Thread: Should I upgrade my Blue to the Everyday?

I want to start by saying that this forum is excellent. After considering what credit card to get I found that site and its been nothing but helpful.

At the present time I have an AMEX Blue Card with a $2000 limit. Its regular rewards 1 point for every dollar, no annual fee, and pay over time. I would like to get a new cash rewards card instead. My main expenses are gas and restaurants.

I found out about the AMEX Blue Everyday card on this forum and was wondering if upgrading to this card is 1) possible for someone with a current AMEX without taking a hit on credit and 2) is there a better cash rewards card out there?

The main reason I like this card is the intro rate of 0% for 6 months. I have a large purchase coming up and having 0% APR will certainly help.

When you say "upgrading" do you mean conversion or do you mean new application?

Here is the difference:
Conversion -- You call Amex and have them covert your current account to a Blue Everyday. This (in my experience) does not require a "hard pull" on your report. This route however usually also does not qualify for introductory rates like 0% for 6 months.

New application -- You apply for a new card via normal means. This usually results in a "hard pull", but will get you into rates and promotions.

I found this link in an older post of mine. Depending on you spending you can get better rewards from your current credit card than the Blue Cash Everyday. Here is a link to an older Amex rewards calculator for your card:
Amex Blue Cash Rewards Calculator

Should be easy enough to compare the old and the new as the new does not have a tier structure.

The second question is a bit harder to answer. It all depends on your spending. Yes there are cards that will give you more cash back if you spend on categories they promote. Question is do you spend enough in each category to make it better for you?

Thanks for the response.

I guess by "upgrading" I mean to fill out a new application to qualify for the promotional APR that they are offering, if converting prevents me from obtaining the 0% APR I may not go that route.

Based on all the quarterly bonuses many cash back cards offer, Id say I wouldn't benefit from them. Department stores, groceries, etc. are not my main expenses. Gas is my primary expense and the Blue Everyday is always 2%

I just converted my AmEx Blue Cash to an Everyday by calling the customer service line.

It was fairly simple but the rep was initially trying to sell me the Preferred, so I had to tell him I want the Everyday.

I rarely use my AmEx and only rack up $200-$300 a month on it so with the previous rewards plan, I was never going to hit that $6500 to start getting more cash back at higher percentages.

Everyday plan seems just right for me for the amount I'm spending on my AmEx.

I discovered this forum looking for information on converting my AMEX Blue Card into a Blue Everyday Card.

I have had an AMEX card since 1995, never late, never ran a balance, always open and used monthly for basically the same daily things groceries, gas, and so forth. I did a quick calculation and it seems I would get more value if I converted my Blue into a Blue Everyday card. I have been using the points to buy AMEX gift cards, and at a conservative estimated rate of $1 per $200 spent, I figure I would be better off with the Everyday Cashback deal.

I don't care at all about promotional or APR nonsense. My primary concern is that I do not want to close my current account for credit history purposes nor do anything like a "hard pull" that affects my high credit score. My question is thus can I simply call AMEX tomorrow and have them magically convert my card without changing much of anything? Are there certain things I should explicitly state?

I recently had a horrible experience with a CSR on Expedia where the person got angry with me because I could not understand her heavily accented English. I surely don't want someone like that messing with my credit score! Anyway I digress I would appreciate any advice and thanks again for providing this really helpful forum!

It is my understanding that as long as your current Amex is over 13 months old, you may call to do a product change to a different account. I do not know the specifics of which cards can be converted but I believe Blue can be changed to Blue Cash Everyday or even Blue Cash Preferred.

The product change would not require any changes. The account number will stay the same and it would not result in a hard inquiry.

Keep in mind that in the future if you ever want to apply for an additional Amex card, it will be backdated to 1995. One of the many benefits of Amex.

I can't speak for service companies such as Expedia; however, most, if not all, credit card companies have at least one call center here in the US. If you cannot understand the rep, you may always ask to be transferred to a US call center and they will usually do this with no questions asked.

Originally Posted by Gobias

The main reason I like this card is the intro rate of 0% for 6 months. I have a large purchase coming up and having 0% APR will certainly help.

If the main driver is the 0% APR, you may want to consider the Blue Preferred. I got it last week and yes, there is a yearly fee but the 0% APR gets stretched to 1 year instead of six months.

Just something to think about.