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.
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
American Express · $95/yr
- One Key+ Card
Wells Fargo · $99/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express$95LowestWaived first yearOne Key+ Card$99
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American ExpressAs high as $300 cash back — offers varyOne Key+ Card$350 in rewards
- Rewards
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American ExpressCash backOne Key+ CardOneKeyCash
- Foreign transaction fee
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express2.7%One Key+ CardNoneLowest
- Network
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American ExpressAmerican ExpressOne Key+ CardMastercard World Elite
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Grocery Stores
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express6%HighestOne Key+ Card3%
- Streaming
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express6%HighestOne Key+ Card2%
- Dining
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express1%One Key+ Card3%Highest
- Gas Stations
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express3%One Key+ Card3%
- Ridesharing
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express3%HighestOne Key+ Card2%
- Transit
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express3%HighestOne Key+ Card2%
- Everything else
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express1%One Key+ Card2%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
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.
Streaming
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 6X vs 2X
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)
Ridesharing
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 3X vs 2X
Dining
One Key+ Card earns 3X vs 1X
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).
| Scenario | Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express | One Key+ 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: $288 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($99) Ongoing: $189 Year one: $539 | One Key+ Card | One 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+ Card | One 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.
Related Comparisons
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.
