Blue Cash Preferred® Card From American Express Review 2025: Shop ‘Til You Drop At Supermarkets (Or Until You Hit $6K)

Big Rewards Where Households Tend To Spend

Homes with hungry mouths to feed, carpools to drive in and offices to get to are likely to find that the rewards on this card align with where they typically spend the most. Notably, those who commute without their cars might find that the unlimited 3% cash back on transit is an even more valuable benefit than the grocery rewards.

We have the Blue Cash Preferred Card and it’s our supermarket workhorse. We put the card through its paces because I’m not sure anything burns as bright as the flame of hunger in the belly of someone ages 13 to 18. My teenagers will ask us, “When’s dinner? or “What are we having?” while they’re already eating something else.

The 3% at U.S. gas stations and on transit is also helpful because, again, teenagers are always asking for a ride or driving themselves somewhere in between stops at home to eat and change clothes (Spoiler alert: All the outfits look the same to these eyes). The bottom line is this card saves us money by earning us cash back on our daily family spending, which is the main reason we got it in the first place. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout.

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95

With an introductory annual fee, any rewards you earn during that first year go straight to you without being offset by a yearly cost. In year two and beyond, you’ll have to spend about $1,600 on groceries annually (that’s about $31 a week) to break even with the card’s annual fee.

Cash Back Is a Cinch To Redeem

You don’t have to be an experienced rewards wrangler to put your Reward Dollars to use. Just log into your account and select the “redeem” option where you see your rewards, and they’ll be applied as a statement credit.

There’s an Intro APR Offer

The card comes with a 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers requested within the first 60 days of account opening, followed by a variable APR of 19.99% to 28.99%. A balance transfer fee of $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, applies. Although other cards have longer intro APR periods, having extra time to pay off purchases is always a plus. The balance transfer offer can also be a nice perk for anyone trying to tame existing debt.

Other Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express Benefits

• $120 Disney Streaming credit. Cardholders can get a $10 monthly statement credit on subscription purchases, including bundle subscriptions purchased at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com, or Plus.espn.com U.S. websites (subject to auto-renewal). Enrollment required.
• Access to Amex Offers. American Express cards come with Amex Offers, which are targeted offers that can earn you extra cash back on your spending. When you log into your account, you can see which select merchants are currently available for bonus earning potential. You have to manually enroll in the offer by clicking on it, and then you’re all set.
• Travel protections. The Blue Cash Preferred comes with access to secondary car rental loss and damage insurance¹ and a Global Assist Hotline² if you need help and are over 100 miles from home.

No Rewards on Dining Out

I’m not shy to admit that I can’t get a home-cooked meal on the table every single night. Sometimes we need a break and that means take-out or a meal where someone else cleans up. Unfortunately, this card only earns 1% when we go that route, so we use another card for dining expenses.

The Annual Fee

The card’s $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 is a bit of a bummer as it means some of our rewards each year go toward offsetting that ownership cost.

Airfare and Car Rentals Don’t Count as Transit

When we travel as a family, it often requires getting on a plane and occasionally renting a car. This card doesn’t include planes or rental cars in the transit category which means those expenses only earn 1%. Cue the sad trombone.

There’s a Foreign Transaction Fee

International travelers and shoppers, beware: You’ll be hit with a foreign transaction fee if you use the Blue Cash Preferred for an international purchase: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.

Ideal For:

• Busy households who spend a lot on typical everyday expenses
• Anyone who has multiple streaming subscriptions (the 6% rewards are uncapped in this category)
• Frequent commuters, whether it’s by car, train, taxi or subway
• Those who can get the full value out of the Disney Streaming credit

Not Ideal For:

• A household that spends well over the $6,000 grocery cap
• Those who buy most of their groceries from a warehouse club or discount store
• Anyone who can’t stomach an annual fee

Earning Rewards

With the Blue Cash Preferred, cardholders earn:

• 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%)
• 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
• 3% cash back at eligible U.S. gas stations and on transit purchases (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more)
• 1% cash back on other purchases
• Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout

There’s also a first-year welcome bonus: Earn a ​​$250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months.

Redeeming Rewards

Cash back is earned as Reward Dollars, which may be redeemed for a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout. Rewards cannot be applied toward minimum payments.

Rewards Potential

To determine the rewards potential of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, we look at the bonus categories and calculate what an average household might spend in those areas. Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage earners in 2025 brings in $127,200 annually and has $40,398 that can reasonably be charged to a credit card. We base spending on that number.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express Rewards Potential

Category	Earning Rate	Estimated Annual Spend	Estimated Annual Earnings
U.S. Supermarkets	6%	$6,000	$360
U.S. Streaming Services	6%	$685	$41.10
U.S. Gas Stations and Transit	3%	$3,110	$93.30
All Other Purchases	1%	$30,603	$306.03
			Total: $800.42

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The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express comes with a 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers requested within the first 60 days of account opening, followed by a variable APR of 19.99% to 28.99%. A balance transfer fee of $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, applies.

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 19.99%-28.99% Variable
• Purchase intro APR: 0% on purchases for 12 months
• Balance transfer intro APR: 0% on balance transfers for 12 months

Fees

• Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95
• Balance transfer fee: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
• Foreign purchase transaction fee: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.

Account Features	Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express	Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express	American Express® Gold Card	Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Annual Fee	$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95	$0 (Terms apply, see rates & fees)	$325 (Terms apply, see rates & fees)	$0 (rates & fees)
Welcome Bonus	$250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months	$200 statement credit after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 6 months	a personalized offer as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases on the card in the first 6 months of card membership (approval required, welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer)	$200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
Standout Rewards	6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at eligible U.S. gas stations and on transit purchases (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more) 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 and at Amazon.com checkout	3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. online retail purchases, and U.S. gas stations (on up to $6,000 in each category per year in eligible 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 and at Amazon.com checkout	4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), 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	Unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
Intro APR offer	0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers requested within the first 60 days of account opening, followed by a variable APR of 19.99% to 28.99%. A balance transfer fee of $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, applies	0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and on balance transfers requested within 60 days of account opening, followed by a variable APR of 19.99% to 28.99%. A balance transfer fee of $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, applies	This card does not offer an introductory APR on purchases or balance transfers. See terms for Pay Over Time eligibility and program details.	0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, then a 18.99%, 23.99%, or 28.99% variable APR applies. Balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% (min. $5) then a fee of up to 5% (min. $5) applies
Foreign Transaction Fee	2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.	2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.	None	3%

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Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express vs. Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

The annual fee averse should consider the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express (Terms apply, see rates & fees). This card earns 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. online retail purchases, and U.S. gas stations (on up to $6,000 in each category per year in eligible 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 and at Amazon.com checkout—without an annual fee.

The rewards on supermarket spending are half as rich at 3%, but in addition to no annual fee, the Blue Cash Everyday earns bonus rewards on online shopping. Notably, this online shopping category includes major retailers like Walmart and Amazon, while the Blue Cash Preferred’s supermarkets category does not.

Read more. Blue Cash Preferred vs. Blue Cash Everyday

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express vs. American Express® Gold Card

Maybe you don’t mind an annual fee if you can get enough benefits from your card. If that’s the case, the $325 annual fee American Express® Gold Card (Terms apply, see rates & fees) offers generous rewards on both U.S. supermarkets and restaurants worldwide.

In addition to the card’s juicy earning rate, it comes with a jumbo-sized list of annual benefits including up to $84 in Dunkin’ credits for purchases at U.S. Dunkin’ locations, up to $100 in Resy credits (for U.S. Resy restaurants; $50 semi-annually), up to $120 in dining credits with select vendors and up to $120 in Uber Cash to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select your card as the payment method. Enrollment is required for select benefits. For someone who typically spends at these places, using these credits could be a no-brainer. But if it sounds like more work than reward, a simpler option like the Blue Cash Preferred will likely suit you better.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

If category-tracking of any kind sounds like a headache, it doesn’t get much easier to earn simple and generous cashback on your spending then with the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (rates & fees). This no annual fee card earns an unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases, whether you buy groceries or anything else.

Redeeming your earnings is equally as simple. You can apply your cash as a statement credit, transfer to an eligible Wells Fargo checking or savings account or withdraw them at an ATM (in $20 increments) with a Wells Fargo debit card. You can even use your cash rewards to buy gift cards if you’re so inclined. The rewards may not be as robust as what you’d get with the Blue Cash Preferred, but they’re easier to manage and the price is right with the Active Cash Card.

Read more. Best Cash-Back Credit Cards

Anyone who spends roughly $31 or more per week on groceries at a supermarket and/or spends a healthy chunk of their budget on commuting expenses will find that the Blue Cash Preferred Card is ideal for their household needs. The rewards you earn can easily surpass the card’s annual fee.

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors, including:

• Annual fees
• Welcome bonus offers
• Ongoing earning rates
• Value of individual rewards
• Included travel or merchant credits
• Additional cardholder benefits

We give greater weight to the card features we believe cardholders will use most frequently. These factors combine to generate a star rating for each card.

To learn more about our rating and review methodology and editorial process, check out our guide on how Forbes Advisor rates credit cards.

To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for American Express® Gold Card please visit this page.

¹Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
²You can rely on Global Assist Hotline 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Third-party service costs may be your responsibility. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.