The same grocery-card family at two fee points. The Blue Cash Preferred charges $95 and pays 6% back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000/yr) plus 6% on select streaming. The Blue Cash Everyday charges $0 and pays 3% at U.S. supermarkets, online retail, and U.S. gas (each capped at $6,000/yr). The whole decision is a break-even: the 3-point grocery gap covers the $95 fee at roughly $3,167 in annual supermarket spend.
Scored against our published methodology · Updated July 15, 2026
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American Express
Family households that spend $3,000+ a year at U.S. supermarkets and $1,200+ on streaming. The 6% on groceries (up to $6,000/yr) and 6% on streaming is industry-best cashback if you actually use both.
Find your matchAmerican Express
Family households that want 3% at U.S. supermarkets, gas, and online retail with no annual fee — the $0 AF sibling to the Blue Cash Preferred for households that won't hit the preferred card's grocery cap.
Find your matchBest for — by the numbers
Per-spec leads are computed from each issuer's published facts and our scored methodology — there is no single overall winner. Reviewed July 15, 2026. ClearValue Cards earns compensation through our CardRatings partnership, paid when a reader clicks out to CardRatings from our match tool, and through separately labeled, paid partner placements (marked "Advertiser Disclosure · Sponsored") that sit outside our card rankings. Neither compensation source influences editorial scoring or ordering.
| Spec | American Express Blue Cash Preferred | American Express Blue Cash Everyday |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $95 | $0 |
| 0% intro APR period | 12 months | 15 months |
| Ongoing APR (from) | 19.49% | 19.49% |
| Foreign transaction fee | 2.7% | 2.7% |
| Rewards score | 17/20 | 15/20 |
| Fee-structure score | 14/20 | 20/20 |
| ClearValue score | 81/100 | 85/100 |
| Balance transfer fee | $5 or 3% | $5 or 3% |
| Late fee | Up to $40 | Up to $40 |
A check marks the card that leads that spec on published figures. Rows with no marker are either tied or judgment calls (fee wording, late-fee terms) where a single "winner" would misrepresent the data.
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For Annual fee, the American Express Blue Cash Everyday leads ($0).
Family households that spend more than ~$3,167/yr at U.S. supermarkets and also pay for streaming
Above the break-even, the 6% supermarket rate out-earns the Everyday's 3% by enough to clear the $95 fee, and the 6% streaming credit is pure upside the Everyday doesn't match. The 6% is capped at $6,000 of grocery spend per year ($360 max), so this rewards steady mid-to-high grocery households, not unlimited spenders.
See your matchesHouseholds below the grocery break-even, or anyone who wants guaranteed value with no fee to earn back
$0 annual fee and a 3% rate that spans supermarkets, online retail, and U.S. gas — a wider bonus map than the Preferred. Under ~$3,167/yr in supermarket spend, the Everyday quietly nets more because there's no fee eating the rewards.
See your matchesWarehouse-club and superstore grocery shoppers — Costco, Walmart, and Target don't code as U.S. supermarkets, so neither 6% nor 3% applies. And international travelers: both carry a 2.7% foreign transaction fee, so keep a no-FX card for trips abroad.
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Take the 60-second quizAnnual fee
American Express Blue Cash Preferred: $95
American Express Blue Cash Everyday: $0
Grocery rewards
American Express Blue Cash Preferred: 6% at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000/yr, then 1%
American Express Blue Cash Everyday: 3% at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000/yr, then 1%
Other bonus categories
American Express Blue Cash Preferred: 6% on select U.S. streaming; 3% on transit and U.S. gas
American Express Blue Cash Everyday: 3% on U.S. online retail and U.S. gas (each up to $6,000/yr)
Grocery break-even
American Express Blue Cash Preferred: Pays off above ~$3,167/yr in supermarket spend (the 3-point gap covers the $95 fee)
American Express Blue Cash Everyday: No fee to earn back — wins below the break-even
Intro APR
American Express Blue Cash Preferred: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months, then 19.49% – 28.49% variable
American Express Blue Cash Everyday: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then 19.49% – 28.49% variable
Foreign transaction fee
American Express Blue Cash Preferred: 2.7%
American Express Blue Cash Everyday: 2.7%
Honest knock
American Express Blue Cash Preferred: The $6,000 grocery cap means the fee math tops out — a family that blows past $6k by summer earns 1% on the rest
American Express Blue Cash Everyday: 3% is good, not category-leading; a household with heavy grocery spend leaves money on the table vs the Preferred
Neither is universally better — it depends on how you spend. On our published 100-point methodology the American Express Blue Cash Preferred scores 81/100 (Solid pick) and the American Express Blue Cash Everyday scores 85/100 (Solid pick). Family households that spend more than ~$3,167/yr at U.S. supermarkets and also pay for streaming should lean American Express Blue Cash Preferred; households below the grocery break-even, or anyone who wants guaranteed value with no fee to earn back should lean American Express Blue Cash Everyday. Take the 60-second quiz to see which fits your profile.
The American Express Blue Cash Preferred carries $95, sourced from the issuer's published Schumer Box as of July 15, 2026. The American Express Blue Cash Everyday carries $0 (no annual fee), as of July 15, 2026. Fees change — confirm the current number at the issuer before you decide.
The American Express Blue Cash Preferred is the one with a 0% intro offer: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months. American Express Blue Cash Everyday offers 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. Intro terms are variable — verify the current window at the issuer.
We score every card across five dimensions — effective rewards, fee structure, audience fit, transparency, and the weakness named — 0–20 each for a 100-point total. The American Express Blue Cash Preferred earned 81/100 and the American Express Blue Cash Everyday earned 85/100. Scoring follows our published methodology and is never influenced by compensation.
Independent editorial comparison. ClearValue Cards is not a card issuer, a bank, or a lender. ClearValue Cards earns compensation through our CardRatings partnership, paid when a reader clicks out to CardRatings from our match tool, and through separately labeled, paid partner placements (marked "Advertiser Disclosure · Sponsored") that sit outside our card rankings. Neither compensation source influences editorial scoring or ordering. Card facts are sourced from each issuer's published Schumer Box and terms — confirm current numbers at the issuer. See disclosure.
