Amex Blue Cash Everyday Review: Big Cash Back Rewards on Everyday Spending

The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is good for: Consumers who spend a lot on groceries, gas, and online shopping. It's an especially good choice for families, because of its bonus categories and an $84 Disney Bundle credit. Terms apply.

Keep reading to see if this American Express card fits your needs.

Is the Amex Blue Cash Everyday worth it?

The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is a great value. You'll earn bonus cash back in some of the most popular categories, and you could save money with its spending credits, all for no annual fee.

Author's note

American Express is one of my favorite card issuers, in large part because of its customer service. Over the years, I've contacted American Express by phone and through live chat online. It has never taken more than a couple of minutes to talk to a representative, and they've always done an excellent job. Card benefits matter too, and while I'm not a fan of every American Express card, I think this is one of the better options. The cash back program gives you plenty of opportunities to earn bonus rewards.

Cash back bonuses in the places where you spend the most

Everyone's spending habits are a bit different, but most of us go grocery shopping on a regular basis. If you drive, then you probably also spend money on gas. And who doesn't do the occasional (or frequent) online shopping at this point?

With this American Express card, you'll be earning extra on all those purchases. It earns 3% cash back on:

• Groceries at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases)
• Gas at U.S. gas stations (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases)
• U.S. online retail purchases (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases)
• Terms apply.

It's always nice when a credit card has bonus categories you'll actually use, like gas and groceries. The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express lives up to its name here, with bonus cash back in everyday spending categories.

Say goodbye to interest with a long 0% intro APR

Like a lot of cash back cards, this card gives you some time upfront to pay off credit card spending without any interest charges. It has a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. After the intro period ends, the go-to 19.24%-29.99% Variable APR applies. Terms apply.

There are all kinds of ways you could use this benefit. Here are a few examples:

• Need to make a big-ticket purchase, like a new computer? Put it on this American Express card and pay it off interest-free during the intro period.
• If your bills are going to be more expensive than usual for a few months, you could use this card to avoid costly interest charges.
• Already in credit card debt? Transfer it over to this American Express card so you can pay it down at a 0% intro APR.

One quick word of caution: A 0% intro APR is something you should only use if you really need it. It's your "break in case of emergency" option, if you have expenses you need but can't pay for in full, or expensive credit card debt. If you don't need to use it, it's better to keep yourself out of debt, even if that debt would have a 0% intro APR.

Spending credits could help you save money on your subscriptions

This card has a couple of spending credits you may like:

• $84 Disney Bundle credit: Get a $7 monthly statement credit after using your enrolled Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express to spend $9.99 or more each month on a Disney Bundle subscription.
• $180 Home Chef credit: Get a $15 monthly statement credit after using your enrolled Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express to purchase a Home Chef subscription.
• Terms apply.

The Disney Bundle credit is perfect if you like Disney+, Hulu, or ESPN+. The Home Chef credit could come in handy, too, if you already use that service or were planning to try it. Keep in mind that the weekly order minimum is just over $50, so even with a $15 credit, it won't be cheap.

Complimentary protections and highly regarded customer service for peace of mind

One of the attributes that sets American Express apart is the customer experience and service it provides. I've had cards from just about all the major credit card companies. Some of them deliver a much better customer experience than others.

American Express is near the top of the list. Not just my personal list, either -- it's usually No. 1 in J.D. Power's credit card satisfaction studies. It has some of the best customer service, an easy-to-use web platform, and a quality mobile app.

For an example of where this makes a difference, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express has a couple of complimentary extra protections:

• Purchase protection for eligible purchases against accidental damage and theft for up to 90 days
• Car rental loss and damage insurance when you use your eligible card to pay for the entire rental and decline the collision damage waiver offered by the rental company
• Terms and coverage limits apply.

Lots of credit cards have consumer protections like these. But with other card issuers, you need to deal with a third-party insurance company to make a claim, and that can be a hassle. American Express has its own insurance company. You go through the entire claim process with American Express, which can make it much easier to get your money back or a problem resolved.

This card doesn't travel well -- U.S.-centric benefits and a foreign transaction fee

If you like to travel internationally, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express isn't a good fit for that. As you may have noticed earlier, all its bonus categories are specifically for U.S. businesses: U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. online retail purchases.

Everything else earns the standard 1% cash back rate. If you use your card at a supermarket in Canada or a gas station in the United Kingdom, you'll earn 1% back, not 3%. Terms apply.

You'll also pay a foreign transaction fee of 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars. On a vacation abroad where you spend $3,000, that's an extra $81 in fees.

This American Express card has a lot to offer when you use it in the United States. When you're exploring the rest of the world, you're better off bringing along travel credit cards.

The spending requirement for the welcome offer is on the high side

This card comes with a welcome offer of $200 back after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. You'll receive the cash back in the form of a statement credit.

It's a competitive welcome bonus in terms of value -- $200 is high for cards with no annual fee. But it also requires more spending compared to other credit cards. There are several with $200 welcome offers that only require spending $500 to $1,000 in the first three months.

For most people, this isn't a huge issue. You have 6 months to spend $2,000, after all. But if you don't spend much, then it could be a problem. In that case, check out other credit card reviews for one with a lower spending requirement on its welcome offer.

Amex Blue Cash Everyday credit score

A FICO® Score of 670 or higher is recommended when applying for the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express. American Express can be flexible with its requirements, and there are the occasional reports of successful applicants with lower credit scores. But if your score is low and you apply for this card, just be aware that it could result in a denial.

Pre-approval process

If you're already an American Express client, you can look for pre-approvals in your online account. If not, the card issuer has an online pre-approval tool that anyone can use. Either of these options will show you American Express pre-approval offers you have, which may or may not include the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express.

Intro APR

The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express has a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. It's a long 0% intro APR, so you could save on interest by financing purchases or refinancing credit card debt with this card.

Fees

Here are the fees for the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express:

• Annual fee: $0
• Balance transfer fee: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
• Cash advance fee: 5% ($10 minimum)
• Foreign transaction fee: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
• Late payment fee: Up to $40
• Returned payment fee: Up to $40
• See rates and fees.

Credit limit

Credit limits on the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express can range from $1,000 to $40,000 or more. When you're approved for this card, American Express sets a credit limit based on your income and overall creditworthiness. It may increase your credit limit automatically going forward, but you can also request an increase online or over the phone.

If you spend $300 or more per month on groceries: You could earn more cash back with the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. It has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. But it earns twice as much cash back (6%) at U.S. supermarkets, up to the same $6,000 yearly spending cap. Terms apply, see rates and fees.

If you want a high rewards rate on all your spending: The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns 2% cash rewards on purchases, anywhere you use it. It also has a $200 cash rewards welcome bonus, and you only need to spend $500 in the first three months to earn it.

Our credit card methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.