American Express Blue Cash Preferred

Is the annual fee worth it?

It earns about $632 a year on the illustrative household's spending, which is $537 once the fee is paid. The best card with no fee, American Express Blue Business Plus, nets $1,058 on the same spending — so this card is $522 a year behind. On earning alone it does not catch up at any level of spending this looks at — its credits and perks have to make up the difference, or the fee is not paying for itself.

Priced on an illustrative household spending $2,205 a month on a card — the assumption, in full. Credits and perks are not priced: they are worth their face value only if you would have spent that money anyway.

Where it ranks

Against every card in the catalogue, scored in dollars per $100 with no rotating categories switched on:

• #1 of 68 for streaming services — $6.00 per $100
• #2 of 68 for groceries — $6.00 per $100

Where a year's rewards come from

Priced on an illustrative household spending $2,205 a month on a card — the assumption, in full. Credits and perks are not priced: they are worth their face value only if you would have spent that money anyway.

Protections and travel benefits

From the issuer's own benefit summary as of 2026-09. These are read from summaries rather than the full guide to benefits, which has the exclusions — check it before relying on one.

• Purchase protection — up to $1,000 per claim · 90 days
• Extended warranty

What the issuer lists besides rewards

• Monthly Disney Bundle credit after enrolling an eligible subscription
• Purchase protection up to $1,000 per claim for 90 days after you buy
• Extended warranty adds a year to manufacturer warranties of five years or less

Similar cards

• PenFed Pathfinder Rewards — annual fee $95 a year
• Bank of America Premium Rewards — annual fee $95 a year
• Robinhood Gold Card — annual fee $50 a year
• Capital One SavorOne — annual fee $39 a year
• Every cash back card, ranked
• When an annual fee pays for itself
• The best two- and three-card combinations