Blue Cash Everyday Credit Card Review 2023: No Annual Fee Cash-Back Grocery And Gas Rewards (2023)

The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express will probably appeal to someone looking for a credit card that offers savings on their most common expenses and doesn’t want to pay an annual fee for the privilege. If you just can’t stomach the idea of paying an annual fee for a credit card, and a big chunk of your household budget is allocated towards filling the fridge, filling up at the pump or filling your family’s closets, this card ticks the required boxes.

Plus, the welcome bonus can also put a nice chunk of change back in your pocket: $200 statement credit after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 6 months. The card also comes with an introductory APR offer on purchases that can help save you money if you have a big buy in your immediate future. Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and on balance transfers requested within 60 days of account opening, followed by a variable APR of 18.99% - 29.99%. A balance transfer fee of $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, applies. But you should know that if you spend more than $61 a week on groceries and other supermarket goods, long-term the Blue Cash Everyday’s sibling card, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express will net you more cash back, in spite of the $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 annual fee. (Terms apply. See rates & fees).

• $0 annual fee
• Decent welcome bonus: $200 statement credit after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 6 months
• Earn 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and online retail purchases in the U.S. (on up to $6,000 in each category per year in purchases, then 1%), and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits.
• There’s a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and on balance transfers requested within 60 days of account opening, followed by a variable APR of 18.99% - 29.99%. A balance transfer fee of $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, applies.

Earning Rewards

The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express earns rewards at the following rates:

• 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and online retail purchases in the U.S. (on up to $6,000 in each category per year in purchases, then 1%), and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits

As a new cardholder you can also earn the following welcome bonus: $200 statement credit after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 6 months.

Redeeming Rewards

The cash back you earn is stored in your account as Blue Cash Reward Dollars. You can redeem your Reward Dollars for a statement credit with no minimum redemption amount. Keep in mind, however, that you can’t apply this cash back toward your minimum payment due.

Since the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is a cash-back card only, your rewards can’t be converted into Membership Rewards points and combined with rewards on Membership Rewards-earning cards.

Rewards Potential

Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine both baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage earners bring in $116,000 annually and we base our sample household spending on that number.

Based on Forbes Advisor’s estimates, our sample household spends $6,692 at grocery stores per year, earning $200.76 cash back (keeping in mind the $6,000 yearly cap). In addition, this family spends $2,479 at gas stations, earning $74.37 cash back and $8,599 on retail purchases which will earn $257.97 cash back.

Forbes Advisor estimates that an additional $18,407 can reasonably be charged to a credit card in non-bonused categories which would earn $184.07 cash back. The total cash back earned by our sample household would be $717.17, plus the welcome bonus. Because everyone’s spending patterns differ, we suggest you look at your shopping habits and compare the rewards earned for any card you are considering.

• Car Rental Insurance: When you use your card to pay for a rental vehicle and decline the collision damage waiver at the rental counter, you may receive secondary auto coverage in an eligible territory.*
• Global Assist Hotline: When you’re traveling more than 100 miles from home get access to coordination and assistance services such as lost passport replacement assistance, translation services, missing luggage assistance, and emergency legal and medical referrals.*
• Purchase Protection: Covers eligible purchases from damage, loss or theft.*
• American Express Experiences: Get special ticket presale access and invitations to American Express cardmember-only events.
• Amex Offers: Save money with targeted Amex offers available to cardholders using an enrolled Amex credit card.

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 18.99%-29.99% Variable
• Purchase Intro APR: 0% on purchases for 15 months
• Balance Transfer Intro APR: 0% on balance transfers for 15 months

Fees

• Annual Fee: $0
• Balance Transfer Fee: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
• Cash Advance: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.
• Foreign Purchase Transaction Fee: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.

Terms apply. See rates & fees.

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

For most people, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express will be a more rewarding option in spite of the $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 annual fee (terms apply, see rates & fees). That’s because of the enhanced rewards earning potential: 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 at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more) and 1% cash back on other eligible purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.

If your goal in owning a cash-back card is to get as much money back from it as you can, the Blue Cash Preferred offers higher rewards across a broader swath of categories.

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express vs. Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

If you love the idea of a no-annual-fee cash-back rewards card but your spending patterns don’t align with what the Blue Cash Everyday is offering, consider the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card.

It will earn 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery stores (which excludes superstores like Walmart and Target), 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, and 1% on all other purchases.

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

If you don’t like the idea of earning different rewards in different areas of spending and just want a cash back card with all-around value, the Citi® Double Cash Card offers a net 2% cash back on all purchases—1% when purchases are made and another 1% when they’re paid off.

There’s no annual fee and the card comes with a balance transfer offer: Get a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After that, the standard variable APR will be 18.99% - 28.99%, based on creditworthiness. An intro balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, applies to transfers completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, the fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).

The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is a decent choice for those looking to earn rewards without paying an annual fee and who typically spend a good chunk of their household budget at supermarkets, gas stations and on online retail purchases in the U.S.

If you’re spending a lot of money at these places, it may make more sense to go for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express for its richer rewards structure. And if your biggest expenses are in areas other than groceries, gas and online retail purchases, another card will likely be a better fit.

To view rates and fees for the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express please visit this page.

Methodology

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors including:

• Annual fees
• Welcome bonus offers
• Ongoing earning rates
• Value of individual points of miles
• Included travel or merchant credits
• Additional cardholder benefits

Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors came together to provide a star rating for each individual card.

Read More: How Forbes Advisor Rates Credit Cards