Old Jan 8, 2014, 2:22 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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.

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 $6,500ą spend in a reward year˛, you will earn 1% on Everyday Purchasesł (5% after 6500), 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)

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
ą First '$6,500' is spend on all purchases.

˛ 'Reward year' is the 12 billing periods in a row beginning with the one in which the anniversary of your Card Account occurs.

ł '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%)].

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.
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Old Amex Blue (2013-2014)

Old Mar 25, 2014, 2:16 pm
  #1456  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: AZ
Programs: AA, UA, US
Posts: 525
Originally Posted by Majuki
Well, subject to AmEx's cap of your CL.
well, you can pay it multiple times in a month to circumvent that
i am waiting for fr results and holding my serve juice for this month!
oohaahouch is offline  
Old Mar 25, 2014, 2:19 pm
  #1457  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 100
How are you guys using your Reward Dollars? Can you make a statement credit and then ask for a refund?
Nucstorm is offline  
Old Mar 25, 2014, 2:21 pm
  #1458  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,056
Originally Posted by oohaahouch
well, you can pay it multiple times in a month to circumvent that
i am waiting for fr results and holding my serve juice for this month!
Isn't that precisely what placed you in FR territory?
Majuki is offline  
Old Mar 25, 2014, 2:30 pm
  #1459  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
Originally Posted by oohaahouch
it gives 5% on pharmacy and supermarket - no cap
I seriously wonder how I missed this thread in Dec before I applied for the BCP lol. I definitely would have skipped that step. Oh well, at least it just give me another $6k/year that I can do a quick MS on. Still have about $4k spend left on BC... Darn Amex GC loves to decline my orders.
cdancer20 is offline  
Old Mar 25, 2014, 2:32 pm
  #1460  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angles
Posts: 2,101
Originally Posted by oohaahouch
it gives 5% on pharmacy and supermarket - no cap
I know that(I started the wiki!)..... Its replacement for my 5% Citi ending 'today' - last call! Why constant discussion about the 'conversion' here? may be start a separate thread for it?
prasha11 is offline  
Old Mar 25, 2014, 2:33 pm
  #1461  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: AZ
Programs: AA, UA, US
Posts: 525
Originally Posted by Majuki
Isn't that precisely what placed you in FR territory?
indeed
since it wouldnt be fun to spend on 1x.
on second thought, i should know this week if i EVER will get that 5%
^ or
oohaahouch is offline  
Old Mar 25, 2014, 2:34 pm
  #1462  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: AZ
Programs: AA, UA, US
Posts: 525
Originally Posted by prasha11
I know that(I started the wiki!)..... Its replacement for my 5% Citi ending 'today' - last call! Why constant discussion about the 'conversion' here? may be start a separate thread for it?
Oh you started the wiki ... you get the bragging rights
oohaahouch is offline  
Old Mar 25, 2014, 2:35 pm
  #1463  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,056
Originally Posted by oohaahouch
indeed
since it wouldnt be fun to spend on 1x.
on second thought, i should know this week if i EVER will get that 5%
^ or
I think you'll get through relatively unscathed. ^
Majuki is offline  
Old Mar 25, 2014, 2:41 pm
  #1464  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Michigan
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 503
How big of a red flag would it be to buy several thousand $$s worth of VRs to get a good jump on the $6,500 right off the bat? I don't have too many AMEX cards, so I'm not as familiar with their policies as I am with Chase/Citi/etc.
dajoip is offline  
Old Mar 25, 2014, 2:42 pm
  #1465  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: AZ
Programs: AA, UA, US
Posts: 525
Originally Posted by Majuki
I think you'll get through relatively unscathed. ^
i am hoping, thanks for the cheers ^
oohaahouch is offline  
Old Mar 25, 2014, 2:44 pm
  #1466  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,500
Originally Posted by dajoip
How big of a red flag would it be to buy several thousand $$s worth of VRs to get a good jump on the $6,500 right off the bat? I don't have too many AMEX cards, so I'm not as familiar with their policies as I am with Chase/Citi/etc.
Why not??
ericdabbs is offline  
Old Mar 25, 2014, 2:46 pm
  #1467  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,056
Originally Posted by dajoip
How big of a red flag would it be to buy several thousand $$s worth of VRs to get a good jump on the $6,500 right off the bat? I don't have too many AMEX cards, so I'm not as familiar with their policies as I am with Chase/Citi/etc.
I bought $5k in VRs on my second purchase. I did a $2k donation with the third to put me over the top. The first billing cycle closes for me in a few days, and I haven't even had the card for a week. I'm going nowhere near my CL, and I have a long history with AmEx. However, this all goes out the window once you've been a lucky recipient of a FR.
Majuki is offline  
Old Mar 25, 2014, 2:52 pm
  #1468  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
Originally Posted by Majuki
I bought $5k in VRs on my second purchase. I did a $2k donation with the third to put me over the top. The first billing cycle closes for me in a few days, and I haven't even had the card for a week. I'm going nowhere near my CL, and I have a long history with AmEx. However, this all goes out the window once you've been a lucky recipient of a FR.
I was actually shocked too at how fast the first statement closed, (one week for me as well). My CL is low on this card esp compared to my BCP. I'm trying to decide if I should get my $6.5k now or just wait so it doesn't report at a high utilization. However, I wanted to be somewhat slow. I did some regular (small) purchases on the card the first day. Then $250 and $500 between grocery/pharmacy. Then started attempting for bigger purchases.
cdancer20 is offline  
Old Mar 25, 2014, 2:59 pm
  #1469  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: AZ
Programs: AA, UA, US
Posts: 525
Originally Posted by dajoip
How big of a red flag would it be to buy several thousand $$s worth of VRs to get a good jump on the $6,500 right off the bat? I don't have too many AMEX cards, so I'm not as familiar with their policies as I am with Chase/Citi/etc.
if you dont fear the fr, hit em hard
oohaahouch is offline  
Old Mar 25, 2014, 3:04 pm
  #1470  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,056
Originally Posted by cdancer20
I was actually shocked too at how fast the first statement closed, (one week for me as well). My CL is low on this card esp compared to my BCP. I'm trying to decide if I should get my $6.5k now or just wait so it doesn't report at a high utilization. However, I wanted to be somewhat slow. I did some regular (small) purchases on the card the first day. Then $250 and $500 between grocery/pharmacy. Then started attempting for bigger purchases.
I'll let you know what happens with the statement. I've already paid off all charges, so the statement will cut with a zero balance. I assume the bonus will activate starting next cycle. I'm tempted to go hard on this, but I don't want to have problems. So far I've used Citi and Chase cards extensively without issues, and I've stayed away from doing VRs on AmEx. The 5% is simply too good to pass up, and I do just enough to cover the fees for my 1x VRs. I'm thinking about switching over to Serve to do direct loads, but then I'd lose the option of checks and loading at WM. For me, BB is still more versatile.
Majuki is offline  

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