Head to head

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express vs Discover it Cash Back

Discover it Cash Back leads 3 to 2 on the 5 rankable specs and charges $95 a year less, which makes it the straightforward pick.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Annual fee: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express lists $95 (American Express sheet, 2026-09-02); Discover it Cash Back lists $0 (Discover sheet, 2026-09-02).
Rewards rate: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express lists 6% cash back at US supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1%), 6% on select US streaming subscriptions, 3% on transit and US gas stations, 1% on other purchases (American Express sheet, 2026-09-02); Discover it Cash Back lists 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter (up to $1,500 in quarterly purchases with activation), 1% unlimited on all other purchases (Discover sheet, 2026-09-02).
Regular APR: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express lists 19.24% – 29.99% Variable APR (American Express sheet, 2026-09-02); Discover it Cash Back lists 17.24% – 28.24% Variable APR (Discover sheet, 2026-09-02).
Foreign transaction fee: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express lists 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars (American Express sheet, 2026-09-02); Discover it Cash Back lists None (0%) (Discover sheet, 2026-09-02).
Late fee: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express lists Up to $40 (American Express sheet, 2026-09-02); Discover it Cash Back lists None on first late payment, then up to $41 (Discover sheet, 2026-09-02).

Not financial advice. Annual fees, APRs, bonuses and credits change. Confirm current terms with the issuer before you apply.

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

$95/yr2 spec wins

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Citi Double Cash Card$0/yr Chase Freedom Unlimited$0/yr Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards$0/yr Bilt World Elite Mastercard$0/yr Chase Freedom Flex$0/yr Wells Fargo Active Cash Card$0/yr Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express$0/yr Chase Sapphire Preferred Card$95/yr Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card$95/yr Citi Strata Premier Card$95/yr American Express Gold Card$325/yr Capital One Venture X Rewards$395/yr Chase Sapphire Reserve$550/yr The Platinum Card from American Express$695/yr

Discover it Cash Back

$0/yr3 spec wins

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Buying for

Every rankable spec counts once. Pick a lens to score only what matters for your credit card.

Straight answer

Overall: 2 to 3

Buy the Discover it Cash Back.

Leads 3 of 5 rankable overall specs; Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express takes 2.
Annual fee: $0 vs $95
Regular APR: 17.24% – 28.24% Variable APR vs 19.24% – 29.99% Variable APR
It also charges $95 less a year.

2 Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express5 rankable of 10 specsDiscover it Cash Back 3

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

Annual feerow
You pay before a single reward is earned.
Trips:Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express · $95Clear:Discover it Cash Back · $0
Foreign transaction feerow
Adds about 3% to every purchase abroad.
Trips:Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express · 2.7% of each transaction after conversi…Clear:Discover it Cash Back · None (0%)
No airport lounge accessrow
No free lounges; only matters if you fly often.
Trips:Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express · NoTrips:Discover it Cash Back · No

At a glance

The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.

2 of 2 differ

Annual fee

American Express

$95

Discover

Rewards rate

American Express

6% cash back at US supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1%), 6% on select US streaming subscriptions, 3% on transit and US gas stations, 1% on other purchases

Discover

5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter (up to $1,500 in quarterly purchases with activation), 1% unlimited on all other purchases

True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Upfront price + 3 years of consumables, fees & essential add-ons

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

Upfront list price$0

3-Yr Annual card membership fee ($95 billed annually)+$285

3-Year Estimated Total$285

Cost over 3 years in annual fees before rewards or statement credits.

Discover it Cash Back

Upfront list price$0

3-Year Estimated Total$0

Zero annual fee card.

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.

Post-Purchase Truths

American Express: What to watch for

Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Regular cleaning, firmware updates, and standard care are recommended to preserve longevity.

Discover: What to watch for

Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Regular cleaning, firmware updates, and standard care are recommended to preserve longevity.

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express$95/yr2 wins

Discover it Cash Back$0/yr3 wins

Fees & Rates Rewards & Perks Card Details

8 of 10 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Fees & Rates

leads 3-1

Fees & Rates specifications. Middle column is Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express, right column is Discover it Cash Back.
Annual fee	$95	$0 (wins this row: lower)
Regular APR	19.24% – 29.99% Variable APR	17.24% – 28.24% Variable APR (wins this row: lower)
Foreign transaction fee	2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars	None (0%) (wins this row: lower)
Late fee	Up to $40 (wins this row: lower)	None on first late payment, then up to $41

Rewards & Perks

leads 1-0

Rewards & Perks specifications. Middle column is Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express, right column is Discover it Cash Back.
Rewards rate	6% cash back at US supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1%), 6% on select US streaming subscriptions, 3% on transit and US gas stations, 1% on other purchases (wins this row: higher)	5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter (up to $1,500 in quarterly purchases with activation), 1% unlimited on all other purchases
Sign-up bonus	$250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 6 months	Cashback Match: Discover will automatically match all cash back you earn at the end of your first year with no minimum or limit
Intro APR offer	0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from date of account opening	0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
Lounge access	No	No

Card Details

1 differences

Card Details specifications. Middle column is Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express, right column is Discover it Cash Back.
Credit neededOur summary	Good to Excellent (670–850)	Good to Excellent (670–850)
Network	American Express	Discover Network

Credit-card figures are from issuer materials and go stale. This is not an offer to lend, not financial advice, and not a recommendation to apply. Verify every fee, APR, bonus and credit on the issuer's site.

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express issuer terms (opens in a new tab) · checked Sep 2, 2026
Discover it Cash Back issuer terms (opens in a new tab) · checked Sep 2, 2026

Which one should you buy

Pick this one if

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

High-tier cash back card with 6% cash back at US supermarkets (up to $6,000/yr), 6% on select US streaming subscriptions, and 3% on US gas stations and transit.

Market-leading 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6k/year)
6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
3% cash back on transit and U.S. gas stations

What you give up

$95 annual fee ($0 intro fee in first year for select offers)
2.7% foreign transaction fee

Full Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express specs →

Pick this one if

Discover it Cash Back

No-annual-fee rewards card offering 5% cash back in quarterly rotating categories, 1% on all other purchases, and an unlimited dollar-for-dollar Cashback Match in your first year.

5% cash back on quarterly rotating categories (grocery stores, restaurants, gas, Amazon.com) up to $1,500 with activation
Unlimited Cashback Match: Discover automatically doubles all cash back earned at the end of your first year
No annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and free FICO Credit Scorecard

What you give up

Requires quarterly category activation
5% bonus rate is capped at $1,500 quarterly spend (then 1%)

Full Discover it Cash Back specs →

Best for each use

Travel

Flights, hotels and spending abroad: no foreign fees, lounges, a big bonus

For travel, buy the Discover it Cash Back.

Leads 2 of 3 rankable travel specs; Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express takes 1.
Annual fee: $0 vs $95
Foreign transaction fee: None vs 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to…
It also charges $95 less a year.

Everyday cash back

Simple rewards on groceries and gas with nothing to pay each year

For everyday cash back, buy the Discover it Cash Back.

Leads 2 of 3 rankable everyday cash back specs; Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express takes 1.
Annual fee: $0 vs $95
Regular APR: 17.24% – 28.24% Variable APR vs 19.24% – 29.99% Variable APR
It also charges $95 less a year.

Carrying a balance

Paying over time or newer to credit: APR, intro offers, approval odds

For carrying a balance, buy the Discover it Cash Back.

Leads 2 of 3 rankable carrying a balance specs; Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express takes 1.
Annual fee: $0 vs $95
Regular APR: 17.24% – 28.24% Variable APR vs 19.24% – 29.99% Variable APR
It also charges $95 less a year.

Every answer above is scored from published figures. A lens uses only the rows that matter for that use, including marked rows that are not on the official sheet. Switch lenses interactively in the panel above.

Done deciding?

Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express spec sheet Discover it Cash Back spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express ↗ · Discover it Cash Back ↗

Common questions

Which card has the lower annual fee, Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express or Discover it Cash Back?

Discover it Cash Back charges $95 a year less.

What is the biggest catch with the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express or Discover it Cash Back?

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express has this deal-breaker: annual fee. You pay before a single reward is earned.

Which is better for travel, the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express or the Discover it Cash Back?

For travel, buy the Discover it Cash Back. Leads 2 of 3 rankable travel specs; Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express takes 1. Annual fee: $0 vs $95

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 10 specs tracked here, 5 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.

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