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 U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card. The higher fee that can offset the cost for frequent travelers.

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 U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card. The higher fee that can offset the cost for frequent travelers.

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 U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card. The higher fee that can offset the cost for frequent travelers.

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express vs U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card ($0/yr) is better for everyday value, while the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express ($95/yr) is worth it for frequent travelers who can use its premium perks. Here's the full comparison.

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

American Express

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

U.S. Bank

Fees & Welcome Offer

Annual Fee

$95(waived year 1)

Welcome Bonus

250 Cash

—

Earn Rates

Category	Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express	U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card
Grocery Stores	6X

Category-by-Category Winner

The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card wins in 8 of 13 categories. The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express leads in 5.

Streaming

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 6X vs 5X

Grocery Stores

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

Transit

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card earns 5X vs 3X

Gas Stations

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

Ridesharing

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 3X vs 1X

Tolls

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 3X vs 1X

Telecom

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card earns 5X vs 1X

Entertainment

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card earns 5X vs 1X

Fitness & Gyms

The Bottom Line

The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card has a lower annual fee ($0 vs $95), making it the more accessible option.

Choose the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card if you want solid rewards with a lower cost of entry. Choose the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express if you travel frequently and can maximize its premium benefits.

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 U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card. The higher fee that can offset the cost for frequent travelers.
Which card earns more rewards, the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express or U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card?: Both cards earn 0X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
Should I get the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express or the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card?: Choose the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card if you want lower fees and solid rewards. Pick the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express if you spend enough to justify the $95/yr fee through its premium benefits and higher earn rates.

Related Comparisons

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Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express — Full Review All American Express Cards

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card — Full Review All U.S. Bank Cards

Browse all comparisons →Browse all card categories →

Official issuer pages: American Express cards · U.S. Bank cards

Editorial disclosure: The analysis on this page is based on publicly available card data and is updated regularly. CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or editorial content. Last updated: May 2026.

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express vs U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

American Express

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

U.S. Bank

Fees & Welcome Offer

Annual Fee

$95(waived year 1)

Welcome Bonus

250 Cash

—

Earn Rates

Category	Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express	U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card
Grocery Stores	6X

Category-by-Category Winner

The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card wins in 8 of 13 categories. The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express leads in 5.

Streaming

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 6X vs 5X

Grocery Stores

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

Transit

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card earns 5X vs 3X

Gas Stations

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

Ridesharing

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 3X vs 1X

Tolls

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 3X vs 1X

Telecom

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card earns 5X vs 1X

Entertainment

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card earns 5X vs 1X

Fitness & Gyms

The Bottom Line

The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card has a lower annual fee ($0 vs $95), making it the more accessible option.

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 U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card. The higher fee that can offset the cost for frequent travelers.
Which card earns more rewards, the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express or U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card?: Both cards earn 0X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
Should I get the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express or the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card?: Choose the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card if you want lower fees and solid rewards. Pick the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express if you spend enough to justify the $95/yr fee through its premium benefits and higher earn rates.

Related Comparisons

Amex Blue Cash Everyday vs Amex Blue Cash Preferred Amex Blue Cash Preferred vs Hilton Honors Amex

Explore More

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express — Full Review All American Express Cards

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card — Full Review All U.S. Bank Cards

Browse all comparisons →Browse all card categories →

Official issuer pages: American Express cards · U.S. Bank cards

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express vs U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

American Express

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

U.S. Bank

Fees & Welcome Offer

Annual Fee

$95(waived year 1)

Welcome Bonus

250 Cash

—

Earn Rates

Category	Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express	U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card
Grocery Stores	6X

Category-by-Category Winner

The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card wins in 8 of 13 categories. The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express leads in 5.

Streaming

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 6X vs 5X

Grocery Stores

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

Transit

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card earns 5X vs 3X

Gas Stations

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

Ridesharing

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 3X vs 1X

Tolls

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 3X vs 1X

Telecom

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card earns 5X vs 1X

Entertainment

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card earns 5X vs 1X

Fitness & Gyms

The Bottom Line

The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card has a lower annual fee ($0 vs $95), making it the more accessible option.

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 U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card. The higher fee that can offset the cost for frequent travelers.
Which card earns more rewards, the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express or U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card?: Both cards earn 0X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
Should I get the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express or the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card?: Choose the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card if you want lower fees and solid rewards. Pick the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express if you spend enough to justify the $95/yr fee through its premium benefits and higher earn rates.

Related Comparisons

Amex Blue Cash Everyday vs Amex Blue Cash Preferred Amex Blue Cash Preferred vs Hilton Honors Amex

Explore More

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express — Full Review All American Express Cards

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card — Full Review All U.S. Bank Cards

Browse all comparisons →Browse all card categories →

Official issuer pages: American Express cards · U.S. Bank cards

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

+5% cash back on two categories of your choice (from 12+ options)
+2% on one everyday category (dining, gas, or grocery)
+No annual fee
+Visa Signature benefits
+$200 welcome bonus

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

−Must select 5% categories each quarter (defaults to 1% if forgotten)
−$2,000 combined quarterly cap on 5% categories
−3% foreign transaction fee
−Base rate only 1% on non-category spend

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

+5% cash back on two categories of your choice (from 12+ options)
+2% on one everyday category (dining, gas, or grocery)
+No annual fee
+Visa Signature benefits
+$200 welcome bonus

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

−Must select 5% categories each quarter (defaults to 1% if forgotten)
−$2,000 combined quarterly cap on 5% categories
−3% foreign transaction fee
−Base rate only 1% on non-category spend

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

+5% cash back on two categories of your choice (from 12+ options)
+2% on one everyday category (dining, gas, or grocery)
+No annual fee
+Visa Signature benefits
+$200 welcome bonus

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

−Must select 5% categories each quarter (defaults to 1% if forgotten)
−$2,000 combined quarterly cap on 5% categories
−3% foreign transaction fee
−Base rate only 1% on non-category spend

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express vs U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

Fees & Welcome Offer

Earn Rates

Category-by-Category Winner

The Bottom Line

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Comparisons

Explore More

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express vs U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

Fees & Welcome Offer

Earn Rates

Category-by-Category Winner

The Bottom Line

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Comparisons

Explore More

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express vs U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

Fees & Welcome Offer

Earn Rates

Category-by-Category Winner

The Bottom Line

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Comparisons

Explore More

Benefits & Features

Pros & Cons

Is the Fee Difference Worth It?

Which Card Is Right for You?

Benefits & Features

Pros & Cons

Is the Fee Difference Worth It?

Which Card Is Right for You?

Benefits & Features

Pros & Cons

Is the Fee Difference Worth It?

Which Card Is Right for You?