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The Amex Gold Card Will Now Earn 4x Points at Restaurants

Benét J. Wilson
Benét J. Wilson
Contributor
Benét, known as the Aviation Queen, is a former senior editor at TPG who is best known for being an aviation journalist for 25-plus years. Her love affair with travel and aviation began at age 6, when her Air Force family moved from California to a military base outside of London. The family flew from JFK to London on a pretty new Pan Am 747. She was amazed when, in 1992, she got her first aviation journalism job.
June 04, 2019
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2 min read
Puerto Rico Jan 2019_American Express Amex Gold Credit Card-3 April 2019 Card
The Amex Gold Card Will Now Earn 4x Points at Restaurants
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The American Express® Gold Card is one of our top picks for maximizing dining purchases, but since the 4x earnings on dining have been limited to US restaurants, it's been less attractive than other options for your trips abroad. That's why this news is huge: Card members will now receive 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants in general.

We learned of this change thanks to a TPG reader who shared this screenshot from their card statement:

According to the screenshot provided by the reader, the Amex Gold now earns 4x points on international dining purchases at restaurants as of June 6. Also note that the 4x earning rate on the first $25,000 spent at supermarkets each calendar year (then 1x) is still limited to supermarkets in the US. The card has a $250 annual fee (see rates and fees).

Based on TPG's valuations, 4x Amex points on dining at restaurants equals an 8% return on spending. That's second only to the Citi Prestige Card's 5x/8.5% return on dining worldwide. Before this change on the Amex Gold, the Citi Prestige and the Chase Sapphire Reserve (with 3x on dining; a 6% return) were our two top picks for dining purchases abroad, but this update nudges the CSR out of its second-place spot.

This is the Amex Gold Card's second refresh since October 2018, when American Express announced a limited-time rose gold card, 4 points per dollar spent at US restaurants and supermarkets and up to $120 in annual dining credits when paying with the Gold Card at participating dining partners including Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris Steak House and participating Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.

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Dining is a top spending category for many card holders, both at home and abroad, so we're very glad that Amex has extended the 4x earning rate to international dining purchases. This change makes it easy to justify clearing a coveted spot in your travel wallet for the Amex Gold.

For rates and fees of the Amex Gold card, click here.

Featured image by Photo by Isabelle Raphael/The Points Guy
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.