Review of the American Express Blue Credit Cards–Blue, Blue Cash, and Blue Sky
While perhaps best known for its charge cards, American Express also as an award winning line of credit cards called American Express Blue. There are three cards offered: Blue, Blue Cash, and Blue Sky. Each card is designed with different rewards, depending on what you want from your credit card. Will review each, with links to the official americanexpress.com website that has more information on each card and an online application. To begin, here is a quick comparison of the cards:
| Blue Sky from American ExpressSM | Blue Cash® from American Express | Blue from American Express® | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | Earn free travel fast with no annual fee and no blackout dates or restrictions. More Details Use points for flights on any airline, stays at any hotel, and car rentals with any company. | Earn up to 5% cash back with no annual fee and cash rewards. More Details Track your cash back and get tips for earning more with Cash Tracker tools. | Earn great rewards without an annual fee. More Details Transfer Membership Rewards® points to more than 20 frequent flyer and guest programs. |
| Good For | Free travel with zero restrictions and no annual fee | Unlimited cash rewards with no annual fee | Rewards and no annual fee |
| Rewards Program | Points from Blue Sky | Cash back rewards | Membership Rewards Express® program |
| How You Earn Points or Miles | Earn 1 point for every eligible dollar you spend. | Earn up to 5% cash back at supermarkets, gas stations and drugstores, plus up to 1.25% cash back for all other eligible purchases | 1 point for every eligible dollar. 2X points at the American Express Travel website. 2X - 10X with select partners |
| Using Points or Miles for Rewards | Redeem 7,500 points for $100 off virtually any travel purchase including airlines (with no blackout dates), hotels, cruises and car rentals | Receive your annual rebate as a credit on your statement one month following your Card Anniversary date | Use points for rewards from over 500 brands |
Blue from American Express®
Blue from American Express is a points card that offers 0% APR for 6 months with no annual fee. Cardholders earn points virtually every time they use the card, and 2X points when the card is used to shop online at the American Express Bonus Points Mall®. And Amex awards 3X points when you shop with select online retailers like Apple, Barnes & Noble at the Bonus Points Mail®. Once earned, points can be used to buy merchandise or to pay for travel with no blackout dates.
American Express Blue Sky
Blue Sky is a travel rewards credit card especially designed for frequent flyers. The card awards 1 point for virtually every $1 spent. The key benefit of this card, however, is in its redemption rewards. Blue Sky points are worth 33% more than many other points programs. With Blue Sky, it takes just 7,500 points to earn a $100 statement credit for any travel purchase. As with the Blue card, Blue Sky offers 0% APR for 6 months and has no annual fee.
American Express Blue Cash
Amex Blue Cash is one of the few 5% cash back cards. Here’s how it works. For each 12 billing cycle period, purchases up to a total of $6,500 earn 1.0% if they are for groceries, drug stores, or gas, and 0.5% on everything else. Once you’ve spent a total of $6,500 on the card, the cash back rewards jump to 5% for groceries, drug stores, and gas, and 1.25% on everything else. the card also offers 0% APR for 6 months with no annual fee.
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