If you’re in the market for a credit card that offers rewards on grocery purchases, you might be considering the American Express® Gold Card and the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. Both cards offer generous earning rates on groceries and other categories, plus a slew of benefits. But which one is the best for you?
The answer will depend on your spending habits, rewards redemption goals and budget. The American Express® Gold Card charges an annual fee of $325 See Rates & Fees, while Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express comes with a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. See Rates & Fees Here’s how to decide between two of the best credit cards for groceries on the market.
[Read: Best Grocery Credit Cards.]
Comparing Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express vs. American Express® Gold Card
Both the American Express® Gold Card and Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offer hefty rewards in grocery purchases and other popular categories, but that’s where the similarities end. While the Gold offers American Express Membership Rewards® points, the Blue Cash Preferred earns cash back — and each card comes with different annual fees and welcome offers.
Here’s how both cards compare in key categories:
| American Express Gold Card | Blue Cash Preferred from American Express | |
| Annual Fee | $325 See Rates & Fees | $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. See Rates & Fees |
| Authorized Users | Up to five authorized users for free, then $35 per user | Free |
| Welcome Offer | You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first six months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. | Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new card within the first six months. |
| Rewards | Four Membership Rewards points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide on up to $50,000 in purchases per year, then one point
Four points per dollar at U.S supermarkets on up to $25,000 per year, then one point Three points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com Two points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases on AmexTravel.com One point per dollar on other purchases |
6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases at U.S. supermarkets, then 1%
6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions 3% cash back on transit, including taxis, ride-hailing, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more 3% cash back on U.S. gas stations 1% on other purchases |
| Redemption Options | Statement credit, pay with points at checkout, redeem for gift cards, book travel and transfer points to travel partners | Statement credit and pay with cash back at checkout |
| 0% Intro APR | None | 0% on balance transfers and purchases for 12 months; after that, 19.99% to 28.99% variable APR See Rates & Fees |
| Statement Credits | Up to $120 Uber Cash credit ($10 per month)*
Up to $84 Dunkin’ credit ($7 per month)* Up to $100 Resy credit ($50 semi-annually)* Up to $120 dining credit ($10 per month)* $100 The Hotel Collection when you book two nights through AmexTravel.com* |
Up to $120 DisneyPlus Bundle credit ($10 per month)* |
| Other Benefits | No foreign transaction fees See Rates & Fees |
*Enrollment required
Why the American Express® Gold Card Can Be a Great Card for Groceries
AmEx Gold can be the perfect fit for avid travelers who spend a good portion of their budget on food. The card offers four points per dollar spent at both U.S. supermarkets and restaurants, as well as three points per dollar spent on flights.
AmEx Gold rewards foodies’ cravings with a slew of monthly credits to use at various restaurants. Enrollment required.
The points you earn usually have a higher value when redeemed for gift cards on sale, travel through AmexTravel.com or when transferred to one of American Express’ 20 travel partners. If you redeem them for statement credits or to pay with points at checkout with select merchants like PayPal, Amazon or Best Buy, you may get less value.
At the same time, you need to consider the card’s $325 annual fee — but if you use all the card’s food-related perks, which have a combined annual value of up to $424, the card more than pays for itself.
“If you’re looking for something more than a great cash back reward, or if you got a grocery budget larger than $500 a month, the AmEx Gold Card might be a better fit,” says credit card and travel expert Stephanie Zito. “You’re earning Membership Rewards points, which can be cashed out for a much broader variety of uses — including transferring them to travel partners, which can often give you a much higher redemption value.”
[Read: Rewards Credit Cards]
Why Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express Can Be a Great Card for Groceries
When it comes to earning cash back on groceries — and streaming services — no other card beats Blue Cash Preferred. The card earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases per year. In addition, it offers 6% back on U.S. select streaming subscriptions, 3% on transit and 3% on U.S. gas.
The card also rewards Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus fans, as it offers a $10 monthly statement credit on a Disney Bundle subscription. Enrollment is required for this subscription.
Blue Cash Preferred can also help stretch your monthly budget as you can redeem the cash back you earn for statement credits or use it to pay at checkout on Amazon at a 1:1 ratio. And you don’t need to pay the $95 annual fee in your first year.
“This card is best for people who love to get cash back for all the things we spend money on in our daily lives,” says personal finance expert Yanely Espinal, known as MissBeHelpful. “People who commute to work and are generally homebodies — they don’t travel frequently and go grocery shopping often, have a bunch of streaming subscriptions and spend on gas or public transportation.”
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express vs. American Express® Gold Card: Which One Should You Get?
With both cards offering impressive rewards on grocery purchases, it can be hard to choose between the American Express® Gold Card and Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. If you’re planning to use your rewards for travel, Espinal recommends sticking with AmEx Gold.
“The value of Membership Rewards points can vary based on how you redeem them, but the value of cash back is always fixed,” she says. “If you transfer points with AmEx Gold to travel partners, you can get 8% or more, whereas the Blue Cash Preferred will never be more than 6%. If you don’t travel very much, stick with the 6% cash back, but if you plan to use the travel partners, then I’d go with AmEx Gold.”
On the other hand, if cash back is what you’re after, Zito says the Blue Cash Preferred is right for you.
“For simply earning cash back on groceries, the Blue Cash Preferred does have the highest return for your spend,” Zito says. “If you spend the full $6,000 on groceries a year, you’ll get $360 in cash rewards,” which covers the annual fee, plus an additional $265 to spare.
[Read: Travel Credit Cards]
How to Downgrade or Upgrade Your AmEx Credit Card
If you’re looking to save on fees, you may consider downgrading to a card with similar rewards but a lower annual fee. These are your options.
American Express® Green Card
If you want to downgrade, your only alternative is the American Express® Green Card, which comes with a $150 annual fee. To replace the Gold with a no-fee option, you’d have to cancel your card and apply separately. The Green card offers three points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide, transit and travel purchases, and one point per dollar spent on other purchases.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
You can downgrade to this no-fee cash back card: the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express.
Blue Cash Everyday offers 3% cash back on groceries at U.S. supermarkets, 3% on online retail purchases, 3% at U.S. gas stations — each on up to $6,000 in purchases per year — and 1% on other purchases. See Rates & Fees
To downgrade your card, call American Express or log into your account and start a chat conversation with an agent. Keep in mind that if you downgrade a card, you’re usually not eligible for a welcome offer or any other promotion for new cardholders.
The same applies if you upgrade from one of these lower- or no-fee cards to either AmEx Gold or Blue Cash Preferred. Consider submitting a new application to reap all the benefits these cards have to offer instead.
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Blue Cash Preferred vs. Gold Card: Which American Express Card Is Best for Groceries? originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 10/13/25: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
