Am I getting the best possible cash back? Anything better then the Blue Cash?

[spankyspanky]

I have a normal AMEX blue cash rewards card that I use for 90% of my purchases.   I have had it for 7 months, and I've charged $24,869.75 on it, (always PIF) with 28% being fuel and groceries (5% cash bacK) and the rest kicking back 1.25%.    

I am very fond of amex due to the fact I did a charge off with them of $2k ten years ago (when I was 18) and now I have two of their cards with a CL of $22k  and a zync which I don't ever use, but I love the three cards helping my AA.  As much as I would like to stick with their cash back card (and the additional warranty on their purchases) I still don't want to miss out on something better.

So far I've earned a total of $571 in rewards which works out to be an average off 2.23% cash back.  I spend about the same in gas and groceries each month so I see my reward percentage staying right around the 2.20% - 2.25%.

Any ideas?  Thank You.

Edit:  I forgot to state that I can't jump into their preferred blue cash yet,  I still have to wait until my blue rewards is a year old.

[Walt_K]

I thought I had read that they started letting people PC to the new Blue Cash cards without waiting a year.  I don't know as I haven't done it, but I thought there were some threads on that.  Are inquiries an issue?  Even if you can't PC, couldn't you just apply for the new card if you want and cancel out the old Blue Cash?

[BungalowMo]

Walt is right. I just got my blue cash card in Feb.  Just about a week ago, I was upgraded by customer service to the new blue cash everyday.  Better/quicker cash back with no limit to reach and no expiration on cb usage.

Can't beat that!!  Call them!

[spankyspanky]

Awesome!  Thanks guys, I'm going to call right now

.

[spankyspanky]

EEEK!  Amex said I could change without issue, however, I would drop my cash back from 5% down to 2% for gas, and 3% for grocery, so it is not a very good thing.     I was under the impression that the everyday rewards kicked into a better class after x amount of spending, I was wrong.  Looks like I have the best reward (cash) setup that amex offers.

[Anonymous]

I think you might want to do a bit more math before calling to PC your BC to the Everyday version. You will be going down to 3% for groceries and to 2% for gas. Even if all of your other 72% spending is in department stores (thus going from 1.25% to 2%), my numbers tell me you will be about tied. Going to the Preferred with its annual fee (but 6% groceries and 3% gas/department stores) may help, depending on how much of your 72% is spent in department stores. 

[Anonymous]

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@spankyspanky wrote:

EEEK!  Amex said I could change without issue, however, I would drop my cash back from 5% down to 2% for gas, and 3% for grocery, so it is not a very good thing.     I was under the impression that the everyday rewards kicked into a better class after x amount of spending, I was wrong.  Looks like I have the best reward (cash) setup that amex offers.

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OK, you beat me to it. It is actually your current BC that has a lousy $6500/year tier to get through, but with your pretty high spending, I just neglected it.

[clocktick]

Blue Cash has 5% groceries and gas?  Is there a minimum to spend before one earns this?  I use my Blue Cash (Preferred) for groceries both at my grocery store and the local health food store.  I switched to get my prescriptions at the grocery store so I could continue getting the 6% for that.  I use it for the 3% gas when my other 5% cards aren't having that promotion. 

[stan_the_man]

OP can't PC to Blue Cash Preferred for 12 months due to the CARD Act.

Blue Cash Preferred has 6% supermarket, 3% gas and department stores, and 1% everywhere else. This card has an annual fee of $75, which means you can't PC until the first year is up due to restrictions in the CARD Act that prevents CCCs from increasing annual fees in the first year that you have your card. You could, however, apply for a new card.

I have had Blue Cash for years and consistently get between 2.00% and 2.20% cash back. When the year is up in October, I am switching my purchases to the following cards:

• Blue Cash Preferred - 6% Groceries and 3% gas and departments stores
• Citi Forward - 3.99% (for student loan rebates) on restaurants, book stores, movies and Amazon
• Highest cashback rate card for all purchases I can get may hands on

My estimate is that I will get about 3.33% cashback even after paying the Blue Cash Preferred annual fee on my $30K annual spending between DW and I.

[stan_the_man]

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@clocktick wrote:

Blue Cash has 5% groceries and gas?  Is there a minimum to spend before one earns this?  I use my Blue Cash (Preferred) for groceries both at my grocery store and the local health food store.  I switched to get my prescriptions at the grocery store so I could continue getting the 6% for that.  I use it for the 3% gas when my other 5% cards aren't having that promotion.

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On the original Blue Cash card, that was after swiping $6,500/year on the card. Until you get to $6,500, you rewards were 1.0% groceries, gas and drug stores, and 0.5% all other purchases.

The 5% category also includes drug stores.