Amex $6,000 reward cap on grocery store spending

[nmac]

This might be common knowledge but it was news to me. I just got off the phone with amex and I was told that the $6,000 annual limit on 3 MR per dollar spend at grocery stores coincides with the calendar year and not the card anniversary.  Meaning that if you open a blue cash preferred or everyday preferred card you would have till the end of 2014 to benefit from the higher reward rate. Then come Janurary 1st it restarts. So it’s sort of like having a higher limit on grocery store earing the first year if you open the card now (half way through the year.) 

[longtimelurker]

It's not quite calendar year either, but your general point about the first year holds.  The rule for the BCP at least is:

An annual reward year is 12 billing periods in a row beginning with the one that includes January 1st; if your billing cycle changes, the length of your annual reward year will also change.
You will earn a reward of 6% on the first $6,000 of eligible purchases in an annual reward year at supermarkets located in the U.S. (superstores and warehouse clubs are not considered supermarkets;

[nmac]

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@longtimelurker wrote:

It's not quite calendar year either, but your general point about the first year holds.  The rule for the BCP at least is:

An annual reward year is 12 billing periods in a row beginning with the one that includes January 1st; if your billing cycle changes, the length of your annual reward year will also change.
You will earn a reward of 6% on the first $6,000 of eligible purchases in an annual reward year at supermarkets located in the U.S. (superstores and warehouse clubs are not considered supermarkets;

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Thanks, it's good to know the specifics. 

[Bman70]

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@nmac wrote:

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@longtimelurker wrote:

It's not quite calendar year either, but your general point about the first year holds.  The rule for the BCP at least is:

An annual reward year is 12 billing periods in a row beginning with the one that includes January 1st; if your billing cycle changes, the length of your annual reward year will also change.
You will earn a reward of 6% on the first $6,000 of eligible purchases in an annual reward year at supermarkets located in the U.S. (superstores and warehouse clubs are not considered supermarkets;

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Thanks, it's good to know the specifics. 

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So "beginning with the one that includes January 1st" could begin in December or January. 

So when I activate my BCP in June, I'll have 5 or 6 months to spend the cap for this calendar year.. so instead of $500/month I'll be able to spend $1000/month to get to the cap. Then in the Dec/Jan new cycle I'll start over at $500/month for next year. Just thinking out loud  

[longtimelurker]

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@Bman70 wrote:

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@nmac wrote:

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@longtimelurker wrote:

It's not quite calendar year either, but your general point about the first year holds.  The rule for the BCP at least is:

An annual reward year is 12 billing periods in a row beginning with the one that includes January 1st; if your billing cycle changes, the length of your annual reward year will also change.
You will earn a reward of 6% on the first $6,000 of eligible purchases in an annual reward year at supermarkets located in the U.S. (superstores and warehouse clubs are not considered supermarkets;

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Thanks, it's good to know the specifics. 

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So "beginning with the one that includes January 1st" could begin in December or January. 

So when I activate my BCP in June, I'll have 5 or 6 months to spend the cap for this calendar year.. so instead of $500/month I'll be able to spend $1000/month to get to the cap. Then in the Dec/Jan new cycle I'll start over at $500/month for next year. Just thinking out loud  

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Probabalistically, the cycle will begin Dec, only if your cycle is on the 1st of the month will the Jan cycle be the one.  But yes, you will have $6K to spend in 2014, and, unlike with Sallie Mae, you can spend it however you wish, all at once, or bit by bit.