Blue from American Express
Earn 1% cash back on everything you buy
at American Express's secure site
Cash back is paid once per payment period — conditions apply; see amex.ae. See rates & fees.
Rewards rate
Blue is the Amex you get when you want the badge at the smallest possible fee: 250 for a flat 1% back, free supplementary cards and basic insurance. The honest comparison is unflattering — Mashreq, ADCB and Wio pay 1% or better for nothing — and the cash back only shows up once per 14-month period. A tidy first card, not a value play.
How the 1% Cash Back works
Blue earns a flat 1% Cash Back on all purchases made on the card, according to the Schedule of Fees and Charges — the product page hedges with 'up to 1%', and we could find no published cap. There are no bonus categories, no enrolment and no Membership Rewards points on this card. Cash withdrawals, interest, fees, balance transfers and refunded amounts earn nothing, and a month in which you go over your credit limit or miss the minimum payment earns nothing either.
Payout is the part to read twice. Under the Cardmember Agreement for Amex credit cards, cash back is credited to the card account once per Cash Back Payment Period — every 14 months from the card's issue date — rather than statement by statement. Cancel before a period ends, or have amounts overdue for two or more months, and that period's cash back is forfeited. The agreement adds that other terms may apply, so confirm the current payout cycle with Amex.
Rates and fees
- Annual fee
- 250 ( 262.50 incl. VAT); no first-year waiver.
- Interest rate
- 3.60% per month fixed (43.20% annual). Up to 56 days interest-free on purchases.
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.94% (3.087% incl. VAT) on non- transactions.
- Cash advance
- 3% or 100 (whichever is higher; 3.15%/ 105 incl. VAT). Withdrawals limited to 40% of credit limit.
- Late payment fee
- 230 ( 241.50 incl. VAT); dishonoured cheque or direct debit 115 ( 120.75 incl. VAT).
- Overlimit fee
- 275.50 ( 289.28 incl. VAT).
- Minimum payment
- 5% or 35, whichever is higher.
- Plan It instalments
- 3, 6, 9 or 12 months at up to 1.50% a month (18% a year); early closure fee 1% of the remaining balance (1.05% incl. VAT) or 900 ( 945 incl. VAT), whichever is lower.
- Supplementary cards
- Free, up to 9 cards.
Rates from the American Express Schedule of Fees and Charges (05-2025). Fees shown exclude 5% VAT unless noted; VAT-inclusive figures in brackets.
Card benefits
1% cash back, nothing to track
A flat 1% on all purchases with no categories, tiers or enrolment. Credited to your card account once per Cash Back Payment Period rather than monthly.
Retail & fraud protection
Retail Protection Insurance up to 750 per occurrence ( 90,000 a year) for theft or damage within 90 days of purchase, plus a Fraud Protection Guarantee on unauthorised charges.
Travel accident cover to 200,000
Travel Accident Insurance up to 200,000 when the fare is charged to the card (policy AMEX06). No travel inconvenience or medical cover is listed.
Virtual card, instantly
Instant virtual card issuance with its own spending limit for online shopping and digital wallets, and full account management in the Amex MENA app.
Up to 9 free supplementary cards
Family members get their own cards on your account at no extra fee — the schedule lists supplementary cards as free up to a maximum of nine.
Amex Offers
Local and regional merchant offers loaded to the card, with 24/7 customer service and lost-or-stolen card support.
Pros and cons
- Flat 1% cash back on everything — nothing to enrol in, no bonus categories to chase
- The cheapest Amex credit card in the UAE at 250 a year ( 262.50 incl. VAT)
- Up to 9 free supplementary cards for the family
- Plan It instalments of 3 to 12 months and up to 56 interest-free days
- Retail protection, travel accident cover to 200,000 and a Fraud Protection Guarantee included
- Instant virtual card with its own spending limit, managed in the Amex MENA app
- Cash back is credited once per 14-month payment period — not monthly — and is forfeited if you cancel before the period ends or run two or more months overdue
- The page says 'up to 1%', the schedule says 1% — and 1% is what free cards from Mashreq, ADCB and Wio pay with no annual fee
- Income floor of about 23,000 a month — higher than the Gold Credit Card's published 15,000
- No lounge access, no welcome offer, no dining or grocery perks
- 2.94% foreign transaction fee (3.087% with VAT) and 43.2% annual interest if you carry a balance
- Amex acceptance in the UAE is narrower than Visa or Mastercard
Is it right for you?
Get this card if
- You want an American Express card at the lowest fee in the UAE line-up and can clear the 23,000 income bar
- You prefer one flat rate on everything over juggling bonus categories and monthly spend targets
- You will keep the card long term and pay on time — the cash back only lands at the end of each 14-month period
Consider skipping it if
- You want the best cash-back return — free cards from Mashreq, ADCB or Wio pay 1% to 2% with no annual fee
- You expect lounge access, a welcome offer or travel perks — Blue has none
- You might cancel within the first year: an unfinished Cash Back Payment Period pays nothing
Alternatives to consider
For 395 the Gold Credit Card adds 5 Priority Pass visits and 15,000 welcome points — and, oddly, publishes a lower income floor of 15,000. Earning points costs 95 a year extra.
Best lounge access cards →
Wio's credit card pays a flat 2% with no annual fee — double Blue's rate — capped at 2,500 a month and only on a qualifying Wio plan.
Best cashback cards →
Mashreq Cashback is free for life, pays 5% on dining and 1% on other UAE retail spend, and accepts applicants from 5,000 a month.
Best no-annual-fee cards →Not sure which way to go? Put them side by side in our card comparison tool or browse the full ranked list.
Frequently asked questions
What is the annual fee of Blue from American Express?+
AED 250 a year (AED 262.50 including VAT), with no first-year waiver. Supplementary cards are free, up to 9. There is no separate rewards enrolment fee — unlike the Amex Gold Credit Card, the cash back on Blue needs no Membership Rewards subscription.
What is the minimum salary for Blue from American Express?+
Amex's Arabic product page lists an annual income of at least AED 276,000 if employed — about AED 23,000 a month — or AED 367,000 if self-employed, plus UAE residency and a minimum age of 21. The English page leaves the eligibility block empty, so confirm the threshold with Amex before applying.
How much cash back does Blue from American Express earn?+
The Schedule of Fees and Charges states 1% Cash Back on all purchases made on the card, while the product page says 'up to 1%'. Cash withdrawals, interest, fees, balance transfers and refunded amounts earn nothing, and no cash back is paid for any month in which you exceed your credit limit or miss the minimum payment.
When is the cash back paid?+
Not monthly. Under the Cardmember Agreement for Amex credit cards, cash back is credited to the card account at the end of each Cash Back Payment Period — every 14 months from the card issuance date (the same clause also describes the payment as annual). Cancel the card before a period ends, or have amounts overdue for two or more months, and that period's cash back is forfeited.
Does Blue from American Express include airport lounge access?+
No. Lounge access in the Amex UAE credit-card line-up starts with the Gold Credit Card (5 Priority Pass visits a year) and rises to 12 visits on the Platinum Credit Card.
What interest rate and insurance does the card carry?+
A fixed 3.60% per month (43.20% a year), with up to 56 interest-free days on purchases when you pay the statement in full; the minimum payment is 5% or AED 35. Insurance is limited to Retail Protection of up to AED 750 per occurrence (AED 90,000 a year) and Travel Accident Insurance of up to AED 200,000 — there is no travel inconvenience or medical cover.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank or card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.