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)
#2941
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Iowa
Posts: 122
^ That's the spirit. Take them to the woodshed!
They probably don't think your spend is high enough to warrant a CLI since you are doing perfectly fine with your existing limit. Perhaps if you kicked it up a notch they might see that you are in need of a larger limit.
By the way, why did you ask the guy "multiple times"? Did it sound like he was uncertain the first time? Was credit score the issue or did he just laugh that you even asked under the circumstances?
They probably don't think your spend is high enough to warrant a CLI since you are doing perfectly fine with your existing limit. Perhaps if you kicked it up a notch they might see that you are in need of a larger limit.
By the way, why did you ask the guy "multiple times"? Did it sound like he was uncertain the first time? Was credit score the issue or did he just laugh that you even asked under the circumstances?
#2942
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 253
I didn't ask him. I meant I have done a few CL increase requests online the past few months. I received a letter as a denial. I also called in once to request it and was denied.
#2943
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 466
I hope you're being sarcastic.
This guy (girl?) is turning over $30k on a $5k CL.
If that doesn't do it, I doubt $40k will.
#2944
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,731
Yup, turning over $35K on a $5K CL each month no way can mean the spend pattern is not high enough. It is more like, the spend pattern is WAY TOO HIGH in comparison to the reported income on the app. Also explain why he got a human call on a mundane out of state usage fraud alert.
#2945
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 920
I got my CL clipped 3 months after my FR. It's not terrible, just means I overpay my Blue through BP and do 1 large charge a week. Kind of saves time for me actually, I just hope Amex will let me keep doing this
#2946
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Uranus
Posts: 333
Any incremental details you are willing to share? Size of CL, spend level, etc? PM if necessary
#2947
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 253
Interesting. I never thought of doing a big overpay and then charging away. Yes, if you wouldn't mind, how big of an overpayment do you make. A 15k overpayment sure would save me time, but sounds even more dangerous than my current situation.
#2948
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angles
Posts: 2,101
I have AmEx cash (old) + Ink (each over 15K+ available CL.)
I have AP, BB, T.mo, and H&R Block, friendly cashiers at CVS and WMT (5k visits).... [I will use 2 OV (from last month) for AP]
My July MS=0
Those from Orange county, CA I need spoon feeding I am sick in bed and depressed () If u willing to help, send me a PM.... (we can also form a mini/local MS group)
#2949
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 920
If you make in 1 month what you would normally make over 6 months and get shut down, wouldn't that be a positive outcome?
#2950
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
Depends on how you are explaining it. If you mean you would have still gotten shutdown in month 6 anyways then sure. However, the chances are a lot less that you would get shutdown if you are spacing out 6 times more.
#2951
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 920
This card is as close to legally printing money as possible. IME, these deals don't last more than a year or 2 before being shut down.
To each his/her own ^
#2952
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 77
by WAG, I meant the drugstore Walgreens. I'm used to saying WAG since that's the ticker symbol for it. sorry for the confusion.
I have reasons to believe that hard coding of certain GCs must be YMMV because I've been to many WAG where they accepted CC for VR, PPMC and other PPGCs. But for others that won't take CC, I don't push it and move on.
I have reasons to believe that hard coding of certain GCs must be YMMV because I've been to many WAG where they accepted CC for VR, PPMC and other PPGCs. But for others that won't take CC, I don't push it and move on.
#2953
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Iowa
Posts: 122
Yes, of course I was. I did find the "business as usual" intention from him rather hilarious when I read it, hence my comment. I can't say that I have a better plan though: It's too late to lie low, and at this point sticking to 2x CL would likely accomplish little except making far less money before Game Over. I personally would probably tone it down or make some adjustments but that is not based on logic.
Mr. Happy, not even gonna bother.
Mr. Happy, not even gonna bother.
#2954
Join Date: May 2014
Location: RIC
Posts: 71
Data Point: Tried a PC from a BCE today and was unsuccessful. The CSR offered to swap to a BCP, the Blue Sky, an Everyday(MR) or the MB. I politely asked if she could check with anyone to see if it could be overridden but she claimed they too would be limited to the options on her screen. Looks like I'll eventually burn a HP.
Last edited by nandemo1; Jul 11, 2014 at 8:01 pm Reason: fixed a card name
#2955
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
Data Point: Tried a PC from a BCE today and was unsuccessful. The CSR offered to swap to a BCP, the Blue Arrival, an Everyday(MR) or the MB. I politely asked if she could check with anyone to see if it could be overridden but she claimed they too would be limited to the options on her screen. Looks like I'll eventually burn a HP.