Old Jan 8, 14, 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)

Old Mar 20, 14, 2:00 pm
  #1396  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: AZ
Programs: AA, UA, US
Posts: 525
Originally Posted by fmakpartners
Can you buy VR with Amex GC, then use VR to purchase more Amex GC? (sorry for the potential newbie question)
what stops you from trying
oohaahouch is offline  
Old Mar 20, 14, 4:51 pm
  #1397  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 20
Buying Amex gift Card?

For those saying to buy amex gift cards to meet the first $6500 in spend, its been said on here that you do not earn points on AGC, so does anyone have any data points that this spend will actually count toward the first $6500 in spend?
saw2645 is offline  
Old Mar 20, 14, 4:53 pm
  #1398  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: AZ
Programs: AA, UA, US
Posts: 525
Originally Posted by saw2645
For those saying to buy amex gift cards to meet the first $6500 in spend, its been said on here that you do not earn points on AGC, so does anyone have any data points that this spend will actually count toward the first $6500 in spend?
WHo/where does it say you dont earn points/doesnt count as spend?
oohaahouch is offline  
Old Mar 20, 14, 4:58 pm
  #1399  
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: New Jersey
Programs: Delta P, SPG G, Marriott S, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,007
Originally Posted by saw2645
For those saying to buy amex gift cards to meet the first $6500 in spend, its been said on here that you do not earn points on AGC, so does anyone have any data points that this spend will actually count toward the first $6500 in spend?
Only place where I believe you do not is if you do an Online CC load by Amex card to Amex Serve.

However, I have purchased Amex GC with Amex cards and have gotten points.
maksimfa is offline  
Old Mar 20, 14, 5:36 pm
  #1400  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 20
Originally Posted by maksimfa
Only place where I believe you do not is if you do an Online CC load by Amex card to Amex Serve.

However, I have purchased Amex GC with Amex cards and have gotten points.
That is great to hear, thanks for the reply!
saw2645 is offline  
Old Mar 21, 14, 9:53 pm
  #1401  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 38
How long does it take for points to hit your account? Purchases that ended in my last billing cycle still haven't shown up. Secondly, my VR purchase at charlie victor from Jan doesn't show in drugstore. What gives?
isobro is offline  
Old Mar 21, 14, 9:58 pm
  #1402  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: PHL
Posts: 930
Originally Posted by isobro
How long does it take for points to hit your account? Purchases that ended in my last billing cycle still haven't shown up. Secondly, my VR purchase at charlie victor from Jan doesn't show in drugstore. What gives?
They are a billing cycle delayed. So, if you statement closes on the 1st of every month, you should receive your points for purchases from 1/1-2/1 on 3/1, from 2/1-3/1 on 4/1, etc.
commdiver is offline  
Old Mar 21, 14, 10:20 pm
  #1403  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 137
Question Any upper limit on bonus category reward

Is there any upper limit or cap on bonus category reward?
anagoree is offline  
Old Mar 21, 14, 10:27 pm
  #1404  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 54
Originally Posted by anagoree
Is there any upper limit or cap on bonus category reward?
American Express has been known to get the FBI involved after you spend 20k in one month. I would be very careful. The upper limit would be 5% of 20k in that case, assuming you can redeem from your jail cell.
Dave4086 is offline  
Old Mar 21, 14, 10:35 pm
  #1405  
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 234
Delete
3ZeroT is offline  
Old Mar 21, 14, 10:35 pm
  #1406  
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 234
Originally Posted by Dave4086
American Express has been known to get the FBI involved after you spend 20k in one month. I would be very careful. The upper limit would be 5% of 20k in that case, assuming you can redeem from your jail cell.
LOL, WTH have you been smoking tonight Dave?
3ZeroT is offline  
Old Mar 21, 14, 10:39 pm
  #1407  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 137
sorry for confusion.
My question was to know if there is any annual limit/cap for bonus category reward?
I was thinking of buying 10k VRs at CVS for BB load.
Also, can anybody confirm if one can get 5% bonus reward for Serve load at CVS?

Last edited by anagoree; Mar 21, 14 at 10:46 pm
anagoree is offline  
Old Mar 21, 14, 10:52 pm
  #1408  
 
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 174
Originally Posted by anagoree
sorry for confusion.
My question was to know if there is any annual limit/cap for bonus category reward?
I was thinking of buying 10k VRs at CVS for BB load.
Also, can anybody confirm if one can get 5% bonus reward for Serve load at CVS?
I know this thread is long, but have you tried reading it? I also recommend reading the Serve thread. The knowledge you will gain long-term will offset the short-term satisfaction of getting an immediate answer.
fletch512 is offline  
Old Mar 21, 14, 10:56 pm
  #1409  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 137
Believe me, I have read many pages on many discussion threads. I have also tried to search them. But I could not find the answer for specific "old" AmEx credit card. I will appreciate if you can share the information for common good.

Last edited by anagoree; Mar 21, 14 at 11:11 pm
anagoree is offline  
Old Mar 22, 14, 6:58 am
  #1410  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: PHL
Posts: 930
Originally Posted by anagoree
Is there any upper limit or cap on bonus category reward?
There is no limit. The only limit is that gas transactions must be $400 or less to get the 5% cashback. For future reference, that question could have been answered by reading the card agreement.
commdiver is offline  

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