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.
Nov 13, 2018, 10:22 pm
#886
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP, IHG Diamond, IC Amb
Posts: 5,513
Nov 13, 2018, 11:11 pm
#887
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,508
In any case, AFAIK there haven't been any issues with grocery transactions and the majority of those are likely at larger chains (which probably pay less too). I'm not sure fees are the complete story.
Nov 14, 2018, 3:36 am
#888
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, HH Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 171
Anyone getting only 1X points for charges from Traders Joe's (grocery store chain in USA)?
it is listed on my statement as Category: Merchandise & Supplies - Groceries
it is listed on my statement as Category: Merchandise & Supplies - Groceries
Nov 14, 2018, 7:00 am
#889
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
Trader Joes should credit correctly, discussion here:
What is (or not) included in the U.S. Supermarket category?
What is (or not) included in the U.S. Supermarket category?
Nov 14, 2018, 9:03 am
#890
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP, IHG Diamond, IC Amb
Posts: 5,513
Another stupid question:
This is my first contactless Card.
What are the exact steps for making this work every time? Why do the machines say “Tap”?
how am I supposed to hold the card to the machine and what is a normal length of time til it reads it?
It doesn’t seem to work everywhere it should and when it does it takes awhile.
This is my first contactless Card.
What are the exact steps for making this work every time? Why do the machines say “Tap”?
how am I supposed to hold the card to the machine and what is a normal length of time til it reads it?
It doesn’t seem to work everywhere it should and when it does it takes awhile.
Nov 14, 2018, 9:35 am
#891
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 11
I hope so! As long as you're legitimately spending, I don't see any issue. In fact I just purchased a $250 gc to amazon along with some groceries, coded as 4x. I think Amex limits it's liability here since they cap spending at 25k a year.
Nov 14, 2018, 9:39 am
#892
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,508
Another stupid question:
This is my first contactless Card.
What are the exact steps for making this work every time? Why do the machines say “Tap”?
how am I supposed to hold the card to the machine and what is a normal length of time til it reads it?
It doesn’t seem to work everywhere it should and when it does it takes awhile.
This is my first contactless Card.
What are the exact steps for making this work every time? Why do the machines say “Tap”?
how am I supposed to hold the card to the machine and what is a normal length of time til it reads it?
It doesn’t seem to work everywhere it should and when it does it takes awhile.
Nov 14, 2018, 10:15 am
#893
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
The industry needed terms to distinguish from swipe, and adopted dip for EMV contact chips, and tap for contactless chips. You can "tap" the cap on the sensor if you wish, but it isn't required, just hold it in close proximity. However, with this metal card it is necessary to hold the back of the card facing the sensor because the metal blocks the chip from the front.
Nov 14, 2018, 11:20 am
#894
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP, IHG Diamond, IC Amb
Posts: 5,513
Holding the card an inch or so above the terminal--either over the display or the contactless logo--should be sufficient. Ideally it should only need a half second at most to read but that isn't the case a lot of the time (likely because of a combination of US terminals being more optimized for mobile wallet use and bad POS systems).
The industry needed terms to distinguish from swipe, and adopted dip for EMV contact chips, and tap for contactless chips. You can "tap" the cap on the sensor if you wish, but it isn't required, just hold it in close proximity. However, with this metal card it is necessary to hold the back of the card facing the sensor because the metal blocks the chip from the front.
So, within the physical card the chip itself has the contactless sensor built in???
I'm seeing the wifi symbol on both sides of the card each facing the opposite direction. lol
Last edited by 355F1; Nov 14, 2018 at 11:26 am
Nov 14, 2018, 11:32 am
#895
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
The sensor is in the marchant's payment terminal. The card contains a chip that responds to the sensor to identify your account. The chip and its antenna are in the plastic layer on the back of the card. They are not visible. The contactless symbol printed on the card does not designate the location of the chip.
Nov 14, 2018, 1:36 pm
#896
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: SFO
Posts: 3,881
Another stupid question:
This is my first contactless Card.
What are the exact steps for making this work every time? Why do the machines say “Tap”?
how am I supposed to hold the card to the machine and what is a normal length of time til it reads it?
It doesn’t seem to work everywhere it should and when it does it takes awhile.
This is my first contactless Card.
What are the exact steps for making this work every time? Why do the machines say “Tap”?
how am I supposed to hold the card to the machine and what is a normal length of time til it reads it?
It doesn’t seem to work everywhere it should and when it does it takes awhile.
Nov 14, 2018, 6:46 pm
#897
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 998
Isn't contactless also limited to only $35 or under charges?
Nov 14, 2018, 6:56 pm
#898
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,508
It may have been in the past but my understanding is that the US officially does not have a limit. Of course, you may still need to sign over a certain amount if the merchant didn't opt into the recent no-signature rule changes.
Nov 14, 2018, 9:03 pm
#899
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt Ist-iest, Stariott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 12,792
So in my first month with the Gold Card everything that should be coding as 4x, is 4x. With the exception of the known Square issue at one of the breweries, but a beer token is $2 so I'm not going to lose much sleep over that. Oddly if a transaction is under $1, it won't code as 4x even if it is an eligible merchant. 
Now I didn't intend for the charge to be that low but I had used a gift card as the first method of payment and misjudged how much would be leftover.
Now I didn't intend for the charge to be that low but I had used a gift card as the first method of payment and misjudged how much would be leftover.
Last edited by krazykanuck; Nov 15, 2018 at 12:32 am
Nov 14, 2018, 10:24 pm
#900
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Atlanta Metro
Programs: DL , AC, BA, Hhonors Diamond, IH Platinum, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,358
I've done it a couple of times already, but just at $100 per transaction. I think a $700 grocery charge might raise some eyebrows.