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 $6,500ą spend in a reward year˛, you will earn 1% on Everyday Purchasesł (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)
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
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%)].
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 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.
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 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)
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
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%)].
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 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.
Old Amex Blue (2013-2014)
#362
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
But with the BCP at least it seems you get rewards a month behind (stuff earned in Dec-Jan is paid out on the Feb statement) so you could lose more earned by unredeemed rewards.
#363
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
Surprised they do this, at least without asking. Why can't they just give a smaller CL on the new card and let you make the transfer request? Of course, this way is saving you a step as you want more on the BC.
#364
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Down South, The Desert
Programs: Marriot Rewards, Southwest Rapid rewards, Emerald Club, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,871
I agree with your concern. I'm ok with them moving it if it means I get an instant approval. I'm going to start building my spending on this card.
#365
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 486
No updates from anyone whose app was cancelled as a duplicate? I won't get a chance to phone in until tomorrow.
#366
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
Darn. I JUST opened a AMEX Blue Cash Preferred. It seems like I could have made out a lot better with this card in turns of MS. :-(
#367
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 721
#368
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 252
I got the cancelled duplicate, but approved for card letter. I thought this letter meant I was approved for the Blue Cash card. This was on December 30, 2013. I called today because I still haven't received the card on the mail. It turns out the card I was "approved" for was the BCP, which I've have had since October 2013! That letter was very misleading. So the rep. put this into reconsideration. Can you have both the BCP and the BC?
#371
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 139
Question on where I should apply for this card:
I currently have ~700 CS, and I am fairly new to the game. I have 1 derog from 6 years ago that went to collections. I currently have 4 open revolving accounts in good standing 2 of those are over 3 years old and the other 2 are from 3 months ago. I currently do not have an AMEX card, but I would love to start with this one. I figured it was a No AF card so they may have lower CS requirements for this card.
Am I crazy to waist a hard pull on this, or do I have a chance of getting approved?
I currently have ~700 CS, and I am fairly new to the game. I have 1 derog from 6 years ago that went to collections. I currently have 4 open revolving accounts in good standing 2 of those are over 3 years old and the other 2 are from 3 months ago. I currently do not have an AMEX card, but I would love to start with this one. I figured it was a No AF card so they may have lower CS requirements for this card.
Am I crazy to waist a hard pull on this, or do I have a chance of getting approved?
#372
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 128
Question on where I should apply for this card:
I currently have ~700 CS, and I am fairly new to the game. I have 1 derog from 6 years ago that went to collections. I currently have 4 open revolving accounts in good standing 2 of those are over 3 years old and the other 2 are from 3 months ago. I currently do not have an AMEX card, but I would love to start with this one. I figured it was a No AF card so they may have lower CS requirements for this card.
Am I crazy to waist a hard pull on this, or do I have a chance of getting approved?
I currently have ~700 CS, and I am fairly new to the game. I have 1 derog from 6 years ago that went to collections. I currently have 4 open revolving accounts in good standing 2 of those are over 3 years old and the other 2 are from 3 months ago. I currently do not have an AMEX card, but I would love to start with this one. I figured it was a No AF card so they may have lower CS requirements for this card.
Am I crazy to waist a hard pull on this, or do I have a chance of getting approved?
#373
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: ORD
Posts: 220
Question on where I should apply for this card:
I currently have ~700 CS, and I am fairly new to the game. I have 1 derog from 6 years ago that went to collections. I currently have 4 open revolving accounts in good standing 2 of those are over 3 years old and the other 2 are from 3 months ago. I currently do not have an AMEX card, but I would love to start with this one. I figured it was a No AF card so they may have lower CS requirements for this card.
Am I crazy to waist a hard pull on this, or do I have a chance of getting approved?
I currently have ~700 CS, and I am fairly new to the game. I have 1 derog from 6 years ago that went to collections. I currently have 4 open revolving accounts in good standing 2 of those are over 3 years old and the other 2 are from 3 months ago. I currently do not have an AMEX card, but I would love to start with this one. I figured it was a No AF card so they may have lower CS requirements for this card.
Am I crazy to waist a hard pull on this, or do I have a chance of getting approved?
#374
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 139
I would be smart about it, and I wouldn't lie on the application. I have a decent income to support more spending. I just figure I would start slow and every month build up a little. Even if I can only do say 60k of MS in the course of an entire year, that still gives me a total return of 3.3cents per dollar spend which is quite good considering I don't have a card yet with any category bonuses.
#375
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: ORD
Posts: 220
I would be smart about it, and I wouldn't lie on the application. I have a decent income to support more spending. I just figure I would start slow and every month build up a little. Even if I can only do say 60k of MS in the course of an entire year, that still gives me a total return of 3.3cents per dollar spend which is quite good considering I don't have a card yet with any category bonuses.