Jan 26, 2016, 7:19 pm
Last edit by: ChrisFlyer66
This thread includes all posts for 2016 onwards. The previous 2013- 2014 megathread is here. The 2015 thread is here.
This card is no longer available to new applicants!
Bonus category spending is now capped at $50,000 per year.
Oct 22, 2014 onwards: Many people getting cancellation email from Amex.
Amex may continue to close accounts for excessive spend in bonus categories. 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.
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.
Excessive MS on this card may sever your ties with Amex. Consider factors that may have led to these closures when sharing personal experiences.
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 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)
ą First '$6,500' is spend on all purchases.
ł 'everyday purchases' refers to U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations & select U.S. drugstores, not all purchases.
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.
This card is no longer available to new applicants!
Bonus category spending is now capped at $50,000 per year.
Oct 22, 2014 onwards: Many people getting cancellation email from Amex.
Amex may continue to close accounts for excessive spend in bonus categories. 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.
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.
Excessive MS on this card may sever your ties with Amex. Consider factors that may have led to these closures when sharing personal experiences.
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 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)
ą First '$6,500' is spend on all purchases.
ł 'everyday purchases' refers to U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations & select U.S. drugstores, not all purchases.
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 (2016 onwards)[not taking new applications]
May 18, 2016, 8:43 am
#152
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Florida
Posts: 274
I tried to search for the answer to my question but read several conflicting reports, so was just wondering if any of you could answer/confirm:
If I use do my initial $6,500 at drug stores/supermarkets, would my overall everyday purchase cap become $50,000 - $6500 for 5% category later on?
Thanks!
If I use do my initial $6,500 at drug stores/supermarkets, would my overall everyday purchase cap become $50,000 - $6500 for 5% category later on?
Thanks!
This will be my first year of spending the initial $6500 in drugstores so I guess I'll find out next year whether the it counts agains the $50k or not.
May 18, 2016, 8:48 am
#153
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: The World!!!
Programs: Some of them not all ...
Posts: 1,532
I would be surprised if there was anyone left still Un-Capped on the OBC. We are all now back to $50 K a year on the 5% CB. Actually I, like others here, am only doing close to $40 K a year on 5% categories, as I had been focusing more on singing bonuses than on this card.
May 18, 2016, 9:17 am
#154
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 283
To my knowledge, there have never been any hard data points to support whether the initial $6500 spent in the everyday categories counts against your $50k allotment or not. Different people interpret Amex's wording of the terms differently and that's why there is a lot of uncertainty around this question.
This will be my first year of spending the initial $6500 in drugstores so I guess I'll find out next year whether the it counts agains the $50k or not.
This will be my first year of spending the initial $6500 in drugstores so I guess I'll find out next year whether the it counts agains the $50k or not.
For your first $6,500 of eligible purchases in the 12 billing periods in a row beginning with the one that starts in the calendar month in which your Card account anniversary occurs (reward year), you will receive a reward of 1% on Everyday Purchases and a reward of 0.5% on all other eligible purchases. For each dollar spent on eligible purchases in excess of $6,500 in that same reward year, you will receive: (a) reward of 5% on up to $50,000 of Everyday Purchases; (b) a reward of 1% on Everyday Purchases in excess of $50,000; or (c) a reward of 1% on all other eligible purchases. If your billing cycle changes, the length of your reward year will also change.
May 19, 2016, 5:33 am
#155
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,273
I would be surprised if there was anyone left still Un-Capped on the OBC. We are all now back to $50 K a year on the 5% CB. Actually I, like others here, am only doing close to $40 K a year on 5% categories, as I had been focusing more on singing bonuses than on this card.
May 19, 2016, 7:52 am
#156
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cambridge, MA
Programs: AAdvantage EXP
Posts: 278
I'm also having an issue with rewards from this card where every transaction posted at 1% this statement. No one at AMEX could tel me why. Finally, I realized that although my anniversary date is in early February, and I did the $6500 spend in early March, it was credited to the previous award year. When I pointed that out (took escalation to a supervisor to get someone to understand the problem), they said they'd open an investigation and get back to me in 2-3 weeks. I'm still waiting.
May 19, 2016, 7:58 am
#157
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: All of them
Posts: 1,664
I'm also having an issue with rewards from this card where every transaction posted at 1% this statement. No one at AMEX could tel me why. Finally, I realized that although my anniversary date is in early February, and I did the $6500 spend in early March, it was credited to the previous award year. When I pointed that out (took escalation to a supervisor to get someone to understand the problem), they said they'd open an investigation and get back to me in 2-3 weeks. I'm still waiting.
May 19, 2016, 8:10 am
#158
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cambridge, MA
Programs: AAdvantage EXP
Posts: 278
However, I'm not convinced that's the problem. If things didn't reset until the 13th statement, then all gas/grocery purchases in the 12th statement cycle should still have earned 5%, and they didn't.
May 19, 2016, 8:24 am
#159
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: All of them
Posts: 1,664
I asked Amex about this multiple times before completing the spend so that I could make sure to get the timing right. They assured me that any transaction after my anniversary date would count towards the next year. Of course, the CSRs could all have been wrong, but I'm going to hold them to their word since I did my due diligence and asked in advance.
However, I'm not convinced that's the problem. If things didn't reset until the 13th statement, then all gas/grocery purchases in the 12th statement cycle should still have earned 5%, and they didn't.
However, I'm not convinced that's the problem. If things didn't reset until the 13th statement, then all gas/grocery purchases in the 12th statement cycle should still have earned 5%, and they didn't.
Did you not use up your full 50k by now? If you did that may explain 1% on the bonus categories.
May 19, 2016, 8:42 am
#160
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cambridge, MA
Programs: AAdvantage EXP
Posts: 278
Yes, AMEX fanboys will tell you their customer service is just wonderful. I've had nothing but incompetent foreign call center CSRs who parrot the terms and conditions as if I can't read myself.
Did you not use up your full 50k by now? If you did that may explain 1% on the bonus categories.
Did you not use up your full 50k by now? If you did that may explain 1% on the bonus categories.
Actually, when I just went back to double check the totals, I see that my most recent statement has been updated, and the "total qualified spend this reward year" has been changed to include the $6500. Still no 5% cashback, though.
May 19, 2016, 9:29 am
#161
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: All of them
Posts: 1,664
No, I finished up the last year around $38K. So even if they (mistakenly) added in the $6500 (not in a 5% category), I wasn't over the cap.
Actually, when I just went back to double check the totals, I see that my most recent statement has been updated, and the "total qualified spend this reward year" has been changed to include the $6500. Still no 5% cashback, though.
Actually, when I just went back to double check the totals, I see that my most recent statement has been updated, and the "total qualified spend this reward year" has been changed to include the $6500. Still no 5% cashback, though.
May 19, 2016, 7:15 pm
#162
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: CVG
Programs: Hyatt Giraffe
Posts: 1,663
@lmagnott - was your 5% spend at pharmacies and if so which? Remember this card the pharmacies that qualify are specified.
I've had 2 statements cut in the last few days and both all cleared 5% and nearly immediately.
I've had 2 statements cut in the last few days and both all cleared 5% and nearly immediately.
May 19, 2016, 7:53 pm
#163
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: All of them
Posts: 1,664
Also walmart doesn't count as a bonus category for amex, a lot of people don't realize that. It does count as a grocery for visa/mc.
May 19, 2016, 8:18 pm
#164
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cambridge, MA
Programs: AAdvantage EXP
Posts: 278
I'll give them a few more days to correct it and then get back in touch.
May 20, 2016, 9:57 am
#165
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum, DL Diamond 1MM, Hyatt Platinum, SPG Gold, Hilton Diamond, AMEX 2015 Centurion
Posts: 323
To my knowledge, there have never been any hard data points to support whether the initial $6500 spent in the everyday categories counts against your $50k allotment or not. Different people interpret Amex's wording of the terms differently and that's why there is a lot of uncertainty around this question.
This will be my first year of spending the initial $6500 in drugstores so I guess I'll find out next year whether the it counts agains the $50k or not.
This will be my first year of spending the initial $6500 in drugstores so I guess I'll find out next year whether the it counts agains the $50k or not.