How do I redeem my Amex Blue Cash Preferred rewards for gift cards?

Amex Blue Cash Preferred is worth it for cardholders who spend enough to recoup the value of the card’s $95 annual fee (waived the first year) in rewards earnings. The easiest way to do that is by spending $3,000 within 6 months of opening an account. That will trigger the Blue Cash Preferred card’s $150 initial bonus, which will pay for the annual fee for a couple of years.… read full answer

The Blue Cash Preferred card will continue to be worth it if you consistently charge purchases to the card after meeting the initial bonus, especially in its bonus rewards categories. To break even on the annual fee, you could spend $1,584 on groceries and streaming services per year, $3,167 on gas and transit, or $9,500 on purchases not in those categories. Of course, your spending will probably be a mix of all those categories.

Ultimately, the best way to figure out if Blue Cash Preferred is worth it is to figure out how much you spend in each category per year, determine how much you would earn in rewards based on that, and then compare the rewards value to the annual fee. If you break even or make money, the card is worth it. If not, you should consider a cheaper card.

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred credit score requirement is 700 or higher. That means applicants need at least “good” credit for approval. Some forum posts online report getting approved for American Express Blue Cash Preferred with scores as low as 665.

Your credit score is not the only thing American Express considers, however, annual income, existing debt, and derogatory marks on your credit also matter. The good thing is you can see if you’re pre-qualified for an American Express card by using their online … read full answerpre-qualification tool.