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)
#121
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: NY
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Diamond, CC Gold, SPG Gold, AA Exec Platinum
Posts: 99
Do they not have a recon person we can speak to directly, would be great to explain since we couldn't Pc to close my old blue to open this...

#122
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,057
I called this number and she told me that she will try to send it in for review:
(877) 399-3083 – New Application Status
Doubt it will help me, and probably cost another pull
(877) 399-3083 – New Application Status
Doubt it will help me, and probably cost another pull

#123
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: NY
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Diamond, CC Gold, SPG Gold, AA Exec Platinum
Posts: 99
Yeah, I also tried (866)314-0237 which had similar result.. still deciding if I should send it for review.

#124
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis CC, Continental Onepass
Posts: 451
I applied and got a pending decision. I received a call this morning I was told I had the maximum amount of cards. I agreed to close my Surpass and I was approved on the spot. They told me the max amount of credit cards is 4 not including charge and business cards.

#125
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,057
My problem is not the max number of 4. They said my problem was that I had a card from the blue family already and was not allowed another. Is this true? Flexible?

#126
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis CC, Continental Onepass
Posts: 451
I still have my Blue Cash Preferred. I now will have both. The CSR let me decide which card I wanted to cancel and never stated that I couldn't keep both.

#127
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: JFK
Programs: *$ Gold :)
Posts: 1,061
Ideas on complimentary to BC card from Amex to help our business? To not waste hard pull? :-)
Nothing comes to mind. Will wait for better offers for charge cards. Got SPG, HH.
Nothing comes to mind. Will wait for better offers for charge cards. Got SPG, HH.
Last edited by pier11; Dec 31, 13 at 12:12 pm

#129
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 375
Both me and my wife were approved yesterday (not instantly, but after call) although we both have BCP cards since October.

#130
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 657
I was approved today after calling in, I applied last night. I had 1 business and 3 personal amex cards. one of them was the BCP.
Question: does the 6500 initial spend need to be in gas/grocery/drugstore or can I buy 6.5K in amex gift cards?
Question: does the 6500 initial spend need to be in gas/grocery/drugstore or can I buy 6.5K in amex gift cards?

#132
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,046
Auld Lang Syne : Lyrics
Should auld amex applications be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld applications be forgot,
And auld lang syne!
Chorus.-For auld lang syne, my FTer,
For auld lang syne.
We'll take a cc for ms yet,
For auld lang syne.
Should auld amex applications be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld applications be forgot,
And auld lang syne!
Chorus.-For auld lang syne, my FTer,
For auld lang syne.
We'll take a cc for ms yet,
For auld lang syne.

#133
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 99
Data points: Wife and I both had SPG cards for the past year, but we're flush with SPG points and planning little travel in 2014 so converted them to BCP in Oct when they were due. Immediately ran $6K through grocery store and put both in the lockbox. We both called individually yesterday to attempt to convert to this BC card, but they told us both no. So we both applied online and were both immediately approved. So you can have both BCP and BC.

#135
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: SFO
Posts: 46
This has lasted at least 24 hours now. I wonder if this card will be back to stay or what? Maybe everyone at Amex is on vacation.
