Never Pay Full Price on Groceries Again -- Amex Blue Cash Preferred Earns 6% Back

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases) and select U.S. streaming subscriptions. That's the strongest grocery rate I've seen on a mainstream cash back card. And it's why the card won Motley Fool Money's Best Credit Card for Groceries award for 2026.

There is a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. (See rates and fees.) But for most grocery budgets it pays for itself fast. Here's how the rewards work and when that fee makes sense.

6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets is worth up to $360 a year

The 6% cash back rate applies to the first $6,000 you spend at U.S. supermarkets each year. Max that out and you earn $360 in cash back, plain and simple. After $6,000, groceries earn 1% for the rest of the year. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.

One very important detail before you get too excited: "U.S. supermarkets" means standalone grocery stores, so warehouse clubs like Costco and superstores like Walmart and Target don't count.

Even so, 6% is a lot of cash back for spending you'd do anyway. Your weekly grocery run turns into a small rebate every single time.

Gas, transit, and streaming earn rewards too

The rewards don't stop in the grocery aisle. This card also earns 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). And it earns 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, too.

Gas is a bigger line item than most people expect. Americans spend about $201 a month on gas, according to Motley Fool Money research. At 3% back, a year of fill-ups like that returns roughly $72.

There's a streaming perk too. Enroll your card and you get up to $10 back each month on a Disney+, Hulu, or ESPN subscription. That credit adds up to $120 a year on its own, which already beats the annual fee. Terms apply.

The ongoing annual fee pays for itself with about $135 a month in groceries

The $95 annual fee (See rates and fees) beyond year one is easy to earn back once you run groceries through the card. Spending $135 a month on food earns about $97 a year at 6%, which covers the fee by itself. Gas and transit can close the gap too, since $275 a month there earns about $99 in cash back a year.

Most households clear that bar without trying. The average U.S. household spends about $519 a month on groceries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Capping that at $500, a 6% cash back rate comes to $360 a year back, close to four times the fee.

Better still, the first year comes with a $0 intro annual fee (see rates and fees). You get a full year of rewards before there's any fee to earn back.

How the welcome offer works

A welcome offer is usually the quickest win when signing up for a new rewards card.

Apply and find out if you are eligible for as high as $300 cash back after spending $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Cash back is received as Reward Dollars, redeemable for statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. Terms Apply.

You can find out your offer by beginning an application. Don't worry, it won't impact your credit to check what you're eligible for -- only completing and accepting the final terms will launch an official credit query.

Whatever your offer, it's bonus cash back on top of a card that already pays well at the grocery store.

Who gets the most out of the Amex Blue Cash Preferred

This card is built for households that spend heavily on groceries, gas, and transit. If that's you, few cards put money back in your pocket faster.

If your grocery spending runs lighter, the no-annual-fee Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express (see rates and fees) earns 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. online retail purchases, and U.S. gas stations, on each category up to $6,000 per year in purchases. Below about $265 a month in spending on groceries, that version usually earns you more overall.

To see how Amex stacks up against the wider field, browse our list of the best credit cards for groceries of 2026.

With a family of four, my grocery bill isn't shrinking anytime soon. Earning 6% of it back is about as easy a win as I can find.