In 2015 AMEX refreshed the Premier Rewards Gold Card. The annual fee went up from $175/year to $195/year. The card offered a $100 annual airline fee credit, 2 points per dollar spent on gas, groceries, and restaurants, and 3 points per dollar on airfare.
The card is being refreshed again today and the name of the card is reverting back from American Express Premier Rewards Gold Card to American Express Gold Card. The annual fee is jumping up from $195/year to $250/year and that won’t be waived for the first year. If you have an existing Premier Rewards Gold card that renews before April you will pay $195 and renewals from April and on will pay $250.
The card is now metal and you can request a limited edition Rose Gold colored card from now through 1/9/19.
The welcome bonus is now 50K points for spending $2K in 3 months. If you have or had the Premier Rewards Gold or a Gold card in the past you won’t be eligible for the welcome bonus.
Additionally if you apply by 1/9/19 you’ll also get 20% back at US restaurants within 3 months of opening the card, up to a $100 statement credit.
The card will now earn 4 points per dollar on up to $25K of annual spending at US supermarkets and 4 points per dollar at US restaurants. Airline spending will continue to earn 3 points per dollar and there will still a $100 annual airline fee credit at the airline of your choice.
Unfortunately the gas category bonus is being eliminated. If you have an existing Premier Rewards Gold card you will keep the double points on gas until 10/4/19.
You can also get up to a $10 refund per month for spending at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, and participating Shake Shack locations.
Is the refreshed Gold card worthwhile?
If you’ll maximize the $100 annual airline fee credit and the $10 monthly Grubhub/Seamless credit, that effectively lowers the annual fee from $250 to just $30. If you spend on bonus categories like US supermarkets and restaurants, then the 4 points per dollar can be lucrative.
For me personally, I value Chase points higher than AMEX points, so the 4 points earned at restaurants on this card isn’t necessarily better than 3 points per dollar on the Sapphire Reserve.
Additionally Chase’s bonus categories are valid worldwide, while AMEX restricts bonus categories to US spending.
The 4 points per dollar spend at grocery stores is valuable, though I earn 4.5 points per dollar at grocery stores and 3 points per dollar a gas stations by making 30 transactions per month on my AMEX Everyday Preferred card. However the Everyday Preferred caps that spending at $6K/year while the Gold card grocery bonus is valid up to $25K/year. The AMEX Blue Cash Preferred offers 6% cash back on groceries, but is also capped at $6K/year.
While the Chase Freedom card offers a quarterly 5x grocery bonus (and is currently offering 5x at ShopRite via Chase Pay), it would be nice to see Chase add a year-round grocery store bonus to one of their cards.
I don’t personally use Grubhub/Seamless and I probably value the $100 in airline fee credit at about $80, so that would make the effective cost $170/year for me. I’ve had the Premier Rewards Gold card in the past, so I won’t be eligible for the welcome bonus either. That makes this card get a pass from me, but I can see how it can be quite lucrative for others for will take full advantage of the $100 in airline fee credits, the $10 monthly Grubhub/Seamless credit, and who are big dining/grocery spenders who value having AMEX points. If you haven’t had the Gold card in the past, then the 50K points are worth well more than the $250 annual fee.
Will you apply for the refreshed American Express Gold Card?
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69 Comments On "AMEX Refreshes The Consumer Gold Card And Increases The Welcome Bonus To 50K"
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I got the Gold card 8 months ago – is it worth calling to try to get some bonus points? Will i get a new card in the mail now?
Can’t hurt to ask, but unlikely to get much.
You can call for a new card.
I read somewhere that if you have the card your grandfathered in for the first year at 195? so when my year is up i pay $195 again or its up to 250?
If you have an existing card your next fee will be $195 if it;s billed before April. You have 30 days from that point to decide whether to keep the card open.
next year will it be 250?
Renewals starting in April will be $250.
2 questions.
1 If you keep the card for those 30 days can you get the airline cedit and then cancel/downgrade and get the yearly fee back?
2 what’s the best card to downgrade it to?
1. The airline credit is based on a calendar year.
2. Depends on your needs and what they will allow you to downgrade to.
Also had it, so not worth w/o a signup at this point…I do like the rose gold though…
A Pink Sharpie will be cheaper 😉
thanks for your report and advice.
My pleasure.
I just signed up and got 25k for it. Do u think they will honor the 50k?
Can’t hurt to ask, but typically AMEX won’t match offers.
I chatted w supervisor for the points, was offered 500 points as a courtesy lol.
Manage to push it up to 3k. U think its the best i could’ve gotten or if i call i can have better results?
I’d call.
barclays are matching offers?
Does the AF go up for new applications only or for everyone?
Everyone, though existing cardholders may get one more year of $195 depending on when the fee is billed.
Any changes to the platinums additional user gold ?
Can pair with blue business card for 2x on everything else for no fee so worth it if you combine with another card.
@dan Have you heard of any way to get the targeted 100K Amex Platinum sign up points if not actually targeted? Has calling helped?
I called to request a rose gold today and they said I will be getting a new agreement so I said no thank you…
Platinum Airline credit works with gc with one $200 transaction or you need to do 4x$50? Does the united /dog work for cash credit in card?
https://www.dansdeals.com/credit-cards/ways-can-spend-amex-airline-fee-credit-triple-dip-apply-now/
Is the $100 airline fee credit per calendar year or member year?
Calendar year.
AF just posted few days ago. was going to close it, but might be worth keeping another year if I can use the grubhub credit and airline fee $220 for $195
If you’ll max those out then keep it.
Trader Joe’s? Costco? Western Kosher (or some other Jewish grocery like Empire Kosher) are these considered grocery stores? How are these defined?
Thank you!
Depends on how they are categorized.
Costco is definitely not as it is categorized as whoiesale, while the others should be.
Thanks @dan who sets these categories? I’m hopeful to get the Amex Blue Cash as with a Normal Jewish family, 6% is amazing!
The store and/or the processor.
It’s trial and error to see how it actually posts.
Thank you! I signed up. Said I’m not eligible because of the amount of cards opened etc. I don’t think I ever had blue, maybe 10 years ago. Recourse?
The 10$/mo for grubhub and seamless is effective from today?
Yes.
Could we have a list of ways to spend the $100 airline credit. We can’t get United credits anymore. I remember delta GCs only worked in certain increments. Maybe $50, I don’t remember.
https://www.dansdeals.com/credit-cards/ways-can-spend-amex-airline-fee-credit-triple-dip-apply-now/
@Dan Why do you value chase points higher than amex? Do you have a thread to point me to for further reading?
Thanks in advance!
-I prefer Chase’s travel partners like United and Hyatt that AMEX doesn’t have.
-I get a value of at least 1.5 cents per point with Sapphire Reserve.
-Chase doesn’t charge a transfer fee to domestic airlines while AMEX does.
-Chase allows the transfer of points to secondary cardholders.
Etc.
Very valid points, however:
– Amex allows transfer through business cardholders
– Amex has a lot of bonus transfers (aka 40% to BA)
– Amex cards have better retention offers
– United is awesome with elites, not so much with others.
– Hyatt is unbeatable but not for everybody.
-Business cardholders can transfer points from MR-MR? Never heard of this.
-The bonus transfers are typically not to airlines I care about. BA is long past its heyday.
-I’ve had retention bonuses from both banks.
-United’s award space is excellent for anyone with a United card, no need for status.
-Hyatt is an excellent program.
I learned how to fit my travel goals with MR options.
I use ANA and SQ points more than I user United, but I travel only 4-5 times a year. BA works great from me out of SFO to Asia/Hawaii/Mexico and I will happily take these bonuses.
Hyatt is amazing but very small chain.
Finally Amex in MUCH more generous with me than Chase… 😉
ANA/SQ are good options, but they can’t book XN space that United cardholders can and they can’t book *A flights without fuel surcharges like United can.
Dan – Please elaborate on your 4th point?
I don’t recall Chase having bonus transfers ratios while amex has them periodically throughout the year.
simple and clear and informative!
it’s a pleasure to read your posts.
Thanks 🙂
Does buying GCs at a grocery store (stop and shop) work towards the grocery credit?
Are AMEX MR points transferrable to family members?
Nime
What is AMEX thinking?
The Sapphire Reserve is almost a no-brainer, as it puts a 1.5 cent floor value on points, gets travel credit (not like AMEX travel FEE credit), so it literally pays for itself.
4 AMEX points on Grocery? I get more with Everyday Preferred. I get 3 Citi TYP at Gas Stations, and those have special value that’s not available with Chase, AMEX or even SPG/Marriott.
The only people that can find value in this card are people that use restaurants and grubhub often. Nothing there for me.
I had the AMEX Gold card in the passed, but I closed it 4 years back, is there a chance I’ll get the signup bonus?
For me the 4 points for grocery is a luxury, we spend way more than 6k in groceries a year, putting this card higher on the ladder than the AMEX Everyday Preferred card. Besides the point I can sell AMEX points for more than one cent per point.
Will additional users also get 4 points on groceries
Yes
Dan, why don’t you mention that you can get $200 in travel credit in one year with the card?
https://www.dansdeals.com/credit-cards/ways-can-spend-amex-airline-fee-credit-triple-dip-apply-now/
Can I use the airline credit to buy airline gift certificates for a later travel? (With American airlines)
https://www.dansdeals.com/credit-cards/ways-can-spend-amex-airline-fee-credit-triple-dip-apply-now/
1. Anyone know what the New Agreement for the Rose Gold card has different than the old one?
2. What Amex card would be a viable alternative (with a lower or no fee) to still get points and Amex offers?
If AMEX Qualification tool says you are good for the bonus, is that a good enough assurance? I;ve had the Personal Gold years ago.
Will a current card member get the gas bonus and the new bonus
Can i purchase $10 gift cards from grub hub and it be counted towards the statement credit every month?
Dan, thanks for the post. I’ve never received the bonus so it seemed like a no brainer to keep for a year.
Great card.
I value MR > UR.
Amex service and warranties way better than Chase.
Retention bonuses for this card are common and reduce TCO. Might not be worth renewing if they don’t give retention offer.
Does it make sense to cancel my AMEX SPG card and get the AMEX gold instead?
When I log onto my account, I see $50K bonus. I had this card like 4 years ago. As I read through the benefits/terms, I do not see the typical “no bonus for people who had this card and got the bonus before”.
Am I safe to apply this card now and get the benefit? Or they would deny the bonus regardless because I have gotten the bonus 4 years ago?
@dan I see ame now updated the Business Gold Card, will you please do a post about it
Is the a high signup offer for the gold card? does it ever go over 50K MR points?