Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards vs Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express 2024

Written by investor.com

December 18, 2023

In head-to-head competition, which of these rewards credit cards wins out? Here’s what each has to offer and how they fare when put to the ultimate test — the cash back you’ll earn for using them.

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards
Earn 3% on the category of your choice each month. Choose between gas and EV charging, online shopping (including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming), dining, travel, drug stores and pharmacies, or home improvement/furnishings. Earn an automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (including those with supermarkets inside) and an unlimited 1% on all else. The 3% and 2% cashback rates apply to the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter in the choice category, and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, then earn unlimited 1% thereafter. Introductory 0% APR for 15 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers made within 60 days of opening an account. $200 cash rewards bonus after making at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
Earn 6% cash back on up to $6,000 in purchases at U.S. supermarkets. Earn an unlimited 6% cash back on select streaming subscriptions, 3% on gas and transit (includes taxis, rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses, and more) and 1% on everything else. $95 annual card membership fee waived for the first 12 months. 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from date of account opening. Earn $250 back after you spend $3,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership.

Which credit card earns more cash back overall?

Is the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards good?

Is the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express good?

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Methodology

The results of the investor.com Credit Card Rewards Calculator are based on the monthly spending amounts you enter and the annual dollar value of the rewards each credit card program pays per $1 spent. Credit card companies often express this payout amount as a percentage (e.g., 1.5% of every dollar spent) or on a points basis (e.g. ,1.5 points for every dollar spent). We converted all of them to a dollar amount (“Cash Back Per Year”) to make comparing offers easier.

To calculate the amount of cash back you could earn per year, we factored in:

• Spend category inputs: The default dollar values for each “Spend Category” in the Best Cashback Credit Cards tool — gas, groceries, travel, restaurant, entertainment, pharmacy, other — are based on average American spending data from the Consumer Expenditure Surveys from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. We also include additional spend categories (such as streaming services, online shopping, utilities, transit, Amazon and more) to help you see which rewards cards are most closely aligned with your actual spending patterns. We encourage you to customize the monthly spend inputs for the most accurate results.
• Tiered rewards rates: If a rewards credit card pays higher cashback rates on certain spending categories (also called “Bonus Rewards”), that difference is reflected in the total “Cash Back Per Year” tally.
• Rewards spending caps: Some cards impose category- or time-based limits (monthly, quarterly, annually) that affect the amount of rewards you can earn. For example, a card may pay 3% cash back on groceries on up to $1,000 of spending each quarter, then revert to the base/default rewards rate until the following quarter. We accounted for bonus spending caps and timeframe in the calculations.
• Default rewards rates: Purchases that exceed a spending cap are usually subject to a lower default rewards rate (e.g., 1% or 1.5%). We mathed that out too.
• Annual fees: If a rewards card charges an annual fee, we deducted that amount from the “Cash Back Per Year” total to provide a true accounting of a card’s annual rewards payout.

What’s not included in the “Cash Back Per Year” total is the cash value of any sign-up/introductory bonus. We highlight any Welcome Bonus separately. While sign-up bonuses can be the most lucrative part of getting a new cashback rewards credit card, not everyone will want or be able to do what it takes to earn the extra cash. (It usually requires spending a certain amount in a specified time period after the card is activated.)