Cash Magnet Review: Is 1.5% Attractive Enough?

With 1.5% cash back, a welcome bonus, long intro APR, and no annual fee (See Rates & Fees), the new AMEX credit card is looking very attractive.

For a long time, AMEX has lacked a good all-around cashback card. So the Cash Magnet is an exciting addition to the American Express lineup.

But there are some downsides, so it may not be for everyone.

And how does it compare to other popular cashback cards?

Keep reading.

Who the Cash Magnet Is Good For

• If you want a simple cash back card. This card gives you 1.5% cash back on purchases. You don't have to keep track of different spending categories.

• If you have varied spending. You tend to spread your spending between gas, groceries, movies, shopping, dining out, etc.

• If you're planning on making large purchases. This card has an intro APR (See Rates & Fees), so you'll have time to pay off large purchases interest-free.

Why We Like the Cash Magnet

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• Earn $150 bonus. You can earn a $150 statement credit after you spend at least $1,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.

• Get unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. You get automatic 1.5% cash back on purchases. Your cash back is earned as Reward Dollars, which can be redeemed for statement credit, gift cards, or merchandise at top-brand retailers.

  You can redeem for statement credit whenever you have accumulated $25 in rewards.

• Long intro APR on purchases and balance transfers. There is a 0% introductory APR for the first 15 months on both purchases and balance transfers (then a 15.24% - 26.24% Variable APR) (See Rates & Fees). This is great if you have large purchases coming up or if you have debt on another credit card.

• No annual fee.

• Payment plan options. There is a "Plan It" feature that allows you to set up a payment plan for individual large purchases of $100 or more. You can create up to 10 active payment plans. There is a fixed fee that's charged each month the plan is active.

  This is a good feature if you need more time to pay off a large purchase.

Other AMEX Benefits

You'll get all the standard AMEX benefits as well, including:

• Extended Warranty. Matches the original U.S. manufacturer's warranty for up to 2 additional years on eligible purchases. Applies to warranties of 5 years or less.

• Return Protection. If within 90 days of purchase, you want to return something and the store won't take it back, you can be reimbursed up to $300 for each eligible item, for a maximum of $1,000 per year.

• Purchase Protection. You can be reimbursed up to $1,000 if an eligible purchase is damaged or stolen within 120 days from purchase, up to $50,000 per year. (For residents of New York, Indiana, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Northern Mariana Islands coverage duration is 90 days.)

• ShopRunner. Get a complimentary membership to ShopRunner. You get free, 2-day shipping on eligible purchases with over 140 retailers.

Reasons to Consider Other Cards

There are some downsides to this card. See if any of these reasons is a deal breaker for you.

• You may not be eligible for the bonus. AMEX may consider how many AMEX cards you have opened and closed (as well as other factors) to determine whether you're eligible for the welcome offer. They will let you know if you're not eligible for the offer, so you can cancel your application.

• There is a foreign transaction fee. There is a 2.7% foreign transaction fee (See Rates & Fees) for purchases made outside of the U.S. So this is not the best card to take abroad with you.

• There is a balance transfer fee. Although you get an intro APR on balance transfers, there is a balance transfer fee of 3% the amount you're transferring (or $5, whichever is greater) (See Rates & Fees). So the transfer is not free.

  If your goal is paying off debt, you may want to consider a card with a no balance transfer fee promotion.

• You could earn more cash back with other cards. 1.5% cash back is decent, but you could get more than that with other cards. For example, Chase Freedom gives up to 5% cash back in quarterly rotating categories, though you'll have to keep track of the categories and spend strategically.

How It Compares

Let's look at how the Cash Magnet compares against other popular cashback cards.

Compared to Chase Freedom Unlimited:
At first glance, the two cards are very similar. The Chase Freedom Unlimited is another card that gives 1.5% cash back on all purchases. It also has a 15-month intro APR.

The real difference is in the potential of the Freedom Unlimited. It's part of the Chase Ultimate Rewards family. If you eventually want to get one of the premium cards (like the Chase Sapphire Preferred), you can pool your points together. This will then allow you to use your points for higher value. You can either get a discount on the Chase travel portal or transfer to airline and hotel partners.

So if you're into travel rewards (or someday want to get into it), the Chase Freedom Unlimited will provide better value down the road.

	American Express Cash Magnet™ Card	Chase Freedom Unlimited®
	Summary
	Earn a $150 statement credit after you spend $1,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Unlimited 1.5% Cash Back on your purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, and merchandise. Low intro APR: 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable rate, currently 15.24% to 26.24%. $0 plan fees for plans set up during your first 15 months of Card Membership with Plan It®, a feature that lets you split up big purchases into monthly payments with a fixed fee. Over 1.5 million more places in the U.S. started accepting American Express® Cards in 2017. No Annual Fee. Terms Apply. See Rates & Fees	0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 17.24-25.99%. Balance transfer fee is 3% of the amount transferred, $5 minimum Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase - it's automatic Earn a $150 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening No minimum to redeem for cash back Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open Free credit score, updated weekly with Credit Journey℠ No annual fee
	Interest Rates and Fees
Introductory APR for Purchases	0% introductory APR on purchases for 15 months	0% introductory APR for 15 months
Introductory APR for Balance Transfers	0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 15 months	0% introductory APR for 15 months
Purchase APR	15.24% to 26.24% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors	17.24% to 25.99% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors
Balance Transfers APR	15.24% to 26.24% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors	17.24% to 25.99% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors
Annual Fee	$0 annual fee	$0 annual fee
	Benefits and Features
Introductory Bonus Cash Back	Introductory Bonus Cash Back: Earn a $150 statement credit after you spend $1,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.	Introductory Bonus Cash Back: Earn a $150 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
Cash Back Rewards	Cash Back Rewards: Unlimited 1.5% Cash Back on your purchases.	Cash Back Rewards: Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase - it's automatic!

Compared to Capital One Quicksilver:
Capital One Quicksilver also offers 1.5% cash back and 15-month intro APR. However, one big pro point for the Quicksilver is that it has no foreign transaction fees. So this is the better card if you plan to travel abroad.

Compared to AMEX Blue Cash Everyday
Blue Cash Everyday gives you bonus cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. department stores. It's better if most of your spending is on groceries and gas.

Since the Blue Cash Everyday also has no annual fee (See Rates & Fees), it even makes sense to have both. You can maximize cash back by using the Blue Cash for groceries, gas, and department store shopping, and the Cash Magnet on everything else.

	American Express Cash Magnet™ Card	Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
	Summary
	Earn a $150 statement credit after you spend $1,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Unlimited 1.5% Cash Back on your purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, and merchandise. Low intro APR: 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable rate, currently 15.24% to 26.24%. $0 plan fees for plans set up during your first 15 months of Card Membership with Plan It®, a feature that lets you split up big purchases into monthly payments with a fixed fee. Over 1.5 million more places in the U.S. started accepting American Express® Cards in 2017. No Annual Fee. Terms Apply. See Rates & Fees	$150 statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months. 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 at select U.S. department stores, 1% back on other purchases. Low intro APR: 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable rate, currently 15.24% to 26.24%. Over 1.5 million more places in the U.S. started accepting American Express® Cards in 2017. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, and merchandise. No annual fee. Terms Apply. See Rates & Fees
	Interest Rates and Fees
Introductory APR for Purchases	0% introductory APR on purchases for 15 months	0% introductory APR on Purchases for 15 months
Introductory APR for Balance Transfers	0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 15 months	0% introductory APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months
Purchase APR	15.24% to 26.24% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors	15.24% to 26.24% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors
Balance Transfers APR	15.24% to 26.24% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors	15.24% to 26.24% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors
Annual Fee	$0 annual fee	$0 annual fee
	Benefits and Features
Introductory Bonus Cash Back	Introductory Bonus Cash Back: Earn a $150 statement credit after you spend $1,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.	Introductory Bonus Cash Back: $150 statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months.
Cash Back Rewards	Cash Back Rewards: Unlimited 1.5% Cash Back on your purchases.	Cash Back Rewards: 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 at select U.S. department stores, 1% back on other purchases.
Gas Rewards		Gas Rewards: 2% cash back at U.S. gas stations.
Grocery Rewards		Grocery Rewards: 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%).
Blank fields may indicate the information is not available, not applicable, or not known to CreditDonkey. Please visit the product website for details.

Bottom Line

We're glad that AMEX has introduced an all-around cashback card to their lineup. The Cash Magnet is good for those who want a simple cashback card without needing to keep track of categories. 1.5% cash back is above average, though there are other no-annual-fee cashback cards with better reward rates.