- The American Express® Gold Card’s annual fee increased from $250 to $325 (see rates and fees).
- Cardholders can now access up to $100 annually in credits for U.S. Resy purchases and up to $84 annually in credits for Dunkin’ purchases.
- Shake Shack and Milk Bar were erased from the eligible restaurants for the annual dining credit and Five Guys was added.
- There’s now a $50,000 spending cap for earning 4X points on purchases at restaurants (plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.) After meeting that cap, rewards drop to 1X points.
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American Express® Gold Card 2024 Refresh: What’s Changed?
Details on the American Express® Gold Card update
Note: Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The American Express® Gold Card is one of our favorites, with its spectacular reward rate at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants worldwide. Alongside that, some high-value statement credits helped to offset the moderate annual fee. Things have changed. As of July 25, 2024, the benefits offered by this card have undergone a revamp, but at what cost? We’ve got the details for you.
▶︎ Read more: Amex Gold Card review
A higher annual fee
A $75 higher annual fee, to be exact. The $250 annual fee is a thing of the past; new cardholders will have to pay $325 per year to be an Amex Gold Card member (see rates and fees). Existing cardholders will be subject to this higher cost at their next card renewal, starting on October 1, 2024.
New and updated statement credits
It’s not all bad news. Cardholders can now access up to an additional $184 in statement credits from Resy and Dunkin.
$100 Resy credit
As an Amex Gold Card member, you can now get up to $50 semi-annually for U.S. Resy restaurants or other eligible Resy purchases. Resy is an online restaurant reservation platform with a ton of eligible locations, so this perk could easily help lessen the blow of the annual fee increase.
$84 Dunkin credit
If you’re someone who frequents Dunkin’ locations, this benefit is for you. Now you can get up to $7 monthly in statement credits for purchases made at Dunkin’. $7 won’t get you very far, but the potential $84 per year can cover the extra $75 you’ll pay as a cardmember.
Dining credit update
Amex Gold has had up to a $120 annual dining credit for a while now, and that perk isn’t leaving. However, it’s also undergone some changes.
No longer can you use this perk at Shake Shack or Milk Bar, but you can use it at the following vendors:
- Five Guys
- Grubhub
- The Cheesecake Factory
- Goldbelly
- Wine.com
The only new vendor in that list is Five Guys—a somewhat acceptable alternative to Shake Shack, maybe?
▶︎ See our picks: Best credit cards for restaurants and dining
New spending cap at restaurants
You can still earn rewards at the same level as before, with a small caveat. Now, there will be a $50,000 cap on the 4X points you can earn at restaurants. After meeting that cap, rewards drop to 1X points. Luckily, this shouldn’t affect most people, as it would require over $4,000 per month in restaurant spending to meet the cap.
With that update, here are the Gold Card’s current reward categories:
- 4X points per dollar on up to $50,000 in purchases on dining at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S., per calendar year (then 1X points)
- 4X points on up to $25,000 in purchases at U.S. supermarkets per calendar year (then 1X points)
- 3X points on flights booked directly from the airline or through Amex Travel
- 1X points on all other eligible purchases
New color choice
In 2022, Amex added a Rose Gold card option to the lineup. With this most recent update, they’ve added a third limited-time option in White Gold. In our opinion, this is the prettiest option yet so we’re hoping they make it a permanent feature.
You can request the rose gold or white gold color options in your card application. And if you’re already a cardmember, you can request a card replacement in the new white gold color.
A slightly higher welcome offer
The Amex Gold card is retaining most of its typical welcome offer of 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases in the first 6 months after opening your account. For a limited time, however, new applicants can earn a 20% statement credit bonus on eligible restaurant purchases made in the first 6 months (up to $100 total). This offer ends 11/6/24.
▶︎ See our picks: Best credit card welcome offers
Advertiser Disclosure
Best for foodies
American Express® Gold Card
Up to 4X Reward Rate
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X. Earn 4 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1 point per dollar), 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com, and 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases
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Annual Fee
$325
Welcome Offer
LTO: 60,000 points + 20% bonus
Regular APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Recommended Credit
Good/Excellent (670 - 850)
Why we like it
The Amex Gold Card earns points generously on purchases made at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants worldwide. Add over $400 in available statement credits and a hefty welcome offer and the $325 annual fee may be worth it.
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Card Details
More card info
- Up to $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card as a payment method on your Uber account and automatically receive $10 in Uber Cash each month for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. (Up to $120 annually.) To receive this benefit you must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible American Express Gold Card must be a method of payment on your Uber account. This benefit may only be used in the United States.
- Up to $120 Dining Credit: Enjoy up to $10 in monthly statement credits when you use your American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys locations. Enrollment required.
- $100 experience credit: Receive a $100 experience credit when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel. Experience credit amounts vary by property, and are given only with a minimum two-night stay.
- Up to $100 Resy credit: Receive up to $50 in statement credits every 6 months (up to $100 per year) when you use your Gold Card at U.S. Resy restaurants or other eligible Resy purchases. Enrollment required.
- Up to $84 in annual Dunkin’ credits: Get $7 back per month in credits after you enroll and pay with your Amex Gold card at Dunkin’ locations
- Customize your card to fit your style: Gold, Rose Gold, or White Gold. White Gold is only available as supplies last.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Terms Apply.
Pros
- Generous welcome offer
- High rewards potential
- Many transfer partners available
Cons
- High annual fee
- Complicated statement credits
- Good or excellent credit recommended
Is the Amex Gold Card still worth it?
It depends. If you can utilize the new statement credits, then this card is easily worth it. With over $400 in statement credits now available, that can more than cover the new $325 annual fee. However, one of the caveats to the statement credits is that they don’t roll over. You have to use the month’s worth of credits within the month or you lose them.
Another element that will help make this card more worthwhile is if you’re able to earn the welcome offer. Membership Rewards points can be worth over 1 cent apiece, depending on how you redeem them, so the offer could easily be worth more than six or seven hundred dollars.
▶︎ Learn more about what this card offers: Amex Gold Card review and Amex Gold card benefits guide
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For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please visit this page.
* Opinions expressed here are those of the LA Times Compare Cards Team and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser or entities included within this content. See our editorial policy for more details.
All products or services are presented in this content without warranty. The information, including card details such as rates and fees, is accurate at the time of publish. Please visit each bank's website directly for the most current information.