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AmEx EveryDay vs. AmEx EveryDay Preferred: Preferred Wins By a Hair
Both are low-cost entries into the world of Membership Rewards points, but they're also both fairly low-wattage options in terms of features.
Sara Rathner is a NerdWallet travel and credit cards expert. She has appeared on the “Today” show and CNBC’s “Nightly Business Report,” and has been quoted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance, Time, Reuters, NBC News, Business Insider and MarketWatch. Before joining NerdWallet, Sara worked at The Motley Fool for nearly 10 years. She also worked as a freelance personal finance writer and paraplanner and has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Northwestern University.
Erin is a former writer and assigning editor on the NerdWallet Content team who now heads NerdWallet's travel business. She's a credit card and travel rewards expert at NerdWallet, based in Baltimore, Maryland. She has spent nearly two decades showing readers unique ways to maximize their investments and personal finances. Prior to joining NerdWallet, Erin worked on dozens of newsletters and magazines in the areas of investing, health, business and travel with Agora Publishing. Her love of travel led to a passion for credit card and loyalty rewards to subsidize trips, and she thrives on teaching others how to harness the power of credit card rewards. When she's not helping NerdWallet readers find the best travel value, Erin is planning her next adventure for her family of four using points and miles.
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TheAmex EveryDay® Credit Card and The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Expressare no longer available to new cardholders, so this page is out of date.
If you want to build up your stash of American Express Membership Rewards points without feeling like you have to join a country club to do so, two options provide a way in without a sky-high annual fee:
Similarly named and designed, these cards also come with some similar features: elevated rewards on groceries and travel, as well as other extras that encourage you to reach for these cards every day. And for those looking to play in the Membership Rewards space, annual fees only go up from here.
But if you care more about earning high rates, you can do better than either one, especially among cards that earn cash back instead of points, often for no annual fee. And cash back, of course, is the most flexible reward of all.
Still, Membership Rewards points are also pretty flexible. And while redemption values can vary widely depending on what you choose — statement credit, for example, gives you a value of only 0.6 cent per point — in some cases, you can snag point values far higher than that, especially for certain travel redemptions.
If that piques your interest and you're looking to keep costs low, here’s how to decide which AmEx EveryDay card is right for you.
American Express has a third card with "Everyday" in its name: the $0-annual-fee Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express. But it earns cash back, not Membership Rewards points. Terms apply.
How they compare at a glance
For its $95 annual fee, The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express offers a few more perks than the $0-annual-fee Amex EveryDay® Credit Card, like return protection. Terms apply. Plus, it has higher point-earning potential.
On balance, the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card just doesn't compete well on that score.
Here’s how the cards stack up.
Amex EveryDay® Credit Card
The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express
You can upgrade or downgrade between the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card and The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express, but not beyond — meaning you can't request a product change from one of these Membership Rewards-earning cards to, say, an AmEx card that earns cash back (like the Blue Cash suite of products).
Why The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express is better for most people
Larger welcome offer
Earn 15,000 Membership Reward® points after you use your new card to make $1,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Terms Apply. Depending on how you decide to redeem it, that could get you $150 in value or perhaps more.
More robust rewards
With either card, you can max out the bonus rewards at U.S. supermarkets by spending $500 a month in that category. But The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express offers you an extra point per $1 on that spending (up to the $6,000 cap), so maxing out that offer would net you 6,000 more points per year — which could translate to an extra $30 to $60 more in redemption value.
The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express also offers bonus rewards at U.S. gas stations, while its lower-tier sibling card doesn't. Terms apply.
Use The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express at least 30 times in a billing cycle and earn 50% more points. Terms apply. That means that if you use your card roughly once per day, each purchase could end up earning you 1.5 to 4.5 points per $1, which are good rates indeed.
The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card also offers a points bonus that may be easier to hit but is less valuable: You'll earn 20% more points if you use your card at least 20 times in a billing cycle
Recourse if you need a refund
If a merchant won’t let you return a purchase, The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express can help if it’s within 90 days of the date you bought the item. Get a refund for eligible purchases of up to $300 per item (up to $1,000 per calendar year). Terms apply.
The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card doesn’t include return protection as a benefit.
There's simply no other $0-annual-fee credit card that can snag you Membership Rewards points. Otherwise, if you want in, entry will cost you.
That alone may make the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card desirable, especially since it comes with the same key benefit of all Membership Rewards-earning cards: the ability to transfer points to multiple travel partners, possibly allowing you to snag some good deals.
Ultimately, though, any number of other no-annual-fee travel credit cards offer higher rewards rates and more generous welcome bonuses.
More attainable bonus rewards
If you're able to take advantage of the 50% point bonus on The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express, the rewards will outweigh the annual for most people. But if you don't plan on using your new credit card 30 times in the average month, you might be better off opting for the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card. Its bonus is 20%, which will earn you a lower rewards rate. But you'll earn it if
Longer 0% intro APR period on purchases
The card does offer an intro 0% APR on purchases for 15 months, and then the ongoing APR of 12.99% - 23.99% Variable APR. Terms apply. That's a decent window of time for financing a purchase — and longer than what its more upscale cousin offers.
If you're open to cash back instead of Membership Rewards, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns an industry-leading 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in spending per year (then 1% back); 6% back on select U.S. streaming service subscriptions; 3% back on eligible transit and at U.S. gas stations; and 1% back on other purchases. The annual fee is $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95..
If you want to avoid an annual fee, consider its no-annual-fee sibling the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express. It earns 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and U.S. online retail purchases. You'll earn this elevated rate on up to $6,000 in purchases in each category. After that you'll get 1% back. You'll also earn 1% back on all other purchases. Terms apply (see rates and fees).
Which card should you get?
If you're looking for a low-cost entry into Membership Rewards, both cards will do the job. But most people will fare better with The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express. Its higher rate on grocery shopping and gas stations, plus the chance to score an extra 50% in rewards gives you the potential to earn more, even with the annual fee. But if you're not partial to earning Membership Rewards, picking a cash back card with more robust reward categories is still the best option.
All information about the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card has been collected independently by NerdWallet. The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card is no longer available through NerdWallet.All information about The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by NerdWallet. The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express is no longer available through NerdWallet.
To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, see this page.To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, see this page.
Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more rewards, the right card's out there. Just answer a few questions and we'll narrow the search for you.