I had the AMEX Gold card. I also had the Platinum Card (which I downgraded to Green). The Gold Card had great point earning for restaurants and groceries, but was lean on perks. For the $250 annual fee, I thought the 2 monthly hoops (Grubhub and Uber) to pass through to maximize value was something I didn't want long term. A rumored higher annual fee of $325 with an added monthly Dunkin Donuts credit (an additional hoop to pass through) is not enticing me. I'm not going back to Gold, LOL. The Green card has a lower annual fee at $150 (for now), and fewer hoops to pass through to break even. I make use of CLEAR, and that yearly credit is easy to obtain. Bonus points earning are less on dining and the Green card has no bonus on groceries, but the travel and transit bonus categories are nice.

If Gold cardholders can stomach the higher annual fee and are happy with the monthly credits, then the Gold card is worth it. If not, the sky isn't falling because there are other good card options.