30K AMEX EveryDay Preferred or 15K AMEX EveryDay Card?

The 30K AMEX EveryDay Preferred and 15K AMEX EveryDay cards are getting renewed interest, as AMEX makes it more expensive to hold the AMEX Platinum, with its $550 annual fee (see AMEX Platinum Raises Fee to $550, Adds Uber Credit) and worsens the AMEX Business Platinum by cutting its 50% points rebate to 35% (see AMEX Business Platinum Cuts 50% Points Rebate).

TravelSort reader Kim writes “I think I'm going to ditch my AMEX Platinum given the annual fee increase, but I want to keep my AMEX Membership Rewards points alive, so I'm looking at getting either the AMEX EveryDay Preferred or the AMEX EveryDay card. What are the maximum signup bonuses and how do I get them? Also, I'm torn about which one to get, since I'd love the larger signup bonus of the Preferred, but I'm not keen on the annual fee and don't have a ton of grocery spend.”

Highest Public Offers for Most: 30K AMEX EveryDay Preferred and 15K AMEX EveryDay

The highest available public offers for most are the 30K AMEX EveryDay Preferred and the 15K AMEX EveryDay. Note that the regular offers you'll generally see are 15K for the AMEX EveryDay Preferred and 10K for the AMEX EveryDay. You can, however, clear your cookies and browsing history and use Chrome Incognito or a VPN for a good chance of seeing the 30K AMEX EveryDay Preferred and the 15K AMEX EveryDay offers.

There's also a rare 25K AMEX EveryDay offer, but it took me months before I was able to find one, so count yourself very lucky if you obtain this.

There are also apparently some who have received an AMEX targeted offer for a 50K AMEX EveryDay Preferred. If you do, be sure to apply for this superior offer.

1. Signup Bonus vs. Fees

The 30K AMEX EveryDay Preferred bonus is double that of the 15K AMEX EveryDay, but keep in mind that the AMEX EveryDay Preferred also comes with a $95 annual fee, which, in contrast to many cards, is NOT waived the first year. The AMEX EveryDay is a no fee card.

Put another way, all else equal, in the first year, you're buying 15,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points at a cost of 0.63 cents per point. That's a good rate, and that could work for a churner, but if you're thinking of keeping the card in future years you need to consider if your usage will pay for the $95 annual fee. 

Winner: AMEX EveryDay Preferred

2. Category Bonuses and Transaction Bonus vs. Annual Fee

Both cards have category bonuses, but the AMEX EveryDay Preferred, with its annual fee, offers more rewarding ones:

• 3X AMEX Membership Rewards points at U.S. grocery stores (up to $6000 per calendar year, then 1X)
• 2X AMEX Membership Rewards points at U.S. gas stations

There is a 20% points bonus if you use your card 20 or more times in a given billing period. That yields:

• 2.4X AMEX Membership Rewards points at U.S. grocery stores (up to $6000 per calendar year, then 1X)