My Favorite Card for Couples: Get 6% Cash Back on Groceries and Streaming With the Amex Blue Cash Preferred

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If your relationship looks anything like mine, you spend a lot of evenings dining at home and watching Netflix. And I have good news: There's a credit card that rewards you for your precious couch time.
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express pays big cash back rewards for groceries, streaming, and more. (American Express is a Motley Fool Money advertiser.)
Here's why this card is such a sweet deal for two.
On American Express' Secure Website.
Terms apply
On American Express' Secure Website.
Terms apply
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: 0% on purchases, 12 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 12 months
APR
20.24%-29.24% Variable
Rewards 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 at U.S. gas stations. 3% Cash Back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). 1% Cash Back on other purchases. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
1%-6% Cash Back
Annual Fee
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Welcome Offer Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
$250
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This card is a smart choice for earning top-tier rewards on everyday purchases. It features a market-leading rate of a whopping 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year), 6% on select U.S. streaming services, and 3% on U.S. gas and transit. Plus, there’s a strong welcome offer: Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in the first 6 months. With 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months and $0 annual fee for the first year (then $95), it’s one of our favorite credit cards for a reason. Terms apply.
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- Big welcome offer
- U.S. supermarkets rewards
- U.S. gas stations rewards
- Streaming subscription rewards
- Annual fee
- Foreign transaction fee
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- Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- Buy Now, Pay Later: Enjoy $0 intro plan fees when you use Plan It® to split up large purchases into monthly installments with a fixed fee. Pay $0 intro plan fees on plans created during the first 12 months from the date of account opening. Plans created after that will have a monthly plan fee up to 1.33% of each eligible purchase amount moved into a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors.
- Low Intro APR: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 20.24% - 29.24%.
- 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 at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more).
- 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
- Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
- $84 Disney Bundle Credit: With your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred® Card, spend $9.99 or more each month on an auto-renewing Disney Bundle subscription, to receive a monthly statement credit of $7. Valid only at Disney Plus.com, Hulu.com or Plus.espn.com in the U.S.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
Top perks of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
The Amex Blue Cash Preferred offers:
- 6% cash back on U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year in purchases) and select U.S. streaming subscriptions
- 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more)
- $84 annual credit toward Disney+ bundles (paid in $7 monthly statement credits)
- Welcome bonus of $250 after you spend $3,000 in the first 6 months
- Terms apply; enrollment may be required
There's a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. (See rates and fees.) This means you can try it guilt-free. Odds are, you'll want to keep it after you see the rewards you can rack up.
Why this card is perfect for couples
This card offers fantastic value for people who spend about $300 to $900 a month on groceries. If you spend less than that, you probably want something with no annual fee. More than that, and you might be better off with a card that pays a lower cash-back rate but has no spending cap.
For most two-person households, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card is right in the sweet spot.
And let's not forget the other perks. Here's an example of how much cash back a couple could realistically earn in a year.
Spending Category | Monthly Spend | Annual Spend | Cash Back Rate | Annual Cash Back |
---|---|---|---|---|
Groceries | $600 | $7,200 | 6% on first $6K, 1% after | $384 |
Streaming services | $50 | $600 | 6% | $36 |
Gas and transit | $200 | $2,400 | 3% | $72 |
Total | $492 |
If you also earned the welcome offer of $250, you'd get a total of $642 back (and pay no annual fee) in year one. That's not even counting the $84 Disney bundle credit.
Subtract the annual fee in following years, and you'd still net $397 in rewards.
Oh, and did I mention that there's no fee for adding an authorized user? That means you and your boo don't have to share one card to earn rewards as a team.
So click here to apply for the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card and start earning up to 6% cash back and a $250 welcome offer.
A few things to know
- The 6% grocery rate applies at U.S. supermarkets, like Meijer, Stop & Shop, and Trader Joe's. It does not apply at "superstores" like Walmart, wholesale clubs like Sam's Club, or specialty shops like your local butcher.
- You won't earn 3% cash back at gas stations that are part of a supermarket or wholesale club. (Jet fuel also does not qualify. Sorry, Kimmy K!)
- You'll need "good" to "excellent" credit to qualify
- Terms apply
If you can work with that, then this card is an amazing deal.
The bottom line
The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card offers a ton of value for the typical couple -- or, really, anybody who spends a chunk of change on its bonus categories. That's why it's been on our list of the best credit cards for ages.
Add in all the "soft" perks you get with many Amex cards -- like rental car insurance, purchase protection, and return protection (terms apply) -- and it just keeps getting better.
Ready to start earning top-shelf rewards? Click here to apply for the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card now.
Our Research Expert
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Editorial Note: This content is not provided by American Express. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express.
For rates and fees for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here