First-year winner
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
$225 Year 1 edge
$995 vs $770
Compare Cards
Stack up the better credit card
Compare two cards side by side with your real spend, credits, fees, and rewards.
Card A
Card B
Monthly spend
Start with spending categories
Monthly Total
$2,430/mo
Reward assumptions
Credits & benefits
Count the credits and perks you actually expect to use. Credit rows start with conservative default values; edit them for your own merchant, timing, or travel friction.
Card A
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
Counted benefits
$120
Credits
$120
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Credit
$120 Disney Bundle Credit
Streaming Credits · Listed $120/yr
Up to $10 back each month after spending at least the required amount on an eligible Disney Bundle subscription.
Perk
Purchase Protection
Purchase Protection · No listed cash value
Can help protect eligible purchases against accidental damage, theft, or loss for a limited period after purchase.
Perk
Extended Warranty
Extended Warranty · No listed cash value
Can extend the original manufacturer's warranty on eligible purchases.
Perk
Return Protection
Return Protection · No listed cash value
Can help when an eligible merchant will not take back a qualifying purchase within the stated time window.
Perk
Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
Rental Car · No listed cash value
Coverage for eligible rental car damage or theft when the rental is reserved and paid for with the card.
Card B
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
Counted benefits
$84
Credits
$84
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Credit
$84 Disney Bundle Credit
Streaming Credits · Listed $84/yr
Up to $7 back each month after spending at least the required amount on an eligible Disney Bundle subscription.
Perk
Purchase Protection
Purchase Protection · No listed cash value
Can help protect eligible purchases against accidental damage, theft, or loss for a limited period after purchase.
Perk
Extended Warranty
Extended Warranty · No listed cash value
Can extend the original manufacturer's warranty on eligible purchases.
Perk
Return Protection
Return Protection · No listed cash value
Can help when an eligible merchant will not take back a qualifying purchase within the stated time window.
Perk
Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
Rental Car · No listed cash value
Coverage for eligible rental car damage or theft when the rental is reserved and paid for with the card.
Verdict
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express wins year 1 and long term.
Winner after year 1
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
$175 ongoing edge
$745 vs $570
Long-term breakeven: the higher-reward option needs roughly $7,352 per year in this spend mix to overcome the fee and benefit gap.
American Express
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
Year One
$995
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$745
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$720
2.47% effective return
Welcome Offer
$250
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
$120
$120 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
$3,000
6 mo window · $500/mo pace · Comfortable
Why it wins
- • Your expected credit usage offsets most of the annual fee.
Watch for
- • Foreign transaction fees make it weaker for international spend.
American Express
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
Year One
$770
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$570
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$486
1.67% effective return
Welcome Offer
$200
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
$84
$84 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
$2,000
6 mo window · $333/mo pace · Comfortable
Why it wins
- • No standout edge under the current assumptions.
Watch for
- • Foreign transaction fees make it weaker for international spend.
Spend Mix Math
Where the value actually comes from
Category returns are based on the spend mix you entered, your point-value assumption, and the benefits you chose to count.
Dining
1%
$5,400
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
$54
1.00%
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
$54
1.00%
Groceries
6%
$7,800
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
$468
6.00%
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
$234
3.00%
Travel
1%
$3,000
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
$30
1.00%
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
$30
1.00%
Gas
3%
$1,920
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
$58
3.00%
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
$58
3.00%
General
1%
$11,040
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
$110
1.00%
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
$110
1.00%
Total annual spend
$29,160 across this mix
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express$720
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express$486
Raw Breakdown
Full side-by-side details
Use the spec table below when you want the literal field-by-field differences in rewards, benefits, transfer partners, fees, and approval profile.
| Metric | Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express | Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express |
|---|---|---|
| Costs | ||
| Annual fee | $95 | Free |
| Foreign transaction fee | 2.7% | 2.7% |
| Rewards | ||
| Gas rewards | 3% U.S. gas stations. | 3% U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%. |
| Groceries rewards | 6% U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%. | 3% U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%. |
| Online Shopping rewards | — | 3% U.S. online retail purchases on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%. |
| Streaming rewards | 6% Select U.S. streaming subscriptions. | — |
| Utilities rewards | 3% Transit category represented as utilities in current schema mapping. | — |
| All rewards | 1% | 1% |
| Offer | ||
| Welcome offer | $250 back Earn $250 back in the form of a statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Membership. | $200 back Earn $200 back after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months. You will receive the $200 back in the form of a statement credit. |
| Benefits | ||
| Estimated benefits | ~$120/yr | ~$84/yr |
| Benefit highlights | $120 Disney Bundle Credit · Purchase Protection · Extended Warranty · +2 more | $84 Disney Bundle Credit · Purchase Protection · Extended Warranty · +2 more |
| Profile | ||
| Credit needed | Good | Good |
| Network | amex | amex |
| Reward type | Cashback | Cashback |
Costs
Annual fee
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
$95
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
Free
Foreign transaction fee
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
2.7%
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
2.7%
Rewards
Gas rewards
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
3%
U.S. gas stations.
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
3%
U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%.
Groceries rewards
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
6%
U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%.
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
3%
U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%.
Online Shopping rewards
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
—
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
3%
U.S. online retail purchases on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%.
Streaming rewards
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
6%
Select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
—
Utilities rewards
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
3%
Transit category represented as utilities in current schema mapping.
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
—
All rewards
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
1%
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
1%
Offer
Welcome offer
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
$250 back
Earn $250 back in the form of a statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Membership.
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
$200 back
Earn $200 back after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months. You will receive the $200 back in the form of a statement credit.
Benefits
Estimated benefits
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
~$120/yr
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
~$84/yr
Benefit highlights
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
$120 Disney Bundle Credit · Purchase Protection · Extended Warranty · +2 more
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
$84 Disney Bundle Credit · Purchase Protection · Extended Warranty · +2 more
Profile
Credit needed
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
Good
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
Good
Network
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
amex
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
amex
Reward type
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
Cashback
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
Cashback