Amex just announced a refresh of the beloved American Express Gold Card effective today and there are some changes you need to be aware of. I know there’s always some confusion regarding when the annual fee kicks in or when you can start taking advantage of the new benefits so I wanted to write a quick post to explain some of the information.
First and foremost, the annual fee for the personal American Express Gold Card will increase from $250 to $325 a year. This new annual fee is effective immediately for anyone approved for the card starting today (July 25, 2024) but if you were approved for the card recently, or have the card currently, then your annual fee will not increase until your next annual fee due date. For example, if you just got the card in January 2024, then your $250 will stay the same until your next renewal date of June 2025. This is good news if you just got the card because you don’t have to worry about the annual fee increase until next year.
Now, here’s some more good news for existing Gold Cardholders. The new annual fee will not kick in for us until October 1, 2024. That means, if your card is up for renewal between now and October, you will still pay the $250 annual fee. But if your card is up for renewal on October 1, 2024, or after, then you will have to pay the new annual fee of $325, unfortunately.
With the Gold Card refresh, American Express introduced some changes to the card, including a new white gold color and new credits for Resy restaurants and Dunkin’ Donuts. These new changes are effective starting today and all Gold Cardholders will have access to them (even if you only paid the $250 annual fee). All you have to do is log into your American Express account, or the app, and enroll in the new benefits.
If you want the new white gold color, you can request a replacement card in the app or through your account page. If you don’t see the “request replacement card” function, you can just ask for it in the chat. And as a reminder, make sure you request a replacement card and not a “lost or stolen” card. If you request a replacement card, then your account number will stay the same (but your security code will be different). If you replace a lost or stolen card, then your current card will be suspended and you will receive a new card with a new account number.
For the new Resy restaurants credit, all you have to do is dine at a restaurant that is listed in the Resy app or website. You don’t need to make a reservation, pay in the app, or do anything else. Just go to your favorite restaurant, pay for your meal with your Gold Card and you will get a statement credit shortly thereafter. This $100 Resy credit will be broken up into two biannual credits of $50 each; once from January to June and another from July to December.
For the new Dunkin’ Donuts credit, all you have to do is use your Gold Card to make a purchase either in the app or in-store. This new credit is $7/month ($84/year) and as a reminder, all AmEx credits are “use it or lose it.” None of them carry over.
And of course, the 4x multiplier for restaurants and grocery stores still applies but now, there’s a $50,000 cap on restaurant spend. The existing $120 Uber Cash credits will remain the same but the $120 dining credit has a minor change. Milk Bar and Shake Shack have been removed as eligible restaurants but Five Guys have been added. You can still use your dining credit for Grubhub, Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, and Wine.com.
I hope this information helps. If you have any additional questions or concerns, feel free to post them below. Thanks for reading!
