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)
#6271
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 84
I recd. the letter 'we are closing your account in 30 days' I have 16k at 0% till April 2015, the letter does not say anything about the balance due.
Can I continue to carry a balance after the account is closed?
How would that affect the Credit score? (CL=0, balance 16k)
I wonder why they must 'close the card' instead of simply removing the 5% cash rebate feature/benefit on the card?
Can I continue to carry a balance after the account is closed?
How would that affect the Credit score? (CL=0, balance 16k)
I wonder why they must 'close the card' instead of simply removing the 5% cash rebate feature/benefit on the card?
I am assuming can just pay minimum due until fully paid off if we so choose...

#6272
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Posts: 1,885
Yes, you can the minimum forever if you like. Once April rolls around, interest will start to be assessed each statement period.

#6273
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angles
Posts: 2,101
Technically, If the account is 'closed-closed' the balance has to be '0'. If the -ve balance is due, is default....If the account is 'locked' its a different story, but I'll wait and see.
I am also concerned about the Credit Score.....

#6274
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: NoVa
Posts: 29
OBC and BCP?
I am a current holder of the Blue Cash Preferred card. When I first got the BCP card, I applied within a month or so for the OBC. I was declined for the OBC since they said I wasn't able to have more than one Blue Cash product. Looking over this thread for a while, it seems this isn't true. They denied the second card without pulling my credit, they first said it looked like a duplicate application, and then later said I couldn't have two of the same type of product.
Do you think the issue was that I applied too soon for the two cards? I'd like to get the OBC now that my WF 6mo is about to end. I spoke with a rep via chat and they said I can have both the BCP and the BC Everyday so I'm guessing they would allow the BCP/OBC combo. I didn't ask specifically about that card. The application/denial was back in April 2014 so I think enough time should have passed by now.
Thanks in advance.
Do you think the issue was that I applied too soon for the two cards? I'd like to get the OBC now that my WF 6mo is about to end. I spoke with a rep via chat and they said I can have both the BCP and the BC Everyday so I'm guessing they would allow the BCP/OBC combo. I didn't ask specifically about that card. The application/denial was back in April 2014 so I think enough time should have passed by now.
Thanks in advance.

#6275
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: LAC
Programs: Regal Crown Club
Posts: 488
I have both BCP and OBC. Apped for the OBC ~3 months after I got the BCP and no problems at all.

#6277
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
I'd like to get the OBC now that my WF 6mo is about to end. I spoke with a rep via chat and they said I can have both the BCP and the BC Everyday so I'm guessing they would allow the BCP/OBC combo. I didn't ask specifically about that card. The application/denial was back in April 2014 so I think enough time should have passed by now.
Thanks in advance.

#6278
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,837
Most of us have had no problem having two blue cards. But getting one now? You will get one capped at $50K per year 5% spend, which, after the low-rate $6,500 threshold and MS costs doesn't make a lot. So while you almost certainly can get it, might not be the most useful thing to do.

#6280
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 769
My TransUnion & Equifax shows "Closed by credit grantor". My Experian shows "Account closed due to inactivity", Ha Ha Ha needed a good laugh!

#6283
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angles
Posts: 2,101
You imply u had a big CL, which I assume was lost because account closed, yet no significant change in the credit score due to decrease in total CL....interesting.

#6285
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
My cl was $50K, but the overall balances on all my cards was very small, and I paid my OBC down to 0. So losing that didn't make a difference.
