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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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Maximize Your Family's Wallet With 6% Back on the Amex Blue Cash Preferred
Summer Hull has been covering (and using) travel tips, rewards credit cards and loyalty programs for over a decade. She has flown close to a million miles, often on points and miles and with her family in tow.
May 29, 2019 • 7 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Quick summary
A well-rounded wallet typically includes a mix of cards for travel perks, hotel benefits, flexible points and everyday spending rewards.
Recent updates have enhanced certain cards, offering higher cash back at supermarkets and on select streaming services, making them appealing for families focused on maximizing rewards.
Flexible points cards provide valuable transfer options to various airline and hotel loyalty programs, increasing redemption flexibility for travelers.
Cards that reward spending in categories like groceries, streaming, gas and transit can help families earn significant cash back on routine expenses.
What to consider
Some cards now include new bonus categories such as streaming services and transit, expanding their appeal for everyday spending.
Cash back is often received as statement credits, and there may be annual spending limits on certain bonus categories.
Not all cards are best-in-class for every category, so a combination may be needed to maximize overall rewards.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of how to strategically combine different types of cards to optimize rewards for both travel and everyday family expenses.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
As great as it would be if there was one credit card that did it all, there's not. I have different credit cards for airline miles, travel perks and lounge access. Then there are the hotel cards for hotel elite status and annual award night certificates. Next come the workhorses, the flexible point earning cards. Finally, there are those niche spots where cards that aren't necessarily great for travel perks can still save us money or provide other tangible benefits on things like cellphone bills, shopping, groceries, dining or even -- streaming services.
Miles and points that I can maximize for travel and experiences are generally my favorite types of credit card rewards to earn, but it's (very) hard to argue with cash -- especially 6% cash back.
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express was already a family favorite with 6% cash back at US supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1%), but it has recently gotten even better with 6% cash back on select US streaming subscriptions (think Apple Music, Hulu, Netflix and HBO Now). Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits. With its new earning potential (and welcome bonus Earn a $300 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first six months of card membership.)
Assuming you like to travel and can avoid racking up balances on your cards, a well-balanced family wallet might look something like this:
Delta SkyClub in Austin. (Photo by Katherine Fan/The Points Guy)
Cards With Flexible Points
While I have a nice collection of cobranded hotel and airline credit cards with travel perks, they aren't necessarily the cards I use the most day in and day out. The ones I use the most to fund our adventures earn flexible points that can be used for travel. For example, if I rack up transferrable Amex Membership Rewards points I don't have to use them on just one airline or at one hotel chain. I can transfer them to Delta, British Airways (to fly American), Singapore (to fly United) or to ANA to fly to Europe and back in business class on a Star Alliance partner for just 88,000 miles. I have options, which is a very good thing when it comes to miles and points.
SAS Business Class. (Photo by Nicky Kelvin/The Points Guy)
The revamped Amex Blue Cash Preferred card falls into this category. Earning 6% back at US supermarkets is very good, especially if you just want to focus on cash back for now instead of earning miles and points. Assuming you spent an average of $500/month at the grocery store over the course of the year, that's $360 cash back just on that category.
Whether you use public transit or fill your tank with gas, most families also need a card that racks up rewards on transit. The Blue Cash Preferred already had US gas stations as a 3% cash back category, but it has now added transit as a second new bonus category. The card earns 3% back on ride-share services (Lyft, Uber, etc.), parking, tolls, train fares, ferries, buses and subways without limits.
Train approaching an elevated subway station in Queens, New York. (Photo by B&M Noskowski/Getty Images)
The Blue Cash Preferred isn't the absolute winner in some of these categories, but it is toward the top of several category lists, especially if you prefer to earn some old-fashioned cash.
Bottom Line
With its new bonus categories, it is clear that the Blue Cash Preferred can fill an important niche in a family's wallet. It can be a way to max out earning rewards in categories where it is the strongest, such as at US supermarkets and select US streaming services, as a part of a diverse card line-up. Or if your family only wants to have two or three total credit cards with simple rewards, it could be that card that ensures you are getting 3–6% back across a variety of common everyday bonus categories ranging from gas to trains to groceries and even Netflix.
I'd love to hear if and how your family maximizes your spending and whether the Blue Cash Preferred is a part of your strategy.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred, click here.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
