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 $6,500ą spend in a reward year˛, you will earn 1% on Everyday Purchasesł (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)

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
ą First '$6,500' is spend on all purchases.

˛ 'Reward year' is the 12 billing periods in a row beginning with the one in which the anniversary of your Card Account occurs.

ł '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)

Old Mar 19, 2014, 1:01 pm
  #1366  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 721
Of course they need your ssn. One of the best ways to build a (young adult?) child's credit is to make them AU on the parent's card -- how do you figure they report that to Experian without the number???
zceuxbhjutf is offline  
Old Mar 19, 2014, 1:04 pm
  #1367  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 908
Originally Posted by zceuxbhjutf
Of course they need your ssn. One of the best ways to build a (young adult?) child's credit is to make them AU on the parent's card -- how do you figure they report that to Experian without the number???
That's not true because for Citi and Chase, I got an additional card for myself. All they ask for was my name. Amex asked for name/address/phone#/email/SS#

I think what you are talking about is Co-signer, not AU/additional cards.
sosamo is offline  
Old Mar 19, 2014, 1:24 pm
  #1368  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 340
If you call to add AU, you do not need to tell them ssn.
ericliujian is offline  
Old Mar 19, 2014, 1:28 pm
  #1369  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 198
Adding a data point on product changes.

Just called in and asked to change my Blue Sky account to a Blue Cash account. CR checked and then came back and said that he couldn't do it. So then asked to change my Delta Gold Skymiles (recently got the signup bonus and no longer need the account) to a Blue Cash account. CR checked and came back confirming that he could make the change.

I went ahead and made the product change. Then I had him transfer almost my entire credit limit from the Blue Sky (which I never use, don't even know why I have it) to the new Blue Cash. Then I closed out the Blue Sky account.

I'm pleased to have just killed 3 birds with one stone - closed out 2 unused accounts, and created a new account on which I plan to put a lot of MS. All without a credit check.
js80 is offline  
Old Mar 19, 2014, 1:36 pm
  #1370  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
Originally Posted by zceuxbhjutf
Of course they need your ssn. One of the best ways to build a (young adult?) child's credit is to make them AU on the parent's card -- how do you figure they report that to Experian without the number???
This is interesting. I always assumed that they required ssn for AU too since a lot of people use it to add someone and help their credit report. So for those that don't require SSN, do those not report on the AU credit report?
cdancer20 is offline  
Old Mar 19, 2014, 1:45 pm
  #1371  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 908
It is like when you are applying for a new credit card. They ask if you want additional cards. All you need is to put in the name/names for the additional cards. No other info needed.
sosamo is offline  
Old Mar 19, 2014, 4:17 pm
  #1372  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
So I just applied for this card on Friday after and I just received it in the mail. Now it's time to decide how I want to get through this first $6.5k. Hmm...decisions, decisions.
cdancer20 is offline  
Old Mar 19, 2014, 4:26 pm
  #1373  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: PHL
Posts: 930
Originally Posted by cdancer20
So I just applied for this card on Friday after and I just received it in the mail. Now it's time to decide how I want to get through this first $6.5k. Hmm...decisions, decisions.
I think VR is the cheapest way.
commdiver is offline  
Old Mar 19, 2014, 4:34 pm
  #1374  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: AZ
Programs: AA, UA, US
Posts: 525
Originally Posted by cdancer20
So I just applied for this card on Friday after and I just received it in the mail. Now it's time to decide how I want to get through this first $6.5k. Hmm...decisions, decisions.
3k+2k AGC fee free should be the first order, once processed hit the pharmacy
oohaahouch is offline  
Old Mar 19, 2014, 4:44 pm
  #1375  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 58
Originally Posted by oohaahouch
Inherent risk of MS (hope its temporary)


Hopefully it's just a fraud alert.

I had the same thing happen when I charged $8000 of VR within a few days.

I charged $3k in one transaction at first, then another $5k in one transaction again 3 days later
IBJanky is offline  
Old Mar 19, 2014, 4:45 pm
  #1376  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 908
Originally Posted by oohaahouch
3k+2k AGC fee free should be the first order, once processed hit the pharmacy
Just curious. Why 2k + 3k AGC and not just 5k AGC?
sosamo is offline  
Old Mar 19, 2014, 5:23 pm
  #1377  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,044
Originally Posted by IBJanky
Hopefully it's just a fraud alert.

I had the same thing happen when I charged $8000 of VR within a few days.

I charged $3k in one transaction at first, then another $5k in one transaction again 3 days later
I was thinking about going out hard with this one too. I'm hoping it's just a fraud alert too. Let us know how it goes.
Majuki is offline  
Old Mar 19, 2014, 5:33 pm
  #1378  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,497
Originally Posted by sosamo
Just curious. Why 2k + 3k AGC and not just 5k AGC?
Because there are no 5K AGCs available. Max is 3K AGC available. Technically since you need 6.5K, you should be ordering two 3K AGC available and do something else for the $500.

EDIT: I forgot about the $5K limit you can buy on Amex GCs per order so yeah you couldn't do two $3K GCs.

Last edited by ericdabbs; Mar 19, 2014 at 6:37 pm
ericdabbs is offline  
Old Mar 19, 2014, 5:42 pm
  #1379  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 908
Originally Posted by ericdabbs
Because there are no 5K AGCs available. Max is 3K AGC available. Technically since you need 6.5K, you should be ordering two 3K AGC available and do something else for the $500.
Oh you mean total 2 AGC. 1 x 2k and 1 x 3k?

I was thinking 5k total at 5 x 1k (business) or 10 x 500 (business/personal).

It will be pretty scary to lose a 3k GC, not saying that 1k or 500 bucks won't be bad.
sosamo is offline  
Old Mar 19, 2014, 6:38 pm
  #1380  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,497
Originally Posted by sosamo
Oh you mean total 2 AGC. 1 x 2k and 1 x 3k?

I was thinking 5k total at 5 x 1k (business) or 10 x 500 (business/personal).

It will be pretty scary to lose a 3k GC, not saying that 1k or 500 bucks won't be bad.
Yes Amex sells several levels of its GC ranging from $25 up to $3K for a single card. Depending on which CB portal you use you may be bounded to a limit per GC in order to get the CB. For example TCB restricts CB up to $500 per GC. Each GC has a $3.95 processing fee hence the reason why you want to buy the largest denomination available $3K and then another $2K so you only pay $7.90 ($3.95 x 2) vs. 10 x $500 GCs which would mean $39.50 ($3.95 x 10) assuming no promo code is available to waive all the processing fees. On top of that there is a $8.95 shipping fee as well.

Last edited by ericdabbs; Mar 19, 2014 at 7:00 pm
ericdabbs is offline  

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