Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express review: Solid everyday rewards for no annual fee

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Bankrate Score

Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5

4.6

See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply

Apply now

on American Express's secure site

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

Earn $200

Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.

Rewards rate

1% - 3%

3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%. 3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. 1% Cash Back on other purchases.

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)

A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Citi Double Cash® Card

Bankrate Score

Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5

4.2

See Rates & Fees

Apply now

on Citi's secure site

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

$200 cash back

Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.

Rewards rate

1% - 5%

Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25.

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)

A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Bankrate Score

Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5

4.4

See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply

Apply now

on American Express's secure site

Annual fee

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

Intro offer

Earn $250

Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.

Rewards rate

1% - 6%

6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. 3% Cash Back on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more. 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations. 1% Cash Back on other purchases.

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)

A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

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

  The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express is the Blue Cash Everyday card’s big sibling card and biggest competitor: It has one of the highest cash back rates on U.S. supermarket purchases and select U.S. streaming services. Paired with the Disney+ bundle credit, the Blue Cash Preferred can earn plenty of cash back on your streaming subscriptions. But the choice between the Blue Cash Preferred and the Blue Cash Everyday may come down to your spending habits.

  Both cards are great options for popular household categories like U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations. The Blue Cash Preferred has a $95 annual fee ($0 intro annual fee for the first year) but offers a cash back rate at U.S. supermarkets twice as high as the Blue Cash Everyday. The Everyday also rewards U.S. online retail shopping while the Preferred rewards select streaming subscriptions instead.

  To offset the annual fee on the Blue Cash Preferred, you’ll need to spend at least $1,583 at U.S. supermarkets annually (or around $132 per month). But if you don’t spend enough on groceries to justify an annual fee or prefer the U.S. online shopping category, the Blue Cash Everyday Card could be the clear winner.

• Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express vs. Citi Double Cash® Card

  The Blue Cash Everyday card and the Citi Double Cash Card are top cash back cards that appeal to different types of cardholders. The Everyday card’s rewards are ideal if you frequently spend in common household categories. Additional features like the Disney+ Bundle and Home Chef credit stand out if you enjoy taking advantage of as many credit card perks as possible.

  The Double Cash card’s unlimited 1 percent cash back when you make a purchase and 1 percent as you pay it back is one of the highest flat rates on the market. It’s an ideal choice if you spend a lot in categories the Blue Cash Everyday card doesn’t cover or prefer a simple rewards structure. 

• Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

  The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards card is a great no-annual-fee complement to the Blue Cash Everyday, earning boosted rates in many categories that the Everyday covers, and then some (See Rates & Fees). You can pair these cards to earn significant cash back on dining, entertainment, groceries (excluding superstores), streaming, gas stations and online retailers. After you spend over $6,000 at U.S. supermarkets with the Blue Cash Everyday card, you can switch to the Savor Cash Rewards card to continue earning elevated cash back rates (instead of just 1 percent back with the Blue Cash Everyday). 

• The Citi Custom Cash® Card*

  The Citi Custom Cash card* is a great partner card for filling in and maximizing reward gaps. You can earn 5 percent back in one of 10 eligible categories (up to $500 in spending each billing cycle, then 1 percent).

  Use this card as a backup for groceries if you think you’ll hit the Blue Cash Everyday’s yearly spending cap or for other frequent purchases that are eligible for the Citi Custom Cash’s 5 percent rewards. 

• Minimalists

  Anyone who wants only one card can find a lot of value in the Blue Cash Everyday card because it rewards purchases in multiple everyday categories. It can be a great choice if you keep your budget to the basics — U.S. supermarket purchases and U.S. gas stations, with occasional online purchases.

• Infrequent airline travelers

  Commuters and road trippers should get a lot out of this card's bonus rewards rate on gas stations, and the Blue Cash Everyday card can help you earn solid cash back on common essential purchases like groceries. Plus, it could be an excellent choice for the holidays if you do most of your shopping at U.S. online retailers.

• Rewards value

  The primary criteria for a rewards or cash back card’s rating is its rewards value. This includes the card’s average rewards rate, estimated annual rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value and reward redemption value.

  To estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings, we first calculate its average rewards rate based on how much it earns in different bonus categories and how closely its categories align with the average person’s spending habits, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

  The most recent BLS data estimates average total spending in 2023 was $77,280 per consumer. We then narrow our focus to which purchases are likely to be put on a credit card and earn rewards, subtracting expenditures like housing, vehicle purchases and education. This gives us a total “chargeable” annual spend of around $22,500.  

  Some of the major spending categories that contribute towards the annual spend include:

  • Groceries: $6,000
  • Dining out: $3,900
  • Entertainment: $2,500
  • Gas: $2,400
  • Apparel and services: $2,000

  Using this data, we assign a weighting to each of a card’s bonus categories. For example, a card’s grocery rewards rate receives a 26 percent weighting based on how much of the average person’s budget is spent on groceries. We also estimate the redemption value of points or miles from various issuer, airline and hotel rewards programs.

  This weighting and rewards valuation allows us to estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings — how many points or miles you’d earn with a given card if your spending was about average and you used the card for all of your purchases, as well as what those points are worth. We also use point valuations to determine a card’s sign-up bonus value.

  With these calculations complete, we assign each card a score based on how its average rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value, rewards rate and redemption value stack up against other rewards cards.

• Rates and fees

  We also rate cards based on how much it costs to keep them in your wallet or carry a balance. 

  To start, each rewards or cash back card is scored based on whether it offers an intro APR and how its ongoing APR compares to the rates available on other rewards or cash back cards. 

  We also score each card based on how its annual fee influences its overall value. 

  We consider a card’s annual fee in two ways — how it ranks relative to the fees you’ll find on other cards in the category and how it impacts a card’s overall rewards value. Cards with an annual fee will always be at a slight disadvantage in our scoring system since annual fees inherently cut into your rewards value, but if a card offers terrific value via its ongoing rewards and perks, it can earn a high score even if it carries a high annual fee. 

  With this in mind, we rate a card based primarily on how its ongoing rewards value and ongoing perk value (such as annual credits or bonuses) stack up against other cards in the category when you subtract its annual fee.

• Flexibility

  We rate each card’s flexibility based on the restrictions it imposes on earning and redeeming rewards and factor this rating into a card’s overall score. 

  Flexibility factors include whether a card only allows you to earn a high rewards rate on a small amount of spending or requires you to meet a certain earning threshold before you can redeem rewards. We also examine whether your points are worth less when you redeem for some options versus others and whether a card gives you the flexibility to transfer rewards to airline and hotel partners. 

• Perks

  We also score each card’s set of features – its perks and benefits — against five tiers of features to provide a rating. 

  We break down these tiers as follows:

  • Tier 1 has less than standard card features (an ultra-streamlined card that offers basic utility and next to nothing in the way of ancillary benefits. 
  • Tier 2 includes the benefits you’d expect on standard Visa or Mastercard credit cards, such as free access to your credit score, car rental insurance and $0 liability for fraudulent charges. 
  • Tier 3 includes “prime card” or better-than-average card features like cellphone insurance, lost luggage insurance, concierge services and purchase protection. 
  • Tier 4 includes luxury features such as airport lounge access, elite status with an airline or hotel and credits for expedited security screening membership programs. 
  • Tier 5 includes the sort of exemplary benefits you’ll find on top-tier luxury cards, such as high-value travel credits, cardholder memberships and other unique and valuable perks.

• What qualifies as a U.S. supermarket for the Blue Cash Everyday card?

  American Express defines eligible U.S. supermarkets as stores in the United States that primarily sell a range of food and household products, as indicated by their merchant category code (MCC).
  Amex lists the following as eligible supermarkets, for starters (not a complete list):

  • ALDI
  • FreshDirect
  • Gelson’s
  • Hy-Vee
  • Kings Food Markets
  • Meijer
  • ShopRite
  • Smart & Final
  • Stop & Shop
  • Trader Joe's
  • Vons
  • Whole Foods
  • Winn-Dixie

  However, you won’t earn boosted cash back for buying groceries from specialty stores (like bakeries, butchers, liquor stores, etc.), superstores (like Walmart), warehouse clubs (like Costco), convenience stores (like 7-Eleven) and meal-kit delivery services (like Blue Apron or Home Chef).

• How long does it take to get the Blue Cash Everyday card?

  You could receive your new card in as little as seven business days, but the longest you’ll have to wait could be up to 40 business days after applying. The time it takes to hear back after applying depends on factors like your creditworthiness and whether you were prequalified or preapproved. You could receive an approval notice in just 30 seconds in the best-case scenario, but processing your application could take days to a few weeks in some cases.

  However, 30 days is the maximum waiting period, as federal guidelines require issuers to approve or deny your request by then. After you’re approved, it will take seven to 10 business days to receive your Blue Cash Everyday card in the mail.

• What credit score is required for the Blue Cash Everyday card?

  American Express recommends you have good to excellent credit — a FICO score of 670 or higher or a VantageScore of 661 or higher — before applying for the Blue Cash Everyday credit card to get the best approval odds.

• Article sources

  We use primary sources to support our work. Bankrate’s authors, reporters and editors are subject-matter experts who thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate, timely and relevant.

  1. "Consumer Expenditures — 2023.” Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed on Oct. 31, 2024.

  2. “Consumer Categories.” American Express. Accessed on Oct. 31, 2024.

  3. “12 CFR Part 1002 (Regulation B).” Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Accessed on Oct. 31, 2024.

What cardholders think

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

4.3

40 ratings

In May 2024, Bankrate collaborated with third-party SliceMR to survey 6160 cardholders nationwide. Bankrate and Slice MR collected, averaged and presented website analytics and cardholder responses to six questions on a 5-point scale. Responses are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by credit card issuers.

90% of customers recommend this card

Score breakdown

5 stars

60%

4 stars

30%

3 stars

0%

2 stars

0%

1 star

10%

Score by category

Overall 4.3 / 5

Extra perks 3.6 / 5

Privacy and security 4.2 / 5

Customer service 4.5 / 5

Online portal or mobile app 4.0 / 5

In May 2024, Bankrate collaborated with third-party SliceMR to survey 6160 cardholders nationwide. Bankrate and Slice MR collected, averaged and presented website analytics and cardholder responses to six questions on a 5-point scale. Responses are based on individual cardholder’s product details, and therefore cannot be verified for accuracy. Users received an incentive for their feedback. User ratings are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by credit card issuers, nor do these ratings reflect Bankrate’s own reviews of these cards.