Save money and be informed. CreditDonkey is a credit card comparison and financial education website. Our free online service is made possible through financial relationships with some of the cards mentioned here. Opinions expressed here are CreditDonkey or author's alone, not those of card issuers, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by card issuers. We may receive compensation if you apply for a card through links in our content.

McAfee SECURE sites help keep you safe from identity theft, credit card fraud, spyware, spam, viruses and online scams
September 24, 2011, Updated June 15, 2013 4:40 AM PT
Share this on Facebook Tweet this Subscribe for more Review

Blue Cash Everyday Review: Cash Back Card with No Annual Fee


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 Reward Dollars after you spend at least $1,000 in the first 3 months, along with extra protections and a referral bonus.

Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
Apply for Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
  • Earn 100 Reward Dollars after you make $1,000 in purchases in the first three months of Cardmembership.
  • Earn Cash Back: 3% at US supermarkets, up to $6,000 per year in purchases, 2% at US gas stations & select US dept stores, 1% on other purchases. Terms and limitations apply.
  • Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
  • Simple and Straightforward: With the Blue Cash Everyday Card, you can start earning cash back. No rotating reward categories. No enrollment required.
  • No annual fee, 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months. After that, your APR will be a variable rate, currently 12.99%-21.99% with flexibility to pay over time.
  • Terms and Restrictions Apply.
  • Go to issuer's official application, terms, and details
Introductory Bonus Cash BackCash Back RewardsGas RewardsGrocery RewardsEventsCar Rental InsuranceExtended WarrantyPurchase ProtectionReturn Protection Travel Accident Insurance
Intro APR for PurchasesIntro APR for Balance TransferRegular APRAnnual Fee
0% on Purchases for 12 months
None
12.99% - 21.99% (Variable)
$0

Overall Score

4.0

Rewards

5.0

Interest Rates

3.0

Fees

4.0

Benefits

4.0
5-point scale (the higher, the better)

Pros and Cons

  • Cash back
  • Intro APR on purchases
  • No annual fee
  • Not a Visa/MasterCard

Bottom Line

Great cash back card for cardholders who pay in full

Introductory Offers

This card offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases for the first 12 months of card membership. After that, the APR will be a variable rate, currently 12.99 to 21.99%. Be sure you pay your balance off before the introductory period ends, because the APR for this card can be on the high side. Keep in mind, there is no introductory APR on balance transfers.

You can get 100 Reward Dollars 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 at US supermarket, at US gas stations and select US department stores, which are some of the most common expenses for many families. The rate is 3% cash back at US supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year in purchases) and 2% cash back at US gas stations and select US department stores. All other eligible purchases also earn you cash back at the rate of 1%. (The first $6,000 of purchases at US supermarkets in a calendar year qualifies for 3% cash back; 1% thereafter.)

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.

Pros

  • 100 Reward Dollars when you spend $1,000 in first 3 months
  • Extra cash back at US supermarket, at US gas stations, and select US department store purchases
  • No annual fee
  • Introductory 0% APR on purchases for 12 months

Cons

  • Not a Visa/MasterCard

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

Share this on Facebook or Twitter

Follow @CreditDonkey or write to Meghan Clark at meghan@creditdonkey.com

Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by the company whose products are featured on this site. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or evaluations provided here are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the Advertiser. This site may be compensated through the Advertiser's affiliate programs.

Disclaimer: This content was first published on September 24, 2011. This content may have been updated on June 15, 2013. 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.

More Articles in Credit Card Reviews

Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
Apply for Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
  • Earn 100 Reward Dollars after you make $1,000 in purchases in the first three months of Cardmembership.
  • Earn Cash Back: 3% at US supermarkets, up to $6,000 per year in purchases, 2% at US gas stations & select US dept stores, 1% on other purchases. Terms and limitations apply.
  • Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
  • Simple and Straightforward: With the Blue Cash Everyday Card, you can start earning cash back. No rotating reward categories. No enrollment required.
  • No annual fee, 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months. After that, your APR will be a variable rate, currently 12.99%-21.99% with flexibility to pay over time.
  • Terms and Restrictions Apply.
  • Go to issuer's official application, terms, and details
Introductory Bonus Cash BackCash Back RewardsGas RewardsGrocery RewardsEventsCar Rental InsuranceExtended WarrantyPurchase ProtectionReturn Protection Travel Accident Insurance
Intro APR for PurchasesIntro APR for Balance TransferRegular APRAnnual Fee
0% on Purchases for 12 months
None
12.99% - 21.99% (Variable)
$0

Compare Blue Cash Everyday to:

Blue Cash Preferred from American Express

Blue Cash Preferred® from American Express

Intro APR (Purchases)Intro APR (Balance Transfer)Regular APR
0% on Purchases for 12 months
None
12.99% - 21.99% (Variable)
Introductory Bonus Cash BackCash Back RewardsGas RewardsGrocery Rewards
  • Earn 150 Reward Dollars after you make $1,000 in purchases in the first three months of Cardmembership.
  • Earn Cash Back: 6% US supermarkets up to $6,000 per year in purchases, 3% US gas stations & select US dept stores, 1% other purchases. Terms and limitations apply.
  • Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
  • Simple and Straightforward: With the Blue Cash Preferred Card, you can start earning cash back. No rotating reward categories. No enrollment required.
  • Terms and Restrictions Apply.
Apply for Blue Cash Preferred from American Express
TrueEarnings Card from Costco and American Express

TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express

Intro APR (Purchases)Intro APR (Balance Transfer)Regular APR
0% on Purchases for 6 months
None
15.24% (Variable)
Cash Back RewardsDining RewardsGas RewardsEvents
  • 3% Cash back at US gas stations and on gasoline at Costco up to $4,000 per year in purchases, then 1%
  • 2% cash back at US restaurants; 2% cash back on eligible travel purchases, including at Costco; 1% cash back on other purchases, including at Costco
  • Terms and limitations apply; You will receive your cash back annually in the form of a reward coupon
  • The Two-In-One Card: it's an American Express® Card and Costco membership card, with no annual fee for Costco members
  • Cardmembership offers access to benefits such as Global Assist and Purchase Protection* *Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company
  • Terms and restrictions apply.
Apply for TrueEarnings Card from Costco and American Express
Blue Sky from American Express

Blue Sky from American Express®

Intro APR (Purchases)Intro APR (Balance Transfer)Regular APR
0% on Purchases for 12 months
None
17.24% - 22.24% (Variable)
Introductory Bonus Airline RewardsAirline RewardsHotel RewardsTravel Rewards
  • Welcome Bonus: earn 7,500 points after you spend $1,000 within the first 3 months of Cardmembership - redeemable for a $100 statement credit.
  • Flexible Ways to Earn: earn 1 point for virtually every dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
  • Unlimited Travel Options: Travel with any airline, hotel, cruise, car rental and travel package - with no blackout dates.
  • Flexible Bill Payments: pay your bill all at once or over time.
  • No annual membership fee and 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months, after that, your APR will be a variable rate, currently 17.24%- 22.24%.
  • Terms and Restrictions Apply.
Apply for Blue Sky from American Express

What do you think about Blue Cash Everyday Review: Cash Back Card with No Annual Fee?

Name (required)
Email (required; won't be published)
Website (optional)

or you can also trackback from your blog.

Blue Cash Preferred Review: Worth the Annual Fee?

If you are looking to maximize your annual cash back rewards, the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card is the way to go. This card has one of the highest cash back bonus rates in the industry. American Express created this card as an ...
More Articles in Credit Card Reviews

Learn more about Cash Back, Gas and Grocery cards:
Cash Back
Infographics: Where Does All My Money Go

Where Does All My Money Go?

Our analysis suggests that many people are most likely spending more than they earn each month. It also shows steady movement away from cash and checks toward plastic and electronic payment instruments, which can result in unfamiliar or ...
Gas

How to Save Money on Gas

With the cost of gas constantly on the rise, filling up your tank can be painful. Fortunately, a few simple changes to your driving and gas-purchasing habits can improve your mileage per gallon and reduce the amount you have to spend on gas each ...
Grocery
Infographics: Grocery Shopping Plan

How to Save Money on Groceries

The money you spend on food makes up a large portion of your weekly budget, so every dollar you can save at the supermarket really counts. Here are some tips to help you spend less on groceries.








About CreditDonkey®
CreditDonkey is a credit card comparison website. We publish credit card reviews, deals, and tips to help you make informed credit decisions.

IMPORTANT LEGAL DISCLAIMERS. READ CAREFULLY.
Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of the credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through the credit card issuer Affiliate Program.