Old Jan 8, 14, 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 $6,500¹ spend in a reward year², you will earn 1% on Everyday Purchases³ (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)

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
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%)].

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 27, 14, 4:05 pm
  #1606  
 
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 174
Originally Posted by jb0506
I hit XX,XXX spend on XX,XXX of credit limit about XXX% of my credit limit in the first two weeks of this cycle. Let's hope the CB is coded right. All spending is gas, grocery, or drugstore.

My first real month of MS on my Amex Blue Cash.
I always wonder about people that post their massive spends on threads that are most certainly monitored by the cc companies. I'm guessing either people so starved for attention that they don't mind making up outlandish numbers, or people that actually made the spend who are nonetheless so needy for attention that any survivial instinct goes out the window despite the prospect of getting themselves and everyone else shutdown. So troll or not, I hope you're satiated.
fletch512 is offline  
Old Mar 27, 14, 4:26 pm
  #1607  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: AZ
Programs: AA, UA, US
Posts: 525
Originally Posted by fletch512
I always wonder about people that post their massive spends on threads that are most certainly monitored by the cc companies. I'm guessing either people so starved for attention that they don't mind making up outlandish numbers, or people that actually made the spend who are nonetheless so needy for attention that any survivial instinct goes out the window despite the prospect of getting themselves and everyone else shutdown. So troll or not, I hope you're satiated.
or may be it is a cc rep trying to get others to open up
oohaahouch is offline  
Old Mar 27, 14, 5:11 pm
  #1608  
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 190
Originally Posted by fletch512
I always wonder about people that post their massive spends on threads that are most certainly monitored by the cc companies. I'm guessing either people so starved for attention that they don't mind making up outlandish numbers, or people that actually made the spend who are nonetheless so needy for attention that any survivial instinct goes out the window despite the prospect of getting themselves and everyone else shutdown. So troll or not, I hope you're satiated.
Agree, they most likely are among the first to crash (if it is a true brag) and the first to start threads like "American Express closed all my accounts and robbed all my $xxxK rewards; what shall I do?".
Henry II is offline  
Old Mar 27, 14, 5:25 pm
  #1609  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
Originally Posted by fletch512
I always wonder about people that post their massive spends on threads that are most certainly monitored by the cc companies. I'm guessing either people so starved for attention that they don't mind making up outlandish numbers, or people that actually made the spend who are nonetheless so needy for attention that any survivial instinct goes out the window despite the prospect of getting themselves and everyone else shutdown. So troll or not, I hope you're satiated.
If the banks are concerned about this behavior, the amount any individual posts hardly matters, so the whole MS forum is a danger from that viewpoint. And unless people provide too much detail "My balance was 1424.16, with two purchases at CVS for 503.95 on 3/22 and 3/23" it's going to hard to identify (and even then might not be worth the effort). Or do you see Flyertalk handing over information to a CC that can be used to identify an individual?
silver6054 is offline  
Old Mar 27, 14, 5:55 pm
  #1610  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: PHL
Posts: 930
I am pretty sure CC companies can see your CL % usage either way, so posting stuff here matters not.
commdiver is offline  
Old Mar 27, 14, 6:00 pm
  #1611  
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 190
Originally Posted by silver6054
If the banks are concerned about this behavior, the amount any individual posts hardly matters, so the whole MS forum is a danger from that viewpoint. And unless people provide too much detail "My balance was 1424.16, with two purchases at CVS for 503.95 on 3/22 and 3/23" it's going to hard to identify (and even then might not be worth the effort). Or do you see Flyertalk handing over information to a CC that can be used to identify an individual?
We all know how Citi and Chase utilized web information for their own benefits and AAs; it is definitely much more than to identify individuals at risk. It is a sensitive topic thus this is good enough.

It is always a good reminder when one posts that banks may be watching, too.

Last edited by Henry II; Mar 27, 14 at 6:05 pm
Henry II is offline  
Old Mar 27, 14, 9:09 pm
  #1612  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 15
What will happen if you apply for a second card?
ghygy5675 is offline  
Old Mar 27, 14, 9:16 pm
  #1613  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: AZ
Programs: AA, UA, US
Posts: 525
Originally Posted by ghygy5675
What will happen if you apply for a second card?
What stops you from trying; report back the outcome
oohaahouch is offline  
Old Mar 28, 14, 5:53 am
  #1614  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
Anyone got the March 27th statement yet? Online it reflects that the cycle has closed but still no statement
silver6054 is offline  
Old Mar 28, 14, 5:56 am
  #1615  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Murica
Posts: 344
Originally Posted by silver6054
Anyone got the March 27th statement yet? Online it reflects that the cycle has closed but still no statement
I think that means you're getting FR'd.

Just kidding.

Have some patience. It will be there today, probably this morning.
jewsus is offline  
Old Mar 28, 14, 6:04 am
  #1616  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
Originally Posted by jewsus
I think that means you're getting FR'd.

Just kidding.

Have some patience. It will be there today, probably this morning.
I'm not concerned about an FR, it's a stolen card so I would just get another!
silver6054 is offline  
Old Mar 28, 14, 6:27 am
  #1617  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA, BA, CX, DL, EK, F9, GA, HA, IB, JL, KE, LH, MH, NH, OS, PG, QR, RJ, SA, TG, UA, VN, WN, ZH
Posts: 927
Originally Posted by silver6054
Anyone got the March 27th statement yet? Online it reflects that the cycle has closed but still no statement
No problem here. Everything is coded & calculated correctly.

The pdf is generated but not added to the 'Billing Statement' page. But you can get it from the online statement page.

'Go To Online Statment' > 'Please View Your PDF Billing Statement For Important Notice(s) About Your Account'
lad2 is offline  
Old Mar 28, 14, 6:46 am
  #1618  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
Originally Posted by lad2
No problem here. Everything is coded & calculated correctly.

The pdf is generated but not added to the 'Billing Statement' page. But you can get it from the online statement page.

'Go To Online Statment' > 'Please View Your PDF Billing Statement For Important Notice(s) About Your Account'
Thanks! Yes, all looks good for Feb, drug store and groceries posted correctly.
silver6054 is offline  
Old Mar 28, 14, 6:47 am
  #1619  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: JFK
Programs: *$ Gold :)
Posts: 1,061
Other Eligible Purchases $0.00 @1% 0.00
VERY nice
pier11 is offline  
Old Mar 28, 14, 6:53 am
  #1620  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: PHL
Posts: 930
Originally Posted by silver6054
Anyone got the March 27th statement yet? Online it reflects that the cycle has closed but still no statement
Just as small FYI, billing close date≠statement date. I have several cards where the billing cycle closes a day or two before the statement is processed.
commdiver is offline  

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