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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 Mar 3, 2014, 2:06 pm
  #1126  
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SF Bay area
Posts: 269
Originally Posted by vinhboy
I am having an odd problem with my BC I hope someone can help me with.

I been charging $400/day Realoadit packs on my card at Safeway for about a week.
My problem with Safeway is that they count as "Other" charge and cash rebate is 1%, NOT 5%.
shel is offline  
Old Mar 3, 2014, 2:44 pm
  #1127  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: JFK
Programs: *$ Gold :)
Posts: 1,061
Not important for MS (unless I'm explained otherwise ) but I noticed Whole Foods started to fall off bonus category on HH card the last month. (I think AXP apply the same algorithm to both cards). It was a bonus category on previous months and it's even mentioned on their list of examples.
pier11 is offline  
Old Mar 3, 2014, 2:56 pm
  #1128  
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 190
Originally Posted by Fico2Go
I've been told that Credit line reallocation requires 12 month seasoning on the transferring account. The receiving acct can be new.


On my recent conversation with AMEX I was offered and approved to PC my BCP to BCE/Blue no problem. I was advised to try PCing to the BC in a couple months. I called a second time and was advised to wait until the BCP has aged 90 days. I called a third time and was again confirmed that I needed to wait 90 days before i could PC to BC.

So we'll see what happens.

I currently have a NPSL on the prg and might cancel it to make room for the BC creditline.

btw I did mention that my wife was able to PC her BCE to BC.
Credit line reallocation: The source account needs to be aged.

Your wife was lucky Please provide some details, if possible, for the benefit of others (we are all set now). We tried PC numerous times (online, CSR, supervisor) on BCE --> BC with no success; BCE is at least 3-4 years old. Same with BCP --> BC (BCP is at least two years old).

Good luck.
Henry II is offline  
Old Mar 3, 2014, 2:59 pm
  #1129  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 970
Originally Posted by pier11
Not important for MS (unless I'm explained otherwise ) but I noticed Whole Foods started to fall off bonus category on HH card the last month. (I think AXP apply the same algorithm to both cards). It was a bonus category on previous months and it's even mentioned on their list of examples.
Amex had problems tracking grocery bonuses in December and January across all cards. They seem to have got the problem fixed based on my BC and Surpass recent statements. But I lost close to 50K MRs and twice that in HH. Didn't want eyeballs looking, so let them slide. Still waiting for PRG to close in a week or so to confirm PRG 2x is tracking again.
farwest101 is offline  
Old Mar 3, 2014, 6:09 pm
  #1130  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: DEN
Programs: SPG Gold; HH Diamond
Posts: 223
Originally Posted by farwest101
Amex had problems tracking grocery bonuses in December and January across all cards. They seem to have got the problem fixed based on my BC and Surpass recent statements. But I lost close to 50K MRs and twice that in HH. Didn't want eyeballs looking, so let them slide. Still waiting for PRG to close in a week or so to confirm PRG 2x is tracking again.
I had the same problem with Safeway purchases not earning HH pointsduring that time period, and decided to let it slide as you did.
Was Safeway the merchant in question for you as well? I'd like to begin shopping there again, but would like to confirm that the issue has been fixed.
TIA!
kjgco is offline  
Old Mar 3, 2014, 6:25 pm
  #1131  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: CT
Programs: HHonors Silver
Posts: 429
Any one knows how to figure out the account anniversary date? I got the card years ago, thus don't remember in which month I applied. Is the anniversary date/month same as the month of expiration date?
allanfan is offline  
Old Mar 3, 2014, 7:04 pm
  #1132  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 970
Originally Posted by kjgco
I had the same problem with Safeway purchases not earning HH pointsduring that time period, and decided to let it slide as you did.
Was Safeway the merchant in question for you as well? I'd like to begin shopping there again, but would like to confirm that the issue has been fixed.
TIA!
Yes, SW, but heard problems affected almost all grocery stores. Amex are being sleazebags and should go back and award everyone missing points as they know there was a problem. But if you don't ask to get the proper points, they aren't going to do anything for you. Probably scammed tens of millions of points from people - since their rewards system is so convoluted and customer unfriendly, most can't decipher the way they calculate points, so they are getting away with it.

I'm back to buying at SW as two of three programs have posted correctly based on recent statement closes (within the last week).
farwest101 is offline  
Old Mar 3, 2014, 7:12 pm
  #1133  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: DEN
Programs: SPG Gold; HH Diamond
Posts: 223
Originally Posted by farwest101
Yes, SW, but heard problems affected almost all grocery stores. Amex are being sleazebags and should go back and award everyone missing points as they know there was a problem. But if you don't ask to get the proper points, they aren't going to do anything for you. Probably scammed tens of millions of points from people - since their rewards system is so convoluted and customer unfriendly, most can't decipher the way they calculate points, so they are getting away with it.

I'm back to buying at SW as two of three programs have posted correctly based on recent statement closes (within the last week).
Good to know, thanks! I guess I'll start buying there again.
kjgco is offline  
Old Mar 3, 2014, 7:38 pm
  #1134  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,507
Originally Posted by allanfan
Any one knows how to figure out the account anniversary date? I got the card years ago, thus don't remember in which month I applied. Is the anniversary date/month same as the month of expiration date?
Generally your expiration date is the month of when you opened your account. You can use that rule and then on your account online, look back at the statements from that month and the subsequent one to see if it started over again. For example if the expiration date on your card is 2/2016, look back at your statements in Feb 2013 and March 2013 to see if it matched up.
ericdabbs is offline  
Old Mar 3, 2014, 8:43 pm
  #1135  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angles
Posts: 2,101
Originally Posted by allanfan
Any one knows how to figure out the account anniversary date? I got the card years ago, thus don't remember in which month I applied. Is the anniversary date/month same as the month of expiration date?
Originally Posted by ericdabbs
Generally your expiration date is the month of when you opened your account. You can use that rule and then on your account online, look back at the statements from that month and the subsequent one to see if it started over again. For example if the expiration date on your card is 2/2016, look back at your statements in Feb 2013 and March 2013 to see if it matched up.
would it not be reliable to call 1-800 on your card? 'Never call' does not apply to your question...
prasha11 is offline  
Old Mar 4, 2014, 12:25 am
  #1136  
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LAX
Posts: 670
Originally Posted by vinhboy
I am having an odd problem with my BC I hope someone can help me with.

I been charging $400/day Realoadit packs on my card at Safeway for about a week.

Suddenly the last three days, I always get "TRANS NOT APPROVED"

It only happens to my BC because when I switch to my AmexPlat, it works fine.

The odd thing is, my BC still works elsewhere, including Safeway, if I am not buying a reloadit....

Not even close to maxing my credit limit...

I can't figure out what it doesn't like. The high dollar amount? the reloadit packs? is the card just banned from making large purchases at the retailer? or has the retailer banned me from making large purchases...

I don't want to have to escalate this to Amex, so if anyone have had a similar experience, please educate me.

PS. Before you go screaming your head off about how I should go test it myself... Yes, I will. But I would like to learn from other's experience if possible.
I've received this same message at Safeway. Turned out to be a fraud alert on the card (and I could use the card elsewhere!).
sk8uno is offline  
Old Mar 4, 2014, 1:35 am
  #1137  
Moderator: Manufactured Spending
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,580
Originally Posted by vinhboy
The odd thing is, my BC still works elsewhere, including Safeway, if I am not buying a reloadit....
Does it work for small amounts but not large amounts? If so, it sounds like a fraud alert. Call and let them know that it's you and the purchases are legitimate.
cbn42 is offline  
Old Mar 4, 2014, 5:52 am
  #1138  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Midwest
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 401
Fwiw, which is nothing, same issue with me today at CVS. Clerk told me half the people buying beans with amex have been getting denied this month...(might have been an exaggeration, or might have been empathizing, no idea)

After 30 min on hold I gave up... and my card worked just fine this AM.
thepaul500 is offline  
Old Mar 4, 2014, 6:05 am
  #1139  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: JFK
Programs: *$ Gold :)
Posts: 1,061
Originally Posted by thepaul500
Fwiw, which is nothing, same issue with me today at CVS. Clerk told me half the people buying beans with amex have been getting denied this month...(might have been an exaggeration, or might have been empathizing, no idea)

After 30 min on hold I gave up... and my card worked just fine this AM.
Got fraud alert this weekend at RA. Cleared via automated phone system while at register. It called me itself after denied transaction
Not that I didn't buy at that chain before or was far from home... Nothing MS-unusual.
pier11 is offline  
Old Mar 4, 2014, 6:55 am
  #1140  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 25
Originally Posted by thepaul500
Fwiw, which is nothing, same issue with me today at CVS. Clerk told me half the people buying beans with amex have been getting denied this month...(might have been an exaggeration, or might have been empathizing, no idea)

After 30 min on hold I gave up... and my card worked just fine this AM.
Download the amex ap. It will alert you when there is a fraud alert and give you the option of accepting the charge. You should be able to clear it up in seconds, not 30 minutes.
ceobeaver is offline  


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