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)
#6107
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 91
"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 $6,500 in purchases in a reward year, you will receive 1% on Everyday Purchases, and 0.5% on other purchases. After your first $6,500 in purchases, you will receive 5% on Everyday Purchases up to $50,000 and 1% on other purchases."
#6109
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: BOS
Posts: 105
My understanding of the new term is that the $50K cap is on 5%, not including the spending for $6.5K. If you have the cap, everyday spending is better to meet the requirement (without the consideration of costs).
"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 $6,500 in purchases in a reward year, you will receive 1% on Everyday Purchases, and 0.5% on other purchases. After your first $6,500 in purchases, you will receive 5% on Everyday Purchases up to $50,000 and 1% on other purchases."
"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 $6,500 in purchases in a reward year, you will receive 1% on Everyday Purchases, and 0.5% on other purchases. After your first $6,500 in purchases, you will receive 5% on Everyday Purchases up to $50,000 and 1% on other purchases."
if I'm on the naughty or nice list.
#6110
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 56
Hold all your shopping for Chase Freedom's 5% 1st quarter.
Or use Discover's 1000/100 & 1000/75 for the Xmas shopping season until next year.
Last edited by k81689; Dec 12, 2014 at 2:44 pm
#6111
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 374
After seeing these posts I figured my time was coming so I decided to go out with a bang and did a lunchtime MS run. I don't know if I just managed to beat the clock or if my spending triggered it, but I'm suspended now too. Data: CA, around $150K this year, stayed under my $20K CL until the last two or three statements when I've gone over by 10% or less.
#6112
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 56
After seeing these posts I figured my time was coming so I decided to go out with a bang and did a lunchtime MS run. I don't know if I just managed to beat the clock or if my spending triggered it, but I'm suspended now too. Data: CA, around $150K this year, stayed under my $20K CL until the last two or three statements when I've gone over by 10% or less.
So if you are heavy hitter, you need to hold the heavy carges and wait for all the "cash back", than redeem them once(make sure to charge out all the the credit first) and get shut down next day.
#6113
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: PHL
Posts: 930
Are you getting an email for this recent shutdown, or is it just showing up online?
#6114
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 357
CA resident. Canceled today. No email, just a suspension note on my account when I login online. Not a HH by any means, but spent > $50k in EDS. Oh well, was fun while it lasted. Have about $3k in RD pending, hopefully get some of it when my statement closes on the 26th.
#6116
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 131
CA resident. Canceled today. No email, just a suspension note on my account when I login online. Not a HH by any means, but spent > $50k in EDS. Oh well, was fun while it lasted. Have about $3k in RD pending, hopefully get some of it when my statement closes on the 26th.
#6117
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 27
I guess it's CA time now. I didn't get any notification yet, but I can see in my online account my credit limit is 0.
#6118
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 140
California's Song-Beverly Credit Card Act of 1971 requires 30 days written notice unless certain extenuating circumstances.
The closure of Californian accounts was just delayed. My guess is that Amex had to meet certain requirements in closing their accounts, so they waited until they figured out all their legal obligations before cutting them off.
The closure of Californian accounts was just delayed. My guess is that Amex had to meet certain requirements in closing their accounts, so they waited until they figured out all their legal obligations before cutting them off.
#6119
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angles
Posts: 2,101
Appeared today on my account log in
"Charging suspended. Please call 1-800-678-xxxx if we haven't already spoken with you."
Anyway to salvage or minimize the damage?
"Charging suspended. Please call 1-800-678-xxxx if we haven't already spoken with you."
Anyway to salvage or minimize the damage?