Our illustration in the card’s colours, not its design
American Express credit card
Blue Cash Preferred® Card
$95 a year. Purchase APR 19.74–28.74%, variable.
Checked Nov 1, 2026Updated
- Annual fee
- Receipt · Annual feeChecked Nov 1, 2026
Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF
“Annual Fee $95”
- Purchase APR · variable
- Receipt · Purchase APRChecked Nov 1, 2026
Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF
“(APR) for Purchases Prime Rate + 12.74% to Prime Rate + 21.74%”
- Prime rate, in effect since Sep 17, 2026
- 7.00%
- Card margin
- +12.74–21.74%
- APR today
- 19.74–28.74%
- Foreign transactions
- Receipt · Foreign transactionsChecked Nov 1, 2026
Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF
“Foreign Transaction: 2.7% of the converted U.S. dollar amount.”
Select an underlined figure to see where it comes from.
In dollars
What it’s worth
Yearly value in dollars: rewards and credits minus the annual fee, for three ways of spending. First year includes any welcome bonus.
| Spending | Value against the fee | First year | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender | $325 | $230 | |
| Typical spender | $650 | $555 | |
| Heavy spender | $1,030 | $935 |
The spending each assumes, and what isn’t counted
- Light spender: groceries $300, dining $100, gas $100, everything else $500 a month
- Typical spender: groceries $600, dining $300, gas $200, travel $150, everything else $1,250 a month
- Heavy spender: groceries $900, dining $600, gas $300, travel $600, airfare $300, hotels $300, everything else $2,500 a month
$230a year
$325 the first year, with the welcome bonus.
Rewards and credits$325
You keep $230−$95 annual fee
The spending this assumes
A month: groceries $300, dining $100, gas $100, everything else $500.
$555a year
$650 the first year, with the welcome bonus.
Rewards and credits$650
You keep $555−$95 annual fee
The spending this assumes
A month: groceries $600, dining $300, gas $200, travel $150, everything else $1,250.
$935a year
$1,030 the first year, with the welcome bonus.
Rewards and credits$1,030
You keep $935−$95 annual fee
The spending this assumes
A month: groceries $900, dining $600, gas $300, travel $600, airfare $300, hotels $300, everything else $2,500.
Use your own spending
Estimates from the published terms above, as checked Nov 1, 2026; not advice. How we value cards
Against the market
How it compares
Worth more to a typical spender than about 100% of the 732 cards we track.
Other cash back cards with fees up to $100
- Credit One Bank WanderCredit One · $95 a year−$40 a year
- SavorOne RewardsCapital One · $39 a year−$80 a year
- Ollo Everyday Rewards MastercardMerrick Bank · $39 a year−$100 a year
Against this card, for our typical spender’s value (rewards and credits minus fees, after the first year).
Shares rounded to 5 points. Fees and APRs as stated; value for our typical spender. Method
Blue Cash
How you earn
- 6%
- eligible purchases at supermarkets located in the U.S.eligible purchases of U.S. streaming subscriptions from select providers
- 3%
- eligible purchases of gasoline at gasoline stations located in the U.S.eligible purchases on transit, including trains, taxicabs, ride share services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
- 1%
- Everything else
Cash back, as a share of each purchase.
Benefits
- Disney Streaming Credit: $10 monthly
- Car rental loss and damage insurance is available as secondary coverage when the Eligible Card is used to reserve and pay for the entire rental and the collision damage waiver is declined; coverage is unavailable for vehicles rented in Australia, Italy, and New Zealand and does not include liability coverage.
- Global Assist Hotline is available 24/7 when traveling more than 100 miles from home for emergency assistance and coordination services, including medical and legal referrals, emergency cash wires, and missing luggage assistance; third-party provider costs are the Card Member's responsibility.
- Card Members can access Amex Presale Tickets and Amex Reserved Tickets for select events, with additional perks at select events, while supplies last.
- Reward Dollars may be used at checkout for eligible purchases at Amazon.com.
All 11 benefits
- Card Members may receive Amex Offers for extra rewards on qualifying purchases at select brands.
- Rental car
- Purchase protection: Up to $1,000 per Covered Purchase, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year
- Return protection: Up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per Card account
- Extended warranty: Up to the actual amount charged to the Eligible Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year
- Emergency assistance
Every figure with its receipt
Rates and fees
| Annual fee | Receipt · Annual feeChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “Annual Fee $95” |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | Receipt · Purchase APRChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “(APR) for Purchases Prime Rate + 12.74% to Prime Rate + 21.74%”
|
| Balance transfer APR | Receipt · Balance transfer APRChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “APR For Balance Transfers Prime Rate + 12.74% to Prime Rate + 21.74% for any balance transfer requests we”
|
| Balance transfer fee | Receipt · Balance transfer feeChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “Balance Transfer: 3% of the transaction, with a minimum of $5.” |
| Cash advance APR | Receipt · Cash advance APRChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “APR for Cash Advances Prime Rate + 21.99%”
|
| Cash advance fee | Receipt · Cash advance feeChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.” |
| Penalty APR | Receipt · Penalty APRChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “Prime Rate + 26.74%”
|
| Late payment | Receipt · Late paymentChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “Late Payment: Up to $40.” |
| Returned payment | Receipt · Returned paymentChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “Returned Payment: Up to $40.” |
| Foreign transactions | Receipt · Foreign transactionsChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “Foreign Transaction: 2.7% of the converted U.S. dollar amount.” |
| Grace period | Receipt · Grace periodChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “Paying Interest Your Due Date is at least 25 days after the close of each billing period.” |
Before you apply
- What the application asks: your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number (or ITIN), income and housing payment. By law the issuer must consider your ability to pay (Regulation Z, 1026.51).
- Your credit report: applying usually means a hard inquiry, which can lower your score slightly for a while. Some issuers let you check whether you’re pre-approved first without one. How credit reports work (CFPB)
Questions
- What is the annual fee?
- $95 · Filed with the CFPB · PDF, since Sep 29, 2026
- Does it charge a foreign transaction fee?
- Yes: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.. · Filed with the CFPB · PDF, since Sep 29, 2026
- What is the purchase APR?
- 19.74–28.74% APR · Filed with the CFPB · PDF, since Sep 29, 2026