TERMS AND CONDITIONS
By submitting this application, you are requesting us to open an Account in your name and to issue Card(s) as you direct. Only qualified individuals 18 or over may apply for an Account. This offer is available to US Residents.
You promise that the information you provide on this application is accurate. You authorize us to verify this information and to obtain reports from consumer reporting agencies. You authorize us and our affiliates and subsidiaries to share information we have about you at any time for marketing and administrative purposes as permitted by law. Upon request, we will tell you if we have received a consumer report and the name and address of the agency that provided it.
When you use your Account (or sign or keep the Card), you agree to the terms of the Card Member Agreement that will be provided to you. Your Card Member Agreement includes an arbitration provision, which restricts your opportunity to have claims related to the account heard in court or resolved by a jury, and to participate in a class action or similar proceeding.
We may change the Card Member Agreement subject to applicable law. We may do this in response to the business, legal, or competitive environment. Changes to some terms may require 45 days advance notice, and we will tell you in the notice if you have the right to reject a change. We cannot change certain terms during the first year of your Card Membership.
Additional Cards: Additional Card Members do not have accounts with us but they can use your Account subject to the terms of the Card Member Agreement, must be at least 13 years of age and never had a default account with American Express. You are responsible for all use of your Account by Additional Card Members and anyone they allow to use your Account. You must pay for all charges they make. You authorize us to give Additional Card Members information about your Account and to discuss it with them.
Cash advance at ATMs: We may issue you a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to use to obtain cash advances at participating ATMs. Or you may request a PIN for cash advances by contacting us. We will send you a letter confirming your PIN.
USA PATRIOT Act Notice: Federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account, including your name, address, date of birth and other information that will allow us to verify your identity.
Balance Transfers: Only balance transfers from accounts in your name requested within 60 days from the date of account opening will be approved. You may make up to two balance transfer requests, up to your eligible balance transfer amount. Each request may include transfers from up to four accounts in your name. We will charge your Card account for the total approved amount of all balance transfers. Each balance transfer will reduce your available credit just like any other transaction. You may not request a balance transfer amount less than $100.
The eligible balance transfer amount will be
i) less than your credit limit and not more than $7,500;
ii) determined based on your creditworthiness and other factors including your account history with American Express; and
iii) provided to you after your application has been approved.
We will not initiate any balance transfer until at least ten days after we have mailed or otherwise provided the Card Member Agreement to you. In some cases, it may take up to six weeks to complete a balance transfer. Please be sure to make all required payments on any account from which you are transferring a balance until the balance transfer is credited to that account. You authorize us to verify the balance of such accounts. You may not transfer balances from any account issued by American Express or any of its affiliates. Additional Card Members may not request or authorize balance transfers.
Notice to Married Wisconsin Residents: No provision of any marital property agreement, unilateral agreement, or court decree under Wisconsin’s Marital Property Act will adversely affect a creditor’s interest unless, prior to the time credit is granted, the creditor is furnished a copy of that agreement or decree or is given complete information about the agreement or decree.
New York Residents: New York residents may contact the New York State Department of Financial Services by telephone or visit its website for free information on comparative credit card rates, fees, and grace periods. New York State Department of Financial Services 1-800-342-3736 or www.dfs.ny.gov
Notice to California Residents: An Applicant, if married, may apply for a separate account.
Notice to Delaware Residents: Service charges not in excess of those permitted by law will be charged on the outstanding balances from month to month.
Notice to Oregon Residents: Service charges not in excess of those permitted by law will be charged on the outstanding balances from month to month. You may pay more than the minimum payment due, up to your entire outstanding balance, at any time.
Notice to Ohio Residents: The Ohio laws against discrimination require that all creditors make credit equally available to all credit worthy customers, and that credit reporting agencies maintain separate credit histories on each individual upon request. The Ohio civil rights commission administers compliance with this law.
Blue Cash Preferred® from American Express is issued by American Express National Bank. ©2022 American Express National Bank.
The welcome offer, intro APRs, and intro plan fees are not available to applicants who have or have had this Card. We may also consider the number of American Express Cards you have opened and closed as well as other factors in making a decision on your welcome offer, intro APRs, and intro plan fee eligibility.
$250 Statement Credit
To qualify for the $250 statement credit, you must make purchases with your Blue Cash Preferred ® Card from American Express that total $3,000 or more within your first 6 months of Card Membership starting from the date that your account is opened. The statement credit will be applied 8-12 weeks after the spend threshold is met. Eligible purchases can be made by the Basic Card Member and any Additional Card Members on a single Card Account. Purchases to meet the spend requirement do NOT include fees or interest charges, balance transfers, cash advances, purchases of traveler’s checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, purchases of gift cards, person-to-person payments, or purchases of any cash equivalents. Additional Card Members on your account are not eligible for this offer. To receive the $250 statement credit, your Card account must not be past due or cancelled at the time the statement credit is posted to your Card account.
You can earn the $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 or more on eligible purchases on your Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership starting from the date that your account is opened. In rare instances, your period to spend $3,000 may be shorter than 6 months if there is a delay in receiving your Card. Also, purchases may fall outside of the 6 months period in some cases, such as a delay in merchants submitting transactions to us or if the purchase date differs from the date you made the transaction. (For example, if you buy goods online, the purchase date may be the date the goods are shipped). The statement credit will be applied 8–12 weeks after the spend threshold is met.
American Express reserves the right to modify or revoke offer at any time.
Annual Fee
The introductory annual fee for the Blue Cash Preferred ® Card from American Express will be $0 for the first year of Card Membership. After that, the annual fee will be $95.
If we in our sole discretion determine that you have engaged in abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with this offer in any way or that you intend to do so (for example, if you applied for one or more cards to obtain an offer(s) that we did not intend for you; if you cancel or downgrade your account within 12 months after acquiring it; or if you cancel or return purchases you made to meet the Threshold Amount), we may not credit, we may freeze, or we may take away statement credit from your account. We may also cancel this Card account and other Card accounts you may have with us.
The following benefits and services are subject to change or cancellation.
$120 Equinox+ Credit
You will not receive the statement credit on your Equinox+ membership if you purchase your membership within the Equinox+ app or through a third party. To receive this benefit, Card Members must enroll in their American Express Card Account. Basic Card Member(s) on a Blue Cash Preferred ® Card Account are eligible to receive up to a total of $10 in statement credits each month across all Cards on the Blue Cash Preferred ® Card Account on membership fees for a stand-alone monthly membership to the Equinox+ app. Membership fees must be charged directly by Equinox+ to the enrolled Card Account to be eligible for statement credits. Any Equinox+ charges other than charges for monthly membership fees are not eligible. Purchases by both the enrolled Basic Card Member and Additional Card Members on the eligible Card Account are eligible for statement credits. However, each Card Account is only eligible for up to a $10 statement credit per month, for a total of $120 per calendar year in statement credits across all Cards on the Account. Eligible Card Members must be at least eighteen (18) years old, or must have the written consent of a parent or legal guardian if they are between the ages of sixteen (16) and eighteen (18), to enroll in an eligible membership. To be eligible for this benefit, Card Account must be not canceled or past due at the time of statement credit fulfillment. Please allow 6-8 weeks after an eligible purchase is charged to your Card Account for statement credit(s) to be posted to the Account. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, please call the number on the back of your Card. To receive this benefit for an existing Equinox+ membership, Card Members (or their parent or legal guardian, as applicable) must enroll in this benefit in their American Express Card Account and pay their monthly membership fees with their eligible Blue Cash Preferred ® Card online through www.equinoxplus.com. Card Members who currently pay their monthly membership fees through the Equinox+ app will not receive the benefit unless they change their Equinox+ membership to an online account, which can be done by contacting Equinox Member Experience at https://eqx.force.com/memberexperience/s/contactsupport. To receive this benefit for a new Equinox+ membership, Card Members (or their parent or legal guardian, as applicable) must enroll in this benefit in their American Express Card Account and then access the Equinox+ website through the link provided in the benefits section of their American Express online account or mobile app, or at m.equinoxplus.com/e/amexjoin, to purchase an Equinox+ membership at www.equinoxplus.com with their eligible Blue Cash Preferred ® Card and agree to the Equinox+ Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Membership in the Equinox+ app is subject at all times to the foregoing and Equinox Media’s additional standard rules, policies and procedures. Equinox Media reserves the right to terminate Equinox+ membership for any failure to comply with, or as otherwise permitted in, such terms, rules, policies and procedures. For additional assistance, you can reach us by logging into your online American Express account and clicking on the "Chat" feature on the bottom right hand corner. Alternatively, you can call the number on the back of your Card.
$84 The Disney Bundle Credit
Enrollment on the American Express Benefit Dashboard is required to receive this benefit. Blue Cash Preferred ® Card Members are eligible to receive a $7 statement credit each month after making qualifying purchases online at U.S. websites Disneyplus.com, Hulu.com or Plus.espn.com and in U.S. dollars amounting $13.99 (excluding taxes) or more in that calendar month. "Qualifying purchases" include The Disney Bundle monthly subscription purchases of either $13.99 a month or $19.99 a month (excluding taxes) and any other monthly or annual subscription purchase or add-ons purchased at U.S. websites Disneyplus.com, Hulu.com or Plus.espn.com that amount to $13.99 (excluding taxes) or more in any one calendar month made with your enrolled Card. If you purchase a monthly subscription, unless you notify the merchant that you want to cancel, your subscription will automatically renew for another monthly subscription period (subject to applicable law). This means that the merchant will collect the then-applicable subscription fee and any taxes by charging a credit card the merchant has on record for you without notifying you unless notification is required by applicable law. Your purchase will not qualify if you purchase your subscription through a third-party device or digital platform (unless the device or platform redirects to Disneyplus.com, Hulu.com or Plus.espn.com for purchase), or as a bundle with cable services or as another bundle. If you upgrade an already existing Disney+, Hulu or ESPN+ subscription to The Disney Bundle monthly subscription in the middle of a subscription month, your first month’s subscription purchase will be pro-rated and may be less than $13.99 and therefore may not qualify for a statement credit that month. Further, if you change an already existing Disney+, Hulu or ESPN+ annual subscription to The Disney Bundle and your ongoing monthly charge is less than $13.99, you may not qualify for a statement credit. A single purchase of an annual subscription on an enrolled account also qualifies for a $7 statement credit, but you would only be eligible for a one-time $7 statement credit in the month of this purchase. Must be 18+ to subscribe to Disney+ or The Disney Bundle. The Disney Bundle is only available in the 50 United States, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The Disney Bundle is not available in any other U.S. territories. Once you enroll your Card in this benefit, you must spend a minimum of $13.99 in one or more qualifying U.S. purchases by the last day of each calendar month to be considered eligible for a statement credit in that month. You may receive the monthly statement credit each month starting from the month you enroll. Your ability to earn a statement credit will reset on the first day of each calendar month and end on the last day of the same calendar month. Qualifying purchases must be charged to the enrolled Card Account for the benefit to apply. Purchases by both the enrolled Basic Card Member and any Additional Card Members on the enrolled Card Account are eligible for statement credits. However, each Card Account is only eligible for one $7 statement credit per month.
Please allow 6-8 weeks after a qualifying purchase is charged to your Card Account for statement credit(s) to be posted to the Account. Please call the number on the back of the Card if statement credits have not posted after 8 weeks from the date of purchase. American Express relies on the merchant to process transactions within the same calendar month that you made the purchase in order to apply the $7 monthly statement credit in the month that it was intended. For example, if you make an eligible purchase on the last day of the month, but the merchant doesn’t process that transaction until the next day, then the statement credit would be applied in the following month. If American Express does not receive information that identifies your transaction as eligible for this benefit, you will not receive the statement credit. To be eligible for this benefit, Card Account must not be canceled and not past due at the time of statement credit fulfillment. If a charge for an eligible purchase is included in a Pay Over Time balance on your Card Account, the statement credit associated with that charge may not be applied to that Pay Over Time balance. Instead, the statement credit may be applied to your Pay In Full balance. For additional information, call the number on the back of your Card.
Account Manager
Account Managers must be at least 18 years old and have a U.S. Mailing Address and Social Security Number.
American Express Access
The American Express Access program is available to all Card Members. Simply pay with your American Express ® Card. Tickets are subject to the rules, terms & conditions, and fees set by the ticket seller, event promoter and/or the venue, as applicable. Offer is fulfilled by ticket seller, subject to availability and may be changed or revoked at any time. Not all seats available and blackout dates may apply. All sales final. No refunds. No exchanges. For more information, please visit americanexpress.com/entertainment.
American Express Early Access
American Express ® Card Members have exclusive access to tickets before the general public for the specified sales window. Simply pay with your American Express ® Card. Tickets are subject to the rules, terms & conditions, and fees set by the ticket seller, promoter and/or the venue, as applicable. Offer is fulfilled by ticket seller, subject to availability and may be changed or revoked at any time. Not all seats available and blackout dates may apply. All sales final. No refunds. No exchanges. For more information, please visit americanexpress.com/entertainment.
American Express Experiences
Offer valid in select cities. During the specified sales period, tickets are available exclusively to all American Express ® Card Members. Tickets must be purchased with an American Express Card. Standard service charges apply. Offer is subject to availability. Not all seats are available and blackout dates apply. All sales final. No refunds. No exchanges. Offer may be changed or revoked at any time at the sole discretion of American Express. Some events may not be accessible to Card Members with disabilities. For more information, please visit americanexpress.com/entertainment.
American Express ® App
The American Express ® App and app features are available only for eligible Card accounts in the United States. American Express ® prepaid Cards and Cards issued by non-American Express issuers are not eligible.
To log in, Card Members must have an American Express user ID and password or create one in the app.
American Express ® App
iOS and Android only. See app store listings for operating system info
Amex Offers
Eligible Card Members can redeem an Amex Offer by first enrolling in the offer in their online account or in the American Express ® App and then using their enrolled Card to pay. Only U.S.-issued American Express Consumer and Business Cards and registered American Express Serve ® and Bluebird cards may be eligible. We may consider the number of American Express Cards you have opened and closed as well as other factors in making a decision on your eligibility to access Amex Offers. You may not be eligible to access Amex Offers if we, in our sole discretion, determine that you have previously engaged in abuse, misuse or gaming of the Amex Offers program, or any other Amex program. Offers are also available to Additional Card Members and available offers may vary for each eligible Card Member. Please review the terms of each offer for details on how to redeem. For full Program Terms, visit www.americanexpress.com/us/amexoffersterms/.
Blue Cash Reward Dollars on Eligible Purchases
You will earn cash back only on eligible purchases and in the form of Blue Cash Reward Dollars (reward dollars). You can redeem reward dollars for statement credits with no minimum redemption amount. You cannot use cash back to pay your Minimum Due. The number of reward dollars you earn is based on a percentage of the dollar amount of your eligible purchases during each billing period.
Eligible purchases are purchases for goods and services minus returns and other credits. 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.
You will earn a reward of 6% on the first $6,000 of eligible purchases in a calendar year (then 1%) at supermarkets located in the U.S. (superstores, convenience stores, warehouse clubs, and meal-kit delivery services are not considered supermarkets); 6% on eligible purchases of U.S. streaming subscriptions from select providers (the current list of select providers is available at americanexpress.com/rewards-info). If your subscription is bundled with another product or service or billed by a third party (such as a digital platform, a cable, telecommunications, or internet provider, or a car manufacturer), your purchase may not be eligible; 3% on eligible purchases on transit, including trains, taxicabs, ride share services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways (airfare, car rental and cruises are not considered transit); 3% on eligible purchases of gasoline at gas stations located in the U.S. (superstores, supermarkets and warehouse clubs that sell gasoline are not considered gas stations); and 1% on all other eligible purchases.
Merchants are assigned codes based on what they primarily sell. We group certain merchant codes into categories that are eligible for additional rewards. A purchase with a merchant will not earn additional rewards if the merchant’s code is not included in a reward category. You may not receive additional rewards if we receive inaccurate information or are otherwise unable to identify your purchase as eligible for a reward category. For example, you may not receive additional rewards when: a merchant uses a third-party to sell their products or services; or a merchant uses a third-party to process or submit your transaction to us (e.g., using mobile or wireless card readers); or you choose to make a purchase using a third-party payment account or make a purchase using a mobile or digital wallet. Please visit americanexpress.com/rewards-info for more information about rewards.
Card Member Performance(s)
Card Member Performances are available to all Card Members. Simply pay with your American Express ® Card. Tickets are subject to the rules, terms & conditions, and fees set by the ticket seller, event promoter and/or the venue, as applicable. Offer is fulfilled by ticket seller, subject to availability and may be changed or revoked at any time. Not all seats available. All sales final. No refunds. No exchanges. For more information, please visit americanexpress.com/entertainment.
Destination Family
Benefits are valid for new bookings of eligible cruises or tour packages made through American Express Travel with participating travel providers using an eligible U.S. Consumer, Business, Corporate American Express ® Card. Payment must be made with the eligible Card, and that Card Member must travel on the itinerary booked. Benefits may not be available to residents outside the 50 United States. Benefits apply per booking, not per traveler and cannot be combined with other offers unless indicated. Blackout dates may apply. Participating travel providers and benefits are subject to change and vary by travel provider. Benefits are non-transferable, subject to availability, and cannot be redeemed for cash, cash-equivalents, or credit.
Dispute Resolution
Not all disputes are resolved in the Card Member’s favor.
Global Assist ® Hotline
While Global Assist ® Hotline coordination and assistance services are offered at no additional charge from American Express, Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. For full Terms and Conditions, see americanexpress.com/GAterms.
Instant Card Number
Instant Card Number eligibility is based on our ability to instantly authenticate you. If you are eligible for Instant Card Number, you will receive an Instant Card Number that you may be able to use virtually anywhere American Express is accepted and a physical Card will not be required. In certain instances (for example, if we cannot instantly authenticate you) you may only be able to use your Instant Card Number at a select merchant until you receive your physical Card. You may not have access to your full credit line until after you confirm receipt of your physical Card. We will mail your physical Card within 3-5 days of account approval.
Lowest Hotel Rates Guarantee
Valid only for American Express Card Members. If you book a qualifying hotel rate on amextravel.com and then find the same room, in the same hotel, for the same dates, the same number of children and adults, at a lower price online, before taxes and fees, we’ll refund you the difference. For pre-paid reservations, your claim must be submitted prior to your stay, before the date of check-in. For verification of "pay later" hotel bookings, your claim must be submitted within thirty (30) days after you have completed the hotel stay, and the customer service representative may instruct you to mail a copy of your hotel receipt to American Express within that time period. American Express will honor the lower price for verified requests. The "Lowest Hotel Rates Guarantee" policy applies only to online rates available to the general public and excludes (1) rates or discounts that are not available to the general public, including, but not limited to, corporate, group, charter, meeting/convention, AAA, government/military, and senior citizen rates/discounts; or (2) hotel rooms booked through or in combination with frequent stay, loyalty, points, coupon promotions, rooms won through contests or sweepstakes or transferred, or rooms booked on opaque websites that do not allow you to see the name of the hotel until your reservation is complete; or (3) promotional packages, deals, all-inclusive packages, or bundles that may include additional amenities such as parking, meals, or entertainment, or (4) rates booked through the Fine Hotels + Resorts ® and The Hotel Collection programs. Details
Pay It Plan It ®
Pay It ® is only available in the American Express App ® for your eligible Account. With the Pay It feature, you can make a payment equal to the amount of a billed purchase less than $100. Payments made with Pay It are not applied to that billed purchase but to your outstanding balance in accordance with how we apply payments.
Your Account is eligible for Pay It if you are a Basic Card Member or Additional Card Member of a Card account issued by a U.S. banking subsidiary of American Express that is not canceled, excluding Accounts that do not have either a Credit Limit or the Pay Over Time feature. Prepaid Cards and products, American Express Corporate Cards, American Express Small Business Cards and American Express-branded Cards or account numbers issued by other financial institutions are not eligible.
With Plan It ® , you can create up to 10 active payment plans, each subject to a plan fee. The plan fee is a fixed finance charge that will be charged each month that the corresponding plan is active. You will be offered 1-3 plan duration options for the qualifying purchase. The plan duration options can vary based on a variety of factors such as the purchase amount, your Account history and your creditworthiness. If you are enrolled in an intro or promotional APR, you may see limited plan duration options during the intro or promotional period when you use Plan It on your Account. If you create a plan during an introductory or promotional APR period, your plan fee will be based on the introductory or promotional APR as long as the plan is created before 11:59pm MST on the last day of the introductory or promotional period.
To create a plan, select qualifying purchases of $100 or more and a plan duration. If you have a Card with a Credit Limit, you may also be able to select a qualifying amount of $100 or more and a plan duration. When creating a plan for purchases, you may select up to 10 qualifying purchases for each plan that you create in your American Express online Account. However, you may select only one qualifying purchase for each plan that you create in the American Express App. Qualifying purchases will be identified in your American Express online Account and American Express App. Qualifying purchases (or a qualifying amount, if you have a Card with a Credit Limit) do not include purchases of cash or cash equivalents, balance transfers (if offered), purchases subject to Foreign Transaction Fees, or any fee owed to us, including Annual Membership fees. Unless you are creating a plan at checkout, please allow 2-3 days for your purchase to post to your Account. Once your purchase posts and is no longer pending, you can create a plan for that purchase.
Your ability to create plans will be based on a variety of factors such as your creditworthiness, and your Credit Limit or Pay Over Time Limit, as applicable. The Pay Over Time Limit applies to the total of your Pay Over Time, Cash Advance, and Plan balances. You may not be able to create a plan if it would cause you to exceed your Pay Over Time Limit or cause your Plan balance to exceed 95% of your Account Total New Balance on your last billing statement. You will not be able to create plans if your Pay Over Time feature is suspended or your Account is canceled. You will also not be able to create plans if one or more of your American Express Accounts is enrolled in a payment program, has a payment that is returned unpaid, or is past due. The number and length of plan duration options offered to you, the number of active plans you can have at a time, and your ability to include multiple qualifying purchases in a single plan, will be at our discretion and will be based on a variety of factors such as your creditworthiness, the purchase amount(s), and your Account history. After a plan is paid in full, it will be removed from your Account in the next billing period.
Plan It is available on Card Accounts issued by a U.S. banking subsidiary of American Express, excluding Accounts that do not have either a Credit Limit or the Pay Over Time feature. Only the Basic Card Member or Authorized Account Managers on the Account can create a plan. Prepaid Cards and products, American Express Corporate Cards, American Express Small Business Cards and American Express-branded Cards or Account numbers issued by other financial institutions are not eligible.
Return Protection
Return Protection is subject to additional important terms, conditions and exclusions. For full Terms and Conditions, see americanexpress.com/RPterms.
Seller of Travel
American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. is acting solely as a sales agent for travel suppliers and is not responsible for the actions or inactions of such suppliers. Certain suppliers pay us commission and other incentives for reaching sales targets or other goals and may provide incentives to our Travel Consultants. For more information visit www.americanexpress.com/travelterms.
California CST#1022318; Washington UBI#600-469-694
Send & Split ®
Send & Split ® is only available in the American Express ® App ("Amex App") to Card Members with an eligible Card. Eligible Cards are US-issued Basic Consumer Cards that are issued by American Express National Bank and are not cancelled. Prepaid Cards, American Express Corporate Cards, American Express Small Business Cards, American Express-branded cards or account numbers issued by other financial institutions and American Express Cards issued outside of the United States are not eligible Cards. To use Send & Split, you must first have an email address on file, enroll in Send & Split ® in your American Express Online Account ("Online Account") and open an Amex Send ® stored balance account in the Amex App ("Send Account"). Send & Split allows you to: (i) send a person-to-person payment from your Send Account to Venmo and PayPal users ("Send") and (ii) split a Card purchase ("Split") and receive funds to your Card account as a statement credit or to your linked Venmo or PayPal account. You may use Send & Split ® with an Additional consumer Card that is issued in the US by American Express National Bank and is not cancelled if you also have an eligible Card in the same Online Account and that Online Account is enrolled in Send & Split. You must have or create an account with Venmo or PayPal and link your Online Account to your PayPal or Venmo account to use Send & Split. You must add money to your Send Account from your eligible Card(s) to Send to a Venmo or PayPal recipient. The money you add will be reflected in your Send Account balance. The charge on your Card for an Add Money transaction does not earn rewards and is subject to the Card’s purchase APR. Once the Send from your Send Account is available in the recipient’s Venmo or PayPal account, you do not have the ability to cancel the transaction. There is no fee to Send to US recipients. PayPal charges a fee to Send to non-US recipients. With Split, you can split pending or posted purchases that are made with your eligible Card in your Amex App. Once you select a purchase to Split, select the contacts you want to request to Split with. You can choose to get paid back as a statement credit to your Card account (a Split credit) or to your linked Venmo or PayPal account. Split credits to your Card account apply when we receive confirmation that the Split request was completed but may take 24-36 hours to post to your Card account. You are still responsible to pay the full purchase amount charged to your Card, regardless of whether you are paid back via Split. You earn rewards for purchases that you split in the same way that you earn rewards for other purchases. Other eligibility and restrictions apply. For complete details visit americanexpress.com/sendandsplitterms to view Terms & Conditions. Send Account issued by American Express National Bank.
Shop Small ® Map
Only qualifying American Express Card accepting small merchants will be featured on the map. Please note that business location and other information provided on the map may contain inaccuracies or errors, including as a result of information provided by third parties. The data on this map is constantly being updated, please continually check back for updates.
ShopRunner
ShopRunner Benefit Terms and Conditions
Enrolling in the Benefit.
To get the free ShopRunner membership benefit compliments of American Express (the "benefit"), you must go to www.shoprunner.com/americanexpress and verify your eligibility for the benefit with an eligible Card account number and then complete the sign up for a ShopRunner membership account ("ShopRunner account"). For details on how the ShopRunner membership works, please see the ShopRunner Terms and Conditions at https://www.shoprunner.com/terms/sr/ which govern the use of your ShopRunner membership benefit.
You may also be able to enroll in this benefit through access provided to ShopRunner at participating online stores or through an email provided by American Express if it has determined that you have an eligible Card.
An "eligible Card" means an American Express U.S. Consumer or Small Business Credit or Charge Card that is not cancelled and that is issued to you by a U.S. banking subsidiary of American Express. Prepaid Cards and products, American Express Corporate Cards and American Express-branded Cards or account numbers issued by other financial institutions are not eligible. ShopRunner will verify with American Express the eligibility of your Credit or Charge Card account number for the benefit.
Maintaining the Benefit.
To maintain this benefit on your ShopRunner account, you must maintain an eligible Card. The benefit may be cancelled on your ShopRunner account if you do not have an eligible Card. You can maintain only one benefit per eligible Card.
During your enrollment in the benefit, ShopRunner and American Express will verify your benefit eligibility.
Treatment of Existing ShopRunner Memberships.
If you enroll in the benefit and sign up with an existing ShopRunner account, ShopRunner will cancel the term of your existing ShopRunner account.
If you paid a fee for any unused portion of the cancelled term of membership, ShopRunner will provide you with a pro rata refund for that portion in accordance with ShopRunner’s refund policy. The refund will be processed within 2-4 weeks after enrollment and will be issued to the payment method you used to pay the fee.
If a portion of the cancelled term of membership was promotional or free, the free period will be cancelled by ShopRunner and forfeited by you. If you currently have a free or promotional membership on your ShopRunner account, you should consider whether to enroll in the benefit at this time.
General Terms.
An eligible Card can be used to verify eligibility for only one benefit enrollment. American Express may receive and use your personal data from ShopRunner, which may include personally identifiable information and Credit Card information, to determine eligibility and further develop features and services related to the benefit. American Express may send you emails regarding your enrollment in this benefit. Any information American Express collects from you or from ShopRunner shall be governed by the American Express Online Privacy Statement (https://www.americanexpress.com/privacy). American Express may change, modify, cancel, revoke, or terminate this benefit at any time.
You can review these Terms and Conditions at any time by visiting https://www.shoprunner.com/terms/amex/.
Spending Limits
When you request that we apply a limit as described below on Charges incurred by an Additional Card Member on your Account, you agree to these terms. These terms supplement, and are incorporated by reference into, the terms of your Card Member Agreement.
At your request, we may agree to apply a limit to the total dollar amount of Purchases, during each billing period, that are charged to Card numbers associated with one or more specified Additional Card Members on your Account. At your request, we may agree to apply a limit to the total dollar amount of cash access transactions at ATMs, during each billing period, that are made using Card numbers associated with one or more specified Additional Card Members on your Account. If we agree to apply a limit, it is not a guarantee that the Additional Card Member will be able to make Purchases or cash access transactions up to the applicable limit. In applying any limit we will not take into account any credits (such as for returned merchandise or for payments), even if a credit relates to a Purchase made by the Additional Card Member. Any request that we change a limit may not be effective until a subsequent billing period. Any Charges (as defined below) incurred by the Additional Card Member prior to the date during a billing period that we apply the limit will not be subject to the limit for that billing period.
Because of systems or administrative considerations, arrangements with merchants, or for other business reasons, we may, but are not required to, treat some Purchases and/or cash access transactions (collectively, Charges) as not being subject to any such limits. You agree to pay all Charges without regard to whether any Charges exceed a limit, and you agree that we are not liable to you or any other person when a limit is not applied to any Charges and/or when Charges are incurred and billed that exceed a limit. While we typically require merchants to obtain an authorization for purchases and submit final transaction documentation for payment in a timely manner, a limit may not apply or may be exceeded when a merchant does not obtain an authorization for any reason; when a merchant obtains an authorization for a partial amount of the final charge submitted to us for payment; or when such submissions are not submitted or processed at the same time that the authorization is obtained. Examples may include, but are not limited to: Charges made outside of the U.S., in duty-free stores, or on board airplanes or cruise vessels; international airline ticket Purchases; vehicle rentals; lodging stays extended beyond original reservation period; certain mail order Purchases; Purchases billed on a recurring basis; Purchases at gas stations; telecommunications charges, including charges incurred with calling cards; taxicab charges; security deposits; late, damage or other fees in connection with rentals; Purchases billed in installments; restaurant tips and other gratuities; and Charges that occur before the end of billing period, if the Charge is posted to your Account after the Closing Date of that billing period. Any limit will not be applied to Charges for foreign currency or for travelers cheques or gift cheques obtained other than by telephone from us.
The Spending Limit for the Additional Card Member(s) is optional. If no Spending Limit is set on the Additional Card, spending capacity on this Card will be subject to the Basic Card Member’s account terms and conditions.
The American Express Auto Purchasing Program Disclosure
The Upfront Price Offer represents the personalized price that a Certified Dealer offers for a specific in-stock VIN that closely matches the vehicle you configured. If you change your vehicle or the optional features, it will change your pricing. For full Terms and Conditions, see amexnetwork.truecar.com.
Year-End Summary
The Online Year-End Summary, typically available in January, reflects charges posted to your account from January 1st through December 31st of the prior year.
For important information on policy terms, go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide
Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance is underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Subject to additional terms, conditions and exclusions. For full Terms and Conditions, see americanexpress.com/CRLDIterms. If You have any questions about a specific vehicle, please call Us at 1-800-338-1670, if international, collect at 1-303-273-6497.
Extended Warranty
Extended Warranty is underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Subject to additional terms, conditions and exclusions. For full Terms and Conditions, see americanexpress.com/EWterms. If You have any questions about a specific item, please call Us at 1-800-228-6855, if international, collect at 1-303-273-6498.
Purchase Protection
Purchase Protection is underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Subject to additional terms, conditions and exclusions. For full Terms and Conditions, see americanexpress.com/PPterms. If You have any questions about a specific item, please call Us at 1-800-228-6855, if international, collect at 1-303-273-6498.
The Big 3 Credit Card Strategy: How to Maximize Cash Back Rewards
What Is The Big 3 and How Does It Work?
I developed The Big 3 after analyzing my last $20,000 in personal credit card spending across multiple types of cards.
Here’s what surprised me: After reviewing credit card statements, I learned that 78% of my spending was on purchases that DO NOT qualify for any bonus cash back.
How is that possible? I have cards that offer bonus cash back on groceries, dining, gas, travel and more.
But when I analyzed my transactions, non-bonus categories like general merchandise, supplies, health care, bills and utilities made up the majority of my spending.
I concluded that cards with bonus categories aren’t enough. You need a credit card for “everything else.”
That’s where The Big 3 comes in. After crunching the numbers, I determined that I can earn more cash back by reducing the number of credit cards in my wallet to three and using them for very specific purposes.
Michael’s Big 3 Credit Cards:
- Flexible Card: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
- Fixed Card: Citi Double Cash Card
- Wild Card: Chase Freedom Flex
The Big 3 includes a Flexible Card https://jiji.ng/, a Fixed Card and a Wild Card. This article will explain my strategy and how it can help you earn the most cash back rewards with every purchase.
Let’s review the three types of cards that are part of this method. We’ll begin with the Flexible Card.
1. Flexible Card
The Flexible Card is a cash back rewards credit card to use for select flexible or variable expenses. Ideally, you want a card that rewards 4% to 6% cash back on purchases in at least one primary category.
To choose the best card, look at your monthly budget or past credit card statements to view your spending history. Then, identify your top flexible spending categories.
- Groceries
- Restaurants
- Entertainment
- Transportation (Gas)
- Warehouse Clubs
- Home Improvement
- Clothing
Let’s use groceries as an example. The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express awards 6% back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then it drops to 1%. Terms apply.
If you spend $500 a month using the card at U.S. supermarkets, you’ll earn $360 cash back in a year.
The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express also offers 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services and 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit. Terms apply. It has a $95 annual fee after the first year. (See rates and fees.)
For me, this card is the best choice as my Flexible Card because food is one of my major spending categories.
If you select a Flexible Card that offers bonus cash back for the purchases that you make on a regular basis, this could be the most valuable type of card in your wallet.
2. Fixed Card
The Fixed Card is the second credit card that you’ll want to carry. It should be used for fixed expenses that you pay by credit card and any purchases that don’t qualify for bonus cash back with other cards.
For this type of card, look for 1.5% to 2% cash back on all purchases with no limits on what you can earn.
My Fixed Card is the Citi Double Cash Card. With this card, you earn an unlimited 1% back when you make a purchase and another 1% back when you pay it off. That’s a total of 2% cash back.
When you see 2% cash back, it’s not all that impressive. But this card is important for one simple reason:
Most credit cards that offer bonus cash back in select categories will only reward you 1% back when you use that same card for purchases that don’t qualify for the bonus.
Remember, $15,600 of my last $20,000 in credit card spending (78%) didn’t qualify for a bonus. That figure includes fixed expenses like insurance, memberships and utilities.
If I used my Flexible Card for all of those purchases at a 1% cash back rate, I would earn $156. However, the cash back doubles to $312 for those purchases with my 2% back Fixed Card.
3. Wild Card
The optional Wild Card rounds out my credit card strategy. The purpose of this card is to earn bonus cash back in a flexible expense category that’s not covered by your Flexible Card.
For this card to work for you, the bonus cash back should be more than the 1.5% to 2% that your Fixed Card pays.
- 5% back in quarterly bonus categories (up to $1,500 in combined purchases)
- 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3% back on dining
- 3% back on drugstore purchases
- 1% back on all other purchases
- First year only: 5% cash back on grocery store purchases (not Walmart or Target) on up to $12,000 spent
Chase Freedom Flex is my Wild Card because it offers 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases, which aren’t included as bonus categories with my Flexible Card. The rotating 5% categories make it even better.
I wouldn’t use this card for non-bonus categories, but I could break that rule for my cell phone bill. Here’s why:
When you pay your cell phone bill with Chase Freedom Flex, you get free cell phone protection. If your phone is damaged or stolen, you can get up to $800 per claim after a $50 deductible.
Not all credit cards offer free cell phone protection, but I consider it a valuable perk. In fact, I rely on this benefit instead of paying $10 to $15 per month for insurance from my wireless provider.
When choosing a Wild Card, look for this combination of bonus cash back and cardmember benefits.
What About Travel Rewards Cards?
The Big 3 focuses solely on cash back rewards, not airline miles or hotel points. From my experience, cash back cards are best for most people when you look beyond the one-time welcome bonus.
I still have a couple of travel rewards credit cards. But after redeeming the sign-up offer, I’ve found that it takes a very long time to earn that second free flight or hotel stay.
That’s because I don’t travel or spend enough to make those cards the focus of my rewards strategy.
For high-volume spenders who travel a lot, a different approach may be appropriate. When I traveled once a month or every other month, airline and hotel cards made more sense.
If you want to incorporate an existing travel rewards card into The Big 3, I suggest using it as your Wild Card.
Action Plan: Your Next Steps
- Review Your Budget: Determine your top variable spending categories by analyzing your budget and/or past credit card statements.
- Identify Your Big 3:Research options for your Flexible Card, Fixed Card and Wild Card. This may include cards that you already have. Protect your credit score by not applying for multiple cards at once.
- Track Your Cash Back: Evaluate your progress and redeem your rewards for cash back or statement credits.
One final note: If you use rewards credit cards, always make sure to pay off your balances in full every month. Otherwise, you’ll be paying more in interest than you’ll earn in cash back.
What are your Big 3 credit cards to maximize cash back rewards? Let me know in the comments below!
More Content From Michael Saves:
- Compare the Best Credit Card Offers Right Now
- 3 Best Credit Cards With Free Cell Phone Protection
- Why I Pay My Credit Card Bills Every Single Week
About The Author
Michael Timmermann
I’ve been writing about money for more than a decade and love discovering new ways to save! My areas of expertise include budgeting, streaming TV, cheap cell phone plans, credit cards and retail savings. You can reach me at michaelsavesmedia@gmail.com.
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ABOUT ME
report this ad Michael Timmermann
Personal finance expert and founder of MichaelSaves.com
My passion is helping people save money and that’s what I’ve been doing professionally for the past decade. Whether you want to cut the cord, create a budget, find a cheap cell phone plan or start earning cash back on grocery purchases, you’ll find plenty of ways to lower your monthly bills here.
MichaelSaves.com and my YouTube channel provide actionable advice that gets straight to the point. I share the best money-saving tips that helped me build net worth quickly after starting from zero. To learn more about my story and how I paid off my mortgage in two years, head over to the About Me page.
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