American Express® Blue Cash Everyday vs American Express® Blue Cash Preferred
Side-by-side comparison
| American Express® Blue Cash Everyday | American Express® Blue Cash Preferred | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | No annual fee | $95 |
| Welcome offer | $200 statement credit | $300 statement credit |
| Dining | 1x | 1x |
| Groceries | 3x | 6x |
| Gas | 3x | 3x |
| Travel | 1x | 1x |
| Streaming | 1x | 6x |
| Everything else | 1x | 1x |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $455 | $679 |
| Points type | Cash back only | Cash back only |
| Network | Amex | Amex |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified July 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
Welcome bonus and value over time
| Over time | American Express® Blue Cash Everyday | American Express® Blue Cash Preferred |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | $200 statement credit | $300 statement credit |
| To earn it | $2,000 in 6 months | $3,000 in 6 months |
| Est. first-year value* | $919 | $968 |
| Est. ongoing value / yr* | $719 | $668 |
This one splits by time horizon. In year one the American Express® Blue Cash Preferred is ahead by roughly $49, thanks largely to its welcome offer. But the American Express® Blue Cash Everyday earns more every year after, so if you keep it, it overtakes the American Express® Blue Cash Preferred after about 2 years. Chasing the sign-up bonus and open to canceling before the second annual fee? Take the American Express® Blue Cash Preferred. Planning to keep it for years? The American Express® Blue Cash Everyday pulls ahead.
*First-year value counts the welcome bonus, estimated rewards, and annual credits, minus the annual fee; ongoing value is a typical year after. Every point at a flat 1 cent.
Perks, credits, and redemptions
| Perks | American Express® Blue Cash Everyday | American Express® Blue Cash Preferred |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge access | None | None |
| Annual credits | ~$264/yr (2 credits) | ~$84/yr (1 credits) |
| Points & redemptions | Cash back only | Cash back only |
On perks and redemptions, the American Express® Blue Cash Everyday carries the heavier credit stack (about $264 a year). Weigh those against the fee, since credits and lounge access only count if you will actually use them.
Transfer partners and point value
Neither card earns transferable points, so redemptions are cash-back or fixed portal value on both, roughly a cent per point. There is no airline or hotel transfer angle to separate them.
Both are U.S.-grocery cash cards, so the decision is whether the Preferred’s 6% (vs the Everyday’s 3%) is worth its fee, which comes down to how much you spend on groceries.
The Everyday is the free version: solid 3% on supermarkets, online shopping, and gas. The Preferred pays double on groceries and adds streaming, for $95 after a free first year. The math is simple: the extra 3% on groceries has to beat the fee.
Pros and cons
- No annual fee, ever
- 3% at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. online retail, and gas (each up to $6,000/yr)
- A simple, free everyday cash card
- Good for lighter grocery spenders
- 3% groceries is half the Preferred’s 6%
- No streaming bonus
- 1x on dining and general spend
- Cash back only
- 6% at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000/yr), the highest grocery rate
- 6% on select streaming and 3% on gas and transit
- $0 first-year fee
- The higher-earning card for grocery-heavy households
- $95 fee after the first year
- 6% grocery capped at $6,000 a year
- Only worth it above a certain grocery spend
- Cash back only
Where each one wins
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Grocery rate | Blue Cash Preferred | 6% vs the Everyday’s 3% (both to $6k). |
| Streaming | Blue Cash Preferred | 6% vs the Everyday’s 1x. |
| Online retail | Blue Cash Everyday | 3% on U.S. online purchases the Preferred doesn’t match. |
| Annual fee | Blue Cash Everyday | $0 forever vs the Preferred’s $0-then-$95. |
| Best for | Depends | Everyday for light grocery spenders; Preferred for heavy ones. |
The verdict
The break-even is grocery spending. The Preferred’s extra 3% on up to $6,000 of groceries is worth up to $180 a year, so once you spend more than about $3,200 a year on supermarkets, roughly $270 a month, the Preferred’s 6% beats the Everyday even after the $95 fee, before you count its 6% streaming. For a family that fills a cart every week, the Preferred wins clearly.
For lighter grocery spenders, the Everyday is the smarter hold, it earns a solid 3% on supermarkets, online shopping, and gas with no fee, and adds an online-retail bonus the Preferred lacks. If you spend modestly on groceries or want to avoid an annual fee entirely, the free Everyday is plenty. Run your monthly grocery number: above roughly $270 a month, upgrade to the Preferred; below it, stay free with the Everyday.