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Welcome bonus:
You will earn $250 cash back in the form of a statement credit for opening the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and spending $3,000 in 6 months.
Alternatively, you can earn $200 cash back in the form of a statement credit for opening the no annual fee Blue Cash Everyday AMEX and spending $2,000 in 6 months. Read more about this card here.
Annual fee:
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card, please visit here.
Welcome bonus terms:
You officially won’t get the welcome bonus on this card if you have or have had this card, though readers have reported success after several years.
You can tell if you are eligible for an AMEX welcome bonus by applying. If you are not eligible for the bonus you will get a popup notification after clicking to apply for the card. At that point you can decide whether to proceed or cancel the application before it is processed.
Card earnings:
The Blue Cash Preferred has awesome cashback categories:
- This card earns a whopping 6% cash back in the form of a statement credit at US supermarkets. That includes large chains and standalone grocery stores. There is a cap of $6,000 in annual spending for this bonus, so you can get up to $360 cash back annually on grocery shopping. After $6,000 spent at grocery stores you’ll earn 1% cash back.
- You’ll get 6% cash back in the form of a statement credit on US streaming services with no cap, including Amazon Music Unlimited, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Audible, DirecTV Stream (formerly known as AT&T TV or AT&T TV NOW), Disney+, ESPN+, Fubo TV, Hulu, iHeartRadio, Kindle Unlimited, Luminary, MAX (standalone streaming subscription only, formerly known as HBONow or HBO MAX), MGM+, MLB.TV, NBA League Pass, Netflix, NHL.TV, Pandora, Paramount+, Peacock, Prime Video, Showtime, Sling TV, SiriusXM Streaming and Satellite, Spotify, Stitcher, TIDAL Music, YouTube Music Premium, YouTube Premium, YouTube TV
- You’ll get 3% cash back in the form of a statement credit at US gas stations, with no cap.
- You’ll get 3% cash back in the form of a statement credit on transit with no cap, including taxis, rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses, ferries, and more.
- You’ll get 1% cash back in the form of a statement credit on everything else
Disney, Hulu, or ESPN Credit:
Get a $7 monthly statement credit after enrollment when you spend $9.99 or more on any Hulu, Disney Bundle, ESPN Plus, or Disney Plus plans.
AMEX Offers:
Earn statement credits at websites and stores that you register for in your AMEX account.
Return Protection And Other AMEX Protections:
My favorite AMEX benefit is return protection. If you need to return an item up to $300 and a store won’t take it back due to a time limit or final sale return policy, AMEX will gladly refund you in full thanks to return protection.
Nearly all of the time you’ll even be able to keep the item you want to return! This benefit is valid for $1,000 of returns per card per calendar year.
Additional user cards are available at no cost and also get their own $1,000 per year return protection allowance!
Additionally, if a store charges a restocking fee to return an item then AMEX will cover that cost, up to $300/item, as part of their return protection coverage.
Unfortunately as of 2020, most AMEX cards got rid of return protection. Cards that no longer have return protection include higher-end cards like AMEX Business Gold ($295/year), AMEX Gold ($250/year), Delta Platinum and Delta Business Platinum ($250/year), AMEX Green ($150/year), Marriott Business ($125/year), Delta Gold and Delta Business Gold ($99/year), and most lower end cards as well.
The Blue Cash Preferred card escaped unscathed and continues to offer return protection!
- 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.
Other AMEX benefits include:
- Extended warranty
- Purchase protection for stolen or broken items
- If you need to dispute a charge there’s nobody who makes it easier or as pain-free as American Express does. It’s the easiest dispute resolution process in the industry by leaps and bounds and you can do it all online.
- Complimentary Shoprunner 2 day free shipping and return shipping on hundreds of websites.
- Secondary car rental CDW protection worldwide and primary available for $19.95/rental.
- See this post to see just how amazing AMEX benefits can be.
- Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.
- Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Card Convertibility:
You can change between this card and the no annual fee Blue Cash Everyday AMEX.
Quick Thoughts:
With 6% back on groceries and streaming, plus invaluable return protection, this is an excellent cash back card for bonus categories. Plus, you can easily cover the cost of the annual fee and then some with return protection.
Will you signup for a Blue Cash Preferred® Card?
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card, please visit here.
Leave a Reply
63 Comments On "Earn A $250 Welcome Bonus, 6% Back On Groceries, 0% Intro APR, And Valuable Return Protection On The Blue Cash Preferred AMEX!"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
“you’ll also get 3% cash back in the form of a statement credit for us gas stations with no cap”.
Dan would you therefore say this is the best card for use at gas stations?
(At least for the first year!)
Also, what should I change this to for 2nd year that has no fee?
change to blue cash everyday
Iand for now, s this the best option for opening new card if main use is at gas station for gas?
wells fargo autograph has unlimited 3% on gas with no annual fee
Do we know how long this offer is lasting?
No.
@Dan or anyone with info,
1. How long this will last.
2. And is this the best card with $0 annual fee, for use at US gas stations?
I never had any Amex cards. Also opted for a visa. Debating to get one now. Is this my best bet?
Any idea how I can get approved for this as a student? I tried once and got declined,even though I have great credit.
Include all household income.
Hey Dan and all others!
Thanks 4 all your help with deals & sales.
Which card would you recommend for people like me who have the sapphire preferred, travel a lot and want something that gives more % back when buying gas. Which now is ONE of the most costly reoccurring transactions in daily life.
This card is good for gas.
So is this:
https://www.dansdeals.com/credit-cards/limited-time-offer-earn-80000-thankyou-points-citi-premier-card-enough-5-round-trips-hawaii-citi-quadfecta/
Or Freedom during a gas quarter.
This is also good (4points per dollar)
https://www.dansdeals.com/credit-cards/us-bank-altitude-connect-visa-signature-intro-bonus-50000-points-waived-annual-fee-plus-global-entry-streaming-credit/
What’s the annual fee for the U.S bank altitude connect? And does it have any insurance (primary or secondary) for car rentals?
Can you get this card if you are an authorized user on this card under someone elses account?
Yes
approved thanks dan
Congrats!
does the return protection work for amazon too?
Sure.
trying to open this card is it still avail? what would be a good card to open have to make a 4-5k purchase and don’t mind opening to get some points have already the marriot bonvoy and the chase sapphire preferred
thnx
“There is a cap of $6,000 in annual spending for this bonus, so you can get up to $360 cash back annually on grocery shopping”
The $6000 cap is for calendar year or based on date card was approved(ie resets after membership month etc)?
Calendar year.
“If you need to return an item up to $300 and a store won’t take it back due to a time limited or final sale return policy, AMEX will gladly refund you in full thanks to return protection.”
what if seller in general just has a no return policy for all items?
that would fall under “final sale”
Yes, that will work.
Is there a business version of card so we can save a 5/24 slot?
@Dan
If I convert to the no annual fee Blue Cash Everyday AMEX, will the things I bought with the “Preferred” still have 2nd year warranty? Also is it considered another card in regards to 5/24?
Approved thanks Dan
Can i upgrage from the blue cash everyday one and than downgrade at end of the year?
How does this offer compare to the Sapphire Preferred deal? Which one’s better overall?
@Dan
1. Is refurbished items covered under purchase protection, the terms exclude “used” but what about refurbished?
2. Is purchases from eBay covered or it’s excluded as “auction sites”?
Thanks
I’ve had used products bought from ebay covered on this card for loss protection
why would someone buy apple care if you get double warranty with amex? and if you procrastinated and miss the 90 days cutoff to file a lost item protection from a lost item that was lost within 90 days, will amex still honor if you file for lost and stolen on the 105th day from purchase? Tia
Does this card earn MR?
Can I downgrade business platinum to this and keep my points?
Other option is downgrading to the gold.
Pls advise. Thx.
Does not earn MR points
If we have the Marriott amex card and we would like to close it if we open this card can we save our points to this card?
Thnx in advance
Weird said we weren’t eligible for bonus but we never had this card
Is the return protection good for eBay?
yes
Which AMEX card to downgrade to after year to avoid annual fee?
Blue Cash Everyday.
Which card has better return protection this or the platinum? And what about purchase protection for damage?
Same return protection as Platinum, $300/item and $1K/year.
Platinum has higher purchase protection limits ($10K/item vs $1K/item).
I heard this won’t work for Walmart but will work for a Walmart neighborhood market does anyone know if I order Walmart+ delivery online from a Walmart neighborhood market if I will get the 6%
Just so people know, the 6% is not for all stores. Many big stores, such as Walmart or Target have more than just food and therefore are considered superstores and not grocery stores. Instead of 6%, you’d only get 1%. Same is true for Amazon purchases.
Costco doesn’t accept any Amex (neither does eBay anymore) so it also wouldn’t help you there.
That being said, I use it by Aldi’s, trader Joe’s and many other stores and have gotten a few hundred dollars back on my statement but don’t expect it to apply to every purchase.
Had this card for years. If i open a new card will they waive fee for first year?
Thanks Dan for all you do! I’ve recently applied for a platinum card and they responded that I need to verify my income. They requested that I upload a 4506-c form. I’ve already uploaded it twice as they said there was incorrect information on the first one. Today I’ve received a third one in the mail from Amex. I’ve tried calling but they say they see that I’ve uploaded one but can’t help me past that because they’re awaiting a response from the irs. What can I do? Should I try to ask for a supervisor? Or just wait it out?
The fine print says that return protection is for purchases made within 90 days. Is that accurate or can you use the return protection anytime?
90 days from the date of purchase, plus you have another 30 days to report it, so effectively 120 days.
The $1000 limit per calendar year, is that based off the purchase date or when the claim is processed?
Referring to the return protection limit.
Is there a foreign transaction fee on the Blue preferred cash card
Yes 2.7%
Will the 6% Cashback work on groceries in Israel?
From the post: “…6% cash back in the form of a statement credit at US supermarkets.”
Not sure but I’m also not sure if it’s worth it even if does being that it has a 2.7% foreign transaction fee so you are left with 3.3%
Is the return protection max of a 1000 per account.
or every additional authorized user get there own 1000?
That’s answered in the post. 🙂
i called amex they said its per account not cars user.
wanted to double check?
DDF users reported success on AUs getting their own limit.
You can also try it and let us know.
Hey @dan what card would you recommend?
I’m moving into a house and doing alot of spending for next few months
Curious which cards benefits would be best
Anyone knows if Amex kicks people off if they abuse the system by maximizing on return protection etc. ?