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]
Mar 7, 2016, 5:54 pm
#91
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 441
My brother got his OBC closed in just under 40 days from the day he activated it last fall for going all out at CVS and Stop and Shop starting with his first purchase. He'd max his 10K limit every 2-3 days, make a payment online, and repeat it again in a day or so when the payment posted.
I don't think he used it for anything other than VGCs so I wasn't surprised when he told me he called AMEX when his card wouldn't work and they told him his account had been closed and to check his email for an explanation which if memory serves said something along the lines of "Usage in a manner not intended".
I was actually happy to hear of it since I warned him about hitting it too hard and too fast, but little brothers always think they know it all.
I don't think he used it for anything other than VGCs so I wasn't surprised when he told me he called AMEX when his card wouldn't work and they told him his account had been closed and to check his email for an explanation which if memory serves said something along the lines of "Usage in a manner not intended".
I was actually happy to hear of it since I warned him about hitting it too hard and too fast, but little brothers always think they know it all.
Mar 7, 2016, 8:40 pm
#92
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 198
Does anyone know if the $50k cap includes non-5X spend?
I'm coming up on my year anniversary and have spent the initial $6,500, and I also just reached the $50k cap. I try to use the card only for 5X spend, but other things inevitably creep in. About $3k of that $50k spend is in 1X categories. Does that mean I still have an additional $3k of 5X to earn this year, or am I done?
I'm coming up on my year anniversary and have spent the initial $6,500, and I also just reached the $50k cap. I try to use the card only for 5X spend, but other things inevitably creep in. About $3k of that $50k spend is in 1X categories. Does that mean I still have an additional $3k of 5X to earn this year, or am I done?
Mar 7, 2016, 9:46 pm
#93
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,112
Does anyone know if the $50k cap includes non-5X spend?
I'm coming up on my year anniversary and have spent the initial $6,500, and I also just reached the $50k cap. I try to use the card only for 5X spend, but other things inevitably creep in. About $3k of that $50k spend is in 1X categories. Does that mean I still have an additional $3k of 5X to earn this year, or am I done?
I'm coming up on my year anniversary and have spent the initial $6,500, and I also just reached the $50k cap. I try to use the card only for 5X spend, but other things inevitably creep in. About $3k of that $50k spend is in 1X categories. Does that mean I still have an additional $3k of 5X to earn this year, or am I done?
Mar 7, 2016, 11:34 pm
#94
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,498
My brother got his OBC closed in just under 40 days from the day he activated it last fall for going all out at CVS and Stop and Shop starting with his first purchase. He'd max his 10K limit every 2-3 days, make a payment online, and repeat it again in a day or so when the payment posted.
I don't think he used it for anything other than VGCs so I wasn't surprised when he told me he called AMEX when his card wouldn't work and they told him his account had been closed and to check his email for an explanation which if memory serves said something along the lines of "Usage in a manner not intended".
I was actually happy to hear of it since I warned him about hitting it too hard and too fast, but little brothers always think they know it all.
I don't think he used it for anything other than VGCs so I wasn't surprised when he told me he called AMEX when his card wouldn't work and they told him his account had been closed and to check his email for an explanation which if memory serves said something along the lines of "Usage in a manner not intended".
I was actually happy to hear of it since I warned him about hitting it too hard and too fast, but little brothers always think they know it all.
Mar 8, 2016, 5:42 am
#95
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 253
My brother got his OBC closed in just under 40 days from the day he activated it last fall for going all out at CVS and Stop and Shop starting with his first purchase. He'd max his 10K limit every 2-3 days, make a payment online, and repeat it again in a day or so when the payment posted.
I don't think he used it for anything other than VGCs so I wasn't surprised when he told me he called AMEX when his card wouldn't work and they told him his account had been closed and to check his email for an explanation which if memory serves said something along the lines of "Usage in a manner not intended".
I was actually happy to hear of it since I warned him about hitting it too hard and too fast, but little brothers always think they know it all.
I don't think he used it for anything other than VGCs so I wasn't surprised when he told me he called AMEX when his card wouldn't work and they told him his account had been closed and to check his email for an explanation which if memory serves said something along the lines of "Usage in a manner not intended".
I was actually happy to hear of it since I warned him about hitting it too hard and too fast, but little brothers always think they know it all.
Im capped as of 2/1/16.
It was sad to receive my last uncapped billing statement this month.
Mar 8, 2016, 6:32 am
#96
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 268
I have been doing 6-7K every month. I also do other regular purchases and not just MS. How do I find out if I am capped to 50K?
Thanks.
Mar 8, 2016, 6:34 am
#97
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,512
I wonder how Amex decided which account to be 'uncapped" and which one to be 'capped'? My wife's OBC was opened 2 years ago, where there were no cap, but her account got 'capped' last year in March, as I understand, everyone must be capped after March 1, 2015. How come some accounts went 'uncapped'?
Mar 8, 2016, 6:53 am
#98
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Northeastern United States
Posts: 597
He's young and impulsive. Considering he makes under 30K a year and has triple digits worth of student loans he was not in a financial spot where he should be churning and MSing at all, but he's never been a fan of logic.
Mar 8, 2016, 12:34 pm
#99
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: DL DM-1MM HH Diamond
Posts: 361
Does anyone know if the $50k cap includes non-5X spend?
I'm coming up on my year anniversary and have spent the initial $6,500, and I also just reached the $50k cap. I try to use the card only for 5X spend, but other things inevitably creep in. About $3k of that $50k spend is in 1X categories. Does that mean I still have an additional $3k of 5X to earn this year, or am I done?
I'm coming up on my year anniversary and have spent the initial $6,500, and I also just reached the $50k cap. I try to use the card only for 5X spend, but other things inevitably creep in. About $3k of that $50k spend is in 1X categories. Does that mean I still have an additional $3k of 5X to earn this year, or am I done?
Mar 11, 2016, 11:31 am
#100
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 32
For the reward dollar to show slowly issue, after I read through the statement, one sentence caught my eye.
*Reward Dollars Earned this period are pending until the minimum due is paid and your account is in good standing
I don't recall I saw this before, but wonder this is the reason and give it a shot to pay my statement balance off(not just minimum in my case). and the next business day after the payment show up on AMX, the reward dollars are there. this might have explained my long wait before because I pay the statement balance until the due day. So if you want to get your reward dollar to show faster, make sure pay your minimum payment asap.
*Reward Dollars Earned this period are pending until the minimum due is paid and your account is in good standing
I don't recall I saw this before, but wonder this is the reason and give it a shot to pay my statement balance off(not just minimum in my case). and the next business day after the payment show up on AMX, the reward dollars are there. this might have explained my long wait before because I pay the statement balance until the due day. So if you want to get your reward dollar to show faster, make sure pay your minimum payment asap.
Mar 11, 2016, 2:07 pm
#101
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: DL DM-1MM HH Diamond
Posts: 361
For the reward dollar to show slowly issue, after I read through the statement, one sentence caught my eye.
*Reward Dollars Earned this period are pending until the minimum due is paid and your account is in good standing
I don't recall I saw this before, but wonder this is the reason and give it a shot to pay my statement balance off(not just minimum in my case). and the next business day after the payment show up on AMX, the reward dollars are there. this might have explained my long wait before because I pay the statement balance until the due day. So if you want to get your reward dollar to show faster, make sure pay your minimum payment asap.
*Reward Dollars Earned this period are pending until the minimum due is paid and your account is in good standing
I don't recall I saw this before, but wonder this is the reason and give it a shot to pay my statement balance off(not just minimum in my case). and the next business day after the payment show up on AMX, the reward dollars are there. this might have explained my long wait before because I pay the statement balance until the due day. So if you want to get your reward dollar to show faster, make sure pay your minimum payment asap.
Mar 11, 2016, 6:21 pm
#102
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: DFW
Posts: 454
They sent me a letter about this apologizing for the inconvenience. Guess people are complaining about their "maintenance."
Mar 16, 2016, 3:52 pm
#105
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 95
