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Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express: Gas, Groceries and Online Shopping
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is a great card for everyday spending, thanks to its reward categories and lack of an annual fee (see rates and fees). And it's flexible -- you can also take advantage of its introductory APR on purchases or balance transfers to finance a large purchase or consolidate your debt.
The rewards particularly shine when it comes to U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and now U.S. online retail purchases -- big parts of many budgets. Read on to learn more about what's included in the rewards categories, how to redeem rewards and take advantage of this card's other benefits.
In this article
Intro Offer Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
APR16.24% - 27.24% Variable
Intro Purchase APR0% on purchases for 15 months
Recommended Credit Excellent, Good
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%.
- New! 3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
- 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
Annual Fee$0
Intro Balance Transfer APR0% on balance transfers for 15 months
Balance Transfer APR16.24% - 27.24% Variable
Balance Transfer Fee Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Late Payment Fee Up to $40
Foreign Transaction Fees 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
Penalty APR 29.99% Variable
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%.
- New! 3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
- 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
Earning rewards
With the Blue Cash Everyday Card, you'll earn 3% cash back on up to $6,000 in spending per year (then 1%) in each of these categories:
- U.S. supermarkets
- U.S. gas stations
- U.S. online retail purchases
This means that if you spend $5,000 in a year at U.S. gas stations, you'd earn $150 in cash back for that year. But if you spent $7,000, you'd earn $190. Compared to other cash-back credit cards, especially those with no annual fee, this is a pretty good spread of rewards categories at strong rewards rates.
Note that U.S. supermarkets do not include superstores (Target, Walmart), convenience stores, warehouse clubs or meal-kit delivery services. And superstores, supermarkets and warehouse clubs that sell gasoline don't count as gas stations. Online retailers like Target.com and Amazon.com do count for U.S. online retail purchases, though.
Other purchases earn 1% rewards rates, and cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
Welcome offer
The spending threshold to earn the welcome offer is a bit high -- especially when compared to the size of the offer. You have to spend $2,000 on your card within the first six months of membership to earn a $200 statement credit. Six months is longer than most cards give you to earn a welcome offer, and it will take eight to 12 weeks after achieving the spending threshold for the statement credit to post to your account. If you're looking strictly for welcome offer value in a credit card, you may be better off reviewing our picks for the best welcome bonus credit cards.
Introductory APR
With the Blue Cash Everyday, you'll get 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 16.24% to 27.24%. These features can enable you to finance a large purchase or consolidate your debt with minimal complications. This card also comes with a Buy Now, Pay Later by Plan It® that lets cardholders finance qualifying purchases with a fixed monthly fee of up to 1.33% (see rates and fees), rather than interest.
As part of the introductory offer, you'll get $0 intro Plan It® fees on any payment plans opened within the first 15 months of account ownership. Plans created after that will have a monthly plan fee of up to 1.33% of each purchase amount moved into a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors.
Note that the use of one of these features may impact your access to the other, per American Express.
Comparable cards
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
If you want better rewards rates and don't mind an annual fee, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is the annual-fee version of the Blue Cash Everyday. There is a $95 annual fee to keep your Blue Cash Preferred account open. However, the benefits you get in return may be worth exploring, particularly if you have a hefty grocery budget. Your grocery cash-back rates double with this card -- at 6% on up to $6,000 in purchases per year at U.S. supermarkets, then 1% (terms apply). There are also a few additional rewards categories with this card. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit
Check out more details in our full review of the Blue Cash Preferred Card.
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is an excellent no-annual-fee substitute for the Blue Cash Everyday. It offers a 2% flat cash rewards rate on purchases, period. While you won't earn as much on groceries, you can make up for it with the boost on other purchases. The welcome bonus nets you a comparable $200 in cash rewards, but you only have to spend half as much to earn it -- $1,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening. The Active Cash offers an introductory 0% APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers for 15 months from account opening (then 17.24%, 22.24%, or 27.24% variable APR), the same time frame on purchases and balance transfers as the Blue Cash Everyday offer.
For more details, check out our full review of the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card.
FAQs
How do cash-back credit cards work?
Cash-back credit cards offer cardholders rewards on their spending in the form of statement credits or cash. A statement credit is a reduction in the amount due to the credit card company on your monthly bill. Note that rewards are not always available the month you earn them -- they are usually applied to your balance by credit card issuers after one or two billing cycles.
The redemption process for cash-back credit cards is either automatic or very simple. Some cards automatically apply cash rewards to your statement balance each month. Others require you to log in and redeem available rewards points for statement credits. Most points don't expire, but you will lose them if you close the account before redeeming them.
How do you choose the right grocery credit card?
Deciding which grocery credit card is right for you will depend largely on your shopping habits. Keep in mind that most major credit card companies do not consider wholesale clubs and big-box stores like Walmart and Target to be grocery stores, so your purchases there might not qualify for the same rewards. Before applying for a grocery credit card, you'll want to closely read the fine print to make sure that your needs will be met depending on where you shop.
One last thing to keep in mind: Don't fall for credit cards just because of a welcome bonus offer. While the immediate cash back can be appealing, it is typically a one-time or short-lived reward. Groceries are purchases that you need to make every month. You're better off focusing on maximizing these rewards over time rather than going for the up-front bonus.
What is a gas credit card?
A gas credit card is one that rewards cardholders for spending at gas stations. Most gas credit cards aren't offered by gas stations themselves. Instead, other credit card issuers offer bonus rewards on gas purchases, among others. The best gas credit cards offer up to 5% back on gas purchases, but most offer 2% to 3%.
Our approach
We review the cards that are in the highest demand and offer the best benefits. We scour the fine print so there aren't any surprises when you open an account. We find the key factors that make a card stand out and compare them with other top cards. That way, readers can opt for a different card with similar features if our pick isn't right for them. Our reviews are regularly checked and updated to incorporate new recommendations, as well as to reflect changes in offers and the market.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express, click here.
The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.
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