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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 Dec 13, 2014, 10:21 pm
  #6151  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 908
Got the hammer today. California. Only used it for 5 months. Between 7-11k spend.
sosamo is offline  
Old Dec 13, 2014, 10:29 pm
  #6152  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 908
Just got closed today. So cal. Used the card for only 5 months. Spend was around 7-14k a month.
sosamo is offline  
Old Dec 13, 2014, 11:20 pm
  #6153  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
Originally Posted by sosamo
Just got closed today. So cal. Used the card for only 5 months. Spend was around 7-14k a month.
Hmmm. 8 minutes earlier you said:

Got the hammer today. California. Only used it for 5 months. Between 7-11k spend.

You must be an Amex agent sent to spread confusion!
silver6054 is offline  
Old Dec 14, 2014, 5:28 am
  #6154  
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 190
The official response of the day for Amex cancelled account reward dollars (RD) inquiry is (and has been lately) that "the account is now in collection and all RDs were forfeited." They must have trained all the CSRs and supervisors on a daily basis:-)

Some representatives may be absent for such a training, which is good luck on your part but bad luck later on their part.
Henry II is offline  
Old Dec 14, 2014, 9:14 am
  #6155  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 84
Originally Posted by Henry II
The official response of the day for Amex cancelled account reward dollars (RD) inquiry is (and has been lately) that "the account is now in collection and all RDs were forfeited." They must have trained all the CSRs and supervisors on a daily basis:-)

Some representatives may be absent for such a training, which is good luck on your part but bad luck later on their part.
Have you been paying the minimum due?
Walmero is offline  
Old Dec 14, 2014, 11:39 am
  #6156  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 1
I was able to redeem mine with live chat yesterday.
cplarson is offline  
Old Dec 14, 2014, 11:39 am
  #6157  
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 699
Originally Posted by sosamo
Just got closed today. So cal. Used the card for only 5 months. Spend was around 7-14k a month.
may i ask if you used the card recently? thank you!
brownie20 is offline  
Old Dec 14, 2014, 11:40 am
  #6158  
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Ann Arbor
Programs: HHonors Gold , National Emerald Exec, Hertz Presidents, Delta Gold
Posts: 2,604
Originally Posted by Walmero
Have you been paying the minimum due?
Same happened to a friend. Was paying full bill every month.

Amex will do this to lock the rewards. He tried several times to get his rewards and they changed the status of his account to collections.

That way, the agent that missed the training can't mistakenly give him his rewards.
Bikeguy is offline  
Old Dec 14, 2014, 1:15 pm
  #6159  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Midwest U.S.A
Programs: Too many to list. Since the early 90's.
Posts: 1,407
Originally Posted by sosamo
Just got closed today. So cal. Used the card for only 5 months. Spend was around 7-14k a month.
So, in 5 months you probably went over 50k in total spend, correct? Did you consistently redeem each month? One last nosey question: Was your spending all or almost all in 5% categories?

These answers will add to data points for everyone interested, if you don't mind.
Churnman is offline  
Old Dec 14, 2014, 2:23 pm
  #6160  
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 190
Originally Posted by Walmero
Have you been paying the minimum due?
Yes, zero balance.
Henry II is offline  
Old Dec 14, 2014, 3:00 pm
  #6161  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: AA Plat, UA Gold, AS MVP Gold, HH Diamond, SPG Gold, Club Carlson Gold, US
Posts: 956
Triangle removed my account. I was able to accelerate the pending awards. Got the confirmation email as well..
iqbalt80 is offline  
Old Dec 14, 2014, 3:04 pm
  #6162  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,837
Was thinking of moving to this card after my WF is done.

What are you moving into?
lumangoy is offline  
Old Dec 14, 2014, 3:36 pm
  #6163  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
Originally Posted by lumangoy
Was thinking of moving to this card after my WF is done.

What are you moving into?
It really depends on circumstances and what changes! The 5% options are fairly limited, especially as you have just used one of them. There are some uncapped or high-capped 3% grocery cards which can be used for Redbirds, as long as redbird supports cc loading. But for Redbird, buying AMex GC through a portal will often give better returns . For buying GC, 3% is not much margin (~ $9 per $500)
silver6054 is offline  
Old Dec 14, 2014, 4:26 pm
  #6164  
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Down South, The Desert
Programs: Marriot Rewards, Southwest Rapid rewards, Emerald Club, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,871
Nothing much to move into. This was the last highly profitable instrument.
TheDapperDon is offline  
Old Dec 14, 2014, 4:28 pm
  #6165  
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Down South, The Desert
Programs: Marriot Rewards, Southwest Rapid rewards, Emerald Club, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,871
Originally Posted by silver6054
Hmmm. 8 minutes earlier you said:

Got the hammer today. California. Only used it for 5 months. Between 7-11k spend.

You must be an Amex agent sent to spread confusion!
And read all of the information that is posted here? What should we do?
TheDapperDon is offline  


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