Review of Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express – Solid Rewards for Everyday Purchases

By Updated Oct. 7, 2022 Read time 8 min

We give the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express 5 out of 5 Stars. While it is a step down from the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, it’s still pretty great in its own right.

Our Rating: 5 Out of 5 Stars

When you visit MoneyTips, we want you to know that you can trust what’s in front of you. We are an authoritative source of accurate and relevant financial guidance. When MoneyTips content contains a link to partner or sponsor affiliated content, we’ll clearly indicate where that happens. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in our content are of the author alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the advertiser.

We make every effort to provide up-to-date information; however, we do not guarantee the accuracy of the information presented. Consumers should verify terms and conditions with the institution providing the products. Some articles may contain sponsored content, content about affiliated entities or content about clients in the network. While reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information, the information is presented without warranty.

Why We Like It

Good rewards
Reasonably obtainable welcome bonus: $200 statement credit for spending $2,000 in the first 6 months.
No annual fee
0% introductory purchase APR for 15 months (then 13.99% – 23.99% Variable)

Why It Could Be Better

$6,000 spending cap at U.S. supermarkets at the 3% rate, then you’ll earn 1% cash back (earned as a statement credit)
Somewhat limited benefits

When we talk about the grocery and gas rewards below, we’re only referring to groceries bought from U.S. supermarkets and gas purchased from U.S. gas stations. Groceries from other stores, like Walmart or Costco, or from gas stations, won’t earn 3% cash back.

American Express provides the Blue Cash Everyday card to reward you for purchases you might make frequently, or as the name suggests, even every day.

With no annual fee, it features 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 spent per year, then 1%), 2% at U.S. gas stations and select department stores, and 1% on all other eligible purchases.

Read on and see if the Blue Cash Everyday will fit into your spending habits.

Insider tip

If you’re looking for even more rewards, check out the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. It earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (earned as a statement credit; up to $6,000 spent per year, then 1%) and on streaming services, and 3% at U.S. gas stations and on transit. However, unlike the Everyday, it does carry a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95 Rates & Fees.

Insider Advice: Getting the Most Out of Your Card

Use it for your everyday spending: You’ll get the most from your card if you bring it with you grocery shopping, as it earns 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets. It also earns 2% at U.S. gas stations, so don’t head to the pump without it.
Redeem your rewards as statement credits: There are a few different redemption options available, but we recommend redeeming your rewards as statement credits to ensure you get a 1:1 Reward-Dollar-to-actual-dollar ratio.
Find special earning rates through Amex Offers: American Express features a selection of retailers that changes from time to time. From these select stores, you can find higher reward rates and the occasional special discount offer. Offers are limited; enrollment is required.
This card plays well with others: You can use the Blue Cash Everyday whenever you shop at U.S. supermarkets or U.S. gas stations, and a general rewards credit card or cash back credit card for every other purchase. That’ll help maximize the rewards you earn.
Take away some interest-induced stress: Your purchases won’t earn interest for 15 months (then your rates will be 13.99% – 23.99% Variable). So you won’t have to worry about interest, for a time, although you’ll need to keep up a timely schedule of monthly payments.

The list of eligible stores in the U.S. supermarkets category includes, but is not limited to:

U.S. Supermarket Category Example Retailers
ALDI	Foodtown	Gelson’s	Gristedes
Meijer	Pathmark	Shoprite	Stop and Shop
Vons	Wegmans	Whole Foods	Online supermarkets like FreshDirect

This category does not include specialty food stores, superstores, or warehouse clubs. Still, that’s a pretty great selection of food retailers that you will earn rewards with.

As for the U.S. gas station category, you’ll be able to earn rewards (in the form of Reward Dollars) at pretty much every gas station that crosses your path in the country. However, it’s important to note that club retailers such as Costco and BJ’s are excluded from this category, along with any supermarkets or superstores that may also sell gas.

Currently, as of publication, there are only 16 department stores that are covered by the final category. Here they are:

Complete List of Department Store Retailers
Bealls	Belk	Bloomingdale’s	Bon Ton Stores
Boscov’s	Century 21 Department Stores	Dillard’s	J.C. Penney (JCP)
Kohl’s	Lord & Taylor	Macy’s	Neiman Marcus
Nordstrom	Saks Fifth Avenue	Sears	Stein Mart

Redeeming

When it comes time to redeem your rewards, it’s a pretty simple transaction. For every Reward Dollar you earn, you can turn it into $1 through a few different means.

You can:

Redeem for statement credits: Recommended, most rewarding method, guaranteed $1 per 1 Reward Dollar
Redeem for gift cards: Second-best method, usually $1 per 1 Reward Dollar but not always
Use for online shopping: Worst method offers less than $1 per 1 Reward Dollar

You’ll be required to redeem your cash back in increments of $25 unless otherwise noted.

The Benefits

The Everyday offers a fair collection of card benefits and perks, considering there’s no annual fee.

Amex Offers: You’ll have access to extra cash back at a wide variety of merchants that changes now and then. You just need to head to the Amex Offers program and click “Add to Card” for the deals you want. Offers are limited; enrollment is required.
American Express Experiences: This benefit provides pre-sale tickets to a variety of sports, music, and cultural events, as well as access to certain exclusive experiences. You’ll be able to search by interest, artist, event, or venue. Available in select cities.
Lowest Hotel Rates Guarantee: If you book an eligible prepaid hotel room through Amex Travel and then find the same room being advertised online for a lower price, you can be refunded for the difference. You must submit your claim before the check-in date, and be sure to check your card details because some restrictions apply. The policy only applies to online rates available to the general public.
Complimentary ShopRunner membership: Cardholders will have access to free two-day shipping and returns through the ShopRunner service. This benefit includes over 140 merchants and brands, which you can easily browse. Enrollment required.
Global Assist Hotline: Should you need legal, medical, or travel assistance, you have it thanks to this benefit. Cardholders are responsible for any third-party costs incurred.
Purchase Protection: Your new eligible purchases are covered against accidental damage and theft for 90 days.

Enrollment is required for select benefits; terms and limitations apply.

The Terms & Fees

Purchase APR	Balance Transfer APR	Cash Advance APR
0% for 15 months, then 13.99% – 23.99% Variable	None	25.24% Variable

Annual Fee	Foreign Transaction Fee
$0 Rates & Fees	2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars

Balance Transfer Fee	Cash Advance Fee
None	Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater

Penalty APR	Late Fee	Returned Payment Fee
29.99% Variable	Up to $40	Up to $40

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

The Everyday has no annual fee and features a long 0% introductory period for purchases. And while that gives you the ability to carry over a large balance each billing cycle without accruing interest, which can be useful if you need it, that’s not a habit we recommend you get into.

Be aware, that if you make a late or returned payment, you could lose your intro 0% APR period before it should end, so be sure you’re paying your bill on time!

The Bottom Line

The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is very rewarding for not having an annual fee. The 3% you’ll earn at U.S. supermarkets is pretty much as good as it gets for a card like this, and the 2% in the remaining categories is solid.

Despite the $6,000 yearly spending cap at U.S. supermarkets, you can still see quite the return on spend. If you spend the full amount in one year this still equates to $180, and with no annual fee, that’s all profit in your pocket. That doesn’t even take into account U.S. gas stations or select U.S. department store purchases.

Add the rewards to the intro 0% interest for new purchases, and American Express praised customer service, and you’re looking at a pretty great choice for a credit card.

How Do I Apply for the Blue Cash Everyday?

The application process for Blue Cash Everyday will be through the card issuer’s website.

What Credit Scores Do I Need to Qualify for the Blue Cash Everyday?

You should have good credit before applying for the Blue Cash Everyday for the best chance of approval.

To qualify for good credit, your credit scores would need to fall within the ranges of 670–739 for FICO and 700–749 for VantageScore.

But keep in mind, that your credit scores are only part of the process. The credit card issuer will look at other factors too, like income and monthly mortgage or rent payments. This additional information could lead to approval even if your credit scores aren’t in the recommended range.

However, that also means you could still be denied even if your credit scores are higher than what’s recommended.

Qualifications and Requirements

Must be 18 to apply
Personal information: Name, date of birth, Social Security number, U.S. citizenship status, and potentially driver’s license number
Address and contact information: Home address, phone number, email address
Financial information: Total annual income, monthly mortgage or rent payment

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the Blue Cash Everyday’s credit limit?

We can’t explicitly say what your credit limit will be, because there are a few different factors that determine it. These factors include your credit scores, credit history, and income. However, you can request an increase from American Express if you find it unsatisfactory.

What’s the difference between the Blue Cash Everyday and the Blue Cash Preferred?

The biggest differences between the Blue Cash Everyday and the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express are in their fees and rewards.

Whereas the Everyday version doesn’t have an annual fee, the Preferred does ($0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95 Rates & Fees), but it also offers higher rewards.

The Preferred earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 spent per year, then 1%) and on streaming services, 3% at U.S. gas stations and on transit, and 1% on everything else. You’ll also get three additional protections: rental car insurance, purchase protection and return protection (enrollment required for select benefits; terms and limitations apply.)