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Late last year, American Express (Amex) made some changes to two of its personal credit cards in the Hilton portfolio. For those who may have missed it, you can refer to a previous post for more details. Amex also introduced higher-than-usual welcome bonuses on these revamped cards. As someone who has been carrying the Amex Gold card for many years, I have witnessed its evolution from a card with a $95 annual fee to one that now offers new benefits and rebates. Currently, Amex is offering a 90,000 points welcome bonus on the Amex Gold Card, and I also came across another offer for 125,000 Membership Rewards points on the Amex Platinum card.
Amex Gold Card: 90,000 Membership Rewards Points
The 90,000 Membership Rewards points welcome bonus on the Amex Gold Card can be earned after spending $6,000 in the first six months of card membership. It’s important to note that this card carries an annual fee of $250. However, it also comes with several credits and opportunities to earn membership rewards points.
To apply for the 90,000 Membership Rewards points offer, click here. If the offer doesn’t show up right away, try clearing your browsing history and cookies, or use a different browser or VPN service. In my experience, using a referral link with Safari browser on a Macbook allowed me to see elevated offers for both the Amex Platinum Card and the Amex Gold Card.
Earning Membership Rewards Points with the Amex Gold Card
You can kickstart your points earning with the Amex Gold Card by earning bonus points in the following categories:
– 4x Membership Rewards points for each dollar spent at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S) and on groceries in the U.S (capped at $25,000 per year)
– 3x Membership Rewards points for each dollar spent on flights (directly booking with the airline) or with AmexTravel.com
– 1x Membership Rewards point for each dollar spent on all other purchases
Credits with the Amex Gold Card
In addition to the bonus points earned in the above categories, cardholders also receive the following credits each year:
– $10 in Uber cash each month, which can be used for rides or with Uber Eats ($120 per year)
– $10 dining credits per month ($120 per year) when using the Amex Gold card at one of the following merchants: Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, and Shake Shack
Personal Commentary
Overall, the Amex Gold Card is a great fit for people who primarily spend in three categories: airlines, dining, and groceries. The points can add up quickly, and if you maximize the grocery category, you can earn an additional 100,000 Membership Rewards points in a single year. American Express Membership Rewards points are highly valuable, as they offer a wide array of airline transfer partners compared to other credit card companies. Additionally, the occasional points transfer bonuses offered by Amex are an added bonus. Personally, I enjoy transferring my Amex Membership Rewards points to Air Canada Aeroplan and flying with their partner airlines worldwide, such as Emirates, Singapore Airlines, or Air Vistara.
What’s your favorite use of Amex’s Membership Rewards points? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
Click here for the 90,000 points offer on the Amex Gold Card, and here for the 125,000 points offer on the Amex Platinum Card.