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)
#1411
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angles
Posts: 2,101
Even Wiki has it highlighted....people, please read the wiki, majority of your basic questions are answered in there.

#1412
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 137
Thanks for clarification.
I have read through Wiki and ready many discussion pages, but it does not discuss about upper limit or unlimited reward. Many times, Wiki may not be as updated as current discussion.
Also, can anybody confirm if one can get 5% bonus reward for Serve load at CVS?
In the Serve discussion thread they have said that old Blue card does not earn any reward for an online load. But the discussion thread does not have any discussion on loading Serve at CVS and earn reward.
I appreciate your patience and sharing information.
I have read through Wiki and ready many discussion pages, but it does not discuss about upper limit or unlimited reward. Many times, Wiki may not be as updated as current discussion.
Also, can anybody confirm if one can get 5% bonus reward for Serve load at CVS?
In the Serve discussion thread they have said that old Blue card does not earn any reward for an online load. But the discussion thread does not have any discussion on loading Serve at CVS and earn reward.
I appreciate your patience and sharing information.

#1413
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Fishers, IN
Posts: 105
Well, Costco Gas comes through as "TRANSPORTATION - FUEL". Even though it says in the terms that warehouse club fuel doesn't count as fuel, anyone verified that?

#1415
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA 1MM Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 1,512
Kroger fuel doesn't count as fuel OR grocery. Go figure.... I will stop using it there. Booo

#1416
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: PVD/BOS
Posts: 879
Thanks for clarification.
I have read through Wiki and ready many discussion pages, but it does not discuss about upper limit or unlimited reward. Many times, Wiki may not be as updated as current discussion.
Also, can anybody confirm if one can get 5% bonus reward for Serve load at CVS?
In the Serve discussion thread they have said that old Blue card does not earn any reward for an online load. But the discussion thread does not have any discussion on loading Serve at CVS and earn reward.
I appreciate your patience and sharing information.
I have read through Wiki and ready many discussion pages, but it does not discuss about upper limit or unlimited reward. Many times, Wiki may not be as updated as current discussion.
Also, can anybody confirm if one can get 5% bonus reward for Serve load at CVS?
In the Serve discussion thread they have said that old Blue card does not earn any reward for an online load. But the discussion thread does not have any discussion on loading Serve at CVS and earn reward.
I appreciate your patience and sharing information.

#1417
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 322
I had this and other things to offer the wiki for questions such as these, but can't seem to find a way to add them...

#1418
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,374
If you have something to add to the wiki, just make a post asking someone to add it.

#1419
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,374
Obviously you didn't read the Serve thread b/c you asked the same question on there. Yet the question had been asked multiple times in just the last 10 pages of the thread.

#1420
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 137
What to say.
Few fellows just assume that no research is done. They spend lot of time lecturing without giving any pointer of which page on the thread it is discussed.
Generally, I follow principle of not to diminish other fellows. I will move on if I do not like question or post of others. But I understand that patience is not everybody’s virtue.
But I understand this is public forum
Few fellows just assume that no research is done. They spend lot of time lecturing without giving any pointer of which page on the thread it is discussed.
Generally, I follow principle of not to diminish other fellows. I will move on if I do not like question or post of others. But I understand that patience is not everybody’s virtue.
But I understand this is public forum

#1421
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 969
There are written limits, and then there are unwritten limits...

#1422
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: PHL
Posts: 930
It is a YMMV thing. Some have reported getting FR for 2x CL, while others have gone well over 3x. I plan on keeping mine at 1x and slowly building up from there.

#1423
Join Date: May 2008
Programs: AA PLT 2MM
Posts: 2,023
https://www304.americanexpress.com/p...dBenefitsTerms
Please then take your suggestion to their legal department if you know better.


#1424
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 148
I think I will plan to try to convert to this card from BCP (though I've seem ancedotal evidence that you can't). Though I don't think I will spend anywhere near 100% of reported income, don't want to to get FR'ed or potential shutdown.
