At the moment the American Express® Gold Card (review) is offering a nice welcome bonus of 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 within six months. This is an exceptional card, given that it offers 4x points at restaurants, and 4x points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 of spending per calendar year).
If you’ve been on the fence about this card, there’s now yet another great reason to add it to your wallet.
Amex Gold Card adjusts credit benefits
While the Amex Gold Card has a $250 annual fee (Rates & Fees), it offers up to $240 in annual credits, which for many will be worth pretty close to value. The card offers:
- A $120 annual dining credit, made up of a $10 per month statement credit when you pay with your card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. (Enrollment required)
- Up to $120 in annual Uber Cash. This will work similarly to the Uber Cash on the Amex Platinum Card. You’ll get a $10 monthly credit valid towards U.S. Uber rides and Uber Eats purchases. You do not need to pay with the Gold card, but rather the card just needs to be added to your Uber account.
Bottom line
The Amex Gold Card is already one of the all-around best cards for those who spend a lot on food, whether dining out, getting delivery, or shopping at supermarkets. I think this card is totally worth it for anyone who doesn’t have it, especially given the current 60K bonus.
The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees).
What are people talking about with ubereats being expensive?
I live in a podunk and most of chain restaurant, Applebees for example, costs the same (if you pick up at least).
What's the deal with all the nonstop peddling of credit cards? Is this one mile at a time or one credit card at a time?
Ugh. I never use uber let alone during covid so that's a waste of a $100 for me. At least before I would get credit for my short haul flight tickets.
I always use apps for ordering food and pick it up myself. Some places charge more on the apps, most don't. Honestly, I don't mind paying an extra 20 cents per item for example, if that means my order is correct, and it's just way more convenient. For the places that charge like 4 bucks more per item for using ubereats... just don't use ubereats.
That airline credit is garbage. I'm hoping they change...
I always use apps for ordering food and pick it up myself. Some places charge more on the apps, most don't. Honestly, I don't mind paying an extra 20 cents per item for example, if that means my order is correct, and it's just way more convenient. For the places that charge like 4 bucks more per item for using ubereats... just don't use ubereats.
That airline credit is garbage. I'm hoping they change the airline credit on the plat to an amextravel credit. I doubt they will ever change it to a CSR-like general travel credit.
Since I've been using the Gold card a whole lot more this year, I told Amex via online chat that I was considering cancelling my Amex Platinum. They eventually offered me a retention offer of 50K points with no spending requirement! I ended up keeping my Platinum card.
@Peter the uber eats pass benefit is for 12 months.
I wonder if you'll be able to stack Gold and Plat credits in one purchase? I would think so, assuming both go in as uber cash rather than being associated with individual credit cards, which is how it was originally with the Plat credit.
I've been using UberEats, GH, DD, etc. less lately. As someone else mentioned, they tack on their fees. I now order directly and do takeout more often so restaurants get...
I wonder if you'll be able to stack Gold and Plat credits in one purchase? I would think so, assuming both go in as uber cash rather than being associated with individual credit cards, which is how it was originally with the Plat credit.
I've been using UberEats, GH, DD, etc. less lately. As someone else mentioned, they tack on their fees. I now order directly and do takeout more often so restaurants get all the money and I save a bit, too.
The airline credit was a pain, but as long as there were workarounds (e.g., gift cards, buying cheap WN tickets, etc.), it was doable and you could take care of them all at once for the year rather than remember every month.
Not a huge fan of this, due to the Uber Eats upcharges mentioned by others. This is probably just enough to renew next month, but I'm still not sold long term. My Plat is gone at the next renewal though.
Not a fan of the change. I don’t ever need Uber and never use Uber eats either. The $100 Airline credit is flawed, but easier for me to use. I can potentially get $90+ of value from it but I’ll never get more than $25 in value from the Uber credits.
The Amex airline credit is almost worthless now. When you could get GCs it was 100% useful
Now mostly for baggage fees - but Southwest has free bags - but I did find it worked for Southwest Early Bird fees - so got $40 this year out of my $400 or so credits on 3 cards
Never use Uber, so that is not an improvement for me.
But I get great use out of Amex offers!
It’s pretty clear their strategy is to market capture Chase’s Sapphire customers. The Gold Uber benefit is better than the CSR Lyft bonus unless someone is spending at least $1k on rideshare a year. The Gold food credits are 2x the CSR DoorDash credits. The Gold earnings rate is higher and transfer partners are better. The only thing the CSR has left is trip cancellation and better trip delay and rental insurance
@Fernando it is only 1 month free, then you have to pay $9.99/month. I literally just registered for it with my Plat.
@ James S - Uber Eats allows you to do pick ups to avoid fees, at least in New York it does
Not a fan. I never felt the Uber credit on the platinum was worthwhile because the meal prices were so incredible inflated. It was basically 'pay the price for the meal that you would have if you went there', so it never moved the needle in terms of making $550 worthwhile.
And Uber for rides in 2020-2021? Hard no on that one.
I'll be cancelling and sticking with my last Amex (Green) card.
Does the Uber credit work for authorized users?
I wish the UBER credit would work outside of the US.
Meh, I have been able to use the $100 credit on Delta each year that I've had the card. I prefer to use Lyft because of the bonus points to DL and HH, oh, and I appreciate their values over Uber.
On a side note, I really try to call restaurants directly for take-out orders and pick them up myself because I don't enjoy eating room temperature food fused the inside of a takeout...
Meh, I have been able to use the $100 credit on Delta each year that I've had the card. I prefer to use Lyft because of the bonus points to DL and HH, oh, and I appreciate their values over Uber.
On a side note, I really try to call restaurants directly for take-out orders and pick them up myself because I don't enjoy eating room temperature food fused the inside of a takeout container. This really helps restaurants that are struggling now, I know this because I get extra thanks when ordering by phone and then again at pick-up. Ordering through Grub or Uber means the restaurant is likely making pennies on your order after the crushing fees they charge the restaurants.
Will the credits stack if you have both Platinum and Gold? I had 2 personal Platinum before and they did not stack. I had to create 2 different Uber accounts with 2 different phone numbers which was a pain.
Eh I dont know about this.
On one hand, it's a huge pain to use the existing airline credit. Its tied to one airline, and only works on fees. I havent used mine yet for 2020.
On the other hand. an Uber credit, especially one broken out monthly, will be harder to use. I simply dont use rideshare monthly. And when I do, I have the CSR that encourages Lyft with the free Lyft...
Eh I dont know about this.
On one hand, it's a huge pain to use the existing airline credit. Its tied to one airline, and only works on fees. I havent used mine yet for 2020.
On the other hand. an Uber credit, especially one broken out monthly, will be harder to use. I simply dont use rideshare monthly. And when I do, I have the CSR that encourages Lyft with the free Lyft Pink thing.
Someone above mentioned Uber Eats....but the $10 would only cover all the ridiculous fees they add. At least with Grubhub, I can order for pickup and avoid most fees.
This is a step backward.
It is also being added to Amex Green and Platinum
https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/campaigns/uber/
Plat gold and green now all come with 12 months of uber eats pass too
Does it make sense to upgrade from AMEX Green to Gold?
@ Ed -- Keep in mind you're eligible for both cards, so you could apply for the Amex Gold outright and get the 60K bonus, which you wouldn't get if upgrading. There could be value in having both cards and seeing which you like more. The Amex Green has the benefit of having more well rounded travel bonus categories.
@Robin - Try giving AmEx a call. I have several business cards with them and in each case they have offered a sizable statement credit when I explained that our business was struggling and we weren't getting the value that we typically do from the card.
Basically every Amex credit they have added in recent years (Saks, Uber, Grubhub, Covid streaming credits, etc) are as good as cash to me. Amex Platinum/Gold basically pay for themselves at this point
I'm totally fine with this change. I struggle to use my Plat credits anyway (I still don't know why they continue to make it so damn difficult, but that's for another discussion), so having to use both that and my gold credits took extra work and was frustrating. In fact, last year I only used it because I called Amex and they used my credits for a seat selection, even though it was a clear...
I'm totally fine with this change. I struggle to use my Plat credits anyway (I still don't know why they continue to make it so damn difficult, but that's for another discussion), so having to use both that and my gold credits took extra work and was frustrating. In fact, last year I only used it because I called Amex and they used my credits for a seat selection, even though it was a clear upgrade purchase. Got very lucky... but I'll have no problem using the Uber credits.
Not a fan. I might use Uber for a ride once a year. Now with Plat and Gold, I'll have a monthly $15 Uber Eats credit, a $10 Uber Eats credit, and a $10 Grubhub credit. I vowed to myself that if Amex added another breakage credit that I'd drop the card.
...and, as usual, those of us with the Business version of the card get...nothing.
AmEx has done literally nothing to help compensate the hurt we're all going through with COVID-19 when it comes to this card.
Lucky, any thoughts on if they'll do anything to help out those of us with the Business Gold?
I only ever use the Uber credits for UberEats so I don't count it at face value. Most restaurants upcharge about 20%-50% on UberEats to account for the commission. Still would prefer the incidental airline credits imo.