American Express Blue Cash Credit Card: More Than Just Cash Rewards

There are many cash back credit cards on the market today. Almost every large issuer has at least one of these credit cards in their ever growing product selections. Differentiating between these seemingly similar offers can be a tough affair until you start scratching beneath the surface.

When you do, you will find that some offer more than others. A good example of this is the American Express Blue Cash credit card.

American Express Blue Cash Financial Tools

American Express has purposely created an online financial management environment to simplify this often tedious task for holders of their credit cards.

• Account management: you can pay your American Express Blue Cash bill, monitor your account and all the transactions made against your account via the internet. This type of control is especially handy if you have issued family members or friends with American Express Blue Cash credit cards linked to your account. If you want to remain in touch on the fly, you could also avail yourself of the free American Express SMS alert service, which notifies you of any transaction made on your credit cards and provides you with a timely reminder of account payments falling due.

• Bill Payments: American Express Blue Cash credit cards are eligible for the online Bill Pay service. This service enables you to settle your bills with more than 100 companies - either as once-off or as automatic payments. To top it all, payments made in this way with your American Express Blue Cash credit cards, earn you cash back rewards.

• Year-End Summary: The year-end summary tool is extremely helpful - both from a tax preparation and budgeting perspective. It can be downloaded and printed, offers you a full year's history and allows you to sort your expenses by category.

American Express Blue Cash Protection

American Express has a variety of measures in place to safeguard their American Express Blue Cash credit card holders in terms of:

• Merchants: Merchants whose products are not to specification and those who refuse to accept returns.

• Merchandise: Additional warranties as well as protection against damage and theft.

• Fraud: American Express Blue Cash credit cards are protected against fraudulent use, regardless of whether you shop online or in-store.

• Travel: When you travel, American Express offers you access to their Global Assist Hotline (to help with any emergencies that may come your way), as well as travel insurance and car rental accident and damage waiver protection.

American Express Blue Cash Smart Features

In addition to the financial tools and the protective measures offered by American Express to holders of their credit cards, they also offer a set of ancillary benefits that they call 'Smart Features'. Some of the Smart Features you enjoy with American Express Blue Cash credit cards include:

• Shop Smart: Shop Smart offers savings and discounts on a wide range of brand names - from electronics all the way through to designer clothing.

• Travel: This Smart feature offers assured bookings, discounts, special offers and low rates to those holders of American Express Blue Cash credit cards who make their reservations through American Express online. When you travel and you need assistance, you can either call in at any one of their 2,200 travel services counters in more than 130 countries or call the Global Assist hotline.