you can figure out which one suits your spending habits better.

Welcome bonus winner: Blue Cash Everyday Card

The Amex EveryDay Credit Card offers 10,000 Membership Rewards points if you spend $2,000 on purchases within the first six months of opening your account. These points can be worth anywhere from $50 up to $100, depending on how you choose to redeem them. Unlike many rewards cards that offer a 1:1 redemption value (1 cent per point), these points tend to lose value with many redemption options — except for travel, where points could be worth up to 2 cents per point if you transfer to an American Express travel partner, according to Bankrate valuations.

In contrast, the Blue Cash Everyday Card offers a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first six months. This means that you’re likely to get more value from the statement credit than you would from redeeming the 10,000 Membership Rewards points.

Rewards rate winner: Blue Cash Everyday Card

The biggest difference between the Blue Cash Everyday and Amex EveryDay is that the Blue Cash card earns cash back (in the form of statement credits), while the Amex EveryDay earns Membership Rewards points. Though some might see Membership Rewards points as more valuable, the Blue Cash Everyday Card still wins when you stack up rewards earnings side by side: The Amex Blue Cash has a rewards rate of 3 percent cash back on U.S. supermarket purchases (up to $6,000 per year, then 1 percent), whereas the Amex EveryDay has a rate of 2X back on U.S. supermarket purchases (up to $6,000 per year, then 1 percent).

Though both have a $6,000 cap on supermarket spending, you’ll end up better off with 3 percent cash back. That 3 percent is pure cash back at a 1:1 ratio, while points earned with the Amex EveryDay can have much lower redemption values. Plus, the Blue Cash card includes 3 percent cash back at U.S. gas stations and on U.S. online retail purchases (on up to $6,000 per calendar year in purchases in each category, then 1 percent).

Even though the Blue Cash Everyday wins for rewards, it’s important to note that the Amex EveryDay Credit Card offers cardholders the opportunity to earn boosted rewards. If you use your card 20 or more times on purchases in a billing period, you’ll earn 20 percent more points on those purchases (less with returns and credits). With this structure, you could end up earning more than 2X on your purchases.

Which card earns more rewards?

To determine your rewards potential for either card, it’s best to look at a spending example. You can always adjust the dollar amounts to match your particular spending habits.

Amex EveryDay vs. Blue Cash Everyday spending example

American Express Membership Rewards points can be worth anywhere from 0.5 cents to 2 cents per point, and they’re redeemable for travel, gift cards, shopping and more.

If you spend $1,500 every quarter in the Amex EveryDay 2X rewards category, you’d earn 12,000 points at the end of your first year. Spending an additional $300 each month in the 1X rewards category would add 3,600 points, bringing your total to 15,600 points. When you add in the welcome bonus of 10,000 Membership Rewards points, you’d earn a total of 25,600 points at the end of your first year, worth up to $256 in gift cards.

As for the Blue Cash Everyday, if you spend $1,500 every quarter in just one 3 percent cash back category, you’d earn $180. If you spend an additional $300 a month in one of the two other 3 percent categories, you’d earn another $108. With the cash back welcome bonus of a $200 statement credit**, you’ll earn up to $488 in cash back at the end of your first year. That amount isn’t even including any cash back you’d earn from spending in the 1 percent category.

*Earn 10,000 Membership Rewards points after you use your new Card to make $2,000 in purchases within the first 6 months.

**Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.

Why should you get the Amex EveryDay Credit Card?

This card doesn’t offer the best option for earning or redeeming rewards — there are much better rewards credit cards out there that can offer you more. But if you’re looking for a travel credit card for beginners, this card could introduce you to both travel cards and the Amex family of credit cards.

However, you’ll pay a 2.7 percent foreign transaction fee for each transaction you make outside of the U.S. It should also be noted that this card currently doesn’t accept balance transfers.

Additional Amex EveryDay Credit Card benefits

A few extra benefits offered by the Amex EveryDay include:

  • 0 percent introductory APR on purchases for 15 months from date of account opening (18.24 percent to 29.24 percent variable APR thereafter)
  • Access to Amex Pay It Plan It
  • Complimentary ShopRunner membership
  • Car rental loss and damage insurance
  • 24/7 access to Global Assist Hotline when you travel over 100 miles from home
  • Purchase protection

Redemption options for points

There are multiple redemption options for your points, including:

  • Getting statement credits
  • Getting gift cards
  • Using Amex’s Pay with Points (select merchants, terms apply)
  • Booking or upgrading select travel
  • Transfering points to Amex travel partners
  • Shopping with Membership Rewards points at partner merchants

Remember that you’ll get the most value when you redeem points through the American Express Travel portal or partner travel programs, which are valued at 2 cents each on average.

Amex EveryDay Credit Card credit score requirement

This card requires a good-to-excellent credit score for the best approval odds. This means your FICO credit score should be between 670 and 850, but you’ll have a better chance of approval if your score is 700 or more.

Why should you get the Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card?

The Blue Cash Everyday Card is a solid cash back card. It not only has a better rewards structure than the Amex EveryDay, but there are also more bonus categories where you can earn a higher cash back rate. Plus, the cash back rewards are simpler than a points system.

One downside is that you can’t earn points on this card for boosted redemption values on travel. There’s also a 2.7 percent foreign transaction fee for all purchases abroad. But if you don’t travel much and you’re not looking to transfer high-interest debt, these likely won’t be cons for you.

Additional Amex Blue Cash Everyday benefits

Additional Amex Blue Cash Everyday benefits that you might find useful include:

  • 0 percent introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from date of account opening (19.24 percent to 29.99 percent variable APR after)
  • Access to Amex Pay It Plan It
  • Complimentary ShopRunner membership
  • Car rental loss and damage insurance
  • 24/7 access to Global Assist Hotline when you travel over 100 miles from home
  • Purchase protection

Redemption options for cash back

The Blue Cash Everyday card earns reward dollars, which you can redeem for cash back in the form of a statement credit.

Amex Blue Cash Everyday credit score requirement

This card also requires a good or excellent credit score (between 670 and 850). As with the Amex EveryDay, you’ll have a better chance of approval for the Blue Cash Everyday if your score is 700 or more.

The bottom line

Both the Amex EveryDay and Blue Cash Everyday can help you to earn rewards on purchases you make at U.S. supermarkets. But if earning rewards at U.S. gas stations and on U.S. online retail purchases is important to you as well, the Blue Cash Everyday card should be your pick. However, if you’re eyeing travel rewards, the Amex EveryDay Credit Card may be the better option.

Either way, you should choose the credit card that matches up with your spending habits and financial objectives. This approach will help you to maximize your chosen card’s value.

Information about The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.