The
Blue from American Express® Card is an average rewards credit card for people with
excellent credit. The
American Express Blue Card has a
$0 annual fee and rewards cardholders with
1 - 2 points per $1 on purchases, but it still doesn’t come close to matching what the market’s best rewards credit cards have to offer.
American Express Blue Card Review Highlights
Excellent credit required
It’s important to mention upfront that the American Express Blue Card requires excellent credit for approval. For one thing, it helps put Amex Blue’s terms into context because you have to compare them to the market’s best overall offers. Furthermore, more than 60% of people don’t have excellent credit.
With that in mind, you may want to browse WalletHub’s
best credit card picks and
check your credit score for free before you seriously consider applying for the Blue Card.
Unimpressive rewards
The Amex Blue Card offers just 1 point per $1 spent on most purchases, which is slightly below than the market average among rewards cards. And its maximum earning rate is merely 2 points per $1 spent, applicable only to travel booked through AmexTravel.com. Worse still, Amex points are worth less than a penny apiece ($0.0076), which means those rewards rates equate to just 0.76% to 1.52% cash back.
The best travel rewards credit cards offer 2% back across all purchases, in addition to a hefty initial bonus. So there’s really no reason to opt for the Blue American Express Card if you’re after free flights, hotel reservations, etc.
‘$0 annual fee’ isn’t a game-changer
There are hundreds of rewards credit cards with no annual fee. And there are many others whose generous earning rates make their annual fees a moot point for all but infrequent users. So while the American Express Blue Card’s lack of an annual fee makes it $22.29 per year cheaper than the average credit card, it’s still not reason enough to apply.
You’d better pay in full
Carrying a balance from month to month with Amex Blue is a big mistake. There are no 0% intro rates to keep interest at bay, and the card’s regular APR is guaranteed to be well above the average for credit cards that require excellent credit for approval.
Make sure to keep it domestic
With so many no foreign transaction fee credit cards available, there’s no reason to pay a 2.7% surcharge on all purchases processed abroad. And that’s exactly what the Blue Amex Card charges.
Note: This review is not provided, commissioned or endorsed by any issuer. Opinions and ratings are our own.