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Of course as most know, you only get 5% after going over 6500 bucks in a category (groceries/gas/etc is one category vs all else). You should also check about the 0% APR, I got 15 months offered to me, which definitely makes it worth it.

This card is AMAZING! My husband and I just got our first year end cash back... $630! We paid each month on time, so this card cost me NOTHING at all, and gave me $630! Why use cash when I can get paid to spend money on the things I have to buy already? There's no avoiding groceries!

Ben.. if you don't have enough credit history for other cards, what are the chances you'll spend enough over $6500 per year to make this card worthwhile?

But, this is the best cash back card deal if you spend more than about $20K or so per year and occasionally buy food, gas, and drugs. (Sorry - the street corner dealer doesn't take Amex)

Note, unlike some other cards, there is NO CAP on the 5% cash back and you get 1.5% back on everything else after the threshold #1 mentions.

I was wondering where this was in the "cash back credit card roundup" yesterday..

I work for American Express and this is the best card. Yes the 6500 cap is a drag but after you exceed the limit the savings are amazing! I also got $680 this past year for my credit why would you use any other card.

I got this card about 4-5 years ago because some website was giving away $50 gift cards for signing up for the card. Anyway, I have yet to use the card. Maybe I'll have to call up Amex and have them send me another card so I can use it in 2008.

I got back about $400 from my Citi Diamond Rewards Card last year. I imagine I would've got about double that had I been using the Amex Blue Cash.

Not many people are going to end up spending $6500 for gas and grocery per year. You got to be spending $125 per week. $45 on premium gas running at 33mpg gives you over 400 miles. Who drives 400 miles per week?

If you don't spend that much, you end up getting 0.5%. That's bad deal.

I have had this card for about 5 years. Cash back is great. Only complaint they put an RFID in it last year when they sent me the new card. I promptly put it in the microwave for 10 seconds and nuked the chip (nice kitchen fire works and no it does not make the card unusable).

It's ~ $60 a week in gas, which you can do driving the avg. range of 12-15,000 miles a year, and $60 a week in groceries, which is not out of the realm of possibility, give or take on both numbers.

I don't drive 400 miles a week, but 300 a week on a gas guzzling Explorer will do it...

If you don't spend 6500 bucks on gas/groceries a year then good for you. However, if you have a family this is very easy to go over that small threshold. Having two cars adds up the gas quickly and when you add in food for a family plus diapers and all the other non-food things you can buy at the groceries then this is easy to hit. Also, it covers drugstores too, which I forgot to mention in my previous post.

You guys might appreciate this calculator to see the potential savings:

https://www124.americanexpress.com/cards/loyalty.do?page=bluecash.maximize

Also, remember all the things that are sold in the grocery store that can quickly add up (we bought tons of gift cards for xmas presents to itunes/restaurants/stores/etc) and it all gets 5% back once you're past your limit since it's from a supermarket.

#6, I drive ~ 400 miles per week just to work and back. 35 miles one way, plus X amount of miles for lunch. That's what happens when you work in a city you don't want to live in - Houston.

So, once again, you are a complete dumbass.

#6 - The key is spending well over the threshold (easy for a family as someone else said) and then you get either 1.5% or 5% on everything. For casual every day use once you're past the threshold, it's pretty easy to average above 2% cash back unless you don't buy groceries or gas. Here's their calculator if the link doesn't get baconized:

https://www124.americanexpress.com/cards/loyalty.do?page=bluecash.maximize
[edit - thanks lou.. I should have refreshed the page before I posted]

Do note the groceries and gas only count from ordinary standalone stores.. you just get the regular 1.5% at Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, Sam's club, etc.

As #1 said, you only get 5% back on anything over $6500 spending.

Do the math people. You have to spend $9750 to get exactly the same rebate back on Blue Cash compared with people who gets 3% back on $6500 worth of gas and grocery. Beyond $9750 Blue cash pays more. But we're dealing with almost $190 per week.

Yes, it's possible for some families. Maybe if #11 is on carrots then he can spend $190 per week on gas grocery and drugs.

#11 is the real dumb @ss.

The 5% isn't saying you need to spend $6500/year on supermarket/drugstore/gas purchases. It says that you'll get the 5% back on those purchases when you charge $6500/year whether it be at department stores, amazon, newegg, or utilities.

Actually, I just switched to the $395/year Platinum AmEx card. Yes, I pay almost $400 a year for it. But the perks kick ass for a traveling consultant like myself.

are there comparable cards that give higher cash back for this?

Any purchases you make contribute to the 6500 threshold. Keep in mind that prior to making the threshold you are still earning .5 percent on regular purchases and 1.5 percent on gas, drugstore, and groceries. The other decent cash back card is Citi Dividend. It pays 1 percent on everything and 2 percent on groceries, drugstore and gas. So for the first 6500 on Blue you will earn 1/2 percent less which equals about 33 dollars. But once you spend over 6500 during the year on all purchases regardless of type, then you will earn 1 percent on regular purchases which is the same as the citi card. You also start earning 5 percent on gas, groceries and drugstores, which is 3 percent more than the citi card.

The bottom line is if you will spend more than 1100 in gas, groceries, and drug stores after hitting the 6500 threshold, then Blue is going to be better. If you will not spend that much, then the Citi Dividend card is probably better.

I have a Blue card and love it. But there has been a lot of misinformation on this thread that needed to be corrected.