AmEx Blue Cash Everyday Review
If you said you were delighted with the Blue Cash Everyday Card, we would totally understand and agree with you. This card takes the market by storm as an optimal cashback option wherein customers enjoy cash rewards on regular everyday purchases like food, petrol, online shopping, etc. Here’s a detailed report of the plastic indicating its salient features, benefits, and shortcomings, allowing you to decide if this card is the right one for you. We’ll determine the category of users who will get the most out of the card and the category of users who would be better off without it.
The Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card can be a valuable tool if you want to reduce your daily expenses or find a card that aligns with your spending habits. This Blue Cash Everyday review will help you understand whether this option matches your spending style or if you should look for another one.
Benefits of the Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card
The Amex Blue Cash Card’s strategy allows holders to enjoy several cumulative cashback categories suitable for everyday purchases. If you are considering the advantages of owning an American Express Card, it is time to explore its most significant merits.
Supermarket Rewards
The Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card offers a pretty admirable feature: it gives back 3% of the first $6,000 you spend at supermarkets in the US and 1% afterward. This incentive is particularly attractive to families or individuals who spend a lot of money on grocery shopping.
For instance, a family that spends $500 a month on groceries may end up with a cashback of $180 in a year. Moreover, if you were to pay more than $6,000 annually for your groceries, you would still get 1% cashback since, with every purchase, you build up a reward.
Recommendation: For families, the 3% cashback on grocery purchases gives great savings throughout the year, and if you combine it with the right promotional offers, the cashback can go even further.
Gasoline Rewards
This Amex plastic provides 3% cashback on the first $6,000 spent at US gas stations. This perk is particularly suitable for those who often travel by car, go on long vacations or work trips, and thus have constant gasoline costs. It’s practical because when gas prices are high, the cashback rewards can assist in reducing the overall cost of driving.
For example, this could mean an annual savings of $36 for someone who uses $100 monthly on fuel. Although this may not sound much, it adds up over time, whether for those who use their cars daily for personal or business purposes.
Recommendation: By the way, combining your Amex Blue Cash Everyday card with other applications that offer more gas promotions or bonuses can enhance your savings and help you get the most out of each dollar spent at the pump.
Purchase rewards in online retail stores
Continuing our American Express Blue Cash Everyday review, it’s worth mentioning that another advantage is the 3% cashback on online retail purchases. This feature is ideal with the recent increase in online shopping.
For instance, by making $200 or more of eligible purchases online per month, you can earn up to $72 per year in cashback. This is a great reward for those who often shop at well-known stores such as Macy’s, Kohl’s, or Target.
Recommendation: The 2% cashback should then be used together with store coupons or sale events for the best results. One good practical example is using the Blue Card during holiday sales or on Black Fridays.
Disadvantages of the Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card
As good as it sounds, the Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card isn’t for everybody. Let’s go through some scenarios when this may not be the best opportunity.
High Grocery Spenders
While this 3% cashback in rewards on up to $6,000 in annual supermarket purchases is a generous number, it may not be enough for larger households with higher grocery expenses. After that cap, rewards fall to 1%, which might be less competitive than unlimited rewards cards out there.
For example, if you spend around $800 a month in groceries, you’d hit that $6,000 cap in 7.5 months and earn a total of just $180 in cashback. Beyond that, you’d get only 1% back, which makes it less advantageous compared to other cards with unlimited grocery rewards.
Recommendation: If you are sure that you spend more than $6,000 a year on groceries, you’re better off with a card like the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express that offers higher rewards on groceries without a low cap.
Frequent International Travelers
The Amex Blue Cash Everyday Сard is less favorable for those who travel to other countries often, as it incurs foreign transaction fees (ranging from 2.7% per transaction). Also, the incentives are mainly focused on the local US market, making it less relevant in other regions.
For instance, if you often travel internationally and buy things in the local currency, the costs can easily offset the cashback rewards. On a $1,000 purchase, you would spend $27 in fees, thus erasing any potential benefits of the program.
Alternative Option: Take, for example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred, which has no foreign transaction fees and targets travelers with its rewards.
Should You Get an American Express Blue Cash Everyday Card?
The Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card is ideal for those who spend moderately in categories like groceries, gas, and online purchases. It has a cashback rewards system that carries considerable value for those looking toward savings from everyday purchases, especially with no annual fee attached to it. This is priced with no annual fee, making it great for budget-conscious consumers who want to get rewards on their regular spending without extra fees.
Best For:
- Moderate grocery spenders or families trying to maximize their cashback rewards on groceries;
- US-based users with regular gas expenses or online retail spending;
- Frugal spenders who would like a no-annual-fee card with simple rewards.
Not the best option for:
- Big grocery spenders, since this card caps what you can earn;
- Frequent international travelers, since there are foreign transaction fees.
Alternatives to the Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card
Feature | Amex Blue Cash Everyday | Chase Sapphire Preferred | Capital One Venture Rewards |
Annual Fee | $0 | $95 | $95 |
Foreign Transaction Fees | 2.7% per transaction | None | None |
Rewards Rate | - 3% cashback at US supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year); - 3% cashback at US gas stations and select US department stores; - 1% cashback on other purchases. | - 3x points on travel; - 2x points on dining; - 1x point on all other purchases. | - 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; - 2x miles on every purchase. |
Sign-Up Bonus | Earn $250 back after spending $2,000 in the first 6 months | Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months | Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months |
Intro APR | 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months; then a variable APR applies | No intro APR | No intro APR |
Best For | Everyday purchases and cashback without an annual fee | Frequent travelers and diners who want to earn points and enjoy travel perks | Travelers who want flexible miles and travel benefits |
Conclusion
To sum up our Blue Cash Everyday Card review, the cashback rewards that the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express provides make it a good card for those who shop for necessities without paying an annual fee. Although it is attractive to moderate spenders in the United States, it does not fit everyone—especially those who travel internationally often or spend a lot on groceries.