Cash back · American Express · $95 annual fee
Last verified 2026-09-09. Review issuer source
The Blue Cash Preferred pays 6% at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 a year, which is $360 in cash back if you hit the cap, and 6% on streaming with 3% at gas stations and on transit. The $95 fee is waived the first year and covered many times over by the grocery rate for most families. Rewards come as a statement credit, not points.
The cap matters: spend past $6,000 at supermarkets and the rate drops to 1%, so heavy grocery households should put the overflow on another card. Warehouse clubs and superstores like Walmart and Target do not count as supermarkets. It charges 2.7% abroad.
Earn 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations.
Cap: $6,000 per annual
Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per calendar year in purchases (then 1%).
Earn 3% cash back on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more.
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.
Earn 3% cash back on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more.
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.
Get 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.
Work 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.
Getting 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.
Whenever 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.
With 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.
Benefit descriptions are the issuer’s and network’s own wording, trimmed for length. Limits and exclusions are in the guide to benefits.
| Card | Annual fee | Rewards earned | Net after fee | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Cash Preferred®This card · 6% on grocery stores | $95 | $714 | +$619 | 8th of 1,291 |
| Blue Cash Everyday®3% on groceries with no fee · 3% on gas stations | None | $462 | +$462 | 299th of 1,291 |
| American Express® Gold4x on both groceries and restaurants, as points · 4x on dining | $325 | $594 | +$269 | 547th of 1,291 |
| Citi Double Cash®A flat 2% for everything past the grocery cap · 2% on everything | None | $492 | +$492 | 282nd of 1,291 |
Reference budget: groceries $6,000, dining and restaurants $3,600, gas and ev charging $2,400, travel and transit $3,000, online shopping $2,400, entertainment and streaming $1,200, everything else $6,000. Points are valued at 1¢ unless the program is worth less; statement credits, welcome bonuses, and perks are left out. Run it with your own spending.
