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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 Amex Blue (2013-2014)

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Old Dec 31, 2013, 8:12 am
  #106  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
Originally Posted by silver6054
In http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...alents-10.html, several reports of purchases at CVS not getting 5% on Blue Cash, along with various theories (including their pharmacy filter not being correct for all CVS names).
Bumping this since it seems critical to some MS strategies!
silver6054 is offline  
Old Dec 31, 2013, 8:21 am
  #107  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: AA, SPG, MR, UR, Cash Back!
Posts: 606
I just tried to call in for a product change stating the old card is a better fit for my spending habits and was denied. My BCP is more than a year old and I've never been late or carried a balance. They just stated it wasn't available anymore. This was the number on the back of the card.

Anyone know of a different number?
Fuerza is offline  
Old Dec 31, 2013, 9:19 am
  #108  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 139
isnt MS thru AMEX more risky?
co.miller89 is offline  
Old Dec 31, 2013, 9:23 am
  #109  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angles
Posts: 2,101
Anyone can confirm old/(new) Amex Blue '5% EDS after $6500 spend' for buying VR or GC at CVS?
prasha11 is offline  
Old Dec 31, 2013, 9:50 am
  #110  
Original Member
 
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 1,139
Originally Posted by prasha11
Anyone can confirm old/(new) Amex Blue '5% EDS after $6500 spend' for buying VR or GC at CVS?
Yes, CVS now gets 5%, the coding problems were fixed. Walgreens works too, but it is harder to find Walgreens that sell One Vanillas. Krogers/Ralphs works. Most gas stations work if the customer pays for gas inside and buys the One Vanilla as part of the same transaction, but every once in a while gas stations only get 1% on these purchases. The $6,500 hurdle has to be cleared prior to getting 5%. I have been doing it for months and it has been great. Welcome fellow cows to the very good pasture known as the Tragedy of the Commons farm. Maybe the recent application rejections listed above will limit the cow population a little bit. Prasha, what does EDS stand for?
Andy2 is offline  
Old Dec 31, 2013, 9:59 am
  #111  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Austin
Programs: UA silver
Posts: 71
Applied and instantly approved. Do these cards automatically backdate or do you have to call and ask them to do so?
wmonty67 is offline  
Old Dec 31, 2013, 10:05 am
  #112  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: JFK
Programs: *$ Gold :)
Posts: 1,061
"decision by mail within 14 days" -- wait or call?
(I think I have too much overall credit...)
pier11 is offline  
Old Dec 31, 2013, 10:13 am
  #113  
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
Originally Posted by Andy2
Prasha, what does EDS stand for?
EDS is Everyday Spending, which is at least a Citi term for Groceries, Gas and Drugstores. Looks like Amex uses Everyday Purchases as their term
silver6054 is offline  
Old Dec 31, 2013, 10:14 am
  #114  
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
Originally Posted by pier11
"decision by mail within 14 days" -- wait or call?
(I think I have too much overall credit...)
Many of us received an email soon after getting that.
silver6054 is offline  
Old Dec 31, 2013, 10:27 am
  #115  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angles
Posts: 2,101
Originally Posted by pier11
"decision by mail within 14 days" -- wait or call?
(I think I have too much overall credit...)
What is opposite of 'congratulations'?

Its not instantaneous approval, I would call and ask if there is a question to be answered? give few days for the application to reach the right person in the system.
prasha11 is offline  
Old Dec 31, 2013, 10:33 am
  #116  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: ATL
Programs: HH D, MB G, IHG P, Nat'l EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 496
Originally Posted by Corridor!
I received the same message as you. How flexible is Amex about moving credit lines to get you approved for a card?
I am wondering the same thing. It probably isn't as easy as JPM.
ncSam is offline  
Old Dec 31, 2013, 11:11 am
  #117  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: The Empire State
Programs: CO (RIP), US (RIP), Amtrak. Lots of CC programs.
Posts: 442
Originally Posted by silver6054
EDS is Everyday Spending, which is at least a Citi term for Groceries, Gas and Drugstores. Looks like Amex uses Everyday Purchases as their term
When I first got the TYP, a CSR told me the 5% was off everything. I used it in a variety of places during the first cycle to test that. Of course, I only got 5% off G, G & D. Even their own staff doesn't always know what the marketing terms mean.
cuebert is offline  
Old Dec 31, 2013, 11:24 am
  #118  
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,060
I tried to apply for the card and since I have the BCP, since October of 2013 I was denied. I called and they will try to send it for review, just FYI to others in my situation
raccah is offline  
Old Dec 31, 2013, 11:29 am
  #119  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
Originally Posted by raccah
I tried to apply for the card and since I have the BCP, since October of 2013 I was denied. I called and they will try to send it for review, just FYI to others in my situation
Did they say the denial was because you already had the BCP, or that it was too recent? Several of us have the BCP and got approved.
silver6054 is offline  
Old Dec 31, 2013, 11:29 am
  #120  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 54
Originally Posted by raccah
I tried to apply for the card and since I have the BCP, since October of 2013 I was denied. I called and they will try to send it for review, just FYI to others in my situation
I did the same... I've had my Amex cards since early 2012 though. Rep informed me that sending it for a review might result in another inquiry. I did it anyway... worth a shot based on how much I would spend on this card.
Dave4086 is offline  


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