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 Jul 18, 14, 12:36 pm
  #3001  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 121
Same CL. I brush up against it now and then, have gone over several times (prepaying), no problem. But I've had this cc for most of my adult life, so that probably helps.[/QUOTE]

I have had this card for around 12 years now. Hopefully with that, it will not raise too many eyebrows
knn9413a is offline  
Old Jul 20, 14, 11:35 pm
  #3002  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Fresno, CA
Posts: 93
Does anyone who has done a PC from SPG to OBC have any advise on how to accomplish this? I've tried online chat several times and have been told every time that I can only change to an employee Delta card (then that I can't since I'm not a Delta employee).

After reading many pages in this thread I see several people were successful in the PC.
psone is offline  
Old Jul 20, 14, 11:38 pm
  #3003  
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 285
what exactly are people buying with this card now? I can do 8k PPMC, but OV is basically useless to me. would love to scale to 30k/month, but can't figure out what else...

does amex code any TGT's as grocery? what am I missing?
sedubby is offline  
Old Jul 21, 14, 12:59 am
  #3004  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 969
Originally Posted by sedubby
what exactly are people buying with this card now? I can do 8k PPMC, but OV is basically useless to me. would love to scale to 30k/month, but can't figure out what else...

does amex code any TGT's as grocery? what am I missing?
You must be joking. There's an entire forum dedicated to MS and you can't figure out how to do $30K a month? Hint: try reading.
farwest101 is offline  
Old Jul 21, 14, 1:00 am
  #3005  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 920
Originally Posted by sedubby
what exactly are people buying with this card now? I can do 8k PPMC, but OV is basically useless to me. would love to scale to 30k/month, but can't figure out what else...

does amex code any TGT's as grocery? what am I missing?
You could buy a few thousand in groceries and then donate it to a good cause. Real nice tax write off

Edit: Plus, you get 5% off! What a time to be alive
hitman1420 is offline  
Old Jul 21, 14, 12:26 pm
  #3006  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angles
Posts: 2,101
Recently, Those who took the benefit of AmEx offer 3($10) credit for $50+ purchases at grocery store, did u also get 5 pts/$ for that?
prasha11 is offline  
Old Jul 21, 14, 12:39 pm
  #3007  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,374
Originally Posted by prasha11
Recently, Those who took the benefit of AmEx offer 3($10) credit for $50+ purchases at grocery store, did u also get 5 pts/$ for that?
I don't know about that offer but it's all the same. Yes you get your original points for that purchase regardless of the offer. HOWEVER, when you get your Amex Sync bonus, it will be listed as coming from that store. Therefore, you will also lose 5x points for the $10 credit. (I learned this from a gas promotion).
cdancer20 is offline  
Old Jul 21, 14, 1:03 pm
  #3008  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angles
Posts: 2,101
Originally Posted by cdancer20
I don't know about that offer but it's all the same. Yes you get your original points for that purchase regardless of the offer. HOWEVER, when you get your Amex Sync bonus, it will be listed as coming from that store. Therefore, you will also lose 5x points for the $10 credit. (I learned this from a gas promotion).
so the net is 50-10 = 40 x 5 = 200pts + $10?
prasha11 is offline  
Old Jul 21, 14, 1:10 pm
  #3009  
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 33
Originally Posted by hitman1420
You could buy a few thousand in groceries and then donate it to a good cause. Real nice tax write off

Edit: Plus, you get 5% off! What a time to be alive
Everyone makes it sound so easy. But I spend $5k in a month and already got FR-ed. I dont think Amex lets everyone do this except for a select few.
jaiice is offline  
Old Jul 21, 14, 1:11 pm
  #3010  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,374
Originally Posted by prasha11
so the net is 50-10 = 40 x 5 = 200pts + $10?
Yes
cdancer20 is offline  
Old Jul 21, 14, 2:21 pm
  #3011  
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Gulf Coast of FL
Posts: 115
Originally Posted by jaiice
Everyone makes it sound so easy. But I spend $5k in a month and already got FR-ed. I dont think Amex lets everyone do this except for a select few.
Can I ask what your credit limit is?

I've never had a problem with AmEx, but we spend pretty high (expenses and ms).
nittanylion1 is offline  
Old Jul 21, 14, 3:22 pm
  #3012  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 920
Originally Posted by jaiice
Everyone makes it sound so easy. But I spend $5k in a month and already got FR-ed. I dont think Amex lets everyone do this except for a select few.
You're assuming everyone here has not been FR'd
hitman1420 is offline  
Old Jul 21, 14, 5:01 pm
  #3013  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, SPG Plat
Posts: 83
What is the most 5x spending per month you're doing on this card?

Any thoughts on upping the amount that I've been MSing on this card by 50%?

Last edited by VandyBDL; Jul 21, 14 at 6:34 pm
VandyBDL is offline  
Old Jul 21, 14, 5:42 pm
  #3014  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 920
Originally Posted by VandyBDL
I've been doing a little under _ to keep cash back below _ per month. Any thoughts on if it may be risky to do more per month?
I think this number is different for everybody depending on the usual factors. Which basically boils down to your comfort levels and the amount of risk you're willing to take.

The risk is important because you're essentially leaving yourself in the hole for 2 month's worth of GC fees if you get shut down.
hitman1420 is offline  
Old Jul 21, 14, 6:07 pm
  #3015  
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: whatever comes with CCs
Posts: 1,082
Originally Posted by jaiice
Everyone makes it sound so easy. But I spend $5k in a month and already got FR-ed. I dont think Amex lets everyone do this except for a select few.
actually it's good for you that you got FRed in the first month. Same thing happened to me. I had also done around 5k. After the FR, I've not had a beep from amex as I've slowly ramped up to a nice volume. I get the occasional fraud alert and I clear it from the mobile app and back to earning cash back.
mintcilantro is offline  

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