Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express review

Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express: A Full Review

The Blue Cash Everyday Card offers a rewards rate tailored for average spenders, offering generous cash back in categories including U.S. supermarket and U.S. gas station purchases. For cardholders who spend a lot on groceries and commuting, the Blue Cash Everyday can be one of the most lucrative cash back credit cards available.

On top of a great rewards rate, the card also comes with a lengthy intro APR on new purchases. If you need to finance a large purchase over time without racking up interest – but don’t want to sacrifice rewards – this card is a great option.

Compared to other no annual fee rewards cards, the Blue Cash Everyday’s intro APR and welcome bonus are good but don’t make waves. The Blue Cash Everyday is an especially good deal if you need a high-earning cash back rate for grocery and gas expenses year-round without quarterly spending limits. Unlimited cash back at U.S. department stores is a relatively unique category, which could also make the Blue Cash Everyday a solid second rewards card if you want to avoid retail credit cards.

However, you should look carefully at your grocery budget and where you do most of your shopping before making your decision. You’ll probably want to upgrade to the more rewarding Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express if you spend at least $267 at U.S. supermarkets per month. If you mostly shop at popular grocery chains like superstores and wholesale clubs, you should consider a flat-rate cash back card instead since you’ll only earn 1% cash back with the Blue Cash Everyday.

Blue cash Everyday: Review & value assessment

• Earning cash back
• Current welcome bonus
• Redemption & reward value
• Intro APR
• Cardholder perks
• Approval odds
• Customer service
• Blue Cash Everyday vs. other cash back cards
• Cardholder reviews
• Why get the Blue Cash Everyday?
• How to use the Blue Cash Everyday
• Is the Blue Cash Everyday worth it?

Earning cash back at supermarkets and gas stations

For a card with no annual fee, the Blue Cash Everyday card has a great rewards rate. Cardholders earn 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%), 2% cash back at U.S. gas stations and select U.S. department stores (including stores like Macy’s, Kohl’s, Nordstrom and Sears) and 1% cash back on general purchases.

Even with a spend cap on U.S. supermarket rewards, this is a very valuable category. Indeed, if you maximize the category, you can earn upwards of $180 per year on U.S. supermarket purchases alone.

The card should also pair well with a flat-rate card due to its impressive category variety. If you swipe strategically, you can swap between cards to maximize your cash back, using the Blue Cash Everyday card for all bonus category purchases and a flat-rate cash back card for general purchases to boost your overall rate.

A supplemental flat-rate card will be especially useful if you frequently shop at superstores (such as Walmart or Target), specialty stores (like wine or cheese shops) or wholesale clubs (like Costco), all of which fall outside American Express’ list of eligible U.S. supermarkets.

For example, imagine you own both the Blue Cash Everyday card and the American Express Cash Magnet® Card* – which earns 1.5% cash back on every purchase. If you use the Blue Cash Everyday for all U.S. supermarket, U.S. gas station and select U.S. department store purchases and the Cash Magnet for everything else, you’ll earn the following reward rate:

• 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
• 2% cash back at U.S. gas stations and select U.S. department stores
• 1.5% cash back on general purchases.

If you choose to pair the Blue Cash Everyday with an even higher flat-rate cash back card – like the Citi® Double Cash Card – you can earn even more rewards.

Introductory bonus

The Blue Cash Everyday card comes with a solid welcome bonus of a $200 statement credit for cardholders who spend $2,000 in the first six months. The previous offer also allowed cardholders to earn 20% back on Amazon.com purchases up to $150 back during your first six months as a cardholder however, the new update cut back on an already weak introductory bonus if you weren’t a big Amazon spender. Although with the increase in statement credits you could earn, can be worth it when you spend more on other expenses within those first couple of months.

Redeeming cash back

In order to redeem the cash back you earn, you’ll need to meet a minimum threshold of $25. Once you do, however, cashing in on rewards is simple. You can choose from a statement credit, gift card or merchandise purchase. All three options redeem at the same $1 per “Blue Cash Reward Dollar” rate, but statement credits are your best cash back redemption option since they’re more versatile than rewards from set retailers.

If you want to use your rewards for a travel purchase, you won’t be able to apply them toward American Express Travel bookings. However, you do have full access to the booking platform, and you can use your cash back toward a statement credit to offset the cost.

Intro APR for new purchases

The Blue Cash Everyday also comes with an intro APR on new purchases – 0% for the first 15 months from the date of account opening (13.99% to 23.99% variable thereafter). This could be a great way to finance a larger purchase over time without worrying about racking up substantial interest charges or resorting to a risky deferred interest offer.

Just be careful not to charge more than you can pay off during the intro period, as the ongoing APR can be high. While the low-end APR of 13.99% variable is a bit lower than the current average interest rate, the high-end variable APR of 23.99% is around 40% higher than the average rate.

Other features

The Blue Cash Everyday card also comes with some additional benefits that add to its value – especially for frequent shoppers and travelers.

• Car rental insurance – When you use the Blue Cash Everyday to book and pay for your rental car, you receive secondary coverage in cash of damage or theft.
• Purchase protection – If an item you buy with your card is lost or damaged in the first 120 days, you can be reimbursed up to $1,000 per purchase in covered instances ($50,000 max per year).
• Access to pre-sales tickets – As an American Express cardholder, you’ll have exclusive access to pre-sales tickets to concerts, sporting events and more.
• “Plan It®” – Pay off small purchase amounts (under $100) right away and split larger purchases (over $100) into a custom monthly payment plan for a fixed fee with this flexible payment option. Payment plans can last from three to 24 months. Eligibility is based on your account and credit history.
• Buy Now, Pay Later – When you use Plan It to split up large purchases into monthly payments, you pay $0 in plan fees as well on plans created during the first 15 months after account opening. A plan fee of up to 1.33% APR of each purchase amount will apply to plans created after that time, moved into a plan based on plan duration. The APR would otherwise apply to the purchase among other factors.

To take advantage of these protections, you should put all big purchases on your Blue Cash Everyday card.

See related: American Express card benefits

Approval odds

The Blue Cash Everyday card is recommended for users with good to excellent credit (above 670), so you’ll want to ensure you meet those qualifications before you apply.

Luckily, American Express offers preapproval via its website and CardMatch. Using CardMatch only does requires a “soft” credit pull – which has no impact on your credit score – and it should also give you your best chance at knowing whether you’ll be approved before you apply. You may even qualify for a special offer, such as an even higher welcome bonus, so it’s definitely worth a try.

Customer service

American Express has one of the best customer service reputations among major issuers, finishing first among 11 issuers in J.D. Power’s 2020 customer satisfaction survey. In addition to 24/7 customer service and an online chat feature for quick answers to simple questions, the American Express app rates very well among users. It rates 4.3 out of 5 in the Google Play Store and 4.9 out of 5 in the Apple App Store.

How does the Blue Cash Everyday compare to other cash back cards?

The Blue Cash Everyday card is a very rewarding option for users who spend a lot on U.S. supermarket and gas station purchases, but it might not be the best choice for every kind of cardholder. If you prefer to earn cash back in different bonus categories or put all your spend on one card that earns a high flat rate of cash back, one of these options might be better for you:

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card	Citi® Double Cash Card	Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Rewards rate 3% cash back on a category of your choice (gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores or home improvements and furnishings) 2% cash back on grocery stores and wholesale club purchases $2,500 combined limit on purchases on 2% and 3% categories each quarter 1% cash back on other purchases	Rewards rate 1% cash back on general purchases 1% additional cash back as you pay for those purchases	Rewards rate 8% cash back on Vivid Seats purchases (through Jan. 31, 2023) 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, grocery store and popular streaming service purchases 1% cash back on general purchases
Sign-up bonus $200 online cash rewards if you spend $1,000 in first 90 days	Sign-up bonus None	Sign-up bonus $200 if you spend $500 in first 3 months
Annual fee $0	Annual fee $0	Annual fee $0
Other things to know Minimum $25 required to redeem cash back Bank of America checking and savings account holders can boost earning rate with Preferred Rewards program Spend analysis each month to help choose your bonus category	Other things to know Minimum $25 required to redeem cash back Lengthy intro period for balance transfers Rewards expire if card is not used over 12 months	Other things to know No minimum redemption or expiration for cash back Automatic redemption available at set thresholds ($25, $50, $100 or $200) Lengthy intro period on both new purchases and balance transfers

What do Blue Cash Everyday cardholders say?

Since it offers solid cash back on everyday expenses for no annual fee, the Blue Cash Everyday is a fantastic entry-level rewards card if you have good to excellent credit. In fact, the Blue Cash Everyday was what introduced Julian Riccio, director at CreditCards.com, to credit cards:

“I got it in 2016, and it was my first card. This was before I knew a lot about credit cards, so I was looking for something that was no-annual-fee, [and offered] cash back because it was easy…most of my spend at that point was groceries. It did really feel like it was a good starter card, so that’s what drew me to it.”

In his first year, Julian spent around $3,000 on groceries and earned about $90 in cash back, but he’s added another 15 credit cards to his wallet since then to maximize his rewards and has held onto it since. “I eventually got the Blue Cash Preferred because I started spending a lot more on groceries and that trade-off started to make sense, with the $95 fee**. But then I transferred it back down to the Everyday later on when I started spending a little bit less on it,” Julian said.

**Blue Cash Preferred Card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95

Another one of our CreditCards.com expert writers, Mariah Ackary, has also had firsthand experience squeezing extra value out of her everyday spending with the Blue Cash Everyday and the Amex Offers program:

“I try to be pretty frugal, so a no-annual-fee card that rewards basic expenses like groceries and gas is a staple for me. And because the mobile app is so easy to navigate, I actually use the local offers to earn even more cash back.”

Why get the Blue Cash Everyday card?

• You spend a lot on U.S. supermarket and gas station purchases and can take advantage of a good rewards rate on those categories.
• You have a large purchase you want to pay off over time and want to avoid interest in the first 15 months.
• You are looking for a card with lucrative bonus categories to pair with a flat-rate card.
• You spend less than $3,200 each year at U.S. supermarkets and wouldn’t be able to offset the Blue Cash Preferred card’s ongoing annual fee.
• You often shop at U.S. department stores, but want to avoid a store-specific credit card

How to use the Blue Cash Everyday card:

• Put all U.S. supermarket and gas station purchases on the card.
• Use the card to finance larger purchases or carry a balance at a 0% intro APR for the first 15 months (13.99% to 23.99% variable APR thereafter).
• Be sure to pay off any new purchases before the end of the introductory period to avoid interest charges.

Is the Blue Cash Everyday card worth it?

For cardholders who spend a significant amount on U.S. supermarket and U.S. gas station purchases, the Blue Cash Everyday card offers a generous rate of cash back for a card with no annual fee. The Blue Cash Everyday is also one of the best cards for select U.S. department store shoppers since its unlimited 2% cash back at these retailers is hard to come by and actually beats many store cards’ reward programs. Plus, you’ll get a long intro APR on new purchases.

However, those looking to maximize rewards on U.S. supermarket purchases who spend at least $3,200 a year on groceries might be better off opting for the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express – despite its ongoing $95 annual fee ($0 introductory annual fee for the first year). Bulk shoppers that stock up at superstores and wholesale clubs will also want to consider another card since these big grocery vendors don’t count toward the Blue Cash Everyday’s U.S. supermarket category.

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday Card, please click here.

*All information about the American Express Cash Magnet Card and the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by CreditCards.com and has not been reviewed by the issuer.

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