Amex EveryDay Preferred Card Overview
The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express is a solid primary card that earns valuable Membership Rewards points. You’ll earn a generous 3 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarket purchases (up to $6,000 a year; then 1 point per dollar) and 2 points per dollar spent at U.S. gas stations. And if you use the card 30 or more times in a billing period, you’ll earn 50% extra points on those purchases. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐
*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
If you want to join the Membership Rewards program without paying a high annual fee, consider the American Express Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card.
The card has a $95 annual fee and a recommended credit score of 670.
Here’s what to know.
The information for the Amex EveryDay Preferred Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Amex EveryDay Preferred pros and cons
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Amex EveryDay Preferred welcome offer
The current bonus on the Amex EveryDay Preferred is 15,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $2,000 in the first three months. We value Membership Rewards points at 2 cents each, meaning this bonus is worth $300.
This is a fairly low welcome bonus for a card with a $95 annual fee, though the spending requirement to get the bonus is also lower than most mid-tier cards.
Keep in mind that American Express only allows you to earn the welcome bonus on each of its credit cards once per lifetime, so if you’ve earned a bonus on this card before, you won’t be eligible to get it again.
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Amex EveryDay Preferred benefits
As its name suggests, this is an everyday credit card, and its benefits reflect that — you’ll get access to Amex’s standard suite of card protections and not much else.
You won’t get any premium travel perks, such as airport lounge access, although you will be covered by travel protections such as secondary car rental insurance* if things go off plan during your trip.
*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
Related: Your complete guide to Amex shopping protections
Earning points on the Amex EveryDay Preferred
Where the Amex EveryDay Preferred shines the most is its category spending bonuses. You will earn 3 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in purchases per year; then 1 point per dollar), 2 points per dollar spent at U.S. gas stations and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
If you use the card to make 30 or more purchases in a billing period, you’ll get 50% extra points on all those purchases (less returns and credits). So if you can hit that threshold, your earning rates will essentially jump to 4.5 points per dollar (9% return)*, 3 points per dollar (6% return)* and 1.5 points per dollar (3% return)*, respectively, which is terrific.
*Earning rates based on TPG valuations
Related: The best credit cards for each bonus category
Redeeming points on the Amex EveryDay Preferred
Your Amex points can be used toward cash back, Amazon purchases, Uber rides, gift cards and more.
However, we don’t recommend any of these uses as you’ll generally get the most value from your Amex points by transferring them to a travel partner (see below).
Transferring points on the Amex EveryDay Preferred
The Membership Rewards points you earn with this card can be transferred to its airline and hotel partners, including Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways Executive Club, Delta SkyMiles and Marriott Bonvoy.
The airline partners include at least one useful option in each major airline alliance — SkyTeam, Star Alliance and Oneworld — so you could be like TPG editor Emily Thompson and book a flight on almost any airline using points.
For instance, if you’d like to fly American Airlines business class to Europe, you can transfer points to Etihad Guest and book for 50,000 points each way. Amex also frequently runs transfer bonuses, so you could potentially get even more value from your points.
Related: Redeeming American Express Membership Rewards for maximum value
Which cards compete with the Amex EveryDay Preferred?
There’s no shortage of credit cards on the market with annual fees of $100 or less.
- If you don’t want an annual fee: Get the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express. You’ll earn 2 transferable Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in purchases per year; then 1 point per dollar) and 1 point per dollar on everything else. For more information, read our full review of the Amex Everyday.
- If you prefer Chase: Go for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It earns 2 points per dollar spent on travel and 3 points per dollar spent on dining, and both of those categories are very loosely defined. And since the bonus categories on this card don’t overlap with the Amex EveryDay Preferred, you shouldn’t consider these cards mutually exclusive. For more information, read our full review of the Sapphire Preferred.
- If you prefer cash back: Look into the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. You’ll earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1% thereafter), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations, 3% cash back on transit and 1% back everywhere else. For more information, read our full review of the Blue Cash Preferred.
For additional options, check out our full list of the best travel cards.
The information for the Amex EveryDay has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: Amex EveryDay vs. Amex EveryDay Preferred: Which should be in your wallet?
Is the Amex EveryDay Preferred worth it?
The Amex EveryDay Preferred is a great choice for a new primary card. Although you don’t get the significant perks of some higher-end cards, you’ll have some solid category bonuses for everyday spending that will help you book your next trip quicker. Just be sure to make a point of hitting 30 transactions a month to earn the 50% bonus.
Bottom line
If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to earn Amex points, the Amex EveryDay Preferred is a great option. With the 50% bonus when you have over 30 purchases in a billing period, you’ll be rewarded for using the card frequently. It’s a smart addition to a beginner’s wallet.
Related: The best ways to earn a 50% point bonus on the Amex EveryDay Preferred card
