Blue Cash Preferred®
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How we calculate effective rate →
The Blue Cash Preferred® from American Express earns up to 6% effective value on grocery in Madeen's catalog snapshot. Its annual fee is $95. New applicants may see: Earn $250 back after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. You will receive the $250 back in the form of a statement credit..
- Top category
- Grocery
- Effective value
- 6%
- Annual fee
- $95
Best for grocery-heavy spend when the $95 fee fits your usage; confirm issuer terms before applying. Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in grocery and can earn 6% back. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.
What does the Blue Cash Preferred earn in each category?
Grocery is the strongest category at 6% effective value (6% back). That grocery rate ranks higher than about 100% of the 2,855 cards we track in that category. The five-category effective-rate table on this page shows how Blue Cash Preferred compares across dining, grocery, gas, travel, and other spend. Catalog spend signals highlight music and audio at 6x among the.
Grocery is the strongest category at 6% effective value (6% back). That grocery rate ranks higher than about 100% of the 2,855 cards we track in that category. The five-category effective-rate table on this page shows how Blue Cash Preferred compares across dining, grocery, gas, travel, and other spend.
| Category | Earn rate | Effective value |
|---|---|---|
| Dining Restaurants, cafes, takeout | 1% back | 1% |
| Grocery Supermarkets and grocery stores | 6% back | 6% Top category |
| Gas Gas stations and fuel | 3% back | 3% |
| Travel Flights, hotels, transit | 3% back | 3% |
| Other General everyday spend | 6% back | 6% |
Madeen values cash back at about 1 cents each. Madeen compares every card using this cash-equivalent estimate while still showing the raw earn rate for context.
What are the Blue Cash Preferred reward caps and conditions?
The Blue Cash Preferred has 4 notable cap or condition rule(s) in Madeen's catalog, including activation windows, spend limits, and category exclusions. Review each bullet below before assuming unlimited earn rates.
- Earn 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations.
- Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per calendar year in purchases (then 1%). Capped at $6000 per year.
- Earn 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
- Earn 3% cash back on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more.
Who should get the Blue Cash Preferred?
The Blue Cash Preferred fits spenders who put meaningful volume in grocery and can earn 6% back. Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in grocery and can earn 6% back. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.
Blue Cash Preferred fits spenders who put meaningful volume in grocery and can earn 6% back. Madeen ranks its grocery effective rate higher than about 100% of the catalog in that category. Compare it against cards you already carry with Madeen — no bank login required.
Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in grocery and can earn 6% back. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.
Foreign transaction fees make it weaker for international spend.
Best for grocery-heavy spend when the $95 fee fits your usage; confirm issuer terms before applying.
Pros
- Strongest Madeen category is grocery at about 6% effective (6% back).
- That grocery rate ranks higher than about 100% of cards we track in the category.
- Welcome bonus may add value if you can meet spend requirements.
Cons
- $95 annual fee requires enough spend in bonus categories to offset.
- Charges $2.70 foreign transaction fees.
- Multiple caps, activations, or exclusions may limit headline earn rates.
What is the Blue Cash Preferred welcome bonus?
In Madeen's catalog snapshot, the Blue Cash Preferred welcome offer is Earn $250 back after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. You will receive the $250 back in the form of a statement credit.. Minimum spend, eligibility, and offer windows are set by the issuer and can change —.
- Offer
- $250
- Terms (catalog snapshot)
- Earn $250 back after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. You will receive the $250 back in the form of a statement credit. First-year annual fee waived.
- Minimum spend
- $3,000
- Window
- 6Months
Does the Blue Cash Preferred have an annual fee?
The Blue Cash Preferred has an annual fee of $95 and a foreign transaction fee of $2.70. Confirm current fees on the issuer page before applying.
- Annual fee
- $95
- Foreign transaction fee
- $2.70
What benefits come with the Blue Cash Preferred?
The Blue Cash Preferred includes $120 Disney Streaming Credit, $120 Equinox+ Credit, Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance in our snapshot. Perks and benefits can change; verify coverage on the issuer site before you rely on them.
$120 Disney Streaming Credit
$1,440/yrGet up to a $10 monthly statement credit after using your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred Card for a subscription purchase, including a bundle subscription purchase, at Disneyplus.com, Hulu.com, or Plus.espn.com U.S. websites.
Return Protection
$1,000/yrWith Return Protection, you may return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won't take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. American Express may refund the full purchase price excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per Card account, if you purchased it entirely with your eligible American Express® Card. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories.
$120 Equinox+ Credit
$120/yrWork out at home with Equinox+ and get up to $120 back annually. Use your Blue Cash Preferred® Card to pay for a subscription1 to Equinox+ at equinoxplus.com and receive $10 in monthly statement credits.
Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
$40/yrGetting into your Rental Vehicle can be the start of a great vacation. When you use your Eligible Card to reserve and pay for the Entire Rental and decline the collision damage waiver at the rental Company counter, you can be covered for Damage to or Theft of a Rental Vehicle in a Covered Territory. Please read important exclusions and restrictions. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Coverage is not available for vehicles rented in Australia, Italy, and New Zealand. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage.
Global Assist® Hotline
$25/yrWhenever you travel more than 100 miles from home, Global Assist Hotline is available for 24/7 medical, legal, financial and other select emergency assistance and coordination services, such as medical and legal referrals, emergency cash wires, and missing luggage assistance. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third'party service providers.
Related encyclopedia topics
Common questions about the Blue Cash Preferred
Where do cardholders spend most with the Blue Cash Preferred?
Madeen's RewardsCC catalog snapshot shows the strongest bonus categories on music and audio (6x), tv and movies (6x), groceries (6x) for the Blue Cash Preferred. These are anonymized issuer category signals, not individual cardholder transactions. Route everyday spend through categories that match your habits, then compare effective rates with Madeen at checkout.
Does the Blue Cash Preferred have an annual fee?
The Blue Cash Preferred carries an annual fee of $95 in Madeen's catalog snapshot. Issuer terms can change, so confirm the current fee on the issuer's site before you apply. Madeen does not predict approval or prequalification.
What category earns the most with the Blue Cash Preferred?
Grocery is the strongest Madeen category for the Blue Cash Preferred at about 6% effective value, based on our catalog snapshot and standard point valuations. Other categories are listed in the effective-rate table on this page.
Does the Blue Cash Preferred charge foreign transaction fees?
The Blue Cash Preferred charges a foreign transaction fee of $2.70 in our catalog snapshot. Check issuer terms before international spend because rates and fee waivers can change.
What is the Blue Cash Preferred welcome bonus?
The Blue Cash Preferred welcome offer in our snapshot: Earn $250 back after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. You will receive the $250 back in the form of a statement credit.. Minimum spend, eligibility, and offer windows are set by the issuer and can change.
Is the Blue Cash Preferred annual fee worth it?
Whether the $95 annual fee pays off depends on how much you spend in grocery and whether you use the card's benefits. Compare effective rates across the cards you already carry in Madeen.
How does the Blue Cash Preferred compare to similar cards?
Compare the Blue Cash Preferred against Morgan Stanley Blue Cash Preferred Card (6% on Grocery, $95 fee); Blue Cash Everyday (3% on Grocery, $0 fee); Amex EveryDay Preferred (1.8% on Grocery, $95 fee). Madeen ranks effective value by category and annual fee using the same catalog snapshot dated 2026-05-01.
| Card | Top category | Effective value | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
Blue Cash Preferred This card | Grocery | 6% | $95 |
American Express | Grocery | 6% | $95 |
American Express | Grocery | 3% | $0 |
American Express | Grocery | 1.8% | $95 |
American Express | Grocery | 1.2% | $0 |
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American Express and related product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Madeen is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of American Express. Madeen is an independent credit-card comparison and education service. Issuer websites control current terms, fees, and eligibility.
Madeen compares cards you add to your wallet using published catalog rules — no bank login required. Issuer pages control current fees, caps, exclusions, and eligibility; Madeen does not issue cards, make approval decisions, or provide financial advice. Apply links are temporarily hidden on madeen.app. Affiliate disclosure