Blue Cash(R) from American Express

From the CompareCards.com Editorial Team:

With the Blue Cash card from American Express it is possible to earn cash rewards without any limit on how many you gain, and you can get up to 5% cash back at supermarkets, gas stations, and drugstores. Plus if you spend at least $6,500 on your card then you quality to earn 1.25% cash back for all your other purchases – versus the normal half a percentage point.

For categories like gas and groceries you can earn between 1% and 5%, and you can add friends and family members to your account for free. If you do then anything that they spend that is eligible for rewards will accrue toward your own Blue Cash rebate. You can also enroll in automatic bill paying and that way you will be able to start getting  cash back on recurring bills such as your phone bill or fitness club memberships.

One of the best features is that you can enjoy travel rewards free of restrictions and blackout dates, and earn points for flights on any airline, stays at any hotel, and car rentals with any company. Meanwhile you can also you can qualify for a zero percent introductory APR for the first six months you use the card.

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Overall Rating

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Introductory APR
0% APR for 6 months on purchases; 4.99% on balance transfers for life of the loan

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Benefits
Cardholders earn unlimited cash back rebates without any expiration date and enjoy

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Fees
No annual fee; 3% of balance transfer

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Regular APR
Variable 4.99%, 6.99% or 9.99% + Prime, depending on credit history.

The Bottom-Line
The card offers the exceptional brand and customer service associated with Amex, and that is evident in the super user-friendly terms for the travel rewards component of this card. There is also no annual fee and that chance to earn really strong points if you spend enough money each month to qualify for the top tier of rewards and spend it the most generous rewards categories.

The Good
The 0% introductory APR for the first 6 months coupled with no annual fee make this an attractive rewards card for those who are active card users and spend up to the $6,500 benchmark in a hurry. That is especially true for those who want to earn points for a variety of different travel rewards on any airline, for example, without the hassle of blackout dates and other annoying restrictions.

The Not So Good
Unless and until you spend quite a bit on this particular card - $6,500, to be more specific – you won’t get such attractive rewards because the low end of the rewards is one half of one percent. If you are one of those cardholders who spends only about $1,000 per month or less on your plastic, for instance, there are probably much better programs than this particular one.