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American Express Blue Cash Preferred vs The Business Platinum Card

Both are American Express cards. Here is every spend category, ranked by what each card actually returns.

Best card by category Card terms as of Oct 29

Everything else

  1. The Business Platinum Card 2.0% 1x base rate
  2. Blue Cash Preferred 1.0% 1% base rate

Groceries

  1. Blue Cash Preferred 6.0% 6%, capped
  2. The Business Platinum Card 2.0% 1x base rate

Gas

  1. Blue Cash Preferred 3.0% 3%
  2. The Business Platinum Card 2.0% 1x base rate

Ground transportation

  1. Blue Cash Preferred 3.0% 3%
  2. The Business Platinum Card 2.0% 1x base rate

Streaming

  1. Blue Cash Preferred 6.0% 6%
  2. The Business Platinum Card 2.0% 1x base rate

Electronics stores

  1. The Business Platinum Card 4.0% 2x
  2. Blue Cash Preferred 1.0% 1% base rate

Home improvement

  1. The Business Platinum Card 4.0% 2x
  2. Blue Cash Preferred 1.0% 1% base rate

Shipping

  1. The Business Platinum Card 4.0% 2x
  2. Blue Cash Preferred 1.0% 1% base rate

Flights · portal

  1. The Business Platinum Card · American Express Travel 10.0% 5x

Hotels · portal

  1. The Business Platinum Card · American Express Travel 10.0% 5x

What the numbers are doing

Blue Cash Preferred's 6% on groceries runs out: it applies to the first $6,000 of groceries spend a year, and everything past that earns 1%.

The Business Platinum Card tops everything else at 2.0% only because this table values its points at 2 cents each. Value them at one cent and Blue Cash Preferred wins that category instead.

The table is earn rate only — annual fees are not netted out of it. These cards charge Blue Cash Preferred $95 and The Business Platinum Card $895 a year, so a thin lead in one category may not cover the difference.

pointslipEveryday
Pass content preview
CategoryBest card
Everything elseThe Business Platinum Card2.0%
GroceriesBlue Cash Preferred6.0%
GasBlue Cash Preferred3.0%
Ground transportationBlue Cash Preferred3.0%
StreamingBlue Cash Preferred6.0%
Electronics storesThe Business Platinum Card4.0%
Home improvementThe Business Platinum Card4.0%
ShippingThe Business Platinum Card4.0%
Flights · portalThe Business Platinum Card · American Express Travel10.0%
Hotels · portalThe Business Platinum Card · American Express Travel10.0%

Content preview. Apple Wallet controls the layout; visible categories vary by device. Categories that rank the same as Everything else are left off; every other category is in pass details.

Every category, every card

Everything else

  1. The Business Platinum Card — 2.0%
  2. Blue Cash Preferred — 1.0%

Groceries

  1. Blue Cash Preferred — 6.0%
  2. The Business Platinum Card — 2.0%

Gas

  1. Blue Cash Preferred — 3.0%
  2. The Business Platinum Card — 2.0%

Ground transportation

  1. Blue Cash Preferred — 3.0%
  2. The Business Platinum Card — 2.0%

Streaming

  1. Blue Cash Preferred — 6.0%
  2. The Business Platinum Card — 2.0%

Electronics stores

  1. The Business Platinum Card — 4.0%
  2. Blue Cash Preferred — 1.0%

Home improvement

  1. The Business Platinum Card — 4.0%
  2. Blue Cash Preferred — 1.0%

Shipping

  1. The Business Platinum Card — 4.0%
  2. Blue Cash Preferred — 1.0%

Flights · portal

  1. The Business Platinum Card · American Express Travel — 10.0%

Hotels · portal

  1. The Business Platinum Card · American Express Travel — 10.0%
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