Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express review

Blue Cash Preferred earns the most on the spending many households repeat every week. American Express pays 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%, plus 6% on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% on transit such as rideshare, parking, tolls and trains, 3% at U.S. gas stations and 1% on other eligible purchases. Enrolled cardholders can get up to a $10 monthly statement credit on Disney+, Hulu or ESPN subscriptions bought on those U.S. websites, worth up to $120 a year. Cash back comes as Reward Dollars that you can redeem as a statement credit, a deposit into an Amex High Yield Savings Account or at Amazon.com checkout. Purchase protection covers eligible items for up to 90 days, and return protection refunds up to $300 per item when a seller will not take an item back. The trade-offs are a $95 annual fee after a $0 first year and a 2.7% foreign transaction fee. It ranks third because the fee only pays off for larger grocery and streaming budgets.

Who it is for

Families with large grocery bills who also pay for streaming, gas and transit.

Price

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 per year.

The American Express Blue Cash Preferred ® Card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year. After that it will be $95 per year.
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 8, 2026.

Key features

• 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%
• 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
• 3% cash back on transit and at U.S. gas stations
• Up to $120 a year in Disney streaming credits, at up to $10 a month
• Return protection and purchase protection on eligible purchases

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: The highest grocery rate on this list
• Strength: Strong rates on streaming, gas and transit
• Strength: Shopping protections that no-fee cards often lack
• Weakness: $95 annual fee from the second year
• Weakness: 2.7% foreign transaction fee
• Weakness: The 6% supermarket rate stops after $6,000 a year

Key facts

• Annual fee: $0 the first year, then $95
• Supermarkets: 6% on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%
• Streaming: 6% on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
• Gas and transit: 3%
• Foreign transaction fee: 2.7%

Where it ranks

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express is No. 3 in our Best Cash Back Credit Cards verdict.