Amex Platinum and Gold cardmembers: Changes coming to your Uber Cash benefit
If you have the American Express® Gold Card or The Platinum Card® from American Express, listen up: Your Uber benefits are about to change.
Soon, in order to use your Uber Cash, you'll have to pay with an Amex card for that transaction as well as having downloaded the latest version of the Uber App.
We've heard some reports of cardmembers receiving specific notices about this change in their accounts. While many of us at TPG haven't yet received a notification from Amex, the official pages for the Uber benefit on the Amex Gold and Amex Platinum now have a note specifying the Nov. 8 change.
Amex Uber benefits change
The benefit works like this: As long as you have your card with the Uber Cash benefit linked to your Uber account as a payment method, Uber Cash is deposited directly into your account at the beginning of each month.
Currently, you can use any card to pay for the transaction if it costs more than the Uber Cash in your account. This is great for those of us with other cards that earn more on ride-hailing services since we can use the Uber Cash from our linked Amex card and then pay with a card that earns more than 1 point per dollar on any remaining Uber charges.
However, starting Nov. 8, you'll be required to use an Amex card as your payment method in order to use the Uber Cash in your account. Depending on what Amex cards you have in your wallet, this change could seriously reduce rewards for frequent Uber riders.
If you were, for instance, using your Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) as your primary payment method and have to change to your Platinum or Gold, you'll go from earning 3 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar to just 1 American Express Membership Rewards point per dollar on your Uber rides — taking you from over a 6% return to a 2% return, according to TPG's September 2024 valuations.
But it's not all bad news. If you're like me and use your Amex Gold Uber Cash primarily for Uber Eats, this may not even register as a change. I always use my Amex Gold for Uber Eats since it earns 4 points per dollar on dining at restaurants worldwide, which includes takeout in the U.S. But if you have the Amex Platinum and/or primarily use Uber Cash toward rides, this could mean a shake-up for your Uber earning rates.
Note that you can use any Amex card as your payment method in order to use your Uber Cash — not just the card that carries the benefit. This means that if you have the American Express® Green Card, for instance, you can use it to earn 3 points per dollar on your Uber ride.
The information for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Bottom line
Starting Nov. 8, Amex Platinum and Amex Gold cardmembers will need to use an Amex card as the payment method in order to use their monthly Uber Cash benefit. Depending on which Amex cards you have and how you use your Uber Cash, this change may require some tweaking to your purchasing habits.
Still, it will remain relatively simple to take full advantage of the monthly Uber Cash benefit on both the Amex Gold and Amex Platinum cards.
Related: How to use your Amex Uber credits
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
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