Amex EveryDay® Credit Card Review: Get 20% Bonus Points With 20+ Purchases Each Month
Amex EveryDay® Credit Card Review: Get 20% Bonus Points With 20+ Purchases Each Month
The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express is a solid card option for consumers who spend a lot on groceries, as well as those who make a lot of purchases within a single month.
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author’s opinions and recommendations alone. It may not have been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through a credit card issuer partnership.
Citi is an advertising partner
Jump to: Read full review
Pros
Cons
There are numerous reasons to sign up for The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express, but it all starts with the fact you can earn valuable Amex Membership Rewards points with a $0 annual fee. This card offers 2x points at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1x), and 1x points on other purchases, and you also get a 20% bonus each billing period in which you make at least 20 purchases with your card.
New customers can also save money on interest thanks to an intro APR of 0% for 15 Months on purchases, followed by an APR of 12.99% - 23.99% variable.
Earn 10,000 Membership Rewards points
New applicants to The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express get the chance to earn 10,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $1,000 in purchases in your first 3 months of account opening.
Considering Amex Membership Rewards points are worth an average of 2.2 cents each when redeemed for travel, this offer is slightly higher than you'll get with other general rewards credit cards that don't charge an annual fee.
What it's worth: With points in this program having an average value of 2.2 cents each, the welcome offer on this card is worth approximately $220. Note, you’ll need to be able to transfer points to a loyalty program to gain this value; otherwise points are worth 1 cent each at best (with the offer worth only $100). This requires ownership of a premium Membership Rewards card, like the American Express® Gold Card.
Who's eligible to earn this offer? American Express has a "once per lifetime" rule on all of their rewards credit cards, which means you cannot earn the offer on this card if you’ve earned it in the past.
Earn 2X points at U.S. supermarkets
Cardholders who carry The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express earn 2x points at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1x), and 1x points on other purchases. However, they also earn a 20% points bonus during any billing period when they use their card for 20 or more separate purchases.
While the 20 purchases per billing period threshold may seem high, you may be able to achieve this easily if you use your The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express for all your regular everyday spending, as well as recurring bills. Fortunately, you'll see this bonus applied to your rewards balance automatically each time you earn it.
On the downside, The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express’ total rewards potential — as in how much rewards value you can get out of each $1 you spend — is not as good as many other rewards credit cards, including options with no annual fee.
For example, our study of earning rates shows that an average cardholder with the Chase Freedom Unlimited® would earn around 2 cents per $1 on their card spending, thanks to its generous bonus on travel and dining purchases and its higher flat rate of 1.5% on the remainder of purchases. The Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer also earns up to 2 cents per $1 spent. In comparison, The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express only earns 1.5 cents per $1 in rewards for the average consumer.
It's worth noting that The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express earns Membership Rewards points. Many rewards credit cards don’t offer the flexibility of the American Express Membership Rewards program. The fact you can transfer Membership Rewards to airline and hotel partners (with a qualifying Membership Rewards card) makes rewards in this program more valuable in general.
Average rewards earned per $1 spent
What are The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express points worth?
Keep in mind that American Express Membership Rewards points can be worth an average of 2.2 cents each, but this higher valuation only applies if you transfer them to partners and use them for travel redemptions (which requires a premium card like the American Express® Gold Card). Otherwise, points are worth 1 cent at most.
Redeeming points
The good news about The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express and other Membership Rewards cards is the fact that you have plenty of options when it comes to redeeming your rewards — though some are definitely more lucrative than others:
Redemption option | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Transfer points to airline and hotel loyalty programs (requires premium Membership Rewards card) | Depends on program (around 2.2 cents on average) |
| Book flights through the Amex Travel portal | 1 cent |
| Book hotels through the Amex Travel portal | 0.7 cent |
| Redeem for gift cards | 0.5 to 1 cent |
| Shop with points | 0.5 to 1 cent |
| Pay with your points at checkout | 0.7 to 1 cent |
| Cover your card charges and receive a statement credit | 0.6 cent |
As you can see, you'll only get 0.7 cent per point if you redeem rewards at checkout with retailers like Amazon or Best Buy (and as few as 0.5 for Ticketmaster purchases), and you'll only get 0.6 cent per point if you cover purchases with rewards points.
Your best redemption options with The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express are travel and gift cards. You'll get 1 cent per point in value for flights booked with AmexTravel.com, and 0.7 cents per point for prepaid hotels. Redeeming for gift cards will net you up to 1 cent per point in value.
Combining The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express with other Membership Rewards cards
While The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express is a solid rewards credit card on its own, many rewards enthusiasts pair it with other Membership Rewards cards and pool their points into one account.
You can use The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express for up to $6,000 in spending at U.S. supermarkets each year, and put the rest of your spending on the following cards to earn points in their bonus categories and to gain access to more cardholder benefits:
Since The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express doesn't charge an annual fee, it could be a good companion credit card that you can plan to keep for the long haul.
Transfer points to 15+ travel partners
Combining The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express with an annual fee Membership Rewards card gives you the option to transfer points. The best value comes into play when you transfer your points to any number of American Express Membership Rewards partners, which include both airlines and hotels:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Aeromexico Premier
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France/KLM Flying Blue
- Alitalia MileMiglia
- ANA Mileage Club
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Cathay Pacific AsiaMiles
- Delta SkyMiles
- El Al Matmid
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Guest
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Iberia
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Singapore KrisFlyer
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- Choice Privileges
- Hilton Honors
- Marriott Bonvoy
Our guide to Amex transfer partners explains how you can convert your points, which partners work with Amex and how to maximize value when you make a redemption.
Other The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express benefits
The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express doesn't have a lot of cardholder benefits — which isn't too surprising, since there's a $0 annual fee. Here are the main perks to consider as you decide whether you should sign up.
If you want some time to pay down purchases without any interest charges, The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express can be a valuable tool. Once you sign up, you get an intro APR of 15 months on purchases, followed by an APR of 12.99% - 23.99% variable.
You also get automatic car rental loss and damage insurance when you pay for the entire rental cost with your credit card. This coverage is good for damage or theft, although exclusions and restrictions apply. Coverage is secondary to your own insurance, and liability is not included.
The card's Pay It Plan It® feature lets you control how and when you pay off purchases. You can use Pay It® to quickly pay off a purchase under $100, while the Plan It® feature lets you pay off purchases of $100 or more over several months in exchange for a fixed monthly fee.
How does The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express compare with other cards?
The following comparisons can help you decide whether to get The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express or sign up for a different credit card altogether:
The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express vs. The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express
With The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express, you'll get a slightly higher rewards rate in exchange for an annual fee. The card will set you back $95 per year, but you can Earn 15,000 bonus points after you use your new card to make $1,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. You'll also earn 3x points at US supermarkets; 2x points at US gas stations; 1x points on other purchases. And when you use your card for 30 or more purchases within a billing period, you'll get a 50% points bonus.
Will you earn enough more in rewards each year to justify this card's annual fee? That really depends on your spending, but it's definitely possible. For example, $6,000 in spending at U.S. supermarkets each year will net you 6,000 more points over 12 months, which can be worth up to $132 based on recent valuations. The fact you get 50% in bonus points when you make at least 30 purchases in a billing cycle could also lead to a considerably higher point haul that more than makes up for the annual fee.
You should also be aware that, while the length of the offer is shorter, The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express does give you an intro APR of 0% for 12 months on purchases, followed by an APR of 12.99% - 22.99% variable.
The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express vs. Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express offers cash back (which can only be redeemed for statement credits) instead of Membership Rewards.
However, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express doesn't charge an annual fee and offers a better bonus on U.S. supermarket purchases: 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%). 2% cash back at U.S. gas stations and at select U.S. department stores. 1% cash back on other purchases. Terms apply. You can also start off with a welcome offer of $200 back after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
While the rewards rate is higher on this card in general, your redemption options are limited. That doesn't make the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express better or worse, but you shouldn't sign up for this card if you're hoping to transfer your points to airline and hotel partners.
For rates and fees of Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, please click here.
The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express vs. American Express Cash Magnet® Card
The American Express Cash Magnet® Card is another American Express credit card that lets cardholders earn cash back in the form of statement credits and not Amex Membership Rewards points. Once again, this means you should mark this card off your list if you want to earn flexible rewards for travel.
The American Express Cash Magnet® Card is worth considering if you want to earn a flat-rate of cash back on all your spending. You earn Unlimited 1.5% Cash Back on your purchases, and there's a $0 annual fee.
The American Express Cash Magnet® Card also gives you an intro APR of 0% on purchases for 15 months, followed by an APR of 13.99%-23.99% Variable.
Is The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express worth it?
Since The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express doesn't charge an annual fee, it could be worth it for almost anyone. However, this card is probably the best option for people who want to earn Amex Membership Rewards points with no annual fee, as well as those who can use their card for at least 20 purchases during a billing cycle.
Even so, it never hurts to compare more than one rewards credit card to find the right fit. Make sure to look at various cashback credit cards and travel credit cards to find the best one for your spending style and the type of rewards you want to earn.
Also, keep in mind that, if you're after flexible rewards points that transfer to other programs, you should make sure to compare American Express Membership Rewards to Chase Ultimate Rewards and the Citi ThankYou program.
Is The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express good?
Many would say The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express is a good credit card, since it lets you earn rewards without an annual fee. This card's introductory interest rate on purchases also makes it a good option if you want to save on interest for more than a year. Just remember that you'll pay the variable interest rate on purchases after the introductory offer ends.
Is The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express a credit card or a charge card?
The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express is a credit card, meaning you can carry a balance from one month to the next if you prefer.
What credit score is needed for The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express?
American Express suggests that you need Excellent credit to be approved for this card.
Does The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express have a credit limit?
If you are approved for The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express, you'll be assigned a credit limit based on your income and other factors.
Is The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express hard to get?
The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express may not be "hard" to get if you have a Excellent credit score and a proven income source. However, you'll have to apply to know for sure if you can get approved.
Does The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express have a foreign transaction fee?
The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express charges a 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to U.S. dollars foreign transaction fee on purchases made outside the United States, which is one of its major downsides. If you travel internationally often, you should look for a credit card with no foreign transaction fees.
The information related to The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express, The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express and American Express Cash Magnet® Card has been independently collected by ValuePenguin and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply to American Express credit card offers. See americanexpress.com for more information.
For rates and fees of Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, please click here.
These responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Advertiser Disclosure: The products that appear on this site may be from companies from which ValuePenguin receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). ValuePenguin does not include all financial institutions or all products offered available in the marketplace.
How We Calculate Rewards: ValuePenguin calculates the value of rewards by estimating the dollar value of any points, miles or bonuses earned using the card less any associated annual fees. These estimates here are ValuePenguin's alone, not those of the card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer.
Example of how we calculate the rewards rates: When redeemed for travel through Ultimate Rewards, Chase Sapphire Preferred points are worth $0.0125 each. The card awards 2 points on travel and dining and 1 point on everything else. Therefore, we say the card has a 2.5% rewards rate on dining and travel (2 x $0.0125) and a 1.25% rewards rate on everything else (1 x $0.0125).