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 $6,500¹ spend in a reward year², you will earn 1% on Everyday Purchases³ (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)
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
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%)].
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 $6,500¹ spend in a reward year², you will earn 1% on Everyday Purchases³ (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)
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
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%)].
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)
#4666
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,506
In my case, both spouse and I have own OBC. Both the card quit MS a month ago after last statement (no MS at all, only regular spending on spouse card). Although the most recent use of spouse's OBC was on 10/12, that card was cancelled Last Friday afternoon on 10/24. Mine is still open with statement closing date today, only one transaction on 9/30 since last statement, but still worry about that it can be cancelled anytime.
Tried to close it today to avoid negative record but was offered $75 credit to keep it open. So accepted the offer and leave it open. Maybe it is not a wise idea. Every time looking at my email I am nervous about the Cancellation email, maybe really not worth it if bothering me this much.
Tried to close it today to avoid negative record but was offered $75 credit to keep it open. So accepted the offer and leave it open. Maybe it is not a wise idea. Every time looking at my email I am nervous about the Cancellation email, maybe really not worth it if bothering me this much.
#4667
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,506
I get the sense a lot of people have a 27th-of-the-month closing date. Was the 21st or 22nd also a common one or do people's dates fall whenever. I have a few different Amex cards, one of which had a closing date of Sunday (statement just issued a hour ago) and the others are all at various other dates.
There have been a lot of attempts to correlate date around card usage, CLI and utilization, but I am not sure I have a sense of how closing date aligns with the mass cancellations on 10/22.
There have been a lot of attempts to correlate date around card usage, CLI and utilization, but I am not sure I have a sense of how closing date aligns with the mass cancellations on 10/22.
Although I do find it strange that in this situation that Amex waits until you use your card for any purchase after a certain cutoff date before notifying you of the cancellation. I am sure there are people who have their card statement cut on the 21st and haven't used the card since then are still alive.
#4668
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Midwest
Programs: AA LT Gold 1MM ,Hyatt Explorist,Marriott Platinum,HHonors Diamond
Posts: 364
1/4 accounts here... The remaining three are still alive but statement closes tonight for all three ....so we should expect the emails early morning Black Tuesday...
#4669
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 13
Statement closes on the 8th. Haven't used my card since the 22nd but have been sending in some payments since then. Not shut down yet.
#4671
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,273
Maybe, maybe not. I noticed the shutdowns started 7 days after that photo was posted of the statement.
#4672
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 782
Wonder if returning a item to a store that was originally purchased using OBC for a refund can also trigger a shutdown.
I bought a electronics item a couple weeks ago from Target for several hundred dollars that have decided to return. Given that Target gives 90 days to return a item, guess may wait out receiving the Sept & Oct rewards before doing the return.
I bought a electronics item a couple weeks ago from Target for several hundred dollars that have decided to return. Given that Target gives 90 days to return a item, guess may wait out receiving the Sept & Oct rewards before doing the return.
#4673
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 774
I know a bunch of people that either stopped spending, or continued spending, but where shut down when their statement closed. Tomorrow could be the end for many!
#4674
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 49
I think OHijAAZi73 said his wife had a cancel email by 8am the day after her statement cut and no other activity.
#4675
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 774
maybe a 1/2 dozen to a dozen people I've talked to. I think most were after the statement itself closed but before the statement posted online.
#4677
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,506
We'll have to see what tomorrow brings but if I was a betting man, I say we won't see any massive shutdowns tomorrow for accounts that closes their statement on the 27th.
#4679
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 299
BC
I'm a bit sarcastic, but what is the consensus ofany points being posted on these cancelled accts. I guess I'll know in the AM. I'm one of the 27th.
#4680
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 50
Highly doubt they will post... cannot even see my remaining Reward dollars (~$17). Was shut down on 22nd and statement date is 27th...sigh