Last edit by: TheDapperDon
Bonus category spending is now capped at $50k per year for new accounts. For now, this does not apply to existing cardholders, although Amex may continue to close accounts for excessive spend in bonus categories. This card is less viable as an MS instrument. Consider factors that may have led to these closures when sharing personal experiences.
Oct 22, 2014 onwards: Many people getting cancellation email from Amex. As of Dec 13, 2014, shutdown reports continue. Shutdowns appear to be triggered by spending on the card or upon statement closure, but not always
Some who have been shutdown are reporting back that AMEX is declining new non-OBC card applications due to "unsatisfactory relationship". (However, see here for an example where reconsideration was successful.) It is unclear at this time the length/extent of this Adverse Action/Ban.
Others have succeeded in getting new cards, including new OBCs, but consider your relationship with Amex and how much you value that and this card when deciding how to use it.
There might be some impact with other issuers. If AMEX sends you a cancellation it goes on your record as a cancellation by AMEX, not a cancellation by cardholder. While FICO score does not distinguish between closed by issuer and closed by cardholder, on manual review it may raise questions. However, issuers close cards for benign reasons as well (such as non-use) so unless several cards have been closed it probably won't cause a rejection by itself.
So, if you still feel it is worth it:
Application Link: Copy & paste the following link into a incognito window in Chrome or InPrivate Browsing in IE, Private Session in Firefox. There have been reports of people who got the card in the last couple of months getting shut down because of the rush to spend the initial $6,500.
Do NOT post "Link isn't working" until you have tried it incognito/private browsing and it fails there.
Up to 5% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations & select U.S. drugstores (Everyday Purchases). Up to 1% Cash Back on other purchases. For your first $6,500¹ spend in a reward year², you will earn 1% on Everyday Purchases³ (5% after 6500⁴), and 0.5% on other purchases (then 1%).
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months.
Eligible purchases do NOT include fees or interest charges, balance transfers, cash advances, purchases of travelers checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, or purchases of other cash equivalents. Additional terms and restrictions apply. (Presume these T&Cs are standard and that all credit cards state this)
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
¹ First '$6,500' is spend on all purchases.
² 'Reward year' is the 12 billing periods in a row beginning with the one in which the anniversary of your Card Account occurs.
³ 'everyday purchases' refers to U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations & select U.S. drugstores, not all purchases.
* Read the fine print for 'gas' purchases! Right from AMEX T&C's:
...Everyday Purchases are: ... $400 or less of gasoline at gas stations located in the U.S. (superstores, supermarkets and warehouse clubs that sell gasoline are not considered gas stations)... A >$400 purchase at a gas station will get 5% for the first $400 and 1% thereafter. E.g., for something, say, $503.95, you would earn $21.04 CB [($400*5%)+(103.95*1%)].
⁴ 5% kicks in immediately after hitting $6500.(mid-statement). In fact, it will even kick in mid-purchase and a portion of the purchase will credit at the higher rate.
* Reward dollars for the previous statement period show up a day or two after the current statement period closes.
* Most cash back redemptions will be applied to your statement within 2–3 days.
* Helpful post regarding moving CL between cards. Thanks lad2
* How to Visually Distinguish the Three Types of Blue Cash Cards:
Blue Cash (old) has a "<" character to the left of the word CASH
Blue Cash Everyday has a circle to the right of the word CASH, with the "Everyday" wording at the back.
Blue Cash Preferred has the word PREFERRED printed vertically on the extreme left side.
If you get the error message "You cannot be logged in. Please contact the number on the back of your card." when trying to redeem Reward Dollars online, it may be because you have too many closed accounts still showing in your scrolling images of cards. Delete the closed ones, then try to redeem again.
Oct 22, 2014 onwards: Many people getting cancellation email from Amex. As of Dec 13, 2014, shutdown reports continue. Shutdowns appear to be triggered by spending on the card or upon statement closure, but not always
Some who have been shutdown are reporting back that AMEX is declining new non-OBC card applications due to "unsatisfactory relationship". (However, see here for an example where reconsideration was successful.) It is unclear at this time the length/extent of this Adverse Action/Ban.
Others have succeeded in getting new cards, including new OBCs, but consider your relationship with Amex and how much you value that and this card when deciding how to use it.
There might be some impact with other issuers. If AMEX sends you a cancellation it goes on your record as a cancellation by AMEX, not a cancellation by cardholder. While FICO score does not distinguish between closed by issuer and closed by cardholder, on manual review it may raise questions. However, issuers close cards for benign reasons as well (such as non-use) so unless several cards have been closed it probably won't cause a rejection by itself.
So, if you still feel it is worth it:
Application Link: Copy & paste the following link into a incognito window in Chrome or InPrivate Browsing in IE, Private Session in Firefox. There have been reports of people who got the card in the last couple of months getting shut down because of the rush to spend the initial $6,500.
Do NOT post "Link isn't working" until you have tried it incognito/private browsing and it fails there.
Code:
https://www304.americanexpress.com/credit-card/blue-cash/25330
Up to 5% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations & select U.S. drugstores (Everyday Purchases). Up to 1% Cash Back on other purchases. For your first $6,500¹ spend in a reward year², you will earn 1% on Everyday Purchases³ (5% after 6500⁴), and 0.5% on other purchases (then 1%).
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months.
Eligible purchases do NOT include fees or interest charges, balance transfers, cash advances, purchases of travelers checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, or purchases of other cash equivalents. Additional terms and restrictions apply. (Presume these T&Cs are standard and that all credit cards state this)
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
¹ First '$6,500' is spend on all purchases.
² 'Reward year' is the 12 billing periods in a row beginning with the one in which the anniversary of your Card Account occurs.
³ 'everyday purchases' refers to U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations & select U.S. drugstores, not all purchases.
* Read the fine print for 'gas' purchases! Right from AMEX T&C's:
...Everyday Purchases are: ... $400 or less of gasoline at gas stations located in the U.S. (superstores, supermarkets and warehouse clubs that sell gasoline are not considered gas stations)... A >$400 purchase at a gas station will get 5% for the first $400 and 1% thereafter. E.g., for something, say, $503.95, you would earn $21.04 CB [($400*5%)+(103.95*1%)].
⁴ 5% kicks in immediately after hitting $6500.(mid-statement). In fact, it will even kick in mid-purchase and a portion of the purchase will credit at the higher rate.
* Reward dollars for the previous statement period show up a day or two after the current statement period closes.
* Most cash back redemptions will be applied to your statement within 2–3 days.
* Helpful post regarding moving CL between cards. Thanks lad2
* How to Visually Distinguish the Three Types of Blue Cash Cards:
Blue Cash (old) has a "<" character to the left of the word CASH
Blue Cash Everyday has a circle to the right of the word CASH, with the "Everyday" wording at the back.
Blue Cash Preferred has the word PREFERRED printed vertically on the extreme left side.
If you get the error message "You cannot be logged in. Please contact the number on the back of your card." when trying to redeem Reward Dollars online, it may be because you have too many closed accounts still showing in your scrolling images of cards. Delete the closed ones, then try to redeem again.
Old Amex Blue (2013-2014)
#916
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: JFK
Programs: *$ Gold :)
Posts: 1,061
The bill pay takes some time to reach AXP, obviously.
#917
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: ORD
Posts: 220
My experience with AMEX autopayment today is that my current available line has reflected the payment while my checking account hasn't been debited yet.
#918
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angles
Posts: 2,101
Are U guys having a huge CL turnover? Is it because U have a small CL? How many times U can roll your CL in a billing period?
#919
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: JFK
Programs: *$ Gold :)
Posts: 1,061
I just repay it mostly before the statement closed. Actually pretty much when I have funds available.
I noticed that they send account snapshot email when I have bigger balance. (Or is it when I get that emails I have bigger balance because it's cloaser to statement date already ? ) Anyway I see it as a reminder to pay
#920
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 175
I will have turned my CL almost 3 times for the billing cycle that closes next week. I just made a payment to my card using the Amex app on my phone and the available credit was updated almost instantly.
#921
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 203
With recent approvals and associated spending, I haven't hit this as hard as I want to. Once the Citi Exec hits 10k next week, I will be working this card more. A lot more.
#922
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 377
I appreciated the AMEX representative explaining and setting the ground rules. We'll gladly abide. So, while I'm all for testing limits, for us I now know the credit limit is indeed the monthly limit, and I suspect for most everyone else it will be the same. Hope this data point helps.
#923
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
Just a friendly warning to the community. After paying off early and then charging 2x (almost all GCs) of our CL on our second statement (after charging about 50 percent of it on our first statement), we received a professional and firm phone call from AMEX inquiring why we were buying so many GCs and informing us CLs are set for a reason and we are not to exceed it in a 30-day period, even though we were paying it off before the statement closed.
#924
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: WAS
Programs: SPG Plat. Marriott Plat. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Diamond. IHG Plat.
Posts: 2,580
Just a friendly warning to the community. After paying off early and then charging 2x (almost all GCs) of our CL on our second statement (after charging about 50 percent of it on our first statement), we received a professional and firm phone call from AMEX inquiring why we were buying so many GCs and informing us CLs are set for a reason and we are not to exceed it in a 30-day period, even though we were paying it off before the statement closed.
I appreciated the AMEX representative explaining and setting the ground rules. We'll gladly abide. So, while I'm all for testing limits, for us I now know the credit limit is indeed the monthly limit, and I suspect for most everyone else it will be the same. Hope this data point helps.
I appreciated the AMEX representative explaining and setting the ground rules. We'll gladly abide. So, while I'm all for testing limits, for us I now know the credit limit is indeed the monthly limit, and I suspect for most everyone else it will be the same. Hope this data point helps.
#926
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Fishers, IN
Posts: 105
Anyone know how CostCo Gas comes through? Assume gas station?
#927
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 203
Just a friendly warning to the community. After paying off early and then charging 2x (almost all GCs) of our CL on our second statement (after charging about 50 percent of it on our first statement), we received a professional and firm phone call from AMEX inquiring why we were buying so many GCs and informing us CLs are set for a reason and we are not to exceed it in a 30-day period, even though we were paying it off before the statement closed.
I appreciated the AMEX representative explaining and setting the ground rules. We'll gladly abide. So, while I'm all for testing limits, for us I now know the credit limit is indeed the monthly limit, and I suspect for most everyone else it will be the same. Hope this data point helps.
I appreciated the AMEX representative explaining and setting the ground rules. We'll gladly abide. So, while I'm all for testing limits, for us I now know the credit limit is indeed the monthly limit, and I suspect for most everyone else it will be the same. Hope this data point helps.
#929
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: HH Gold (again), US/UA/DL non-elite, ZE Presidents Circle, WN reluctant no fee convert.
Posts: 1,449
I tried to switch one of my Blue Amex cards over to the old blue.
Amex would do it but I would have an annual fee attached. I sidestepped as I will not pay an annual fee as I can't MS enough to cover it.
I seem to get the strictest AMEX criteria applied. I have been with them since 2004 but can't seem to get a break.
OK, so here's a question:
IF I applied for this card, causing a hard inquiry, would I at least benefit from the AMEX policy of assigning your oldest seniority account date to the new one? If so, that would really help with my account aging portion of the credit score. Any thoughts?
My credit report card, from "Wise Piggy", says I get A+ for payments, right kind of credit, but a C in credit age.
Amex would do it but I would have an annual fee attached. I sidestepped as I will not pay an annual fee as I can't MS enough to cover it.
I seem to get the strictest AMEX criteria applied. I have been with them since 2004 but can't seem to get a break.
OK, so here's a question:
IF I applied for this card, causing a hard inquiry, would I at least benefit from the AMEX policy of assigning your oldest seniority account date to the new one? If so, that would really help with my account aging portion of the credit score. Any thoughts?
My credit report card, from "Wise Piggy", says I get A+ for payments, right kind of credit, but a C in credit age.
#930
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
I tried to switch one of my Blue Amex cards over to the old blue.
Amex would do it but I would have an annual fee attached. I sidestepped as I will not pay an annual fee as I can't MS enough to cover it.
I seem to get the strictest AMEX criteria applied. I have been with them since 2004 but can't seem to get a break.
Amex would do it but I would have an annual fee attached. I sidestepped as I will not pay an annual fee as I can't MS enough to cover it.
I seem to get the strictest AMEX criteria applied. I have been with them since 2004 but can't seem to get a break.