AmEx Everyday credit card

The Good

• No annual fee
• 0% purchase APR for the first 12 months. Balance transfer APR for the first 12 months (on balance transfers made within the first 60 days)
• $0 intro balance transfer fee for first 60 days
• FICO® Score updated monthly for free
• SIGNUP BONUS: More Membership Rewards points
• More points the more you use your card

In February 2018, American Express made major changes to the terms of the The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express. Those changes have been significant improvements, and this review takes these changes into account.

Rewards are where this credit card shines, and it’s why you want the card. The Amex Everyday Card offers 2x points at various US supermarkets, on the first 6,000 dollars spent annually and a 20% bonus points when you make 20 or more purchases per billing cycle. That means, assuming you make at least 20 transactions per billing cycle, you’re actually earning 2.4x points at supermarkets and 1.2x points on everyday spend.

The card also gives you access to Amex Offers, which is essentially a coupon site, but it is unclear to us how many exclusive couons Amex Offers has which you couldn’t just get at a different coupon site like Coupon Cabin.  In addition, this is still a balance transfer card.  If you’re paying the balance on debt, you should be avoiding purchases at online stores.

This card rewards purchase frequency rather than the purchase amount, meaning, you receive 20% more points every month if you use your credit card 20 or more times on purchases within a billing period.  If you’re in the market for a dual balance transfer / rewards card, you can maximize points with smaller purchases.  This not only aligns well be creating a dis-incentive to spend a lot of money, but using a credit card for purchases also makes it easier to track spending.  This card works well if you are someone who finds yourself going to the supermarket a few times a week and making small purchases.

The Bad

• It hurts to pay late
• Low everyday rewards rate; credits only apply to some purchase categories
• AmEx is not as widely accepted – especially overseas
• $6,000 annual limit on U.S. supermarket bonus
• Point transfers cost .06 cents/point

If you pay close attention to your card usage, the American Express Everyday credit card can deliver a great bonus rate on U.S. supermarket purchases, but there are many other credit cards that offer better overall rewards for relatively less work.

Normally 2 points per dollar spent is average, so anything below that is subpar. Purchases in categories other than U.S. supermarkets or in excess of the quarterly cap will earn a relatively low rewards rate that can be beat by other credit cards.  Since this card also charges consumers $0.06 to utilize the points, once you deduct that from the rewards rate it is actually below average.

The Summary

The Amex EveryDay® Card from American Express is something of an oddity. The credit card offers bonus rewards at U.S. supermarkets, but you can get significantly more value at the grocery stores from other cards, including from cards at American Express. It’s the only $0 annual fee American Express card that gives out travel-friendly Membership Rewards points, but it’s not an attractive travel credit card.  Likewise, it is not a great balance transfer car because the introductory 0% period is only 12 months and the 3% transfer fee is no better than others.  In short, unless you particularly want an AmEx card for your balance transfer needs, we’d recommend looking at one of our highest reviewed balance transfer cards.

The card earns Membership Rewards points that can be transferred to hotel and airline partners, and is one of only two no annual fee cards accruing these types of Membership Rewards points. For the customers who want a no annual fee card that offers generous rewards, the Amex EveryDay Credit Card is one of the most lucrative in the market.