Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express vs One Key+ Card

Annual fees: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express $95/yr, One Key+ Card $99/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express on streaming, One Key+ Card on gas stations.

Card data as of October 12, 2026.

Overview

Annual fee
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
$95
Lowest
Waived first year
One Key+ Card
$99
Welcome offerCurrent public offer
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
As high as $300 cash back — offers vary
One Key+ Card
$350 in rewards
Rewards
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
Cash back
One Key+ Card
OneKeyCash
Foreign transaction fee
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
2.7%
One Key+ Card
None
Lowest
Network
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
American Express
One Key+ Card
Mastercard World Elite

Earn ratesPer $1 spent

Grocery Stores
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
6%
Highest
One Key+ Card
3%
Streaming
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
6%
Highest
One Key+ Card
2%
Dining
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
1%
One Key+ Card
3%
Highest
Gas Stations
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
3%
One Key+ Card
3%
Ridesharing
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
3%
Highest
One Key+ Card
2%
Transit
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
3%
Highest
One Key+ Card
2%
Everything else
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
1%
One Key+ Card
2%
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
One Key+ Card
—

Perks & access— means none on record

Hotel status & programs
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
  • Amex Travel Best Price Guarantee for hotels
One Key+ 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
One Key+ Card
  • Spend to Unlock Platinum
  • Automatic Gold Tier

Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record

Trip insurance
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
—
One Key+ Card
  • Trip Cancellation and Interruption
  • Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance
Rental car
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
  • Hertz Car Rental Benefits with upgrades
  • $50,000 car rental loss and damage insurance
One Key+ Card
  • Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
Purchase & returns
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
  • $1,000 purchase protection for eligible items
  • $300 return protection per eligible item
One Key+ Card
—
Extended warranty
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
  • Extended Warranty up to one year
One Key+ Card
—
Other protections
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
  • Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
One Key+ 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
One Key+ Card
  • $100 annual OneKeyCash anniversary credit roughly offsets the $99 annual fee (usable only on Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo)
  • Strong 3% earning on dining, groceries, gas, and Expedia Group bookings
  • Solid 2% base earning on all other purchases
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Automatic Gold status with One Key program
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
One Key+ Card
  • OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash - only usable on Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo
  • No transfer partners - locked into Expedia Group ecosystem
  • Booking through OTAs means missing out on hotel elite benefits and direct booking perks
  • No lounge access or premium travel protections
  • Relatively new program with less established value compared to Chase/Amex
Add a 3rd or 4th card to this comparison →

Category-by-Category Winner

The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express wins in 3 of 5 categories. The One Key+ Card leads in 2. 1 more category depend on booking channel or caps.

W

Streaming

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 6X vs 2X

W

Transit

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 3X vs 2X

?

Grocery Stores

Depends: up to $6,000/yr

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 6X when conditions are met; One Key+ Card earns 3X (3X without restrictions)

W

Ridesharing

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 3X vs 2X

W

Dining

One Key+ Card earns 3X vs 1X

W

Everyday purchases

One Key+ Card earns 2X 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 One Key+ Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).

ScenarioBlue Cash Preferred Card from American ExpressOne Key+ CardOngoing winnerYear-one winner
Light spender: $1,000/month
Rewards: $144
Credits (our usable estimate): $24
− Annual fee ($95)
Ongoing: $73
Year one: $168
Rewards: $288
Credits (our usable estimate): $0
− Annual fee ($99)
Ongoing: $189
Year one: $539
One Key+ CardOne Key+ Card
Heavy spender: $4,000/month
Rewards: $576
Credits (our usable estimate): $24
− Annual fee ($95)
Ongoing: $505
Year one: $600
Rewards: $1,152
Credits (our usable estimate): $0
− Annual fee ($99)
Ongoing: $1,053
Year one: $1,403
One Key+ CardOne Key+ Card

Is the Fee Difference Worth It?

The One Key+ Card costs $99/yr — that's $4 more than the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express ($95/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $4 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 $4 fee gap means the One Key+ Card needs roughly $4 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on gas stations and grocery stores and everyday spend.

Which Card Is Right for You?

Get the One Key+ Card if you:

  • +Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out
  • +Prefer a high flat rate across all spending

The Bottom Line

Both scenarios favor the One Key+ Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).

Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 2X on the One Key+ Card vs 1X on the other card.

Published annual fees: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express $95/yr, One Key+ Card $99/yr — a $4 difference before welcome offers and credits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the One Key+ Card worth the higher annual fee?
The One Key+ Card costs $99/yr vs $95/yr for the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $4 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 One Key+ Card?
The One Key+ Card has a higher base earn rate (2X 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 One Key+ Card?
Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express has a lower $95/yr fee; the One Key+ Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $99/yr.

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.

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.