Comparing Amex Everyday and Everyday Preferred Cards

Whenever I’m asked what the best credit card is, my answer is always, “It depends.” Even making a recommendation between just two cards leads me to respond the same way.

Case in point: the Everyday and Everyday Preferred cards from American Express. If you are a fan of Amex’s Membership Rewards program, one of these two cards is a good choice for you. I can’t tell you which is the better choice, but at the end of this post you’ll find a calculator that will help you decide for yourself.

Lets take a look at each card’s benefits.

Amex Everyday Card

• 2x Membership Rewards points at U.S. Supermarkets (on up to $6,000 each year)
• 1x Membership Rewards points on all other purchases
• 20% more points when you use your card 20 or more times each billing period
• No Annual Fee

The 20% “multiplier” kicks in when you use your card 20 or more times during the billing period. This means you’ll earn an impressive 2.4x MR points at supermarkets and 1.2x MR points everywhere else.

In addition, this no-annual-fee card gives you full access to the Membership Rewards program. That includes the ability to transfer points to many different travel partner programs like Delta SkyMiles, British Airways Avios, and Hilton Honors. This makes it a great card to have–even just to keep your existing Membership Rewards points active for no cost.

Amex Everyday Preferred Card

• 3x Membership Rewards points at U.S. Supermarkets (on up to $6,000 each year)
• 2x Membership Rewards points at U.S. Gas Stations
• 1x Membership Rewards points on all other purchases
• 50% more points when you use your card 30 or more times each billing period
• $95 Annual Fee

The Everyday Preferred has a larger 50% “multiplier” that kicks in when you use your card 30 or more times during the billing period. This means you’ll earn a whopping 4.5x MR points at supermarkets, 3x MR points and gas stations, and 1.5x MR points everywhere else. Everyday Preferred also gives you full access to the Membership Rewards program.

So… Is it worth paying $95 per year for the higher rewards? Lets find out!

Amex Everday and Everyday Preferred Comparison

This calculator compares the rewards received from the American Express Everyday card and the American Express Everyday Preferred card based on your own personal spending habits.

Enter your annual spending on groceries, gasoline, and everything else. Then enter what you feel each Membership Rewards point is worth to you (in cents per point). Check the box if you want to use the cards' reward earning multiplier (1.2 for Everyday, 1.5 for the Preferred). Press the 'Calculate' button after entering or changing your information.

The results in the chart represent the rewards earned with each card valued in dollars (based on your own value of 1 MR input). The "Difference" column will show you how much more (or less if negative) value you get by using the Everyday Preferred card.

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HT: Reddit user puns4life for helping me debug the calculator.