AmEx announced new benefits for its popular Gold Card - and it's bringing back the coveted Rose Gold version to celebrate
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- The American Express® Gold Card is getting a few improvements.
- The card - which already earned 4x points at US restaurants and US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year at supermarkets - 1x after that) - will now earn 4x points at restaurants worldwide, making it a more valuable card for frequent travelers.
- The card offers up to $10 in credit each month for a handful of restaurants; Now, these credits can also be used at wholesale website Boxed.com.
- AmEx is also bringing back the popular Rose Gold edition of the card for a limited time - but only when you apply through a personal referral link.
One of the best rewards credit cards is getting even better.
Last fall, American Express relaunched its Gold Card, with a refreshed version that earned 4x points per dollar spent at US restaurants, 4x points back at US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year - 1x point per dollar for anything beyond that), and 3x points per dollar on flights booked directly with the airline or with AmEx travel. It earns 1x point on everything else.
The card also added up to $120 in annual dining credits, broken into monthly $10 portions. These credits only apply to a few participating chain restaurants - specifically Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris Steak House, and some Shake Shack locations - but they also apply to popular food ordering services GrubHub and Seamless. The credits apply automatically to any qualifying purchase.
Thursday, AmEx announced two updates to those benefits - both improvements.
First, the 4x earning rate now applies to restaurants worldwide, not just in the US. For frequent travelers, this is great news, and eliminates a specific competitive advantage that the Chase Sapphire Reserve card held - although it's worth noting that outside of the US, American Express isn't accepted as widely as Mastercard and Visa (the Sapphire Reserve is a Visa card).
Whether you earn 4x points or not depends on how the merchant is registered, but generally, purchases at restaurants, bars, pubs, cafes, and more all tend to qualify.
The second change is an addition to the list of places where cardholders can use the dining credit. Alongside the restaurants, the credit will also apply to purchases made from wholesale website Boxed.com.
As an added bonus, AmEx is bringing back the Rose Gold edition for a limited time of the card, which was introduced when the card was relaunched last fall. However, as of now, the only way to get it is if you apply for the card through a friend's personal referral link. When the Rose Gold card was last available, it was so popular that AmEx had trouble keeping up with requests for it.
Ultimately, these two changes are likely to appeal to a niche audience; however, the AmEx Gold Card remains one of the strongest cards available today, particularly for those who tend to spend a lot on dining and groceries.