jags86

A $10/mo cell phone credit would be great for the Gold card. I don't mind a piecemeal benefit as it is usable and generic. Nobody wants Uber or pets.com credit. A $10 cellphone credit would be great -- I'd gladly move my phone bill to AMEX for that. They don't offer any cellphone protection so, right now, there's no reason to put that bill onto AMEX.

cmd320

Funny, I actually just canceled this card because I felt like the benefits were pretty meh for the AF even with the airline fee credit.

cfabar1

Sort of.... For example, I think at the very least a seat in Comfort+ in Delta, which used to count, is hardly a “scam” on a consumer’s part. I wish it were as easy to use as the Saks credit - if I bill something to the card it is refunded. Whether the promotion is organized by American Express or in conjunction with another partner is frankly irrelevant. If I am being offered a credit to defray the cost of the annual fee, it needs to be easy to use. All the caveats Amex puts into the credit are designed to make it more difficult to offer the full value of the airline credit.

I actually wonder if eliminating it is more about making the Gold and Platinum cards more distinct... Gold more for the “everyday” consumer - gas, groceries, restaurants, etc. and Platinum for the travel consumer.

conde

I have had the American Express Gold Card for nearly two years, with my annual renewal coming up in December. I love the points earning on restaurant dining. Unfortunately, since COVID-19 changed my restaurant habits and expenditures, I am planning to cancel the card. If I were dining out as much in the past, I would be keeping the card. My grocery expenditures are not much higher this year. The $100 airline credit was a pain to use (use, I did), but not having the credit is surely worse. I may get the Gold Card again, when I dine out more. Perhaps American Express will replace the $100 airline credit with $100 Saks credit ($50x2), like what is available on the Platinum card.

eponymous_coward

And Green is for...

(IMO it's a better travel consumer card for some travel patterns than Platinum- I would take 3x all travel including rail, public transit, parking over 5x flights/AMEX portal, 1x everything else for travel all day. It's not even close.)

Hmm, AMEX Gold is 3x flights right now... wonder if that goes away too. Imagine losing 3x flights for something like 3x online shopping for up to $2500 a quarter, or certain department stores...

cfabar1

To me t;he “point” of the Platinum Card isn’t just about earning, it is about access... Access to club lounges, acces to FHR, Acces to elite tiers in hotels and allegedly rental car companies, combined with some things designed to make your travel allegedly easier (the Uber Credits, allegedly the airline credit, and the saks credit arguably so you can shop while you travel). You can earn far more with a Gold card in terms of MR value, Amex certainly knows that....I actually think for the right customer, having both the Gold & Platinum card makes a lot of sense.

The green card, I have never really understood, and I think the 3x points everywhere makes sense, however, if you’re in the Amex family, I think there are better ways to earn your hotel points which are always nice to have lying around.

gengar

Yep, AMEX could get rid of every single credit on the Plat and I'd still happily keep it. Certainly not the case for the Gold.

mhdena

While Saks may be easier to use than an airline credit, I would prefer a streaming or cell credit.

In fact they can eliminate the Platinum Saks credit and keep both $20 streaming and cell credits as far as I'm concerned.

cfischer

boooo. That's terrible news. Just as UA TB became available again. Well, another use in 2021

Hope they replace it with something good.

jags86

If AMEX Platinum dumped all their BS credits (Uber, Airline, and Saks) and just kept the $20 streaming and cellphone credits, they’d be up $20/yr and we’d all be happier.

Of course, they’d actually be down because everyone would use $40/mo in credits.

lax01

It is work to use the wireless credit - it takes time per month to use it - unless Uber...which is relatively easy. Airline and Saks also take work.

I don't know - there's no good options but I'm sure AMEX has the data to show how to maximize their profit on the vast population of users

mia

The Uber and Saks credits will end when Uber and Saks no longer pay for them. The airline fee reimbursement credit is different because the expense is borne by American Express.

eponymous_coward

A card with a consistent good multiplier that I can use everywhere and gets lots of use has some advantages over a card that I am only using for one chain and sits in a sock drawer otherwise, such as when AMEX is figuring out when to put me in pop up hell.

It’s pretty obviously a response to CSR/CSP, and I would argue it beats the Brilliant for spend categories outside of Marriott itself pretty consistently (the Hilton cards are much closer).

billatq

I called today for a 4X posting issue, and it looks like they're not even trying anymore. For example, there are two restaurants in my area that post correctly when you dine in, but not when you order online. I was told that the Italian restaurant is posting as a Bookstore, and that the Burger restaurant is posting as a Restaurant, but that neither of them are eligible. I have noticed that in general, most things are posting correctly these days, but it sounds like I'm not using an Amex when I order out at those places anymore.

mia

It appears the replacement will be a pair of Uber (Eats) benefits:

The $120 credit is similar to the $200 credit for Centurion/Platinum cardholders introduced in 2017: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...it-2020-a.html


Read press release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...n-Card-Members