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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 Amex Blue (2013-2014)

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Old Oct 28, 2014, 5:26 am
  #4696  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
No problemo - check tomorrow when the statement appears online.

Originally Posted by gofarhaveacigar
My statement closed with no cancellation. However, I have yet to see any of the reward dollars.

The actual statement isn't online yet either.
AlohaDaveKennedy is offline  
Old Oct 28, 2014, 5:41 am
  #4697  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,273
Originally Posted by xp0
A majority of Amex BC cards close on the 27th.
How can you know this?
ZzzzX is offline  
Old Oct 28, 2014, 5:42 am
  #4698  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 50
FWIW, my statement closed on Oct 17. I've been doing about $10K/mo MS. I have not been shutdown.
MajorFearOfFlying is offline  
Old Oct 28, 2014, 5:56 am
  #4699  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: PVD/BOS
Posts: 879
Originally Posted by ZzzzX
Quote:
Originally Posted by xp0

A majority of Amex BC cards close on the 27th.


How can you know this?
Because we've discussed it repeatedly and marveled about how the majority of us close on the 27th. It's not new information.
ashap is offline  
Old Oct 28, 2014, 6:06 am
  #4700  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,273
Originally Posted by ashap
Because we've discussed it repeatedly and marveled about how the majority of us close on the 27th. It's not new information.
Got a number count? Got all of Amex's files to verify? No, we don't. This is speculation because some people here have worried about it. That's it. But wait--I forgot: the sky is falling!!
ZzzzX is offline  
Old Oct 28, 2014, 6:21 am
  #4701  
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,710
Got cancellation Email

Statement date 10/27/14. Account was still "alive" at 7:00 AM EST but got email at a little after 8 AM ET. Ah well already moved on anyway.

Edit: To add no purchases since 10/19. Did make two payments though.

Last edited by 36902BRF; Oct 28, 2014 at 6:32 am
36902BRF is offline  
Old Oct 28, 2014, 6:28 am
  #4702  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 68
Shut down today. Statement date 10/27. Last activity was 10/21 with a payment and 10/19 with a purchase.
Luvs2Sav12 is offline  
Old Oct 28, 2014, 6:35 am
  #4703  
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 21
got the shutdown today as well. Was doing about 50k per month. Lost 2.5k in rewards from this month and 2.5k from next month. Not happy...
Ksquires1991 is offline  
Old Oct 28, 2014, 6:35 am
  #4704  
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA 1MM Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 1,524
@#$% Shutdown as of this morning on wife's card. No activity at all since 10/21.

Last edited by glocklt4; Oct 28, 2014 at 6:42 am
glocklt4 is offline  
Old Oct 28, 2014, 6:48 am
  #4705  
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 224
I haven't gotten shut down yet - not sure why, given I seem to be in the same boat as everyone else.
gofarhaveacigar is offline  
Old Oct 28, 2014, 6:48 am
  #4706  
xp0
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 774
As more people wake up, more cancellations will roll in
xp0 is offline  
Old Oct 28, 2014, 6:50 am
  #4707  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 201
I don't understand why so many of you have a statement date closing on the 27th?
MSerforfun is offline  
Old Oct 28, 2014, 6:54 am
  #4708  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,052
My statement did not close as I thought it would last night. But I did just get a notice of cancellation on my acct, meaning both of us are shut down now. I find it really crappy that they did it right at the tail end. That was definitely on purpose, those scumbags. If I ever meet a person who says they are an exec or compliance officer from Amex in some bar and I am with my friends... well, you know what I mean.
Marathon Man is offline  
Old Oct 28, 2014, 6:54 am
  #4709  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 303
Just got my shutdown, lost 3k for 2 months, was kind of counting on to fund a upcoming vacation
njdealguy is offline  
Old Oct 28, 2014, 6:55 am
  #4710  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Murica
Posts: 344
Wife cancelled today. Statement closed 10/27.
jewsus is offline  


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