What are the Blue Cash Preferred rewards?

To redeem Amex Blue Cash Preferred rewards for gift cards, log in to your online account and click “Explore Rewards.” Then, select “Gift Cards” from the Rewards Menu to begin browsing gift cards from popular retailers such as Target, Taco Bell, Amazon, Best Buy, L.L. Bean, Lowe’s and Staples, among others. You will need a minimum Reward Dollars balance of $25 (equal to $25 in U.S. dollars) before you can redeem rewards for gift cards. Denominations above $25 will vary, depending on the retailer.… read full answer

When you’re ready to redeem your Blue Cash Preferred rewards for a specific gift card, click the card logo on the page, then select the number of cards and the denominations you want. Some retailers may also allow you to choose from either a physical gift card or a digital e-gift card. After adding gift cards to your cart, review the shipping address and redemption amounts and either update your information or click “Check Out.” Once completed, you will receive a confirmation e-mail at the address linked to your account.

Note that each gift card you redeem automatically reduces your Reward Dollars balance. Gift cards normally arrive by mail in about 10 business days from the ordering date. Digital gift cards are sent via e-mail and are available for use as soon as you receive them.

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.

Amex Blue Cash Everyday does not offer points. As a cash back card, Blue Cash Everyday disburses its rewards in the form of Blue Cash Reward Dollars. Cardholders earn reward dollars based on a percentage of each eligible purchase amount in a particular spending category. The card gives 3% cash back, up to the first $6,000 spent each year at U.S. supermarkets (superstores and warehouse clubs excluded) and 2% cash back at gas stations and department stores located in the U.S. All other purchases, including those that exceed the $6,000 annual limit on supermarkets, earn 1% cash back.… read full answer

You can redeem reward dollars for statement credits, gift cards or merchandise at an earning rate of 1 cent per reward dollar. The minimum redemption amount is $25 and you can only redeem reward dollars in multiples of 25.