American Express Blue Cash Rewards – 5% Cash Back Plus Free Credit Report
September 24, 2008
Blue cash from American Express is our pick for best cash back credit card. The reason we use the amex blue cash card for the majority of our purchases is the 5% cash back it offers at gas stations, supermarkets, and drug stores.
5% Cash Back
While there is an annual spending amount you have to reach on the blue cash card before you’re bumped up to 5% cash rebate; I’ve noticed when reviewing our rewards online that we reach that point sooner each year as the price of food and gas continues to climb.
Free Credit Report
I recently discovered a new feature of the blue cash card, American Express offers an annual free credit report and credit score to card members. Once you login to the American Express website you can request your Experian credit report and credit score free of charge once a year.
I think they might offer this benefit to all Am Ex card holders but I didn’t even know it existed until I recently received their “Inside Blue Cash” email newsletter that covers the various features and benefits of the card.
Tracking Cash Back Rewards
Something else I wasn’t aware of was the “Blue Cash Tracker” that you can access once you’re logged into the American Express website. It’s a pretty useful summary of how much cash back you’ve earned year to date and in past years. We’ve been paid at least $400 a year in cash back rewards, most years it’s been over $500.
There are some interesting graphs that compare your spending and cash rewards to all other blue cash card holders and there’s a “Blue Cash” calculator that lets you estimate how much cash back you’ll earn based on your gas station, supermarket, and drug store purchases.
While a lot of the major supermarkets and gas station chains accept American Express, not every place does so I carry a backup Chase credit card for those occasions.
Win an American Express Gift Card
The last thing I learned in the blue cash newsletter is that you can win a $50 am ex gift card by sharing an interesting story of something you purchased with your American Express blue cash card. Here’s how the email described it:
“What’s your favorite watercooler story about the Card? The time you used your cash back on a family beach trip? E-mail us what you love about your Card, and get a $50 American Express® Gift Card if it’s published.”
Maybe I’ll submit my “Why I Love My American Express Blue Card” post I wrote last year, although it’s more practical and not really fun or funny.
Anyhow, that’s a quick review of some of the benefits and features of the card. The Amex Blue Cash is the best cash back credit card for our spending patterns and it has some pretty useful features to help track rewards and even monitor our credit.
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