Blue Cash Preferred Receives New Bonus Categories

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Amex has unveiled some positive changes to the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express, which is already one of the best cash-back cards on the market. The card receives new cash-back bonus categories for select streaming services and ground transportation, and takes on a fresh new look. The changes apply to both existing cardholders and new applicants.

Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express

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Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)

Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express

Annual Fee$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.

Welcome Offer Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.

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HighlightsEarning Rates

• Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
• $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
• Buy Now, Pay Later: Enjoy $0 intro plan fees when you use Plan It® to split up large purchases into monthly installments. Pay $0 intro plan fees on plans created during the first 12 months from the date of account opening. Plans created after that will have a monthly plan fee up to 1.33% of each eligible purchase amount moved into a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors.
• Low Intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 19.24% - 29.99%. Variable APRs will not exceed 29.99%.
• 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
• 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
• 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations.
• 3% Cash Back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more).
• 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
• Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
• Get up to $120 in statement credits annually when you pay for an auto-renewing subscription to Equinox+ at equinoxplus.com with your Blue Cash Preferred® Card. That's $10 in statement credits each month. Enrollment required.
• Thinking about getting the Disney Bundle which can include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+? Your decision made easy with $7/month back in the form of a statement credit after you spend $9.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription (subject to auto renewal) with your Blue Cash Preferred® Card. Enrollment required.
• Terms Apply.
• Rates & Fees

• 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
• 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%)
• 3% Cash Back on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more
• 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations
• 1% Cash Back on other purchases
• Cash back is issued as a statement credit.

Updated Blue Cash Preferred Cash Back Bonus Categories

As of May 9, 2019, the Blue Cash Preferred now earns an unlimited 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services (see the full list below), plus 3% cash back on select ground transportation. The new bonus categories layer on top of the existing Blue Cash Preferred earning categories, which now include:

• 6% back at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year; then 1%
• 6% back on select U.S. streaming services
• 3% back on transit, including trains, taxi cabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
• 3% back at U.S. gas stations
• 1% back on other eligible purchases

For existing cardholders, Amex is removing the 3% cash back at U.S. department stores category on July 1, 2019. The new bonus categories are a great addition to the Blue Cash Preferred, cementing it as one of the best cash-back cards available to U.S. consumers. The full list of streaming services added to the 6% category includes:

• Amazon Music
• Apple Music
• Audible
• CBS All Access
• Direct TV Now
• ESPN+
• Fubo TV
• HBO Now
• Hulu
• iHeartRadio
• Kindle Unlimited
• MLB.TV
• NBA League Pass
• Netflix
• NHL.TV
• Pandora
• Prime Video Unlimited
• Showtime
• Sling TV
• SiriusXM Streaming and Satellite
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• YouTube Music Premium
• YouTube Premium
• YouTube TV

The 3% back on transit purchases is restricted to ground transport, so airfare and airline purchases are not included. Amex gives the following examples of purchases that should qualify for this category:

• Trains
• Taxi Cabs
• Rideshare services
• Ferries
• Tolls
• Parking
• Buses
• Subways

Our Take

Overall, these are positive changes to the Blue Cash Preferred. The card already ranked high on our list of best rewards cards for supermarkets and grocery spending and the best credit cards for gas and fuel, so the addition of 6% back on streaming services, plus 3% back on transit, cements the card's position as one of the best cash back cards on the market.

If you pair the Blue Cash Preferred with a no-annual-fee, cash-back card that earns at least 2% back on all purchases, you have the foundation for a strong cash-back rewards strategy.

For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express (Rates & Fees)

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