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Looking for a cash-back credit card to add to your arsenal of rewards cards? Cash-back cards play an essential role in any rewards strategy by putting money back in your wallet with every purchase. American Express currently offers several variations of cash-back credit cards. Each card features different combinations of welcome offers, earning structures (some have earning caps, which we'll discuss), annual fees, and perks.
In this post, we will compare the features of each Amex cash-back card. In addition, we will highlight the cards we think offer top value for points and miles fans who want cash back to be part of their rewards strategy.
American Express Cash-Back Credit Cards
Of the cards reviewed, two provide a flat return across all purchases. The rest of the cards offer increased returns on select bonus categories. Many other Amex cards earn flexible Membership Rewards points or points and miles within a specific loyalty program — referred to as “co-branded cards.” In comparison, the cards we're looking at today earn cash back and provide a cash-equivalent rebate on every dollar spent.
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
- Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- No Annual Fee.
- Balance Transfer is back! Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening. After that, 19.24% to 29.99% variable APR.
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%.
- 3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%.
- Get $7 back each month after using your Blue Cash Everyday Card to spend $12.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription to The Disney Bundle, which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Enrollment required.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
- 3% Cash Back with U.S. online retailers (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
- 1% back on other purchases
- Cash back is issued as a statement credit.
- Welcome offer: Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- Earning structure: 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 3% cash back on up to $6,000 of U.S. online retail purchases per year (then 1%), 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 of purchases per year (then 1%), and 1% cash back on other purchases. (issued as a statement credit)
- Annual fee: $0 (Rates & Fees)
Our take: The Blue Cash Everyday earns a smaller return on some bonus categories compared with its more expensive counterpart (see below). That being said, this card is still a great option for anyone looking to avoid an annual fee. The card also offers an introductory APR of 0% on purchases for 15 months and 0% on balance transfers for 15 months, then a 19.24% - 29.99% Variable APR after the introductory period (Rates & Fees). This can help you save on interest while financing large purchases, assuming you pay them off in time.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
- 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 and 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 Equinox+ membership 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 includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+? Your decision made easy with $7/month back in the form of a statement credit after you spend $12.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription 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.
- Welcome offer: Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- Earning structure: 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, plus 6% at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 3% at U.S. gas stations and on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more, and 1% on all other eligible purchases (issued as a statement credit).
- Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. (Rates & Fees)
Our take: The ability to earn up to 6% cash back is one of the highest returns you'll see on a cash-back card.
In the case of the Blue Cash Preferred, you'll earn this rate on up to $6,000 spent each year at U.S. supermarkets. You'll earn 1% cash back on any purchases thereafter. This high rate of cashback also applies to select U.S. streaming subscriptions, but there is no cap on bonus earnings. Our only wish is that the spending cap was a little higher to accommodate the average family’s annual grocery spend.
We wouldn't recommend using the card internationally, because you’ll pay foreign transaction fees of 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to U.S. Dollars (Rates & Fees). In addition, you won't earn increased cash back at supermarkets outside of the U.S.
Cash Magnet® Card
- Unlimited 1.5% cash back on your purchases. Cash back is issued as a statement credit.
- Welcome offer: Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months.
- Earning structure: Unlimited 1.5% cash back on your purchases. Cash back is issued as a statement credit.
- Annual fee: $0
Our take: This card features a fixed-rate return: Cardholders earn 1.5% back on all purchases with no limit to the cashback you can earn.
This card is a simple option to guarantee a solid return for people with frequent spending in categories that don't earn a bonus with other cards. This card also is a good choice for people who don't like to track bonus categories.
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
- 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 18.49% - 26.49%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening. APRs will not exceed 29.99%
- Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement.
- From workflow to inventory to floor plans, your business is constantly changing. That's why you've got the power to spend beyond your credit limit with Expanded Buying Power.
- Just remember, the amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us and other factors.
- No Annual Fee
- Terms Apply
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement.
- Welcome offer: N/A
- Earning structure: Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement.
- Annual fee: No annual fee (Rates & Fees)
Our take: The Blue Business Cash is the cash-back version of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. Instead of earning Membership Rewards, this card earns 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1% (issued as a statement credit) on all eligible purchases.
As far as business cards go, they don't come much simpler than this. There are no bonus categories to keep track of and no annual fee to pay. In addition, this card also offers an introductory APR of 0% on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening. After this period, a 18.49% - 26.49% Variable APR will apply (Rates & Fees).
The Plum Card® from American Express
- Paying early pays off: get an unlimited 1.5% Early Pay Discount on eligible charges within 10 days of your statement closing date and see the discount applied to your next statement when you pay at the least the Minimum Payment Due by the Please Pay By date.
- Take up to 60 days to pay with no interest‡, when you pay your minimum due by the Payment Due Date.
- Use the power of the Plum Card to buy big for your business.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.‡
- Terms & Restrictions Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- Get a 1.5% discount when you pay early, with no cap on what you can earn back.
- Welcome offer: N/A
- Earning structure: 1.5% discount when you pay early, with no cap on what you can earn back.
- Annual fee: $250‡ (Rates & Fees)
Our take: A business cash-back card with a twist: The Amex Plum provides a 1.5% discount when you pay early (within 10 days of the billing cycle closing.) In addition, there is no cap on the discount you can receive. Another card feature is the ability to defer paying off large charges for up to 60 days without paying interest — this on a card you would typically need to pay off in full each month. Of course, this is provided that you’ve met the minimum payment by the due date.
The main downside to this card is the annual fee, which is much higher than other business cash-back cards offering similar rewards and benefits.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, each American Express card provides a slightly different take on the cash back theme. The options range from the basic, fixed-value Cash Magnet to the Blue Cash Preferred. The second card offers higher-tiered cash-back rewards but also charges an annual fee after the first year (Rates & Fees).
Don’t forget to compare these cards against the best cards for everyday spending to ensure you get the highest return on every dollar you spend. If you have a particular category in mind, check out our resource on the best cards for each spending category.
Have a favorite Amex cash-back credit card? Let us know in the comments below.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express (Rates & Fees), Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (Rates & Fees), The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card (Rates & Fees), and The Plum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
I’ve had a Blue Cash everyday card for a few years. I did start with the Preferred card for a year, but Amex increased the annual fee and I’m not a fan of paying for a credit card. The 6% cashback on the preferred card (and now 3% on the everyday card) is a nice perk since we all need groceries. But you have to be careful where you buy groceries. Stores like Wal Mart, Target don’t get the extra bonus for groceries.
I still have the old Amex blue cash card but the 5% cash back only good for 50K/yr, I missed the time when there is no limit on the cashback amount.
Infesting read, I wish we could get some of these options in Canada but oh well, perhaps one day. cheers
Nice summary. The 6k cap on supermarket purchases is too low tho…
I’ve never done cash back; I always want miles. But I have enough miles – I might look into one of these cards.
Well, this certainly made me go look at the Amex cards. I have been looking at the citi double cash card. Now though the Blue Cash Everyday and the cash magnet card look better.
I understand the whole cash back lure. If someone was looking between travel cards and cash back cards, would the travel cards still a better bet with some having the ability to transfer to an airline? Or would it be better just to charge all your travel to a cash back card and then just redeem your points to the charges?
It depends on your goals. International Business/First Class stick with miles. Otherwise, cash.
I have the no-fee cash back. It’s great for groceries! Watch for special offers too! 10% back on cell phone through December!!
Much simpler to use the Citi DoubleCash and get the easy 2% on EVERY purchase with no limits and no annual fee
Thanks for the handy comparison. It really breaks it down nicely in one spot.
Those of us who travel a lot can get much greater value from cards that earn points. If I were to stop traveling, then cash back will be more worthwhile. I really haven’t paid attention to these cards but it is good to know they are there if my circumstances ever change.
I like simplycash out of the cards mentioned the most! The cashback is the most no-frills one mentioned.
thanks!
Tara: 50K “what”? I don’t get what you are saying.
Does anybody have a good way of tracking purchases based on card to maximize the cash back? I wonder if there is an app or something that tells you which card to use for which purchase. It would be even better if it could all be programmed into the app and automatic.
Upgrade your AwardWallet account to AwardWallet Plus and you can see some of the stuff we’re working on to help maximize every dollar spent.
Plum intrigues me.
I didn’t know about it until now
Blue cash was my first card
This blog is quite timely for me. I have sufficient frequent flyer miles and bank points that will last me for quite a while. I think I will latch onto a cash back card for a year or two until I burn through my FFm’d and bank points.
I much prefer the flat percentage return for simplicity. I can’t be filling up my few remaining brain cells trying to remember if it’s 3% back on gas, 6% on groceries or 3.7% on Furbies. So looks like it’s the Cash Magnet card for me! (No annual fee is also nice.)
I love your comment, Scott! ?
Completely agree. The humor of “3.7% on Furbies” is worthy of another acknowledgment!
Simply Cash has been a winner for my husband’s business!
Amex gold for the win! Applied via a referral for 50k.
love my amex blue cards. simple easy cash back. great to see a comparison though