Earn 6% Cash Back Every Time You Grocery Shop With This Credit Card

I remember seeing TV commercials for American Express cards when I was a kid, and thinking, "I'll probably have to be rich to carry one of those." Fast forward a few decades, and I finally got my first American Express card. I've had it for a little over a year, and thanks to matching my shopping habits to the right card, I've earned nearly $400 in cash back this year.

Apply now for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.

What's the right Amex card for me? Hands down, it's the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. Let's take a closer look at this grocery rewards card, so you can learn whether it might be right for you, too.

A grocery shopping superstar

I only consistently carry a very small selection of my credit cards in my wallet. The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is one of these cards, because I use it at least once a week on my grocery shopping runs.

I earn 6% in cash back when I pay for regular groceries, and I also earn 6% back at my favorite Polish butcher shop, a natural foods store I check out occasionally, Trader Joe's, and even my favorite online snack superstore. American Express makes it easy to see which small grocery merchants can help you earn 6% back, via a neat tool on its website that encourages you to shop local. That 6% is good for up to $6,000 worth of grocery purchases per year (you earn 1% cash back beyond that). Terms apply.

Apply now for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.

In fact, as of this writing, my 2023 grocery cash back from Amex totals $312.36. I actively look forward to my monthly statement closing date, because it means the cash back I've earned for the month will be available for me to use. I always end up redeeming it as a statement credit, which lowers my next card bill.

Other ways to save with this card

Perhaps you don't spend as much time (or money) at grocery stores as I do. Does this mean the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express isn't right for you? Not necessarily. While this card's highest earnings category is grocery stores, you can certainly earn cash back on other purchases, too.

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a particular standout when it comes to gassing up your vehicle, for example. It earns 3% cash back on gas purchases. I work from home and other than using my car to run an errand or two a week (and the occasional road trip), I don't go through much gas. But when my car is on E, I use this card to pay for a fill-up. I've earned $28.47 back from gas station purchases in 2023, but if you drive more miles than I do, or your car is more expensive to keep gassed up, you could earn a ton of cash back with this card.

Apply now for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.

Similarly, you can also earn 3% cash back on transit such as train rides, taxis, and tolls -- so even if you don't have a car, there's a way to earn on transportation costs.

Another high-earning category for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is streaming subscriptions. You can't earn cash back on any subscription, but if you're a fan of Disney+, and want to sign up for the Disney Bundle (which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+), you can get a $7 statement credit for spending at least $9.99 per month on this. Terms apply.

Two possible cons

This card isn't perfect (no credit card is), but I don't think its downsides are worth passing it up over. The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. (See rates and fees.) I don't feel bitter about this fee, because some of the best credit cards come with justifiable fees that more than make up for their cost in benefits, and this is one of them. I've already more than out-earned the fee.

Apply now for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.

The other bit of bad news you need to know about this card is that it charges a foreign transaction fee that equates to 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars. Since your grocery cash back earnings are specifically on U.S. supermarket purchases, this isn't a good card to grocery shop overseas with. And there are a host of excellent travel credit cards out there that would make a better pick for your vacation, with no foreign transaction fees included.

Want to earn 6% cash back on your grocery purchases? Then from one foodie to another, you absolutely should consider the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.