Originally Posted by
EverGreen7230
On paper that 4x MR on dining looks great, but I've seen a lot of complaints of restaurants not actually coding as restaurants, so not earning the 4x. In addition, the 4x is only for spend in US restaurants. Part of the reason I still have a CSR is because the 3x on dining works pretty reliable at anything that could be called a restaurant, in the US or abroad. Likewise, the travel category is very broad vs Amex's very limited airline direct or travel portal. Given the current limitations of the category earning and the $10/month food credit, the card is not a keeper in my eyes.
Correct, there are definitely downsides to the AMEX Gold card, just as there are downsides to most cards with an annual fee. I also do not think that a direct comparison with AMEX Gold and Chase CSR is necessarily fair as they are not direct competitors and if you have enough spend of certain types can be complimentary rather than competing.
My biggest issue with the CSR is that I think most people (perhaps not on this website, just most people who have the card) are redeeming via the Chase portal for “1.5cpp” redemption value. For people doing that, I think the US Bank Altitude Reserve is a far superior card as you can actually hunt for the best deal and then redeem after the fact at 1.5cpp. Not only do you get a true 1.5cpp redemption but you earn 3x points on the purchase, you can buy through Hotels.com if you value their 10% back system over say a particular hotels loyalty program, and you can get bonus rewards from shopping through a cash back portal.