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Old Jan 8, 2014, 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 Oct 24, 2014, 11:59 am
  #4441  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott LT Titanium, Avis Chairman
Posts: 1,286
Originally Posted by Stoughton
Every time I visit FT
LOL and so true
ramalama8 is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2014, 12:12 pm
  #4442  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 143
Originally Posted by commdiver
The worst part would be that many of these people would mess up somewhere and go into debt. I am not saying that we are geniuses or anything, but it does take good record keeping to MS.
If more people messed up and went into debt and were paying interest to Amex, then they wouldn't be losing as much money and might have kept some of these accounts open longer.
Huzordaddy is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2014, 12:13 pm
  #4443  
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 377
Originally Posted by ramalama8
Wait, sybloc, you dispute the fact and then you do a 180 and completely agree that the fact is reality? Very strange.
Tone doesn't come across on the internets, but I'm pretty sure that sybloc was making fun of a word choice (totally, totally).
jonnydoe1234 is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2014, 12:29 pm
  #4444  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 201
Originally Posted by DaveInLA
We all know about the hog slaughter, but any reports of shutdowns for "reasonable" spending (1-1.5x CL)? What about 2x?
I was doing 1.5-2x regularly (maybe 2 point something on some months, and I was shut down.

Originally Posted by littleconsumer
Mine took longer than usual to post earlier this month... I want to say like 2-3 days...definitely concerning but ended up OK.
Strangely, I requested my RD on 10/21, I was cancelled on 10/22, and the RD didn't show up until 10/23, but the post date was 10/21. So I think people will be ok in this situation.
unkinected is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2014, 12:34 pm
  #4445  
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 293
Originally Posted by TTnC4me
But have you used your card today?
No. I'm actually out of town on business, and I left this card behind as there would be no time for any special shopping.
BigDawgFT is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2014, 12:34 pm
  #4446  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Rockford, IL
Programs: Hyatt, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 35
Advice please....

I'm still alive normally do between 6-8k per month. I had another 4k to go this month when Wednesday hit. Problem is I had already sent bill pay to clear my balance in time for statement on 27th, this will put me at 3500 or so credit on account. Payment posts tonight.

What should I do?

A - call and ask them to send check back before statement hits (will draw attention to my account prior to statement :/)

B - wait for statement to hit and hope Stay alive long enough to get RDs then call (run risk of acct freezing prior to calling, who knows how long to get my 3500 back then :/)

C - get money out now by quickly purch 3500 gc on card and hope for best with staying alive

I feel like I'm in trouble every which way. Any advice or thoughts?

Thanks
gbplesh is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2014, 12:42 pm
  #4447  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 757
Originally Posted by gbplesh
Advice please....

I'm still alive normally do between 6-8k per month. I had another 4k to go this month when Wednesday hit. Problem is I had already sent bill pay to clear my balance in time for statement on 27th, this will put me at 3500 or so credit on account. Payment posts tonight.

What should I do?

A - call and ask them to send check back before statement hits (will draw attention to my account prior to statement :/)

B - wait for statement to hit and hope Stay alive long enough to get RDs then call (run risk of acct freezing prior to calling, who knows how long to get my 3500 back then :/)

C - get money out now by quickly purch 3500 gc on card and hope for best with staying alive

I feel like I'm in trouble every which way. Any advice or thoughts?

Thanks
A is stupid, so rule that out.

So its B or C. You could do a non-bonus buy like AGC and hope that doesn't draw fire. I'd do B myself. Do nothing is usually the best answer.
dcpilgrim is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2014, 12:59 pm
  #4448  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: DC
Posts: 360
Or, if you can float the $3.5k, just eat the loss for now, and use the card for regular non-MS spending until you spend $3.5k.
mikex163 is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2014, 1:05 pm
  #4449  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 71
Originally Posted by gbplesh
Advice please....

I'm still alive normally do between 6-8k per month. I had another 4k to go this month when Wednesday hit. Problem is I had already sent bill pay to clear my balance in time for statement on 27th, this will put me at 3500 or so credit on account. Payment posts tonight.

What should I do?

A - call and ask them to send check back before statement hits (will draw attention to my account prior to statement :/)

B - wait for statement to hit and hope Stay alive long enough to get RDs then call (run risk of acct freezing prior to calling, who knows how long to get my 3500 back then :/)

C - get money out now by quickly purch 3500 gc on card and hope for best with staying alive

I feel like I'm in trouble every which way. Any advice or thoughts?

Thanks
6k - 8k on what credit limit? Age of account.

I have 30k credit limit push on average 3k. Largest balance ever, 19k and age of account 13 years. I haven't been shutdown and don't expect to be.
While I'll say I have been MSing since Jan 14. With these paltry amounts I'm sure amex doesn't consider it MSing.
cabby is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2014, 1:08 pm
  #4450  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Rockford, IL
Programs: Hyatt, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 35
Originally Posted by cabby
6k - 8k on what credit limit? Age of account.

I have 30k credit limit push on average 3k. Largest balance ever, 19k and age of account 13 years. I haven't been shutdown and don't expect to be.
While I'll say I have been MSing since Jan 14. With these paltry amounts I'm sure amex doesn't consider it MSing.
I have 8k credit limit. So I would go usually between .5 and 1 x CL per month. I have had 2 years but only been MS this card since January.
gbplesh is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2014, 1:09 pm
  #4451  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: JFK
Programs: *$ Gold :)
Posts: 1,061
Originally Posted by Stoughton
Every time I visit FT
FT would serve well to community if it closes this dedicated subforum.

The subforum serves nothing more than attracts more and more participants every day. Participants, mutually encouraged, go further and further. This OBC fiasco is an excellent proof to the point. Amex just could not handle it financially any longer.

If person is not lazy, it wouldn't be difficult to get bits and pieces over the Internet if needed so. If otherwise, no big loss to the hobby.
pier11 is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2014, 1:25 pm
  #4452  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 349
I was just informed that people actually give seminars on this? That is absolutely pathetic.
aGeist is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2014, 1:25 pm
  #4453  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Dallas
Programs: AA, Southwest
Posts: 175
Looks like they have all these SYNC offers now available on my other two AMEX cards that previously would only be available on my BC. Still enticing me AMEX, but I only want my rewards from BC.
XtraPerks is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2014, 1:36 pm
  #4454  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: PHL
Posts: 930
Could we just move on past the blaming? At this point, it really does not matter who is to blame.
commdiver is offline  
Old Oct 24, 2014, 1:41 pm
  #4455  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,507
Originally Posted by commdiver
Could we just move on past the blaming? At this point, it really does not matter who is to blame.
Agreed. There is no point in bickering whos fault it is because frankly we all contribute to the demise.
ericdabbs is offline  


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