[Expired] Amex Gold Card Gets Major Refresh — New Statement Credits and Increased Annual Fee

Several years ago, Amex unveiled a new iteration of the American Express^® Gold Card to much fanfare.

The card launched with a heavy focus on rewarding cardmembers for foodies by awarding elevated Membership Rewards earnings on purchases made dining out and at U.S. supermarkets. Of course, it offers a long list of other perks and benefits, as well.

Now, Amex has decided that the card is due for a refresh. Its primary focus will still be on those who enjoy all things food — whether they prefer cooking at home or dining out at the hottest spots in town. But some perks have been tweaked, others added, and an annual fee increase as well.

In total, cardmembers can expect to access over $400 annually in benefits value on eligible dining and travel purchases.

Let’s examine all the details and see what you can expect, whether you’re applying the card for the first time or it has been a mainstay in your wallet for many years.

American Express Refreshes the Amex Gold Card

The Amex Gold Card, one of the stalwart travel rewards cards in the American Express lineup, is changing quite a bit.

First, let’s touch on the bad news: The card’s annual fee is increasing from $250 to $325 per year (rates & fees).

This increase is effective immediately for new card members and will begin rolling out to existing card members later in October 2024.

It’s tough to swallow an annual fee increase, but Amex has added new perks (and adjusted existing ones) to increase the Amex Gold Card’s value proposition. Let’s take a look at what’s new or changing:

• NEW: $100 Resy Credit — You’ll receive up to $100 in statement credits annually (up to $50 semi-annually) on eligible Resy purchases. This applies when dining at U.S. Resy restaurants, Resy event tickets, and merchandise. While enrollment is required, you do not need to have a Resy account to receive the credits.
• NEW: $84 Dunkin’ Credit — When you enroll your Card, you can receive up to $84 in statement credits annually (up to $7 in credits monthly) for purchases made at U.S. Dunkin’ locations with your card.
• UPDATE: The Amex Gold Card’s $120 annual Dining Credit (up to $10 in statement credit each month on eligible purchases at participating partners; enrollment required) remains, though the list of eligible partners has changed slightly. Shake Shack and Milk Bar will exit the roster, while Five Guys will join. This change will occur on September 25, 2024, at which point the list of eligible partners will include Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys.
• UPDATE: You’ll still earn 4x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent at restaurants (including takeout and delivery) around the world and at U.S. supermarkets, but there will be a new $50,000 cap to 4x earnings at restaurants. After the threshold is exceeded, purchases will earn 1x point per dollar spent. Elevated 4x earnings at U.S. supermarket purchases remains capped at $25,000 annually, then 1x thereafter.

Amex Gold Card Benefits Staying the Same

While Amex is adding several perks and tweaking existing ones in this card refresh, thankfully, many benefits we know and love will stay the same:

• Earn 3x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or via AmexTravel.com.
• Earn 2x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotel purchases made via AmexTravel.com.
• Earn 1x point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
• Receive up to $120 annually in Uber Cash, distributed as $10 each month, to use on Uber rides, Uber Eats orders, and Uber groceries in the U.S. (only available in select markets). Remember that you’ll need to add your Amex Gold card as your payment method in your Uber account to receive this benefit.

Other purchase and travel benefits of the Amex Gold card include:

• Access American Express’ The Hotel Collection, which grants special benefits, including a $100 property credit and a room upgrade (subject to availability) to cardmembers who book a stay of at least 2 nights at select properties in the collection.
• Access to Amex Offers, which provide cardmembers with unique ways to save money or earn bonus points on eligible purchases. Enrollment required.
• Receive secondary car rental insurance when you reserve and pay for a rental with your Amex Gold card. You’ll have up to $50,000 in coverage if the car is damaged or stolen.
• If you use your Amex Gold card to pay for your airfare on a common carrier, you’ll receive baggage insurance with a coverage of up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and $500 for checked baggage if the airline loses or damages your bag.
• If you purchase an item with your Amex Gold card and it is accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, you’ll receive purchase protection with a coverage of up to 90 days from the purchase date and up to $10,000 per occurrence.
• If you purchase an item that has a manufacturer’s warranty of fewer than 5 years, your card extends that warranty coverage by 1 additional year.

Limited-Time Welcome Bonus Offer on the Amex Gold Card

For a limited time, new applicants who are approved for the Amex Gold card can receive Apply and find out if you're eligible for as high as 100,000 points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.

Is the Amex Gold Card Worth It?

It’s important to evaluate whether a given card makes sense for you with some frequency — especially when a card is changed, or there’s an increase in its annual fee. In the case of the Amex Gold card, both have happened … so does it still make sense to have the card?

Despite the changes made to the card, it’s clearly still designed for the foodies among us. Despite a new cap of $50,000 on elevated restaurant spend, you can earn valuable Membership Rewards points at a rapid clip that can then be redeemed for incredible travel experiences.

The card still offers popular perks like the Uber Cash credit and has added new ones — namely, the $84 Dunkin’ credits and the $100 Resy credit — that bolster its value proposition despite the $75 hike in the card’s annual fee.

If you value Membership Rewards points and have a spending profile that matches the Amex Gold card’s offerings, it surely deserves a spot in your wallet.

Final Thoughts

After several years on the market without many changes, the Amex Gold card has gotten a pretty thorough refresh.

It’ll cost a little bit more to apply for — or keep in your wallet — but there are a few distinct additions that make an even stronger case for this card, especially if you frequent restaurants or like to cook for yourself.

These additions, on top of an already robust list of perks and benefits, all but guarantee that the Amex Gold card will remain one of the strongest entrants in the increasingly crowded premium travel rewards card arena.