This Killer Third Party Amex Card Is Now Widely Available

Bread Rewards American Express

My wife and I have each held the Bread Rewards American Express card for extended periods and have enjoyed the product.  In fairness, we grade third party Amex cards on a curve.  But even taking away that wrinkle, this card should be a no-brainer for many.  Until recently, acquiring one hasn’t been that easy, though.  That’s because the Bread Rewards Amex has historically come with a rather significant catch.  The good news is that’s gone and many can freely go after it now.  After I describe that, I elaborate on why this card is worth considering.

No More Catch!

During the course of some usual points and travel online silliness, I wandered over to the general page for the Bread Rewards American Express card.  It’s not one I usually visit, as my wife and I have been long-term holders of the product.  But I noticed something interesting this time.  At first, the Bread Rewards American Express card was officially accessible to those targeted for a pre-approved offer.  This was the case for an extended period of time.  But somewhere along the way, that magical “apply online” button appeared, and the card is now available to a wider audience.  While this may not be breaking news, this development is new to me, and probably to some of you.

But, of course, just because a card is available doesn’t mean it’s necessarily worth your time.  Next, I’m describing why the Bread Rewards Amex might be worth pursuing.

Bread Rewards American Express Highlights

Generous Bonus Categories

The Bread Rewards Amex hasn’t ever come with a significant welcome offer and doesn’t appear to come with any currently (unless you’re targeted for one).  But for many, the  card’s attractive bonus categories can easily make up for the lack of a signup bonus.  Let’s dive into those now.

Cardholders earn 3x points in the following categories:

• Grocery Stores
• Gas Stations
• Dining
• Utilities

Those four categories are quite attractive.  Indeed, many of us normally spend substantial amounts in all four, and this spend happens without getting into huge splurge territory.  The card earns 1x everywhere else.  Points are worth one cent per point for statement credits, among other redemption options I’ve found to be less lucrative.  (Friendly reminder, these are NOT Membership Rewards points.)

Even More Points!

As those late-night commercial mention, “but wait – there’s more!”  Cardholders who make 20 or more transactions in a statement period earn 25% more points.  You may recall a similar scheme with Amex’s two previous Everyday cards (which I hope return).  This card offers a whopping 3.75x points/3.75% cash back on bonus category spending – again, areas where most of us are routinely spending, anyway.

And, occasionally, my wife and I have been targeted with periodic spend offers with an extra 2x points/2% cash back.  They’ve all been capped offers but still worth our efforts.

No Annual Fee

Plenty of other cards may have a few of these categories, but what sets the Bread Rewards Amex even more apart is that there’s no annual fee.  Cardholders can easily earn noteworthy amounts without incurring a fee just for holding the card.

For many, this can be a “set and forget” card for a spouse or other second player who doesn’t want a bunch of confusion switching between multiple cards with different bonus categories.

Redemption Positives

First off, points quickly post to a cardholder’s account.  In my experience, points have shown up in my account within a couple days of the purchase.  There’s no waiting around for the 3x or 1x points to post.  (The 25% points kicker doesn’t appear until after statement cut, though.)

Even better, cardholders can immediately redeem in helpful increments.  The minimum redemption amount is 1,000 points/$10 dollars, but beyond that, users can customize or totally zero out their points account on redemptions.  There’s no messing with arbitrary denominations beyond the quite-low, reasonable redemption increment.

Third Party Amex Benefits

Of course, the Bread Rewards card comes with similar perks to other third party Amex cards, such as:

• Third party Amex cards aren’t subject to Amex’s general credit or pay over time card product limits.
• They can provide additional access to Amex Offers that give you the ability to grab multiples of the same offer.
• These cards can earn rewards on online Serve loads.  (Serve and Bluebird end in June 2026.)

  

Conclusion

In my view, taking one’s points and travel game to the next level involves carefully pursuing cards beyond the credit card heavyweights and middleweights.  Bread/Comenity is one such issuer often overlooked but still worthy of attention.  Now that the Bread Rewards American Express is available to a bigger audience, more consumers have access to a noteworthy card earning solid rewards on everyday spending.

Do you hold the Bread Rewards American Express card?  How’s your experience been?