American Express® Blue Cash Preferred Review

Overview

The American Express® Blue Cash Preferred is a category rewards card from American Express, running on the Amex network. The American Express® Blue Cash Preferred earns up to 6x on groceries, streaming, and gas, so it pays you the most exactly where you already spend. It carries a $95 annual fee, so the real question is whether its rewards, credits, and perks clear that bar for the way you spend. New cardholders can earn $300 statement credit after $3,000 in 6 months.

It lands in the mid tier: a modest annual fee in exchange for stronger earn rates and a meaningful welcome offer. The right call depends on whether your spending and the perks clear that fee each year.

Our 4.5 out of 5 rating

Each score weighs the rewards rate, value after the annual fee, welcome offer, points flexibility, and perks, with every point valued at a flat 1 cent. This is our editorial assessment to help you compare cards, not a guarantee of approval or of the value you will get.

Rewards: how it earns

Where the American Express® Blue Cash Preferred earns its rewards is its bonus categories: 6x on groceries (about $360 a year on the $6,000 a typical household spends there), 6x on streaming (about $36 a year on the $600 a typical household spends there), and 3x on gas (about $65 a year on the $2,160 a typical household spends there). Across a full year of average household spending, the card returns roughly $679 in rewards before any welcome bonus, so the more your spending overlaps those categories, the better it does.

Every point and mile above is valued at a flat 1 cent, the same honest standard we use for every card. Run your own spending through the calculator to see what this card would actually return for you.

Pros and cons

The welcome bonus

The current welcome offer is $300 statement credit, earned after you spend $3,000 in 6 months. Valued honestly at a flat 1 cent per point, that is worth about $300. The spending requirement works out to roughly $500 per month, so make sure it fits your normal budget rather than pushing you to overspend. Stacking the welcome offer on top of a typical year of rewards and accounting for the $95 annual fee, the first year is worth roughly $884.

Is the annual fee worth it?

To come out ahead on the American Express® Blue Cash Preferred you need to clear its $95 annual fee. On typical spending it earns about $679 a year in rewards, and it carries up to $84 in statement credits. For anyone who spends in its categories, the fee is easy to justify.

Benefits and protections

Beyond the rewards, the perks and protections worth knowing about include:

• $84 Disney Bundle credit ($7/month)
• Trip delay insurance and baggage insurance
• Return protection and purchase protection
• Extended warranty on eligible purchases

Statement credits

• $84 Disney Bundle credit ($7/month)

Who should get it, and who should skip it

It is best for people who spend heavily on groceries and streaming and will earn back the $95 fee through those bonus categories and the card's perks.

Skip it if your spending does not line up with its bonus categories, or if you would rather not think about where you swipe at all.

Frequently asked questions