Amex Blue Pref Cash + Amazon Prime Offer

[theSchmett]

Hi everyone,

I want to get the Blue Pref Cash card, with its insane 6% back on groceries, and I also noticed that there is an Amazon Prime membership benefit too, for new subscriptions.

I already have a subscription to Prime.

If I cancel and re sign up will that work? Has anyone done this? Or maybe I can have my wife sign up with the card and cancel my prime acct?

$79 back in the budget would be NICE. Pay for the fee on this card at least.

Thanks!

[geekette]

Per Amex:

I am already an Amazon Prime member. Can I still get the American Express Amazon Prime offer?

You may only receive the $79 plus tax statement credit as reimbursement for the initial annual Amazon Prime membership fee if you are a new Amazon Prime member. However, you can still get the Membership Rewards points or Reward Dollars (as applicable) by meeting the Spend Threshold within the first three months of Card Membership.

For more information about offer eligibility, see question “Who is eligible to receive this offer?”

[Fireman]

Yeah, I did an online chat and got the same answer.  Only new customers are eligible.

[Silverado]

Not trying to be mean, but I am trying to figure out a situation where someone would get Prime when $79 would have a NICE impact. The benefit of Prime is shipping fees, but you have to buy stuff to save on shipping. The Kindle lending is nice, but libraries are free. The streaming is also not so good.

[Fireman]

Honestly, I have prime and I won't continue it.  The lending limits you to one book per month andI agree that the streaming is actually pretty terrible.  Netflix has a better interface, is faster, and has a similar/better selection.  The two day shipping is nice, but during the holidays when all the shipping companies sucked, it took a week to get some things.  Good value there.

[wtjbatman]

Not trying to be mean, but I am trying to figure out a situation where someone would get Prime when $79 would have a NICE impact. The benefit of Prime is shipping fees, but you have to buy stuff to save on shipping. The Kindle lending is nice, but libraries are free. The streaming is also not so good.

I have Amazon Prime student. Same benefits as prime, just costs $39 a year instead of $79. Assuming you buy anything online or do any streaming of TV shows/movies, it's a steal. Seriously, $3.25 a month so I can get two-day shipping on anything I order from Amazon (which, if I shop online, it's usually from Amazon), I can stream thousands of TV shows/movies from a constantly changing library, and I get to borrow a book for free every month. If you're a reader, that alone is a good deal. Just the free book saves me anywhere from $3 to $10... that pays for the subscription right there.

Obviously if you grow and/or make everything you use, and you don't even own a TV, and you don't read eBooks, then Amazon Prime's value drops a little bit.

[Silverado]

I think Prime is a great thing, and have a subscription. Wel worth it; howerver, $79 is not an impact on my budget. The OP made it sound like $79 was a big impact so i was wondereing why have it at all in that case. Go watch the welfare line and you'll see a lot of cellphones...

[theSchmett]

Yeah, OK I put NICE in all caps. MY BAD.

It won't have a tangible effect on my budget, I just like saving the monies. This is $79 dollars that I'm already spending, making it a very satisfying (read: NICE) little victory.

And hey every $79 counts!

[Another Reader]

This is a gimmicky offer.  You spend $1,000 and get $100 plus a $79 rebate, or $179 in incentives.  You give $75 back in the annual card fee.  Net gain is $104.  I think there are similar or better sign up bonus rewards cards out there that just give you cash.  This makes sense only if you were about to sign up for the card and Amazon Prime anyway.

[wtjbatman]

I think Prime is a great thing, and have a subscription. Wel worth it; howerver, $79 is not an impact on my budget. The OP made it sound like $79 was a big impact so i was wondereing why have it at all in that case. Go watch the welfare line and you'll see a lot of cellphones...

Oh I agree. And funny enough, I was even going to mention people complaining about money when they pay $100 a month for a cell phone.

[theSchmett]

Is 6% off of $6k worth of groceries a gimmick? And I think a good return on gas too

I think that's a pretty sweet deal.

If you take the just 6% on groceries, that is $360. Yes, we will spend $6k on food and other grocery store items.
Spend $1k and get $100 (10% refund)
Get a year's worth of Amazon Prime $79
Pay a $75 membership fee.

Year one benefits = $464

I gave up cable TV and that only saves me $600/year.

For this, all I have to do is keep doing what I'm doing.

I feel the need to explain this because the negativity is confusing. Its not like I'm advocating letting debt revolve!

And maybe we won't capitalize on the Amazon Prime benefit, but it is still almost $400 in the plus, without even adding in the other cash back rates for gas and other purchases.

If there is a better card that gives cash please let me know so I can exercise my good credit rating.