All information about the American Express Gold, Platinum, Hilton, Marriott, and Delta Cards has been collected independently by Miles to Memories.
Amex Gold Value
American Express has been quite active refreshing cards across its portfolio over the past few years, including the Amex Platinum, Hilton, Marriott, and Delta cards – plus their business versions. In the past several months, Amex also refreshed their Gold and Business Gold products. I’m drilling down a bit more on the former today. I shared my initial take on the Gold changes back in early August, and I’ve had a few solid months of stick time with the new benefits since. I figured now’s a great time reassess Amex Gold value for my situation.
Note: As with previous valuation articles, I’m not taking into account a bonus point welcome offer for the Amex Gold. I’m specifically focusing on the card’s ongoing benefits for individuals who decide to pay the annual fee. New cardholders eligible for the signup bonus should add their customized value to the first cardmember year as they deem appropriate.
Amex Gold Benefits
Uber Cash
The Amex Gold continues to provide cardholders with $120 Uber Cash annually, doled out in $10 monthly increments. These credits expire each month, but they’re still user-friendly enough for us where that’s not a problem. Despite a bit of recent uncertainty, Amex continues to deposit Uber Cash in member wallets, combinable with other wallet contents like gift card balance and Amex Platinum Uber Cash. We value this credit at 100%, as we focus on promos and leverage Uber One benefits to mitigate any markups.
Annual Benefit Value: $120
Dining Credit
Following a similar pattern, the Amex Gold gives cardmembers a $120 Dining Credit each year – a $10 monthly allotment subject to expiration. Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, GrubHub, Goldbelly, and Wine.com are the currently-participating partners, with Shake Shack and Milk Bar removed in late September. This transition has been seamless for us, as we simply moved our Shake Shack business over to a more-convenient Five Guys location. Avoid the nonsense and pick up whatever you can with this benefit. We easily do so and fully value this benefit, triggerable by simply using our Gold cards with those stores.
Annual Benefit Value: $120
Resy Credit
Now, I’ll move into the newer benefits added to the Gold. The card comes with a $100 annual Resy Credit redeemable at participating locations – $50 for the first half of the year, and another $50 for the second. At announcement, I considered this benefit a wild card, as we’d had no previous experience with Resy. But we’ve since used this benefit a few times and been pleasantly surprised with its ease of use.
In my experience, all I just dine at a restaurant listed on Resy’s site and pay with my Gold card. I’ve subsequently received statement credits for each of these charges. There’s no need to make reservations ahead of time or any other fuss. Find your spot, grab your Gold, and chow down!
Given the solid footprint of Resy-cooperating restaurants and the credit’s convenience, it’s replaced other dining experiences where we traditionally went out of pocket.
Annual Benefit Value: $100
Dunkin’ Credit
Perhaps the wackiest Gold tweak in recent memory, Amex offers cardholders $84 each year in Dunkin’ credit – an expiring $7 monthly benefit. But once I got past its oddity, I’ve admired its utility. Since this benefit’s inception, I’ve triggered this credit with app loads to my Dunkin’ card, easily doable in $7 increments. I’m done with our Golds within a few clicks and minutes each month. And even better, I’ve untied this value from expiration. This credit has replaced most of our occasional coffee runs elsewhere.
Annual Benefit Value: $84
Bonus Categories
Many have bemoaned the new $50k annual cap on the 4x dining bonus spending category. My family and I haven’t historically come close that threshold, anyway. Long gone are the days when we maxed out the annual $25k capacity in the 4x supermarket bonus spending category. Sure, we organically spend in these categories when we have a Gold, anyway. But neither 4x category is a priority for our big spending. We’d be perfectly fine using other cards like this one when we’re Goldless.
Annual Benefit Value: $0
Conclusion
We don’t bother with the card’s other travel- and shopping-related benefits, but no matter. Bonus categories aside, I don’t recall ever valuing any card’s primary benefits at 100% each. Overall, my Amex Gold value of benefits is $424. This beats out the hiked $325 annual fee by $99. Right now, our existing Golds haven’t been subject to that new fee yet, so getting this slate of benefits on the previous $250 annual fee is gravy. Regardless, I’ll likely opt for more flexibility with Amex and close our Amex Gold cards when the year two annual fees come due – even if I get a retention offer.
Bigger picture, many consumers will easily come out ahead with the Gold with its current benefits. And interestingly, beyond the 4x spend categories, the Resy Credit is an additional benefit which cardholders can now double- (or triple-) dip across three calendar years on one annual fee.
Now’s a great time to reassess your Amex Gold strategy. What makes this card worth holding (or not) in your situation?
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I’ve had a gold card for 40+ years. I have two choices if I do not renew. Cancel and take the credit score hit or downgrade to a green card which still has a fee and much less benefits.. I do not like that you can only upgrade or downgrade within the “family” (platinum or green) and no other cards. I have delicious meals cooked at home so not a dine outer and the saving for groceries does not approach the annual fee. We won’t talk about the “coupons” which are not of interest to me anyway. Just need to be sure I transfer points to the hotel chain or airline used most oftern before canceling.
Interesting article , Benjy.
While I like the earnings structure of the Gold, I dont like the coupon book. Closing the card when year 2 fee hits is the move.
Yep, I’m with you in closing at the cardmember year two annual fee, CJ. And it’s completely understandable many don’t want to bother with benefits which are inconvenient for them.
Pardon if I’m missing something, but why do you list the “Annual Benefit Value” of the dining and Uber credits at $100 if you fully value them at their value of $120?
Woops, fixed. Thanks, Bart!