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No annual fee
15.74%, 18.74% or 20.74% APR
Get into Membership Rewards and travel rewards with this easy-to-access American Express card. Earn 1x points for all purchases and get access to MR travel partners!
The information regarding the Blue from American Express® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
You’ve heard your friends talking about credit card points and you want in on the action, but you’re not sure where to start.
They told you that the American Express Membership Rewards program is a good place to begin, so you started researching cards and are thinking you want to stick with “just the basics” for now.
In that case, the Blue from American Express® credit card is probably a good starter card for you.
The Amex Blue card is the basic Membership Rewards card available. You’ll earn one point per dollar on all purchases, which accrue in your common Membership Rewards account.
There’s no annual fee, unlike some of the other MR cards.
Bottom Line: Earn 2x points through the Amex Travel portal and 1x points everywhere else with the Amex Blue card.
Being a card owner does not grant many additional benefits, but there are a few to mention.
First, owning a Membership Rewards card gives you access to the travel benefits of the program, which include earning 2x points in the travel portal.
You can also transfer the points you earn to Amex travel partners. This is probably the most important benefit, since travel partners can provide values of $0.02 and above per point.
Other Membership Rewards redemptions can be made as well, like paying for your travel with earned points, and several other redemption options that Amex MR offers.
The card offers a few additional perks beyond just earning Membership Rewards points.
For the road warrior, you’ll get car rental insurance and a roadside assistance hotline. In order to get the rental insurance, you must decline the agency’s waiver.
In addition, you will have purchase and return protection if you have a damaged or stolen item, or one that you cannot return to the vendor.
The drawbacks of the Amex Blue card are that it does not come with welcome bonuses or any bonus earning categories.
It is truly a basic, entry level card you can use to get started with Membership Rewards.
When redeeming your Membership Rewards points earned with the Amex Blue card, you will want to make sure you’re getting the maximum value.
There are multiple ways to redeem, but most don’t offer much value.
The highest value option, as always, is to transfer your points to travel partners to be used for travel rewards from their loyalty programs.
Otherwise, points are much less valuable and won’t be worth your time redeeming.
There are many different American Express transfer partners that you can use your points with; see the full list here.
Maximizing your Membership Rewards points with the Amex Blue card involves simply using it for as many of your purchases and bills as you can. Here are some tips for doing so:
Tip #1: Use the card with the American Express Travel portal to get 2x points.
Tip #2: Watch the Amex Offers section of your card account screen (found at the bottom) to find potential bonus point offers.
Tip #3: Refer a friend. You may be able to get bonus points for doing so.
One of the positives of this card is that it doesn’t have an annual fee. However, there are other no-annual-fee cards that have much more potential for earning Membership Rewards points.
You could get Amex EveryDay card from American Express, for instance. This card has no annual fee but comes with 1 bonus category: 2x points at U.S. supermarkets on the first $6,000 per year.
In addition, if you make more than 20 purchases in a month on that card, you’ll get a 20% bonus on all the points you earned (with a few exceptions).
While not a Membership Rewards card, you also could get a card like the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, which is free from annual fees and offers up to 5% cash-back.
Ultimate Rewards is a great alternative to Membership Rewards and offers many of the same benefits with a different set of travel partners.
If you’re not going to use the points for travel rewards, though, you’re likely better off getting a cash-back card that offers a better rate.
The information regarding the Blue from American Express® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information for The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card has been independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Chase Freedom Unlimited® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
Brian’s first ever airplane ride was in a private turbo-prop jet. He was merely an intern boy trying to make a good impression, but it turns out the plane made an impression on him.
It wasn’t until Brian relocated to Dallas, TX, and moved in with an American Airlines employee that he truly discovered how incredible travel could be.
Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.
2 comments
Myra
November 25, 2021
How much money is on the card to start?
Christine Krzyszton
November 28, 2021
Hi Myra. If you’re referring to the amount of the credit limit on the card, it will be determined by American Express based on your creditworthiness.
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