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American Express

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Annual fee
$95
Welcome bonus
$250 statement credit
Intro APR
0% for 12 months on purchases, then variable
Reg. APR
20.49% – 29.49% Variable
Apply at American Express →

Quick verdict

Best for families spending $400+/month at u.s. supermarkets. Skip if you spend less than $150/month at supermarkets. the $95 annual fee means you need decent grocery volume to come out ahead. also skip if you mostly shop at walmart, target, or costco — they don't code as supermarkets.

Rewards
★★★★½
4.5 / 5
Perks
★★★☆☆
3 / 5
AF Value
★★★★½
4.5 / 5
Approval Ease
★★★½
3.5 / 5
Overall
★★★★
4.3 / 5

🎁 Welcome bonus

$250 statement credit after $3,000 spend in 6 months

Rewards

CategoryRateType
U.S. supermarkets (up to $6K/yr) 6% cash back
U.S. streaming subscriptions 6% cash back
U.S. gas stations (up to $6K/yr) 3% cash back
U.S. transit 3% cash back
Non-U.S. supermarkets 1% cash back
Everything else 1% cash back

Points/miles valued at 1.00¢ each (CreditStud.io estimate based on typical travel redemption).

Perks

🎯 Who should consider this card

✅ Best for

  • Families spending $400+/month at U.S. supermarkets
  • People with significant streaming subscription costs
  • Commuters who spend on gas and transit

❌ Skip if

You spend less than $150/month at supermarkets. The $95 annual fee means you need decent grocery volume to come out ahead. Also skip if you mostly shop at Walmart, Target, or Costco — they don't code as supermarkets.

📊 Example: Typical traveler/diner

Everything else: $1500/mo × 12 × 1%$180 value
– Annual fee–$95
Net annual value+$85

Based on illustrative spending. Use our AF Worth It Calculator to plug in your real numbers.

📋 Application tips

Credit needed
Good to Excellent (670+)
Issuer rules
Welcome bonus once per lifetime. Amex 1/5 rule: max 1 new Amex credit card per 5 rolling days.

Not sure if you'll qualify? Try our credit score simulator to see what rate range you might fall into.

⚖️ Compare to similar cards

Side-by-side comparison tool →

Frequently asked questions

Is the Amex Blue Cash Preferred worth the $95 annual fee?
If you spend $400+/month at U.S. supermarkets, yes. At $400/mo, you earn $288/year in grocery cash back alone (6% on $4,800). Subtract the $95 AF and you're netting $193. Add gas/transit/streaming rewards and you're well into positive territory. Below $150/mo in groceries, the math flips — consider the no-AF Blue Cash Everyday instead.
What counts as a "U.S. supermarket" for the 6%?
Standalone grocery stores like Kroger, Safeway, Publix, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's. Superstores like Walmart, Target, Costco, and Sam's Club do NOT count. The $6,000 annual cap applies to the grocery category; after that, groceries earn 1%.
How does the streaming 6% cash back work?
You earn 6% on eligible U.S. streaming subscriptions: Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, and more. There's no annual cap on streaming. This alone can net $50–$100/year if you have 3–5 subscriptions.
Is the Blue Cash Preferred better than the Amex Gold for groceries?
BCP gives straight 6% cash back on up to $6K/yr. Gold gives 4x points on up to $25K/yr. If you value Amex points at 1.5¢ each, Gold gives an effective 6% but only if you transfer points to partners. For pure cash back in your pocket? BCP wins. For travel rewards? Gold wins.
What happens after the $6,000 grocery cap?
Grocery spend above $6,000/year drops from 6% to 1%. If you spend more than $500/month on groceries, track your spend — beyond $6K, consider switching to a card like the Citi Custom Cash for the overage.
Does the Blue Cash Preferred have foreign transaction fees?
No — Amex removed the foreign transaction fee on BCP. You can use it abroad for groceries and earn 1% (international supermarkets won't code as U.S. supermarkets for the 6% rate).

Ready to apply?

Application takes 5 minutes. Approval decision typically instant for qualified applicants.

Apply at American Express →

Reviewed by CreditStud.io editorial team • Last updated 2026-04-30 • Methodology & disclosure