The Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card Is Our Award Winner for Food, Fuel, and a Top-Tier App
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After reviewing and rating more than 200 credit cards, we've released our 2025 award winners! And this particular card actually took home the top spot in two categories!
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express won Motley Fool Money's Best Credit Card for Groceries and Best Credit Card App awards. (American Express is a Motley Fool Money advertiser.)
Here's why it earned both titles, what perks stand out, and how to know if it's right for you.
Rewards where you spend most
If you eat food, watch TV, or occasionally leave your house, this card basically pays you for living your life.
Seriously, the reward categories are things that most people spend money on, and the rates are higher than most other cash back cards!
Here are the categories and rewards:
- 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year in eligible 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)
- 1% cash back on other purchases
- Terms apply
To put it in perspective: A family spending $500 a month on groceries could earn $360 back each year from that category alone. Add in fuel, streaming, and transit, and the annual rewards can easily justify the card's $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. (See rates and fees.)
Quick note: Warehouse clubs and big box stores like Costco, Sam's Club, Walmart or Target aren't classified as grocery stores for this card, so those purchases won't earn the 6% rate.
2025 Award Winner
On American Express' Secure Website.
Terms apply
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= Best
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Terms apply
Good/Excellent
Intro APR
Purchases: 0% on purchases, 12 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 12 months
APR
20.24%-29.24% Variable
Rewards Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at eligible U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more) purchases and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and 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.
- 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%.
- Plan It®: Buy now, pay later with Plan It. Split purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee so you don’t have the pressure of paying all at once. Simply select the purchase in your online account or the American Express® App to see your plan options. Plus, you’ll still earn rewards on purchases the way you usually do.
- Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at eligible U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more) purchases and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout.
- Get up to a $10 monthly statement credit after using your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred® Card for a subscription purchase, including a bundle subscription purchase, at disneyplus.com, Hulu.com, or Plus.espn.com U.S. websites. Subject to auto-renewal.
- 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.
An app you'll actually enjoy using
Some card apps make you dig through endless menus or fight with clunky logins just to see your balance.
But the Amex mobile app is different. It just works.
From your phone, you can:
- Lock or unlock your card instantly
- Get transaction alerts within seconds
- Track and redeem rewards easily
- Explore and add Amex Offers
- Integrate with digital wallets and expense trackers
The app is fast, simple, and genuinely pleasant to use. Something I can't say for every card app I've tested.
A $250 welcome offer that sweetens the deal
Right now, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred is offering a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months. Terms apply.
That's an amount many households can hit naturally with groceries, gas, or even a few regular bills.
Keep in mind, this card has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. So if you can qualify for the bonus, there's tremendous upside in year one of membership.
Read our full Amex Blue Cash Preferred to learn more and apply today.
Should you apply?
Picking a credit card is a lot like picking the right pair of shoes. The perfect fit depends on where you're going, how often you'll use them, and whether they'll hold up over time.
For many people, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express checks all the right boxes. The high cash back rates on groceries, gas, and streaming are hard to beat. And the mobile app makes managing it all really easy.
Anecdotal reports suggest you'll want a good to excellent credit score to qualify, so we recommend you meet that threshold before applying.
It's not the cheapest on the market with an annual fee that kicks in after the first year, but if your spending aligns with its bonus categories, it can easily justify itself -- and then some.
Browse all our 2025 award winners here, from top cash back picks to the best travel perks.
Our Research Expert
Joel is a full-time Personal Finance Writer at Motley Fool Money, known for his clear, approachable voice on topics like credit cards, savings hacks, and side hustles. He’s been writing about money since 2018 and previously managed editorial content for the How To Money podcast.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Motley Fool Money is 100% owned and operated by The Motley Fool. Our knowledgeable team of personal finance editors and analysts are employed by The Motley Fool and held to the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.
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