Advertiser disclosure: Cards and Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Cards and Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers. Compensation may affect how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies or all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to all credit card benefits.
December 19, 2024: The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express currently has a welcome offer featuring a statement credit. The offer that we can link directly to is the best public offer, but you might be able to get a better targeted offer from American Express directly.
Here’s what you need to know about the best public offers on the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.
Best public offer: $250 after $3,000 spent in 6 months
bonus_miles_full Learn how to apply. (See Rates and Fees)
This offer is the best offer that we can link directly to, but you might be able to find a better targeted offer by going directly to American Express’ website. Read on for details.
Amex targeted offers: Possibly a better offer for you
All information about non-affiliate offers on the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express was collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
While our affiliate link above matches the best public offer available on the card, you might be able to get a better targeted offer from American Express. Here’s what we found when we went to American Express’ website directly:
The catch with this increased offer is that you only find out what American Express will give you after you are approved for the card. You might get the advertised offer, you might get a lower offer, or you might get no offer.
We found that this offer was being advertised as of December 19, 2024. Be aware that this offer could change at any time and may not be available at the time you’re reading this.
Are you eligible to earn the bonus?
American Express generally offers welcome bonuses to you once per lifetime. If you’ve ever had either the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, the Morgan Stanley Blue Cash Preferred® American Express Card, or previous versions of these cards, you may not be eligible to earn the bonus.
While this rule doesn’t seem to leave much to interpretation, some readers have reported getting the bonus despite having had the card in the past. In some cases, if it’s been a really long time (7+ years) since you’ve had the card, American Express may decide that you can earn the bonus again.
Fortunately, American Express will tell you during the application process whether you’ll qualify to earn the bonus. If Amex determines that you are ineligible, you can withdraw your application with no harm to your credit score.
My take: An easy to earn bonus on a great card
While $250 isn’t the biggest welcome incentive available, Amex does give you 6 months to meet the $3,000 spending requirement, making this bonus relatively easy to earn. But the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express isn’t a card you get solely for the welcome offer.
The card is my go-to card for gas (at U.S. gas stations) and groceries (at U.S. supermarkets) thanks to its generous rewards in both categories. I also use the card for my Disney+ subscription thanks to the monthly statement credit I earn by charging my subscription to the card. Finally, I prefer to use the card for purchases of larger, more expensive items, thanks to the trifecta of Amex consumer insurance protection benefits: extended warranty, return protection, and purchase protection.
If you can get the larger targeted bonus to show for you on the Amex website, go for it. Otherwise, there’s really no reason to wait on this card. Since we’ve started tracking the bonus on this card, Amex hasn’t offered any limited time welcome offers. If you’re delaying getting the card in order to hope for a larger bonus, you’re probably losing money by not using the card for your groceries and gas.
About the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Annual fee: annual_fees (See Rates and Fees)
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers some of the best cash back rewards at U.S. supermarkets, plus an excellent suite of consumer insurance benefits.
Welcome offer
Best welcome offer: bonus_miles_full
This bonus is earned as a statement credit.
Rewards
- 6% on groceries at U.S. supermarkets.
on up to $6,000 per year of purchases, then 1%. - 6% on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
- 3% on gas at U.S. gas stations.
- 3% on transit, including taxis, rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, busses, and more.
- 1% on other purchases.
Rewards are earned as cash back reward dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
Benefits
Consumer insurance benefits
- Purchase protection. Covers eligible purchases against theft or accidental damage up to $1,000 per covered purchase and up to $50,000 per account per calendar year. Exclusions and terms apply.
- Return protection. Covers eligible purchases up to $300 per item and $1,000 per account per calendar year if the seller of an item won’t take it back within 90 days from the date of purchase. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories. Terms and restrictions apply.
- Extended warranty. Provides up to one year of coverage equivalent to the manufacturer’s original warranty on eligible items with warranties of 5 years or less. Coverage limited to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per account per calendar year. Terms and restrictions apply.
Travel insurance benefits
- Car rental loss and damage insurance.
- Global assist hotline.
Partner benefits and statement credits
- $84 Disney Bundle Credit. Receive $7 back monthly after spending $9.99+ each month on an eligible auto-renewing U.S. subscription to the Disney Bundle. Enrollment required.
- Amex Offers. Receive statement credits or extra rewards with targeted offers from select merchants. Enrollment required.
The Blue Cash Preferred is featured on our lists of the best cards for groceries, the best cards for gas, and cards with a Disney+ credit. For more on the card’s rewards and benefits, check out our overview of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card.
Frequently asked questions
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns cash back rewards. The card’s welcome bonus comes as a statement credit.
Perhaps the biggest perk of the Blue Cash Preferred is the rewards. The card earns 6% cash back on the first $6,000 purchases at U.S. supermarkets each year (then 1%). It also earns 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and 6% on select U.S. streaming services. The card also offers excellent consumer insurance benefits, including extended warranty, return protection, and purchase protection.
American Express card disclosures
- For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, please visit this link: See Rates and Fees
- For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, please visit this link: See Rates and Fees
Amex Extended Warranty benefit disclosure: When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty§ can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. 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.
Amex Return Protection benefit disclosure: With Return Protection, you may return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won’t take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. American Express may refund the full purchase price excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per Card account, if you purchased it entirely with your eligible American Express® Card. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Amex Basic Purchase Protection benefit disclosure: When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase with their Eligible Card, Purchase Protection can help protect their Covered Purchases for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date if it is stolen or accidentally damaged. The coverage is limited to up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. 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.
Advertiser disclosure: Cards and Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Cards and Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers. Compensation may affect how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies or all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to all credit card benefits.
