Oct 4, 2018, 1:05 pm
Last edit by: roberto99
Faq amex: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/campaigns/gold-card/gold-update-faqs.html
For existing and new cardholders
For new cardholders (Oct 4 2018 and after)
For existing cardholders (Oct 3 2018 or before)
For existing and new cardholders
- Changes below are effective immediately
- 4x US grocery (25k/calendar year), 4x US dining* (*pervasive reports that many dining transactions are not coding as 4x, including but not limited to those from Square or Toast-based POS systems. Scroll down in thread for more reports and information.)
- $120 dining credit ($10 monthly in certain restaurants)
- No change
- $100 calendar year airline reimbursement
- Other
- $250 AF (see below for existing cardholders)
- No 2x gas (removed, see below for existing cardholders who have it till Oct 2019)
- Metal card (contactless)
- Rose gold card - limited edition until Jan 9 2019
- Regular gold card
For new cardholders (Oct 4 2018 and after)
- You may be able to find targeted/referal 50k/$2k, but first AF is not waived
- Signup bonus: You get 20% off restaurant up to $500 restaurant spend (3 month)
- You do not get 2x gas (only for existing cardholders, see below)
For existing cardholders (Oct 3 2018 or before)
- AF will change to $250 for anniversary dates after April 1 2019
- 2x gas will be removed after Oct 2019
- You can chat/call for the gold/rosegold metal card. AU card will get whatever primary cardholder is getting, cannot be different
Premier Rewards Gold refresh: 4x USA dining, groceries, $10/mon dining credit. $250.
Oct 7, 2018, 1:30 pm
#406
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
Understood, and I am raising the possibility that the observed difference may be due to the construction of the Contactless cards, rather than Gold versus Platinum. The Contactless cards are made with a layer of plastic bonded to the metal. The Contactless Platinum card may be the same as the Contactless Gold cards.
Oct 7, 2018, 4:09 pm
#407
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 998
Understood, and I am raising the possibility that the observed difference may be due to the construction of the Contactless cards, rather than Gold versus Platinum. The Contactless cards are made with a layer of plastic bonded to the metal. The Contactless Platinum card may be the same as the Contactless Gold cards.
Oct 7, 2018, 4:13 pm
#408
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 277
Not everywhere, but a lot of them. Also anywhere you see the slew of mobile payment options (they’re all the same base tech).
Oct 7, 2018, 4:14 pm
#409
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 50
Basically any terminal that accepts Apple Pay will accept the contactless EMV
Oct 7, 2018, 4:32 pm
#410
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Washington, DC, USA
Programs: Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards
Posts: 191
Understood, and I am raising the possibility that the observed difference may be due to the construction of the Contactless cards, rather than Gold versus Platinum. The Contactless cards are made with a layer of plastic bonded to the metal. The Contactless Platinum card may be the same as the Contactless Gold cards.
Oct 7, 2018, 4:38 pm
#411
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
Oct 7, 2018, 6:15 pm
#412
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: EWR
Programs: World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, UA Mileage Plus
Posts: 1,255
It’s become increasingly difficult with all of these great cards out there to decide where to put your spend! What a world we live in.
I don’t really value the Platinum benefits and since I earn points to never have to pay for flights, the 5x benefit isn’t useful to me. Prior to the PRG upgrade I was doing as follows:
CSR: Travel and Dining
BBP: Unbonused Spend + AMEX offers
Freedom: 5x categories
Ink Cash: the truly rare office store purchases
Citi Double Cash: merchandise purchases where I want price protection and 2 year extended warranty. In general no matter what I buy I always get a price rewind that works out to more than whatever rewards I would have earned from another card anyway
AMEX has done some great things with it’s offers lately. I use my BBP for gas even though Freedom was a 5x category this quarter. Why? I was getting 2x MR and 10% back on Exxon via AMEX offers. I am getting 3x MR on groceries with the BBP because Shop Rite has a 3x AMEX offer.
Now I’m looking at the following:
BBP: Unbonused spend
PRG: Dining and Groceries (hope Shop Rite AMEX offer comes along again but for this card so I get 5x)
CSR: downgrade to Freedom
Ink Cash: upgrade to Ink Preferred for 3x on travel
Freedoms for 5x categories
Citi Double Cash for price protection and extended warranty
Just not sure if keeping the CSR at $150/yr vs $95 year for the Ink Preferred is worth it. I find I never get to use Priority Pass lounges, and I’m grandfathered into the old January $300 reimbursement so my annual fee doesn’t post when I get the $300 credits. I know it’s mental accounting, but by the time my $450 AF shows up in August I’ve long forgotten I’ve gotten that $300 reimbursement...
I don’t really value the Platinum benefits and since I earn points to never have to pay for flights, the 5x benefit isn’t useful to me. Prior to the PRG upgrade I was doing as follows:
CSR: Travel and Dining
BBP: Unbonused Spend + AMEX offers
Freedom: 5x categories
Ink Cash: the truly rare office store purchases
Citi Double Cash: merchandise purchases where I want price protection and 2 year extended warranty. In general no matter what I buy I always get a price rewind that works out to more than whatever rewards I would have earned from another card anyway
AMEX has done some great things with it’s offers lately. I use my BBP for gas even though Freedom was a 5x category this quarter. Why? I was getting 2x MR and 10% back on Exxon via AMEX offers. I am getting 3x MR on groceries with the BBP because Shop Rite has a 3x AMEX offer.
Now I’m looking at the following:
BBP: Unbonused spend
PRG: Dining and Groceries (hope Shop Rite AMEX offer comes along again but for this card so I get 5x)
CSR: downgrade to Freedom
Ink Cash: upgrade to Ink Preferred for 3x on travel
Freedoms for 5x categories
Citi Double Cash for price protection and extended warranty
Just not sure if keeping the CSR at $150/yr vs $95 year for the Ink Preferred is worth it. I find I never get to use Priority Pass lounges, and I’m grandfathered into the old January $300 reimbursement so my annual fee doesn’t post when I get the $300 credits. I know it’s mental accounting, but by the time my $450 AF shows up in August I’ve long forgotten I’ve gotten that $300 reimbursement...
Oct 7, 2018, 7:56 pm
#415
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,224
It’s become increasingly difficult with all of these great cards out there to decide where to put your spend! What a world we live in.
Now I’m looking at the following:
BBP: Unbonused spend
PRG: Dining and Groceries (hope Shop Rite AMEX offer comes along again but for this card so I get 5x)
CSR: downgrade to Freedom
Ink Cash: upgrade to Ink Preferred for 3x on travel
Freedoms for 5x categories
Citi Double Cash for price protection and extended warranty
Just not sure if keeping the CSR at $150/yr vs $95 year for the Ink Preferred is worth it. I find I never get to use Priority Pass lounges, and I’m grandfathered into the old January $300 reimbursement so my annual fee doesn’t post when I get the $300 credits. I know it’s mental accounting, but by the time my $450 AF shows up in August I’ve long forgotten I’ve gotten that $300 reimbursement...
Now I’m looking at the following:
BBP: Unbonused spend
PRG: Dining and Groceries (hope Shop Rite AMEX offer comes along again but for this card so I get 5x)
CSR: downgrade to Freedom
Ink Cash: upgrade to Ink Preferred for 3x on travel
Freedoms for 5x categories
Citi Double Cash for price protection and extended warranty
Just not sure if keeping the CSR at $150/yr vs $95 year for the Ink Preferred is worth it. I find I never get to use Priority Pass lounges, and I’m grandfathered into the old January $300 reimbursement so my annual fee doesn’t post when I get the $300 credits. I know it’s mental accounting, but by the time my $450 AF shows up in August I’ve long forgotten I’ve gotten that $300 reimbursement...
(Recently downgrade CSR to 2nd Freedom because I won't get travel credit till December) Will probably downgrade or cancel my AMEX Plat (unless retention bonus is great) and upgrade Freedom back to CSR to get travel credits and travel benefits/perks. Will use PRG for restaurants/groceries till then and will probably continue to keep PRG after first AF in June
Maybe look into City National Visa Infinite or Citi Prestige for churning and points accumulation next year...
Oct 7, 2018, 8:21 pm
#416
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 674
Shame they removed the raised numbers on the front. Always valuable for international travel
Oct 7, 2018, 8:48 pm
#417
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 103
Thought I read somewhere that Amex contactless transactions are limited to $30. Anyone have experience?
Oct 7, 2018, 9:05 pm
#419
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Radisson Rewards Gold, Best Western Diamond Select
Posts: 1,856
Strange, when I sent referral link for gold to a friend, he got the pop up. Then applied normally and approved. I've called amex and made a complaint that I was robbed of 10k points.
Oct 7, 2018, 10:19 pm
#420
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,507
I was able to do a Samsung Pay purchase for >$30 in NFC mode recently. I seem to remember being able to do the same by tapping my physical AmEx card, though since AmEx doesn't indicate anything other than mobile wallet use on their website I can't confirm for sure.
