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.
Sep 27, 2018, 12:26 pm
#121
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Wyndham Diamond, DL PM, Marriott Platinum, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,305
A few months after 5x, Amex launched Blue Plus card at 2x MR up to 50K, which increased my Amex spending even further and then the Hilton Ascend cards with a free hotel night after 15K spend. I would say these days, at least 90% of my spending is on Amex cards.
I forget the exact sequencing but in May 2017, my cell phone died after 13 months and I filed a claim with Amex Platinum. Not only was the claim resolved within a few days but they did not even ask me to send in the nonworking phone. So my trust in Amex went up several folds. Their 2 cent MR redemption if you had the Business Platinum card was also fantastic for me. Throw in EDP and a few months later the launch of 2x Blue Plus card, followed by Hilton Ascend, and Amex cards pretty much my default spending cards.
Also, there were two simultaneous announcements by Amex – 5x on airfare and 2 cent MR redemption for airfare if had Business Platinum. This made it a no brainer for me.
Last edited by mia; Sep 27, 2018 at 5:56 pm Reason: Combine consecutive replies
Sep 27, 2018, 2:10 pm
#122
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 31,974
if the $120 dining credit was not limited to a few places ... I would probably go for this. Otherwise there are other cards with 4x dining benefits etc. that cost much less or nothing at all.
Sep 27, 2018, 2:24 pm
#123
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
Posts: 4,412
On the contrary, it was pure economics and quantitative. It made no sense for me to keep Citi Prestige card for restaurant spending. All my dining and non category spending was now on EDP. So, EDP, for a short while was my main MR spending cards (these days it’s Blue Plus which does not have any AF). Platinum was and still is my default card for airfare and high ticket items where I need price, purchase and extended warranty protection.
Also, there were two simultaneous announcements by Amex – 5x on airfare and 2 cent MR redemption for airfare if had Business Platinum. This made it a no brainer for me.
Also, there were two simultaneous announcements by Amex – 5x on airfare and 2 cent MR redemption for airfare if had Business Platinum. This made it a no brainer for me.
Sep 27, 2018, 4:45 pm
#125
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, UA Silver, Mobile Passport Unobtanium
Posts: 6,192
Sep 27, 2018, 5:22 pm
#126
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: EWR
Programs: World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, UA Mileage Plus
Posts: 1,255
Sep 27, 2018, 5:34 pm
#127
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, UA Silver, Mobile Passport Unobtanium
Posts: 6,192
Sep 27, 2018, 7:31 pm
#128
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Wyndham Diamond, DL PM, Marriott Platinum, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,305
I am much more focused on ROE and not just positive return. Even today I get close to 2.5x MR per $ of spending. With 30% and 40% bonuses, it's closer to 3.5x. With PGR, it could get closer to 3x and 4x respectively. Hard to beat that aside from quarterly Freedom categories where you are capped at $1,500.
Sep 27, 2018, 9:28 pm
#129
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
Posts: 4,412
I am much more focused on ROE and not just positive return. Even today I get close to 2.5x MR per $ of spending. With 30% and 40% bonuses, it's closer to 3.5x. With PGR, it could get closer to 3x and 4x respectively. Hard to beat that aside from quarterly Freedom categories where you are capped at $1,500.
I'm just not tied to just one reward program... Even if I get $100 out of certain card, I still keep it. Then I get $1,000 if I keep 10 of those CCs. I care less about ROE. Nothing is better than cold cash, or warm reward points.
Sep 27, 2018, 10:45 pm
#130
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: PHL, LHR
Posts: 219
do you understand how grubhub and seamless work? They aren't “a few places...” if you live anywhere near civilization (a city) then you have access to almost any restaurant that cooks food near you.
Last edited by PHLondoner; Sep 28, 2018 at 8:30 am Reason: spelling
Sep 28, 2018, 5:06 am
#131
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: FL, USA
Programs: AA Plat, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriot Gold
Posts: 1,666
And as I just learned this week, I thought grubhub was delivery only but you can also pickup. That is an easy $10 spent every month.
Sep 28, 2018, 9:32 am
#132
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 335
Sorry if this has been asked before, but are they getting rid of the $100 airlines credit with this refresh?
Sep 28, 2018, 9:59 am
#133
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 998
Apparently airline credit and AF will stay the same....
GrubHub and Seamless are far from "everywhere" (near any city), I live in an area of ~200k and neither service this area, but UberEats does.
Anyone able to get the 50k offer to show? All the blogs say it's still "easily available" but I haven't been able to get it to show after trying a number of devices, a couple different IPs, a VPN, and the "Chinese site" method. I'm guessing 25k is the highest bonus that's actually available right now....
Still might get this card, drop by Safeway once a month and buy a ~$400 VISA/MC gift card so I can earn the 4x bonus on grocery (I shop at Fred Meyer/Kroger stores) and shift some of my dining to this card. The CSR probably will only get used now on hotel stays since I can still earn the bonus on direct booking those (come on Amex, update that platinum card with a bonus on direct hotel booking and crush the top of the market again!)
GrubHub and Seamless are far from "everywhere" (near any city), I live in an area of ~200k and neither service this area, but UberEats does.
Anyone able to get the 50k offer to show? All the blogs say it's still "easily available" but I haven't been able to get it to show after trying a number of devices, a couple different IPs, a VPN, and the "Chinese site" method. I'm guessing 25k is the highest bonus that's actually available right now....
Still might get this card, drop by Safeway once a month and buy a ~$400 VISA/MC gift card so I can earn the 4x bonus on grocery (I shop at Fred Meyer/Kroger stores) and shift some of my dining to this card. The CSR probably will only get used now on hotel stays since I can still earn the bonus on direct booking those (come on Amex, update that platinum card with a bonus on direct hotel booking and crush the top of the market again!)
Sep 28, 2018, 10:26 am
#135
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: FL, USA
Programs: AA Plat, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriot Gold
Posts: 1,666
Apparently airline credit and AF will stay the same....
GrubHub and Seamless are far from "everywhere" (near any city), I live in an area of ~200k and neither service this area, but UberEats does.
Anyone able to get the 50k offer to show? All the blogs say it's still "easily available" but I haven't been able to get it to show after trying a number of devices, a couple different IPs, a VPN, and the "Chinese site" method. I'm guessing 25k is the highest bonus that's actually available right now....
Still might get this card, drop by Safeway once a month and buy a ~$400 VISA/MC gift card so I can earn the 4x bonus on grocery (I shop at Fred Meyer/Kroger stores) and shift some of my dining to this card. The CSR probably will only get used now on hotel stays since I can still earn the bonus on direct booking those (come on Amex, update that platinum card with a bonus on direct hotel booking and crush the top of the market again!)
GrubHub and Seamless are far from "everywhere" (near any city), I live in an area of ~200k and neither service this area, but UberEats does.
Anyone able to get the 50k offer to show? All the blogs say it's still "easily available" but I haven't been able to get it to show after trying a number of devices, a couple different IPs, a VPN, and the "Chinese site" method. I'm guessing 25k is the highest bonus that's actually available right now....
Still might get this card, drop by Safeway once a month and buy a ~$400 VISA/MC gift card so I can earn the 4x bonus on grocery (I shop at Fred Meyer/Kroger stores) and shift some of my dining to this card. The CSR probably will only get used now on hotel stays since I can still earn the bonus on direct booking those (come on Amex, update that platinum card with a bonus on direct hotel booking and crush the top of the market again!)
