Review: American Express Everyday Card

The American Express Everyday Card is an enigma in the points and miles world. It is the only no-annual fee personal card that can transfer points to airline and hotel partners. According to The New York Times (H/T), the Amex Everyday Card was originally targeted towards “busy moms”. But many people can benefit from this card, even if they are not parents.

Those who use a credit card for everything and have moderate grocery store spend will like its earning structure. Plus, it is also the only American Express card with a balance transfer offer as part of its sign-up bonus. That makes it great for those who want to finance a large purchase or transfer a balance.

The Everyday Card card is a credit card, meaning that you have the option to keep a balance. Even though you earn Membership Rewards (MR) points, the Everyday Card is in a different family than Amex’s charge cards.

Earning

The American Express Everyday Card has a unique earning structure. It earns 2x MR points per dollar at Grocery Stores and just one on everything else. There is an annual spending limit of $6,000 for the Grocery Stores category.

Furthermore, you will receive a 20% points bonus if you can use your card at least 20 times per month. That means you can earn 2.4x points at grocery stores and 1.2x points on non-bonus spend with enough purchases.

Plus, the Everyday Card has no-annual fee and a public sign-up bonus worth 10,000 MR points. It can be earned after spending just $1,000 in the first 3 months. This bonus is meager compared to those from a plethora of competing no annual fee credit cards. Chase, Citi, and Bank of America are three competitors whose no annual fee credit cards offer better sign-up bonuses.

However, the Everyday Card is a great option for balance transfers. You will have a 0% interest rate on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months of having the card. Paying your card in full is encouraged, but the 0% interest rate could help you float a balance at no cost. Larger purchases can be paid off with no interest in this way.

Burning

Earning points is fantastic, but points earned are useless if you cannot redeem them for anything of value. Amex has multiple options for redemption:

Transfer Partners

American Express’ transfer partners are this card’s most valuable redemption option. Amex transfers points at a 1 MR to 1 partner currency ratio unless otherwise noted.

Hotels

• Choice Privileges
• Hilton (1 MR = 2 Hilton Honors Points)
• Marriott

Airlines

• Aer Lingus
• Aeromexico (5 MR = 8 Premier Points)
• Air Canada
• Air Italia Millemiglia
• Asia Miles / Cathay Pacific
• Avianca Lifemiles
• British Airways
• Delta Airlines
• Emirates
• Etihad Guest
• Hawaiian Airlines
• Iberia
• JetBlue (5 MR = 4 TrueBlue Points)
• KLM Flying Blue / Air France
• Nippon Airways
• Qantas
• Singapore Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic

Your mileage may vary for each partner. But for most partners, you should be able to easily redeem your points for at least 1.5 cents per point (CPP).

The Amex Everyday Card is special because it lets you keep your MR points for no annual fee. If you also have an MR-earning card with an annual fee, you won’t lose your points if you decide to cancel it. Some people have the Everyday card just for this reason.

Other Options

Gift cards, merchandise, and statement credits are not recommended. You will earn less than 1 CPP using these options. If cash back or gift cards are what you want, this card is probably not for you.

Perks

Unfortunately, the American Express Everyday card does not come with any perks.

Similar Cards

American Express Everyday Preferred

American Express’ Everyday Preferred Card is the Everyday Card’s bigger “sibling”. Both cards have similar earning structures. But the Everyday Preferred is more lucrative. It earns 3x MR points at Grocery Stores, 2x points at Gas Stations, and one for non-bonus spend. Furthermore, you will receive a larger 50% points bonus if you use it at least 30 times per month. That means you can earn 4.5x points at Grocery Stores, 3x at Gas Stations, and 1.5x on everything else with enough swipes.

Furthermore, the Everyday Preferred Card has a $95 annual fee (NOT waived the first year) and a public sign-up bonus worth 15,000 MR points. The bonus can be earned after spending just $1,000 in the first 3 months.

The Everyday Preferred is the better option for those who can easily use their card at least 30 times per month. People who have sizable grocery store and gas bills will also come out ahead. But lighter spenders and those who won’t use the card at least 30 times per month will do better with the regular Everyday Card.

Citi Rewards +

The Citi Rewards + is a nice competitor to the Everyday Card. It earns 2x Thank You (TY) points at the Gas Station and at the Grocery Store. Citi also rounds up the amount of points earned to the nearest 10 for all purchases. This is fantastic for small purchases. For example, if you spend $1 at a convenience store, you will receive 10 points.

Furthermore, the Citi Rewards + comes with a sign-up bonus worth 15,000 points. That bonus can be earned after spending $1,000 in the first three months. This bonus is slightly more valuable than that of the Everyday Card. But Citi’s bonus is more in line with those of other no annual fee competitors.

The Citi Rewards + is the better card for those who plan to make smaller purchases often. While the Amex Everyday Card is better for travelers because of its direct access to transfer partners. Unfortunately, the Citi Rewards + requires you to have a premium Citi Thank You Card to be able to transfer TY points.

Final Draw

The American Express Everyday Card is a nice option for those who have moderate grocery bills and won’t use their card more than 30 times per month. I also recommend it for those who want to earn, keep, and redeem MR points for no annual fee. After all, its the only personal Amex card that lets you transfer points to travel partners for no annual fee.

Apply Today: American Express Everyday Card