Blue from American Express^® Review [2025]: Earn Rewards With No Annual Fee

Card basics

Who should get the Blue from American Express?

Travel credit cards offer amazing benefits and rewards for those who like to travel. Even just looking at American Express credit cards, you get a wide variety of cards to choose from depending on your spending and travel habits. If you're a traveler looking to get your first travel credit card, you might consider the Blue from American Express.

This card has a $0 annual fee, which is ideal for newcomers to the points and miles hobby. This helps you focus on earning rewards for a future trip instead of stressing about an annual cost. Because you can earn 2X points on eligible purchases through AmexTravel.com and 1X points on all other purchases, it's easy to rack up rewards on everyday purchases and travel bookings.

You're likely to be approved for the Blue from American Express if you have a good to excellent credit score, though American Express has the final say on its card applications, and other credit card application rules may also apply.

If you're looking for premium travel benefits, though, there are better cards out there, especially within the American Express card lineup. The Platinum Card^® from American Express is widely seen as one of the best available travel cards. It has a $695 annual fee, but its perks can quickly offset this cost. You get luxury benefits like Priority Pass and Amex Centurion Lounge access, a up to a $200 annual airline fee credit, and reimbursement for up to $120 every 4 years for Global Entry or up to $85 every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck fees (five-year plan only). Select benefits require enrollment.

Other cards to consider

The Blue from American Express provides a great starting point for travelers seeking their first travel credit card. However, it may not offer the most bang for your buck in travel redemptions when compared to other credit cards.

Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

The Chase Freedom Unlimited^® is one of the best cashback credit cards we've used not only because it offers flexible rewards at high earning rates, but it also includes travel protections we don't often see in no-annual-fee cards or predominantly cashback cards.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. This makes it the perfect choice for earning valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points on everyday purchases like groceries and gas. And if you pair it with the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve^®, you can transfer Chase Freedom Unlimited points to a Sapphire card.

Read our full Chase Freedom Unlimited^® review.

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

Like the Chase Freedom Unlimited, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards card has a $0 annual fee. But unlike the Freedom Unlimited and more like the Blue from American Express, it's first and foremost a travel card.

This card earns 1.25 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day and 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. It's rare for a card that earns travel points or miles to not have a fee, and these rewards rates are nothing to scoff at. If this card is calling your name, make sure to get comfortable with Capital One's travel portal, as booking travel directly through this portal will be the best way to maximize the value of your rewards in most cases.

Read our full Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card review.

Blue from American Express benefits and perks

• Rewards earning potential: Earn 2X points on eligible purchases through AmexTravel.com and 1X points on all other purchases.
• $0 annual fee: There is a $0 annual fee, so you get to earn more rewards without having to offset an annual cost.
• Membership Rewards program: With this card, you earn Amex Membership Rewards points. Membership Rewards can be used to book travel, buy gift cards, cover charges on your card, and more. Membership Rewards have no expiration date.
• Rental car insurance: Receive credit card rental car insurance when you decline the rental collision damage waiver and pay for your entire eligible car rental with your Blue from American Express card. This insurance will cover theft and damage to the vehicle.
• Purchase protection: Eligible purchases made with your Blue from American Express card are covered for up to 90 days from the date of purchase. You'll get coverage up to $1,000 per covered purchase and up to $50,000 total per card account.

Drawbacks to this card

• No welcome offer: There is no welcome offer when you qualify for the Blue from American Express, which is uncommon for travel rewards credit cards.
• No premium benefits: As a low-tier travel card, the Blue from American Express doesn't offer many benefits. That means you won't get any premium travel perks like an annual travel credit or airport lounge access.
• No transfer partners: Most American Express cards that earn Membership Rewards points can transfer them to the numerous Amex transfer partners. Unfortunately, the Blue from American Express doesn't get this benefit, even though it earns Membership Rewards points. There is a way around that: If you have another Amex card that earns Membership Rewards points and is eligible for transfer partners, your points from both cards will automatically pool together and you can transfer them to the Amex transfer partners.

Earning and redeeming American Express Membership Rewards

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here's a look at how your point can add up with the Blue from American Express card. To calculate these values, we used a point valuation of 1 cent per point.

Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.

Year one earnings: $385

Year two earnings: $385

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which takes a look at points earned via spending, the welcome bonus, and the annual fee.

Best ways to earn

The best way to earn travel rewards with the Blue from American Express is by using it to book travel on AmexTravel.com and through everyday purchases. You can earn 2X points on eligible purchases through AmexTravel.com and 1X points on all other purchases.

Maximizing your redemptions

The Blue from American Express earns Membership Rewards points on every purchase, which is a quick way to build up your points total for reward redemptions. Travel redemptions are the obvious top choice when it comes to using your rewards, but you can find value with other types of redemptions as well.

If you use the Amex Rewards Points Calculator, you can see the cash value of your points when you redeem them for different things. For example, 10,000 Membership Rewards points earned with this card would get you $50 worth of airfare or hotels through AmexTravel.com:

However, the same 10,000 points could also get you $100 worth of gift cards at certain stores:

Depending on how you're looking to use your points, you may get different values out of them. Make sure to look around in your American Express online account to see the best redemption method for you.

Blue from American Express FAQs

Easy-to-Earn Unlimited Rewards

Bank of America^® Travel Rewards credit card

Benefits

Card Details

• $0 annual fee
• Simple, flat-rate rewards
• Flexible redemption options
• Up to 75% Bank of America Preferred Rewards® bonus potential
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• 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.
• Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.
• Earn 3 points per $1 spent on travel purchases booked through the Bank of America Travel Center.
• Use your card to book your trip how and where you want - you're not limited to specific websites with blackout dates or restrictions.
• Redeem points for a statement credit to pay for travel or dining purchases, such as flights, hotel stays, car and vacation rentals, baggage fees, and also at restaurants including takeout.
• 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 18.24% - 28.24% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 4%. Balance transfers may not be used to pay any account provided by Bank of America.
• If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase. That means instead of earning an unlimited 1.5 points for every $1, you could earn 1.87-2.62 points for every $1 you spend on purchases. You could earn 3.75-5.25 points for every $1 you spend on travel purchases made through the Bank of America Travel Center.
• Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
• This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.

4.4

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

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Intro Offer

Earn 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases

Annual Fee

$0

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Why we like it

• The Bank of America^® Travel Rewards credit card is great for individuals who enjoy earning rewards and traveling.

• Cardholders will enjoy the flexibility to redeem points with no blackout dates and receive a statement credit to pay for travel and dining purchases.

• Earn 3 points per $1 spent on travel purchases booked through the Bank of America Travel Center and 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases.

• Apply Now