Is the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express worth the higher annual fee?

The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express costs $95/yr vs $0/yr for the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $95 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use.

Which card earns more rewards, the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express or Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card?

The Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card has a higher base earn rate (1.5X vs 1X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.

Should I get the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express or the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card?

Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card has a lower $0/yr fee; the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $95/yr.

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express vs Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card

Annual fees: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express $95/yr, Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express on streaming, Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card on everyday spending.

Card data as of October 12, 2026.

Credit card comparison
Overview
	Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express American Express · $95/yr	Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card Bank of America · No annual fee
Annual fee	$95 Waived first year	$0 Lowest
Welcome offerCurrent public offer	As high as $300 cash back — offers vary	$250 cash back
Rewards	Cash back	Cash back
Foreign transaction fee	2.7% Lowest	3%
Network	American Express	Visa Signature
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
Grocery Stores	6% Highest	1.5%
Streaming	6% Highest	1.5%
Gas Stations	3% Highest	1.5%
Ridesharing	3% Highest	1.5%
Transit	3% Highest	1.5%
Everything else	1%	1.5% Highest
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
Entertainment & streaming	$10 monthly Disney Bundle credit available · $10 monthly	—
Other credits	—	3% balance transfer fee 0% APR 15 months
Perks & access— means none on record
Hotel status & programs	Amex Travel Best Price Guarantee for hotels	—
Other perks	Amex Offers Early access to concerts and events Global Assist Hotline available 24/7 worldwide	No annual fee
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
Rental car	Hertz Car Rental Benefits with upgrades $50,000 car rental loss and damage insurance	—
Purchase & returns	$1,000 purchase protection for eligible items $300 return protection per eligible item	—
Extended warranty	Extended Warranty up to one year	—
Other protections	Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges	—
Pros & cons
Pros	6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000/year ($360 max annual value) 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services with no annual cap $120 annual Disney Bundle credit effectively reduces fee to net-negative 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit with no spending cap 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers	Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases No annual fee $250 welcome bonus after $1,000 spend 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers No category tracking required
Cons	$95 annual fee after first year (offset by $120 Disney credit if used) 2.7% foreign transaction fee makes it poor for international use 6% grocery cap at $6,000/year limits high-spending households Warehouse clubs (Costco, Sam's Club) do not code as supermarkets 1% back on non-category purchases is below average	3% foreign transaction fee Flat 1.5% rate, no bonus categories Lower earning rate than category-specific cards in bonus areas No premium perks or travel benefits
	Card details	Card details

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
American Express · $95/yr
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
Bank of America · No annual fee

Overview

Annual fee: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
$95
Waived first year
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
$0
Lowest
Welcome offerCurrent public offer: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
As high as $300 cash back — offers vary
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
$250 cash back
Rewards: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
Cash back
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
Cash back
Foreign transaction fee: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
2.7%
Lowest
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
3%
Network: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
American Express
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
Visa Signature

Earn ratesPer $1 spent

Grocery Stores: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
6%
Highest
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
1.5%
Streaming: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
6%
Highest
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
1.5%
Gas Stations: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
3%
Highest
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
1.5%
Ridesharing: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
3%
Highest
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
1.5%
Transit: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
3%
Highest
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
1.5%
Everything else: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
1%
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
1.5%
Highest

Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record

Entertainment & streaming: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
$10 monthly Disney Bundle credit available · $10 monthly
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
—
Other credits: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
—
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
3% balance transfer fee
0% APR 15 months

Perks & access— means none on record

Hotel status & programs: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
Amex Travel Best Price Guarantee for hotels
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
—
Other perks: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
Amex Offers
Early access to concerts and events
Global Assist Hotline available 24/7 worldwide
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
No annual fee

Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record

Rental car: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
Hertz Car Rental Benefits with upgrades
$50,000 car rental loss and damage insurance
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
—
Purchase & returns: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
$1,000 purchase protection for eligible items
$300 return protection per eligible item
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
—
Extended warranty: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
Extended Warranty up to one year
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
—
Other protections: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
—

Pros & cons

Pros: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000/year ($360 max annual value)
6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services with no annual cap
$120 annual Disney Bundle credit effectively reduces fee to net-negative
3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit with no spending cap
0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases
No annual fee
$250 welcome bonus after $1,000 spend
0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
No category tracking required
Cons: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
$95 annual fee after first year (offset by $120 Disney credit if used)
2.7% foreign transaction fee makes it poor for international use
6% grocery cap at $6,000/year limits high-spending households
Warehouse clubs (Costco, Sam's Club) do not code as supermarkets
1% back on non-category purchases is below average
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
3% foreign transaction fee
Flat 1.5% rate, no bonus categories
Lower earning rate than category-specific cards in bonus areas
No premium perks or travel benefits

Card details

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Category-by-Category Winner

The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express wins in 4 of 5 categories. The Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card leads in 1. 1 more category depend on booking channel or caps.

Streaming

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 6X vs 1.5X

Transit

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 3X vs 1.5X

Gas Stations

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 3X vs 1.5X

Grocery Stores

Depends: up to $6,000/yr

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 6X when conditions are met; Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card earns 1.5X (1.5X without restrictions)

Ridesharing

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 3X vs 1.5X

Everyday purchases

Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card earns 1.5X on all other spending vs 1X

Year One vs Ongoing Value

Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.

Both scenarios favor the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).

Scenario	Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express	Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card	Ongoing winner	Year-one winner
Light spender: $1,000/month	Rewards: $144 Credits (our usable estimate): $24 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $73 Year one: $168	Rewards: $180 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $180 Year one: $430	Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card	Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
Heavy spender: $4,000/month	Rewards: $576 Credits (our usable estimate): $24 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $505 Year one: $600	Rewards: $720 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $720 Year one: $970	Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card	Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card

Is the Fee Difference Worth It?

The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express costs $95/yr — that's $95 more than the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $95 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.

Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $95 fee gap means the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express needs roughly $95 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on streaming and grocery stores and everyday spend.

Which Card Is Right for You?

Get the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express if you:

+Do most of your spending at grocery stores

Get the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card if you:

+Prefer a high flat rate across all spending

The Bottom Line

Both scenarios favor the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).

Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 1.5X on the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card vs 1X on the other card.

Published annual fees: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express $95/yr, Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card $0/yr — a $95 difference before welcome offers and credits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express worth the higher annual fee?: The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express costs $95/yr vs $0/yr for the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $95 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use.
Which card earns more rewards, the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express or Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card?: The Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card has a higher base earn rate (1.5X vs 1X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
Should I get the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express or the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card?: Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card has a lower $0/yr fee; the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $95/yr.

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Official issuer pages: American Express cards · Bank of America cards

Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published October 12, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.