American Express is largely known for their lineup of travel and rewards credit cards.

But they also offer several cash back cards – most notably their Blue Cash lineup of cards.

Featuring high cash back earn rates on basics (including 6% on groceries for the premium option), there’s a lot to love with these credit cards.

Here’s what these cards have to offer, and alternatives to consider.

Amex Blue Cash cards at a glance

Amex Blue Cash Card Welcome Bonus Average Earn Rate Annual Fee
Amex Blue Cash Preferred $250 2.07% $95
Amex Blue Cash Everyday $150 1.5% $0

Amex Blue Cash Preferred

We’ll start by going over Amex’s premium cash back offering – the .

Card Feature Amex Blue Cash Preferred
Annual Fee $95
Welcome bonus Earn $250 after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
Rewards * 6% cash back on groceries, up to $6,000 spent per year
* 6% cash back on select streaming services
* 3% cash back on gas and transit
* 1% cash back on all other purchases
Insurance coverage 4 types:
* Extended warranty
* Purchase protection
* Return protection
* Rental car
Balance transfer offer 0% interest for 12 months

Amex Blue Cash Preferred rewards

So what will you earn for rewards? You’re looking at some high earn rates on essentials like groceries and gas:

  • 6% cash back on groceries, up to $6,000 spent per year,
  • 6% cash back on select streaming services,
  • 3% cash back on gas and transit, and
  • 1% cash back on all other purchases.

There are no other cards that will give you 6% cash back on a staple spending category like groceries, even if it is capped at $6,000 in annual spend every year.

And for all those streaming services you’ve subscribed to, you’ll earn 6% cash back with them too.

These are some great earn rates, and you’ll never earn less than 1% back on your purchases.

How to offset the annual fee

This card does have an annual fee of $95, and not many cash back cards have one. But it’s easy to offset.

Simply spend $132 in groceries per month ($1,584 yearly), and you’ve already covered the annual fee.

In fact, just spending $6,000 per year ($500 a month) on groceries earns $360 cash back. That’s a lot of cash back, and it doesn’t include anything else you might be charging to the card.

Amex Blue Cash Preferred foreign exchange fee

So what about the foreign exchange fee? This card has the typical Amex fee of 2.7%, which is slightly lower than the standard fee of 3% most other cards charge.

Other Amex Blue Cash benefits

Beyond the rewards, there are other benefits to this card.

Balance transfer and purchase APR intro rate

If you have any credit card debt, this card has a great introductory balance transfer offer of 0% for 12 months. This interest rate also applies to new purchases made to the card for the first year.

Purchase and travel insurance

This card also comes with 4 types of travel and purchase protection:

Amex Blue Cash Everyday

There’s also a no annual fee card in the Blue Cash lineup – the .

Card Feature Amex Blue Cash Everyday
Annual Fee $0
Welcome bonus $150 after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
Rewards * 3% cash back on groceries, on the first $6,000 in annual spend
* 2% cash back on gas and select U.S. department stores
* 1% cash back on all other purchases
Insurance coverage 4 types:
* Extended warranty
* Purchase protection
* Return protection
* Rental car
Balance transfer offer 0% interest for 15 months

Amex Blue Cash Everyday rewards

For earning cash back rewards, you’ll be earning up to 3% cash back on your purchases:

  • 3% cash back on groceries, on the first $6,000 in annual spend,
  • 2% cash back on gas and select U.S. department stores, and
  • 1% cash back on all other purchases.

For no annual fee, you’re looking at some great earn rates that will really rack up the cash back – especially earning 3% back on a staple like groceries (even if it is capped at $6,000 in spend per year).

When no annual fee is better

When is the no annual fee card the better choice? It largely comes down to how much you spend on groceries.

Spending $3,167 per year on groceries is where the net rewards (which takes into account the annual fees) of both cards are the same.

Of course, as you start spending more on gas and streaming services, that number starts to shrink.

A rule of thumb would be if you spend less than $3,000 on groceries ($250 per month), go with the , otherwise the Preferred version will earn you more.

Related: When Is It Worth It To Pay A Credit Card Annual Fee?

Amex Blue Cash Everyday foreign exchange fee

Like its Preferred brother, this card has a foreign exchange fee of 2.7%. So there won’t be any extra savings on purchases made in foreign currency.

Other Amex Blue Cash Everyday benefits

The benefits of the Everyday card are largely similar to the Preferred version, with a few slight changes.

Balance transfer and purchase APR intro rate

This card has a much better introductory balance transfer and purchase APR offer. It’s 0% for 15 months, an increase in length of 3 months.

Purchase and travel insurance

The purchase and travel insurance on both cards are identical. You’ll receive the exact same coverage whichever card you go with.

Alternatives to the Amex Blue cash cards

So what are some of the alternatives to consider?

Here are a few cards you can take a look at, and all of the no fee cards listed would also make great companions to either Blue Cash card.

Related: Top 1.5% Cash Back Credit Cards With No Annual Fee

Capital One Savor Rewards

Capital One’s lineup of Savor Rewards cards offer cash back bonuses on select categories – entertainment, restaurants, and groceries.

There’s 2 versions of the cards – the , which has an annual fee of $95, and the , which has no annual fee.

The will earn you:

  • 4% cash back on dining and entertainment,
  • 2% cash back on groceries, and
  • 1% cash back on all other purchases.

The is nearly identical, with the only difference being it earns 3% cash back on dining and entertainment.

And as 1 last bonus, both of these cards have no foreign transaction fees.

Citi Double Cash

To earn a high rate on every purchase, with no caps or limits, the not only is a great card on its own, but also makes a great pairing with either Blue Cash card.

For no annual fee, you’ll earn:

  • 1% cash back on all purchases, and
  • another 1% cash back when you make your payments.

It’s effectively 2% cash back on all your purchases. Use it on all your off-category spending alongside your Amex card and you’ll always be earning at least 2% on your purchases.

PayPal Mastercard

Our last alternative to consider is the , another card that’s either great on its own, or as a companion to a Blue Cash card.

With this card, you’ll earn a straight 2% cash back on every purchase you make, with no caps or limits on how much you can earn. And it also offers no foreign exchange fees, to help save when making purchases in foreign currency.

Related: PayPal Mastercard Review: A Top Cash Back Credit Card

Your thoughts

The Amex Blue Cash lineup certainly offers high cash back rewards.

And you also get to choose whether you want to pay an annual fee and earn higher rewards, or earn lower rewards for no annual fee.

What are your thoughts on Amex Blue Cash cards?

Let us know in the comments below.

Frequently asked questions about Amex Blue cash credit cards

Here are some frequently asked questions about Amex Blue cash credit cards.

Is the American Express Blue Cash Preferred worth the annual fee?

As long as you spend approximately $250 per month on groceries, the is worth its $95 annual fee.

Is the Amex Blue Cash Everyday a charge card?

No, the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card is not a charge card.

How does the American Express Blue Cash work?

Amex Blue Cash cards collect cash back on every purchase. You can then use your cash back to pay the balance on your card.