Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express vs. Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

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When you think of American Express Cards, you probably think of premium travel rewards. However, American Express also offers two excellent cash back credit card options. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express are both great cards, but they differ slightly in what they offer. We compare them both so you can make the best choice for you.

Welcome Offer

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. Terms Apply.

The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. Terms Apply.

These are both decent offers that require a reasonable spend, and you have six months to do it. That’s different than most credit cards; many of them only give you three months to earn a bonus. Since the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express card has a $1,000 lower spend requirement and the bonus is only $50 less, we give the Everyday card the nod here.

Cash Back Rewards

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns you 6% cash back in U.S. Supermarkets, up to $6,000 a year in purchases. After you meet that threshold, you’ll earn just 1% cash back. You also earn 6% cash back on select streaming, 3% cash back at gas stations and on transit, and 1% cash back on everything else. You also get $7 a month when you use your card on an eligible subscription and spend at least $12.99 a month on the Disney Bundle, which includes Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+.

The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express earns you 3% cash back on up to $6,000 a year in purchases at grocery stores; 3% cash back on up to $6,000 a year on online retail purchases, and 3% cash back at gas stations, up to $6,000 a year. After these thresholds are met, you’ll earn 1%. You get the same $7 a month for the Disney Bundle that the Preferred card offers.

Which card is better for you depends on where you spend the most money. Keep in mind that $6,000 a year on groceries is $500 a month, and many families spend far more than that. But the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns you double the amount of cash back on groceries than the Everyday card does. The rewards on gas are capped with the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express card but not with the Preferred. The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express gets you 6% cash back on streaming, whereas the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express gets you 3% cash back in online retail purchases. Which card is better depends entirely on how you spend your money, so it’s a tie.

Here are the details for each card:

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Rewards:

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express 

Rewards:

Rates and Fees

The biggest difference between these cards is that the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has an annual fee of $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express doesn’t have an annual fee. This will be important when you weigh the value of each card.

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases for the first 12 months. After that, your rate will be 19.24% - 29.99% variable, depending on creditworthiness.

The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express offers a 0% introductory rate on both purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months. After that, your rate will be 19.24% - 29.99% variable, based on your creditworthiness.

If you are looking to transfer a balance from another card, your only choice between these two cards is the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express card. If you want the 0% intro APR rate to make a major purchase, Blue Cash Everyday also gives you slightly longer to pay it off.

See also: Best No-Penalty Balance Transfer Cards to Help You Pay Off Your Debt

Both cards have the same foreign transaction fee: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars. If you’re traveling internationally, consider the Hilton Honors American Express Card instead: there’s no annual fee and it offers elevated rewards on travel and everyday purchases like dining, groceries, and gas, and no foreign transaction fees.

Who the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is Best For

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is an excellent cash back card for people who spend money on groceries and streaming (which is most people), plus you also get 3% cash back on gas and transit, which can include parking, tolls, rideshares, etc. This makes it a great card for commuting.

Even taking into account the annual fee, if you max out the $6,000 cap on groceries a year, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express can get you $360 in cash back, minus the annual fee nets you $265. The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, even without the annual fee, only earns you $180 in cash back. If earning cash back on groceries is your main reason for getting a card, the Preferred is the better bet.

Who the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is Best For

The main advantages the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express has over the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express card is no annual fee, and 3% cash back on online purchases (subject to a spending cap of $6,000). People who do a lot of online shopping will appreciate this card for that, and the 3% cash back on gas and groceries just sweetens the deal. You won’t earn cash back on streaming, but you can still qualify for the $7 a month for an eligible subscription to the Disney Bundle.

Does it Make Sense to Get Both Cards?

Perhaps. If you do that, you can use the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express on groceries until you hit the $6,000 cap, then switch to the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express for 3% cash back. This way you can also enjoy the benefits on streaming services and online shopping. You could always apply for both and if you don’t find the value in the Preferred, you could cancel it. After all, it’s free for the first year.

Approval Odds

The credit score data listed below comes from publicly available information in a number of forums. The accuracy of the information cannot be verified. Keep in mind that credit card issuers consider more than an applicant’s credit score and that underwriting standards change over time.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Since both cards are issued by American Express, approval odds are pretty similar. You’ll need good, but not necessarily excellent credit to be approved. If you have excellent credit, you’ll likely be approved for a higher credit line.