Jan 8, 2014, 2:22 pm
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)
Nov 17, 2014, 8:24 pm
#5551
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: California
Posts: 2,731
Hi I am relatively new on the old blue (2 hours old).
When I was activating the card I asked about the $6500 and the rep told me something that doesn't sound right.
She told me that the $6.5K is not on spending on combined selected categories but each selected categorie need to have a spending og $6.5k before it becomes %5CB. Lets say you cannot spend $4k on grocery stores and $2.5 in Gas stations. Acording to her, even if you reach the $6.5 on grocery stores and make %5 there, you will not make %5 on gas stations or pharmacies unless you reach the $6.5 on each of those independent categories.
Please, anybody confirm that Rep was wrong.
Thanks
When I was activating the card I asked about the $6500 and the rep told me something that doesn't sound right.
She told me that the $6.5K is not on spending on combined selected categories but each selected categorie need to have a spending og $6.5k before it becomes %5CB. Lets say you cannot spend $4k on grocery stores and $2.5 in Gas stations. Acording to her, even if you reach the $6.5 on grocery stores and make %5 there, you will not make %5 on gas stations or pharmacies unless you reach the $6.5 on each of those independent categories.
Please, anybody confirm that Rep was wrong.
Thanks
Nov 17, 2014, 10:47 pm
#5553
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SEA
Posts: 1,887
Finally got the ax here. No MS since the first reports of closures. Surprised it took them so long. 
My guess is the initial closures were based on MS at certain retailers and now they are making their way down the list using other algorithms. I would say if you are still alive and have done any significant MS your days are numbered.
My guess is the initial closures were based on MS at certain retailers and now they are making their way down the list using other algorithms. I would say if you are still alive and have done any significant MS your days are numbered.
Nov 17, 2014, 10:51 pm
#5554
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: LAC
Programs: Regal Crown Club
Posts: 488
Nov 17, 2014, 11:20 pm
#5555
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: IND
Programs: Hilton Dia, Hyatt Glbl, Marriott Lftm Plat, National EE
Posts: 316
Finally got the ax here. No MS since the first reports of closures. Surprised it took them so long. My guess is the initial closures were based on MS at certain retailers and now they are making their way down the list using other algorithms. I would say if you are still alive and have done any significant MS your days are numbered.
My guess is the initial closures were based on MS at certain retailers and now they are making their way down the list using other algorithms. I would say if you are still alive and have done any significant MS your days are numbered.
Nov 17, 2014, 11:32 pm
#5556
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 137
Finally got the ax here. No MS since the first reports of closures. Surprised it took them so long. My guess is the initial closures were based on MS at certain retailers and now they are making their way down the list using other algorithms. I would say if you are still alive and have done any significant MS your days are numbered.
My guess is the initial closures were based on MS at certain retailers and now they are making their way down the list using other algorithms. I would say if you are still alive and have done any significant MS your days are numbered.Aww man, would be so bad not seeing you in the Overlake Rite Aids making small talk with the cashiers :P ,atleast I think it was you.
Nov 18, 2014, 12:26 am
#5558
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,501
Finally got the ax here. No MS since the first reports of closures. Surprised it took them so long. My guess is the initial closures were based on MS at certain retailers and now they are making their way down the list using other algorithms. I would say if you are still alive and have done any significant MS your days are numbered.
My guess is the initial closures were based on MS at certain retailers and now they are making their way down the list using other algorithms. I would say if you are still alive and have done any significant MS your days are numbered.
Nov 18, 2014, 8:14 am
#5563
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: UA, CO, Delta, AA, BA, Hilton, Starwood, Marriott
Posts: 211
Nov 18, 2014, 9:39 am
#5564
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 2,363
wow, im a new OBC user (for now) statement just closed yesterday...wonder how soon i will be shut down....
Nov 18, 2014, 2:27 pm
#5565
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 35
So I got my OBC card two weeks ago. Met my 6500 spend pretty quick through regular large purchases and I've racked up about 4k so far in MS since. I plan to not exceed my CL and let my statement close normal. Reading shut down posters on here, I'm a small fish so should I really be concerned keeping it under 10k MS every month mixed with normal purchases? I'm not seeing anyone on here getting shut down for staying within a reasonable CL(mine is 14k).