Quick highlights
- Rewards rate: 3 percent cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and U.S. online retail purchases of up to $6,000 per calendar year in purchases in each category (then 1 percent), and 1 percent cash back on other purchases.
- Welcome offer: $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card within the first six months
- Purchase intro APR: 0 percent for 15 months
- Balance transfer intro APR: 0 percent for 15 months
- Regular APR: 18.99 percent to 29.99 percent (variable APR)
Current welcome offer
Depending on how you spend, the Blue Cash Everyday Card’s latest welcome offer could be relatively accessible. The card offers a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card within the first six months.
A total bonus value of up to $200 is quite impressive for a no-annual-fee cash back card. Both the Capital One SavorOne and the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card — two other terrific, no-annual-fee cash back cards that earn rewards on groceries — have welcome offers of equal value, but have different spending requirements. The Blue Cash Everyday has the highest spending requirement among these options, while the Capital One SavorOne has the lowest, requiring cardholders to spend just $1,000 in the first three months.
The best card for you will come down to credits, benefits, rewards rates and whether you’ll meet the spending requirement for its welcome offer.
Rewards rate
The Amex Blue Cash Everyday earns cash back at the same 3 percent cash back rate in multiple bonus categories, making it easy to track your earnings and build a solid cash back strategy.
And while, like many issuers, Amex puts spending caps on the Blue Cash Everyday Card’s highest-earning categories, its limits offer more wiggle room than other cards. While many cards limit your top rates to your first $1,500 in spending per quarter before dropping them back to 1 percent, the Blue Cash Everyday Card’s bonus categories each have an annual $6,000 spending limit before the rate drops to 1 percent cash back.
This can make for interesting strategies to save money on groceries if you’re waiting for seasonal sales or bulk delivery orders.
How you earn
Amex markets them as cash back cards, but American Express Blue Cash cards earn “Blue Cash Reward Dollars,” which you can redeem for equivalent cash back in the form of a statement credit.
The Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card earns 3 percent cash back on your first $6,000 in spending per year in each of the following categories:
- U.S. supermarket purchases
- U.S. gas station purchases
- U.S. online retail purchases
The card also earns 1 percent back on all other purchases.
To maximize your rewards with this card, you may need to pay attention to merchant category codes to see whether a purchase is considered a U.S. supermarket or online retail purchase. For instance, Kroger and Albertsons stores will earn 3 percent cash back, but Walmart won’t since it isn’t categorized as a supermarket. Similarly, the card’s terms and conditions state that online retail purchases include purchases made online from a U.S. retail merchant and categorized as an internet transaction by the merchant. While typical shopping at an online store like Amazon should qualify, certain online purchases like travel may not be eligible.
How you redeem
You can redeem Blue Cash Reward Dollars for a statement credit or a gift card. Alternatively, you can shop for merchandise with your rewards, but cash back via statement credit is your most versatile option.
The Blue Cash Everyday doesn’t offer much variety when it comes to redemption options, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary as a cash back card.
On the bright side, its simple earning and redemption model means you won’t have to change your routine to maximize rewards. In fact, you won’t even have to connect to a bank account because you can’t redeem for a direct deposit or a check like some issuers allow. Although this can be a downside comparatively, it shouldn’t be an issue for cardholders using the Blue Cash Everyday for most of their month-to-month purchases.