American Express Blue Cash Preferred vs Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card
Both are American Express cards. Here is every spend category, ranked by what each card actually returns.
Everything else
- Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card 2.0% 2% base rate
- Blue Cash Preferred 1.0% 1% base rate
Groceries
- Blue Cash Preferred 6.0% 6%, capped
- Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card 2.0% 2% base rate
Gas
- Blue Cash Preferred 3.0% 3%
- Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card 2.0% 2% base rate
Ground transportation
- Blue Cash Preferred 3.0% 3%
- Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card 2.0% 2% base rate
Streaming
- Blue Cash Preferred 6.0% 6%
- Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card 2.0% 2% base rate
Flights · portal
- Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card · American Express Travel 5.0% 5%
Hotels · portal
- Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card · American Express Travel 5.0% 5%
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 table is earn rate only — annual fees are not netted out of it. These cards charge Blue Cash Preferred $95 and Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card $295 a year, so a thin lead in one category may not cover the difference.
Where they differ: Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card takes everything else; Blue Cash Preferred takes groceries, gas, ground transportation and streaming.
| Category | Best card |
|---|---|
| Everything else | Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card2.0% |
| Groceries | Blue Cash Preferred6.0% |
| Gas | Blue Cash Preferred3.0% |
| Ground transportation | Blue Cash Preferred3.0% |
| Streaming | Blue Cash Preferred6.0% |
| Flights · portal | Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card · American Express Travel5.0% |
| Hotels · portal | Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card · American Express Travel5.0% |
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
- Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card — 2.0%
- Blue Cash Preferred — 1.0%
Groceries
- Blue Cash Preferred — 6.0%
- Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card — 2.0%
Gas
- Blue Cash Preferred — 3.0%
- Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card — 2.0%
Ground transportation
- Blue Cash Preferred — 3.0%
- Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card — 2.0%
Streaming
- Blue Cash Preferred — 6.0%
- Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card — 2.0%
Flights · portal
- Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card · American Express Travel — 5.0%
Hotels · portal
- Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card · American Express Travel — 5.0%
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