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 $6,500 spend in a reward year, you will earn 1% on Everyday Purchases (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)
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
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.
'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 23 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 $6,500 spend in a reward year, you will earn 1% on Everyday Purchases (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)
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
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.
'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 23 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)
#1621
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,374
Yay. I ended up overpaying just perfectly. Don't plan to cut it this close to the end of the statement again but the amount that I guessed would no longer be pending by the end of billing day was perfect. $0 balance and less than $1k to go to meet my min spending. Bout to knock that out right now on AP. Then let the fun begin!

#1622
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA 1MM Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 1,518
Mine looks like it posted correctly too. Just barely broke the $6500 on our second statement because we were concentrating on Citi TY 5x ending, but the breakdown is correct. Now can't wait for the NEXT statement to hit
.


#1623
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA 1MM Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 1,518

#1624
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SEA (previous locations: DTW, TLV, EWR, BOS)
Programs: AS: 75K; DL/NW: Plat; DL SC: Lifetime; Hyatt: Diamond; HH: Gold; SPG: Plat;
Posts: 3,379

#1626
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 43
11 years with Amex, no real large spend. had 2 FR's over the years. I did not lie on my application for income. I've talked to reps this month about other things on my account none has given any problems. No calls for FR or anything, fingers crossed.
Not bragging either, if shut down, no big deal. ill be no better or worse off. just giving a data point to others.
Not bragging either, if shut down, no big deal. ill be no better or worse off. just giving a data point to others.
Last edited by jb0506; Mar 28, 14 at 8:23 am

#1627
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: DEN
Programs: SPG Gold; HH Diamond
Posts: 223
11 years with Amex, no real large spend. had 2 FR's over the years. I did not lie on my application for income. I've talked to reps this month about other things on my account none has given any problems. No calls for FR or anything, fingers crossed.
Not bragging either, if shut down, no big deal. ill be no better or worse off. just giving a data point to others.
Not bragging either, if shut down, no big deal. ill be no better or worse off. just giving a data point to others.


#1628
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: AA, SPG, MR, UR, Cash Back!
Posts: 606
Are reward one billing cycle behind? I used the card once in the early January statement and have received a CB bonus in the correct amount. I then used it in the late jan to late feb statement, 3 times. I didn't use it at all in the late feb to late mar billing cycle.
So my question is, for my 2nd statement I should see those rewards in the next day or 2 correct?
So my question is, for my 2nd statement I should see those rewards in the next day or 2 correct?

#1629
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
Are reward one billing cycle behind? I used the card once in the early January statement and have received a CB bonus in the correct amount. I then used it in the late jan to late feb statement, 3 times. I didn't use it at all in the late feb to late mar billing cycle.
So my question is, for my 2nd statement I should see those rewards in the next day or 2 correct?
So my question is, for my 2nd statement I should see those rewards in the next day or 2 correct?


#1630
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA 1MM Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 1,518

#1631
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA 1MM Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 1,518

#1634
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 30
mine just posted, I was upset at first cause some of the drugstores didnt post @ 5% but then I realized it was the tail end of my 6500 threshold that I was still trying to surpass. So all is good.
On a side note, do you think Amex really will have the bandwith or appetite to FR all these accounts? Just curious if they are going to see a tidal wave of potential accounts to FR come up on the radar and not have the staff or resources to process them all. Wonder what the metric/flag will be or if they will raise their normal targets to a reasonable pool to FR or just target the egregious ones first.
On a side note, do you think Amex really will have the bandwith or appetite to FR all these accounts? Just curious if they are going to see a tidal wave of potential accounts to FR come up on the radar and not have the staff or resources to process them all. Wonder what the metric/flag will be or if they will raise their normal targets to a reasonable pool to FR or just target the egregious ones first.
Last edited by ChurnNBurn; Mar 28, 14 at 9:23 am

#1635
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA 1MM Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 1,518
mine just posted, I was upset at first cause some of the drugstores didnt post @ 5% but then I realized it was the tail end of my 6500 threshold that I was still trying to surpass. So all is good.
On a side note, do you think Amex really will have the bandwith or appetite to FR all these accounts? Just curious if they are going to see a tidal wave of potential accounts to FR come up on the radar and not have the staff or resources to process them all. Wonder what the metric/flag will be or if they will raise their normal targets to a reasonable pool to FR or just target the egregious ones first.
On a side note, do you think Amex really will have the bandwith or appetite to FR all these accounts? Just curious if they are going to see a tidal wave of potential accounts to FR come up on the radar and not have the staff or resources to process them all. Wonder what the metric/flag will be or if they will raise their normal targets to a reasonable pool to FR or just target the egregious ones first.
I think if they cannot FR they will start saying "we are not able to fulfill requirements to offer this card to you anymore" or whatever more often instead. They won't increase FR staff just for this card and the abuse it might get.
