Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express vs. Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Those who frequently spend in the bonus categories offered on the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express but can’t stomach an annual fee may want to consider the Blue Cash Preferred’s no annual fee sibling card, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express (Terms apply, see rates & fees). With this card, you’ll earn 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and online retail purchases in the U.S. (on up to $6,000 in each category per year in purchases, then 1%), and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
Those who spend a lot on groceries, streaming and non-gas transit are likely better off sticking with the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express despite its annual fee. However, those who do a lot of their shopping online may come out ahead by choosing the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express.
Read more. Blue Cash Preferred vs. Blue Cash Everyday
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express vs. American Express® Gold Card
The American Express® Gold Card (Terms apply, see rates & fees)is an option for those who wish to earn American Express Membership Rewards points. Some cards offer bonuses for dining and others for U.S supermarket spending, but the American Express Gold Card is an industry leader by offering 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at restaurants (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar beginning on 1/1/2025), 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), 3 Membership Rewards® points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or on American Express Travel, 2 Membership Rewards® points per dollar on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on American Express Travel and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases. Plus, unlike the Blue Cash Preferred, the Amex Gold card’s Membership Rewards can be transferred to a number of travel partners at a potentially greater value than a penny per point.
The downside? There’s an annual fee of $325, which is not waived the first year. On paper, the fee can be justified by the various annual credits the card offers: Up to $120 in dining credits, up to $120 in Uber Cash, up to $84 in Dunkin’ credits and up to $100 in Resy credits. Enrollment is required for select benefits. However, there’s a big catch with all of these potential credits—they each have their own rules and cannot be used all at once. For example, the $120 dining credit has to be redeemed in $10 monthly increments, is only good at a small selection of restaurants and delivery services and requires enrollment. And the Uber Cash also has to be used at the rate of $10 per month and is only valid for rides and Uber Eats orders in the U.S. You must also link your eligible card to your Uber account.
But this could be a better choice for someone whose spending aligns more closely with the bonus rewards on the Amex Gold than the Blue Cash Preferred, who can use the various credits and who prefers Membership Rewards over cash.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express vs. Citi Double Cash® Card
Unlike the tiered rewards structure of the Blue Cash Preferred, the Citi Double Cash® Card is a flat-rate rewards card that earns 2% cash back on all purchases—1% when purchases are made and another 1% when they’re paid off. It also comes with a balance transfer offer of 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After that, the standard variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.24%, based on creditworthiness. An intro balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, applies to transfers completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, the fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
These two cards might work well paired together for those whose spending priorities align well with the higher-earning categories of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express but who don’t want to miss out on higher cash-back opportunities overall.
Read more. Best Cash-Back Credit Cards
