A Foodie’s Dream: The AMEX Gold Card Has Landed With 4X Categories, Dining Credits, and More!

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Exciting changes!

The Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express is now the American Express® Gold Card.  And with it, you’ll earn 4X AMEX Membership Rewards points per $1 at US restaurants and US supermarkets (up to $25,000 in spending per calendar year, then 1X point per $1).

That makes the AMEX Gold the best card for dining and grocery shopping, which are popular spending categories for lots of folks.

The welcome bonus is 25,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.  Through January 9, 2019, you’ll earn 20% back on US restaurant purchases, up to $100 back in the same timeframe.

You can apply for The American Express Gold Card here.

With Excellent 4X Categories on US Dining and US Supermarkets, the AMEX Gold Card Is Something to Celebrate!

I’ll share the details!

The AMEX Gold Card Adds 4X Points in Excellent Bonus Categories, and a $120 Dining Credit

Apply Here:   American Express® Gold Card

American Express® Gold Card is a refreshed version of the old Premier Rewards Gold.  And they’ve made some excellent changes to the card!

When you apply for the AMEX Gold you’ll earn 25,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.  Through  January 9, 2019, you’ll earn 20% back as a statement credit on purchases at US restaurants, up to $100 back, within the same timeframe.

Also, when you apply by January 9, 2019, you’ll have the option to receive your card in a limited-edition rose gold color.

But it’s the bonus categories that make this card valuable.  Now you’ll get:

  • 4X AMEX Membership Rewards points at US restaurants
  • 4X AMEX Membership Rewards points at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases (then 1X)
  • 3X AMEX Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or on Amextravel.com
  • Up to $120 dining credit ($10 monthly) each year at participating restaurants (enrollment required)
  • $100 airline incidental fee credit each calendar year on your selected airline
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Terms apply

The annual fee is $250. The bonus categories and up to $120 dining credit – in addition to a $100 credit for airline incidentals – will earn this card a place in most wallets.  And make the card a total keeper!

Now You’ll Get up to $120 a Year in Credits When You Spend at Participating Restaurants ($10 per Month), and You’ll Earn 4X Points at When You Dine Throughout the US!

The $120 dining credit is broken into $10 monthly over the course of a year.  And you can use it at:

  • GrubHub
  • Seamless
  • The Cheesecake Factory
  • Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
  • Participating Shake Shack locations

It’s not valid for merchandise or gift card purchases, though.

Plus, you’ll earn 3X AMEX Membership Rewards points when you book flights directly with the airline, or through AMEX Travel.  That’s an excellent addition that puts it in line with other premium cards.

Note:   You’re not eligible for the bonus on this card if you have or have had the Premier Rewards Gold card.

Who Should Consider This Card Now?

Link:   The Big Travel Guide to AMEX Membership Rewards Points

Lots of folks!  If you dine out or shop for groceries with any regularity – which is nearly everyone – you might consider applying for the AMEX Gold card.

The only other card that earns 4% cash back on dining is the Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card.  But that card earns cash back rewards, whereas AMEX Membership Rewards points are valuable because of their flexibility.  You can transfer them to travel partners including Air Canada, Delta, and Singapore Airlines.

The information for the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards card has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Even better, there’s no cap to how much you can earn on dining out!

Speaking of dining, if you like the partner restaurants and will use your $10 credit each month, you’ll save $120 a year.

Turn Your Dining and Grocery Purchases Into Award Flights to Seoul With AMEX Membership Rewards Airline Partners

And for grocery purchases, this card is now the best one to use, hands down.  The 4X earning is capped at $25,000 per calendar year (then 1X) but that should easily accommodate most shoppers.

That translates to over $2,000 per month ($25,000 / 12 months).  And if you reach the cap, you’ll earn an extra 100,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points per year, which would be enough for an award flight to nearly anywhere in coach and lots of great cities in Business Class!

Be aware there’s a $250 annual fee.  But between the statement credits and excellent bonus categories, most folks can come out well ahead with this card.  Especially if you like to collect AMEX Membership Rewards points, because the earning potential here is huge.  I’m impressed with these updates!

Bottom Line

Big, positive changes have arrived with the refreshed American Express Gold Card.  The welcome bonus is now 25,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.  Plus you’ll earn 20% back on US restaurant purchases, up to $100 back in the same timeframe.

You’ll now earn 4X AMEX Membership Rewards points on US dining, and on up to $25,000 per calendar year shopping at US supermarkets (then 1X).  They’ve also added 3X AMEX Membership Rewards points for flights booked with airlines, or through AMEX Travel.

There’s a $120 dining credit, which is worth $10 a month at GrubHub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, and participating Shake Shack locations.  And you can earn up to $100 in airline incidental free credit on your selected airline.

This is now the best card to use for dining and grocery shopping.  AMEX has a game changer here.

You can apply for The American Express Gold Card here.

Let us know what you think of the changes!

Million Mile Secrets features a team of points and miles experts who have traveled to over 80 countries and have used 60+ credit cards responsibly to accumulate loyalty points and travel the world on the cheap! The Million Mile Secrets team has been featured on The Points Guy, TIME, Yahoo Finance and many other leading points & miles media outlets.

Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)

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