In July 2022, AMEX updated its Blue Cash Everyday (BCE) credit card to become more competitive. Previously, the only point to the card was a downgrade option (to avoid multiple annual fees on the Blue Cash Preferred). Now that the BCE is potentially useful, let’s take a closer look.
FEATURES AT A GLANCE
- No annual fee
- 2.7% foreign transaction fee
- 3% cash back on groceries (up to $6,000 spent per year)
- 3% cash back on gas (up to $6,000 spent per year)
- 3% cash back on online retail purchases (up to $6,000 spent per year)
- 1% cash back on everything else
Previously, the card earned 3% back on groceries, 2% back on gas and retail, and 1% on everything else.
SIGN UP BONUS
If you spend at least $2,000 in your first 6 months of card ownership, you’ll get a $200 statement credit. The card also has 0% APR on purchases and Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) for 15 months from the date of account opening. There’s 0% APR for balance transfers too, but since there’s a fee to do a transfer, we don’t recommend that.
AMEX offered a $250 bonus earlier this year. It might’ve been a special launch bonus, so we wouldn’t expect it to return.
As of November 2022, when applying through Resy’s website, the sign-up bonus is $200 plus restaurant purchases get 10% back as a statement credit (max $150 in credits) in your first 6 months. You’d have to spend $750 on dining to max out the credits ($125 per month). This is better than the standard offer, so we’d recommend going the Resy route. Keep in mind that all offers are subject to change at any time.
OTHER BENEFITS OF THE BLUE CASH EVERYDAY CARD
- Purchase Protection (covers damage or theft up to 90 days)
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance (Secondary)
- 24/7 Global Assist Hotline
- American Express Experiences
- “Receive $7 back each month (up to $84 back annually) after spending $13.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription to The Disney Bundle which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ using your Card. Enrollment required.”
- “Receive up to $15 per month in statement credits when you purchase Home Chef meal solutions online.” Enrollment required. Up to $180 per year.
RESTRICTIONS AND CREDIT SCORE
Recommended credit score: 670+
American Express can be more lenient than other issuers. They don’t have anti-churning measures that would be significant for most people. Just note that sign-up bonuses are “once per lifetime” for each card (7-10 year waiting period).
MAXIMIZING REWARDS WITH THE BLUE CASH EVERYDAY CARD
As a straight cash-back card, there isn’t anything you can do to maximize rewards.
The $6,000 annual spending limit for each category doesn’t really make sense. It’s high enough that it won’t matter for most people. Plus, most cards give unlimited cash back for gas and groceries. Fortunately the spending limit is per category, not combined.
Note that the “retail” category is online-only and doesn’t apply to in-person purchases.
American Express may target BCE users to upgrade to the BCP and get a bonus for doing so. If you get this offer, it’s almost always worth taking, IF you can meet their upgrade bonus minimum spending requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO THE BLUE CASH EVERYDAY
For the first year, the Blue Cash Preferred is a better deal. It has a higher sign-up bonus, more cash back, and its annual fee is usually waived for 12 months. We’d recommend getting the BCP then downgrading to BCE on the 13th month.
For maximum cash back, you’d need multiple credit cards. This is one of the BCE’s strengths: good everyday categories all in one card.
3% back on groceries is normal, and several cards offer this. The Citi Custom Cash is best because it’s 5% back without any fees. Otherwise, we’d go for the Capital One SavorOne.
3% back on gas is standard but a few cards offer up to 5% cash back. We recommend the Abound Credit Union Visa Platinum or PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa.
Bank of America is the closest competitor for AMEX’s 3% back on “online” retail purchases. However, they have a spending limit too: $10,000 annually ($2,500 per quarter).
For general retail transactions you can get 5% with the US Bank Cash+ or Elan Max Cash Preferred.
For a general-use card, any of the best everyday cards will work. You’ll want to earn at least 2% cash back on all purchases. This would double
CONCLUSION
The Blue Cash Everyday is now useful for most people. The old version didn’t stack up against competing cards. Unfortunately, there’s still an annual spending limit. Many other cards give unlimited cash back. Most people won’t hit this limit though, so it’s likely fine. We still think the Blue Cash Preferred is best to start with.
Overall, if you want a card with 3+ earn categories like the BCE, it’s a reasonable option. Not best-in-class, but reasonable. If you use Disney and/or Home Chef, the added credits are a terrific deal.
We rate the Blue Cash Everyday (BCE) 3 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐
Note: This review was last updated in October 2022. Details may have changed since then. Please do your own research where applicable, to ensure you’re getting the best deal. Or contact us directly to benefit from our personalized consulting services!