Million Mile Secrets reader, RS, commented:
Can I convert my American Express Blue card (10 years old) to an AMEX EveryDay card? Currently the points are not much value to me other than cash. I have collected a lot of points from Costco purchases and would love to be able to transfer them to airline and hotel partners.Yes, you should be able to convert your card!I would lose history if the card is converted right? What happens to my points?
I’ll explain what happens to your points & your credit when you get your new card!
About the AMEX Blue Card
The AMEX Membership Rewards points you earn with the AMEX Blue card can only be redeemed for statement credits or travel booked using Pay with Points at 1 cent per point.
But you can NOT transfer to travel partners. And you’ll only earn 1 AMEX Membership Rewards point per $1 spent on all purchases.
Luckily, RS should be able to convert from the AMEX Blue to the AMEX EveryDay card. In fact, a friend of mine, and several folks on Flyertalk, had their AMEX Blue card was automatically switched to the AMEX EveryDay card!
Will It Impact Your Credit?
Credit history makes up for 15% of your credit score. You’ve had the AMEX Blue card for 10 years, and if you closed this account it could lower your score. By converting to the AMEX EveryDay card instead, you’ll keep the same line of credit and your payment history.
What Are the Benefits of Converting to the AMEX EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express?
Link: AMEX EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express
Link: My Review of the AMEX EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express
The great thing about switching to the AMEX EveryDay card is you can earn 2X AMEX Membership Rewards points for shopping at US supermarkets. You’ll earn 1X AMEX Membership Rewards points for all other spending.
But when you complete 20 or more purchases each month, you’ll get an 20% bonus on the points you earn, giving you:
- 2.4X AMEX Membership Rewards points at US supermarkets
- 1.2X AMEX Membership Rewards points on all other spending
And by making the change over to the AMEX EveryDay card, you can transfer the points you earned with your old AMEX Blue card, as well as any new points you earn, to airline and hotel partners for Big Travel!
American Express Membership Rewards partners include:
| American Express Membership Rewards Airline Transfer Partners | ||
|---|---|---|
| AeroMexico | Air Canada | Alitalia |
| ANA | Asia Miles | British Airways |
| Delta | El Al | Emirates |
| Etihad | Flying Blue (Air France / KLM) | Hawaiian Airlines |
| Iberia | JetBlue | Singapore Airlines |
| Virgin Atlantic |
| American Express Membership Rewards Hotel Transfer Partners | ||
|---|---|---|
| Choice | Hilton | Starwood |
A round-trip flight to Paris could cost ~$1,230! So you’ll get much more for your points!
You’ll get these additional benefits and there’s no annual fee. That makes the AMEX EveryDay a much better card all around.
There Is a Drawback!
You aren’t completing a new application to sign-up for the AMEX EveryDay card, which means you’ll miss out on the sign-up bonus of 10,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points (worth $100 in statement credits or travel using Pay with Points or potentially more if you transfer to airline and hotel partners).
But you’re gaining the ability to earn bonus points on your spending and transfer your points to airline and hotel partners. And these new perks should give you more than ~$100 in value.
Plus, you can still apply for the AMEX EveryDay Preferred card down the road to earn a larger sign-up bonus of 15,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points when you spend $1,000 on purchases within the 1st 3 months of opening your account.
And you’ll earn even more points for your spending:
- 3X points at US supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases
- 2X points at US gas stations
- 1X points on other purchases
And when you use the card to make 30 or more purchases (of any amount) within a billing cycle, you will earn an extra 50% Membership Rewards points, giving you:
- 4.5X Membership Rewards points at US Supermarkets up to $6,000 a year and
- 3X Membership Rewards at US gas stations
- 1.5X Membership Rewards points on other purchases
Bottom Line
If you have the AMEX Blue card, you don’t earn bonus points on everyday spending and you can’t transfer the AMEX Membership Rewards points to airline and hotel partners.
But 1 of my friends and folks on Flyertalk have already had their AMEX Blue card automatically switched to the AMEX EveryDay card. So you should be able to get your card converted as well.
By making this change, you’ll be able to transfer your points to airline and hotel partners for Big Travel, earn more points by spending in bonus categories, and for no annual fee! That’s a smart move!
However, you will miss out on the 10,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points sign-up bonus.
Though later on, you could apply for the AMEX EveryDay Preferred to earn 15,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points when you complete the minimums spending. And you’ll earn even more bonus points on your everyday purchases!