Amex EveryDay Credit Card Review

There’s a reason why it’s called the “EveryDay” card—it’s geared toward supermarket shoppers who make grocery runs and other purchases almost daily. However, if you spend more than $500 a month on groceries, you’ll hit the annual earning limit for bonus points on groceries before the year ends and should look for a card with a higher bonus category earning limit, or one without a limit entirely.

However, the opportunity to earn enhanced rewards and pay no annual fee still makes this a solid choice for those who want to earn flexible travel rewards on their regular expenses.

Pros Explained

• No annual fee: This card allows you to earn Membership Rewards points without having to pay yearly for the privilege to do so. 
• Decent rewards on day-to-day purchases: The 2 points per $1 earning rate on groceries isn’t the highest offer on the market, but if you can’t stand the thought of an annual fee, it’s a solid choice.
• Flexible travel rewards: You’ll earn American Express Membership Rewards points with this card, which means you have many ways to redeem your rewards, but they’re especially good for travel. The most valuable option? Transferring points to a partner hotel or airline loyalty program (often at a 1:1 ratio). 
• More points for frequent spenders: An extra 20% boost in points you can get by using the card 20 times in a billing period is a nice perk. If you qualify for this perk, it turns 1 point into 1.2 points and 2 points into 2.4 points. It may take a little planning if you’re only a once-a-week grocery shopper to use the card enough (especially if it’s not the only card in your wallet).

Cons Explained

• Earning caps may limit grocery rewards: On average, American households spend approximately $4,463 on groceries (according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics), which is below the $6,000 spending threshold for extra grocery rewards. If you spend more than that on groceries ($500 per month), you’ll quickly max out your bonus category earnings. Before you apply for this card, review your past grocery expenses to see if it will be a good fit. 
• Foreign transaction fee: You might be earning points that are best used for booking travel, but this is not a great card to use when you’re traveling abroad, because it has a foreign transaction fee.
• Mediocre welcome offer: Are there more enticing sign-on bonuses out there? Surely. But as an entry-level rewards card, the Amex EveryDay sets a reasonable spending threshold to earn extra points. You need only rack up around $77 per week at the supermarket to hit the $1,000 minimum in three months.

Amex EveryDay Welcome Offer

If you spend $1,000 in the first three months after opening your card, you earn 10,000 points. Those bonus points are only worth about $114, based on our calculation of Membership Rewards point values. It should be noted that welcome offers can change at any time and yours could be more or less than 10,000. This welcome offer alone probably won’t entice cardholders since it’s not the best (several competing cards offer more rewards for the same spending requirement), but it’s still a nice jumpstart toward points earning.

Earning Points & Rewards

With the American Express EveryDay card, you earn Membership Rewards, which never expire as long as you have an active account. Cardholders earn 2 points per $1 spent at supermarkets up to $6,000 per year. After reaching that limit, supermarket purchases earn 1 point per $1 for the rest of the year. All other purchases also earn 1 point per $1.

The most points you can earn per $1 with this card is 2.4 points per $1 (when you use this card so often that your 20% bonus applies). 

Redeeming Rewards

Membership Rewards points can be redeemed in various ways, but most valuable when used for travel. You can, for instance, redeem 10,000 points to pay for $100 worth of flights at amextravel.com, whereas those same points are only worth a $60 statement credit. 

You can also transfer points to 19 different airline partners, including Delta, JetBlue, and Hawaiian Airlines, as well as to the Hilton, Choice Privileges, and Marriott hotel programs.

How To Get The Most Out Of This Card

Spend $1,000 in the first three months to get your 10,000-point welcome offer. Then, be sure to use the card for all of your grocery spending (at least until you hit $6,000), as well as small everyday purchases so you can max out both the 2 points per $1 on supermarket spending and the 20% monthly points bonus. 

When redeeming your Membership Rewards points, choose high-value travel options, such as flight tickets booked via amextravel.com or transferring points to a partner hotel program. Avoid redeeming points for cash back, since that’s actually one of the worst ways to use Membership Rewards.

Amex EveryDay Card’s Other Features 

The following features generally apply to purchases and travel paid for in full with your card. 

• Rental car collision insurance (secondary to your own policy)
• Global Assist Hotline for traveling abroad 
• Lowest Hotel Rate Guarantee 
• Purchase protection if something you buy breaks or is stolen
• Free shipping through ShopRunner membership

Customer Experience

Amex has a strong reputation when it comes to customer service, and is in first place in the 2020 J.D. Power customer satisfaction ranking. Cardholders have access to customer service 24/7 via the website’s online chat feature or by calling the customer service hotline. You also get free access to your credit score through American Express MyCredit Guide tool (which is also available to those without an Amex card). 

Security Features 

You can sign up for Amex’s MyCredit Guide to see your TransUnion credit report weekly at no charge. Other more standard security features include account alerts and notifications, and fraud protection so that you’re automatically off the hook for any unauthorized charges on your account. You can also place an instant freeze via your online account, and request a free replacement card if you misplace your plastic.

Amex EveryDay Card Fee to Watch Out For

Most of the Amex EveryDay’s fees align with industry standards. Also, remember you will be charged a 2.7% fee for each foreign transaction.