Amex Blue Cash Preferred Vs. EveryDay Preferred: Which Rewards Credit Card Is Right for You?

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If you're considering adding a new card to your wallet, both the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card are great options. But despite their similar names and common issuer, the two cards couldn't be more different.

Finding which card is best for you will depend on the kind of credit card rewards you're looking to earn, and how you usually spend. 

We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

Compare Blue Cash Preferred and Amex EveryDay Preferred

Both of these American Express credit cards offer similar annual fees, but the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has an objectively more appealing offer: New cardholders pay an annual fee of Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. This is huge for folks interested in trying a higher-earning rewards card, but are wary of paying an annual fee.

Even so, the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card only charges a low Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card annual fee. 

The biggest difference between the Amex cards is the type of rewards they earn. The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns cash back in the form of Reward Dollars, which can be redeemed for statement credits, while the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card earns American Express Membership Rewards points. 

The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card's bonus is technically easier to earn, but neither card's spending requirement is that high, and you'll have six months to meet the requirement. 

Reward rates

While they share many of the same bonus spending categories, earning rates vary (usually in the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express's favor). Keep in mind, however, after you use the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card 30 times, you'll earn 50% more points on purchases during that billing cycle. This benefit is unique to the EveryDay Preferred card (and its sister card, the no-annual-fee Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express). 

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns: 

• 6% cash back at US supermarkets up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%)
• 6% cash back on select US streaming subscriptions
• 3% cash back at US gas stations and on transit 
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card earns: 

• 3x points at US supermarkets up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1x)
• 2x points at US gas stations
• 1x points on all other purchases

The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card's rewards rates mentioned above are what you'll earn before the 50% bonus is applied. With the bonus, cardholders could earn 4.5x at US supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year), 3x at US gas stations, and 2x on all other purchases.

Redeeming rewards

Cash back always has the same value, while the value of Amex points depends on how you redeem them. Although you'll only get a value of 0.7 to 1 cent per point if you redeem for gift cards or for travel through American Express Travel, you can get much more value by transferring them to American Express airline and hotel partners. 

With that, the cash back you earn from the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express can only be redeemed as statement credits. If you're looking for more flexible redemption options — including being able to directly redeem for travel — then you're better off with the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card.

Benefits and features

Blue Cash Preferred Card benefits

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express doesn't offer premium perks, but there are a few money-saving benefits worth mentioning. One of the most noteworthy perks is also one of the newest; the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express now gets cardholders a monthly $7 credit when they pay at least $12.99 per month for the Disney Bundle (enrollment required). 

The card also gets you monthly Equinox+ credits**, car rental loss and damage insurance, return protection, purchase protection, extended warranty, and more. You'll also get access to the Amex Offers** program where you can get cash back or bonus points when you shop at specific retailers and travel brands. 

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers a Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (then a Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express APR). That's super handy if you have larger purchases coming up you want to pay for over time, or want to consolidate debt from other high-interest credit cards.

Amex EveryDay Preferred benefits

Although Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card doesn't come with lucrative perks, there are some decent lifestyle and shopping benefits (such as return protection, purchase protection, extended warranty, and a ShopRunner membership). It also provides secondary car rental insurance (doesn't include liability). 

The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card has a Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card (then a Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card APR). 

Amex Blue Cash Preferred versus the Amex EveryDay Preferred: the biggest differences

*6% cash back/3x points at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 spent per year, then 1%/1x

How to choose between the Blue Cash Preferred and Amex EveryDay Preferred

Overall, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express comes out on top. It's hard to beat its high-earning reward rates — especially considering it earns 6% cash back on US supermarkets (up to spending limits) and streaming services. If you maximize the bonus at US supermarkets, you can get up to $360 in cash back each year. It also gets cardholders helpful perks, like monthly Disney Bundle and Equinox+ credits — but those are only valuable if those are services you use. 

That said, the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card is great for folks who regularly use and maximize Membership Rewards points. If you're able to meet the transaction bonus target of 30 transactions per billing cycle and unlock the 50% bonus points on purchases, you'll definitely get a lot of value out of the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card.