Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express

Rewards by category

Our take

The Blue Cash Everyday is built for households that put most of their card spending on groceries, gas, and online shopping. It earns 3% back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. online retail, and it ranks first in our online retail table and fifth for groceries, all without an annual fee. Rewards come as plain cash back, so every percent is worth exactly what it says.

The fine print is all about caps. Each of the three 3% categories is limited to $6,000 in purchases per year, and spending beyond a cap earns a lower rate. The online retail category also counts only U.S. merchants. Add a 2.7% fee on foreign transactions and this is clearly a card for spending at home, not one to carry on trips abroad.

In a small wallet, treat it as the bonus engine, not the floor. The 1% base rate is low, so pair the Blue Cash Everyday with a flat-rate card for everything outside supermarkets, gas stations, and online retail. That split keeps the 3% categories working toward their caps while ordinary purchases still earn a decent rate somewhere else.

The math

Run $600 a month of groceries through this card and you're earning about $216 a year at our conservative valuations. There's no annual fee to earn back — everything above the 1% base rate is pure upside.

Where it lands in our rankings: #1 for online retail

Common questions

Does Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express have an annual fee?

No — Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express has no annual fee.

What does Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express earn on groceries?

3% on groceries (up to $6,000/yr; lower rate after the cap).

What rewards does Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express earn on everything else?

1% on all other purchases, in Cash Back.

What happens after you hit the $6,000 cap on the Blue Cash Everyday?

Each 3% category, U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. online retail, has its own $6,000 annual purchase cap, and spending past that cap earns a lower rate. If your grocery or online spending regularly clears the ceiling, keep an eye on where you stand and route the overflow to another card in your wallet.

Is the Blue Cash Everyday a good card to use outside the U.S.?

It is not a good fit. Every purchase abroad picks up a 2.7% foreign transaction fee, well above the 1% base rate those purchases would earn, since the 3% categories only cover U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. online retail. Keep it for spending at home and travel with a card that skips foreign transaction fees.