If you’re looking for a go-to cash back credit card that rewards you for your most common purchases and doesn’t charge an annual fee, you should check out the Blue Cash Everyday card from American Express. This card also offers $100 in bonus cash back when you spend at least $1,000 in the first 3 months, along with extra protections and a referral bonus.
 | | - Earn $100 cash back after spending $1,000 in eligible purchases in the first 3 months of Cardmembership
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months, flexibility to pay over time
- Get 3% cash back at supermarkets, 2% cash back at gas stations and department stores, and 1% cash back on all other purchases
- NO spend minimum, NO enrollment, and NO rotating rewards categories
- Get a $25 Referral Bonus for each friend or family member who is approved for the Card
- No annual fee, flexibility to pay over time
- Go to issuer's official application, terms, and details
| | | | Intro APR for Purchases | Intro APR for Balance Transfer | APR as low as | Annual Fee | 0% for 12 months | - | 17.24% - 22.24% (Variable) | $0 |
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| Overall Score | 4.0 | |
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| Rewards | 5.0 | |
| Interest Rates | 3.0 | |
| Fees | 4.0 | |
| Benefits | 4.0 | |
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5-point scale (the higher, the better)
Pros and Cons
- Cash back
- Intro APR
- No annual fee
Bottom Line
Great cash back card for cardholders who pay in full
Introductory Offers
This card offers a 0% introductory purchase APR for the first 12 months of card membership, but doesn’t offer an introductory balance transfer APR. Be sure you pay your balance off before the introductory period ends, because the APR for this card is on the high side.
You also can get $100 in bonus cash back if you spend at least $1,000 on eligible purchases within your first 3 months of card membership. This is a great bonus offer!
Cash Back
Once upon a time, Blue Cash cards had a spending threshold that had to be met before cardholders could start to earn cash back. Thankfully, American Express altered this policy, so cardholders are now able to quickly accrue cash back rewards with this card.
Cardholders receive extra cash back for supermarket, gas and department store purchases, which are some of the most common expenses for many families. The accrual rate is 3% cash back at supermarkets and 2% cash back at gas stations and department stores. All other eligible purchases also earn you cash back at the rate of 1%.
Other American Express cards pay cardholders more for some purchase categories, but those cards feature an annual fee. When choosing between the cards, your best bet is to look at your purchases in the last several months and see how much you could have earned with the cash back rewards. You can then make an estimate of your annual cash back earnings. If your estimated earnings are more than the annual fee for the other card, then that card may be your best bet. If you are uncertain whether you will make enough purchases with your credit card to hit the annual fee, then a card like this one may be a better choice for your wallet.
Extra Protections
The Blue Cash Everyday card also provides cardholders with extra travel and purchase protections, including car rental loss and damage insurance, travel accident insurance, travel assistance, extended warranty, purchase protection and return protection.
Using the Blue Cash Everyday card for travel expenses will allow cardholders to gain access to the travel benefits. The car rental loss and damage insurance provides coverage for theft or damage of rental vehicles. This saves cardholders from the costly insurance fees charged by rental companies. And with travel assistance, cardholders can gain medical, legal and other emergency assistance when travelling more than 100 miles from home.
When cardholders use their card for larger items, they will have extra warranty and purchase protection, which provides coverage in the event of theft or damage of purchased items.
A return protection plan also helps cardholders when they want to return an item but no longer have the receipt; if the merchant won’t take it back and it has been less than 90 days, American Express will take it and issue a refund of the full purchase price up to $300 per item. This benefit excludes shipping and handling and maxes out at $1,000 annually.
Referral Bonus
There is also a Referral Bonus for cardholders. When cardholders refer their friends and family members, they receive $25 for each person who is approved for the card. Many people aren’t comfortable talking about finances and financial products with their friends and family, so this aspect alone probably won’t seal the deal for you. However, it is nice to get rewarded for the referrals you do make.
Disadvantages
One drawback to the card is that the rate starts at 17.24% APR (Annual Percentage Rate). This is higher than the rates of other American Express credit cards. However, those cards also come with annual fees, which the Blue Cash Everyday card does not have. This means that you may actually save money in the long run despite the interest rate. This is especially true if you tend to pay off your balance at the end of each billing cycle.
Pros
- $100 extra cash back when you spend $1,000 in first 3 months
- Extra cash back for supermarket, gas and department store purchases
- No annual fee
- Introductory 0% APR on purchases
Cons
- High APR after the introductory period
Bottom Line
The Blue Cash Everyday is a great card for people who want cash back on their most common purchases and pay their balance in full each month.
(Editing by Erin K)
Next Step - View the issuer's official application, terms, and details
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Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.
Disclaimer: This content was first published on September 24, 2011. This content may have been updated on May 16, 2012. Information including APR, terms and benefits may vary, be out of date, or not applicable to you. Information is provided without warranty. Please check American Express website for updated information.
