How Does the Updated Amex Gold Card Compare to Other Lunch Bonus Cards
If you’re looking to purchase a new Food Rewards Card, American Express’s renewed Premier Rewards Gold card is one of the most generous on the market – provided you spend enough to get around the $ 250 commission.
Now called the American Express Gold Card, this is the best Amex card if you spend a lot on lunch and food (which is the biggest expense for a typical American after living and transportation): it gives 4x points in restaurants and supermarkets in the US (in the first 25,000 dollars spent each year) and a $ 120 annual lunch credit that can be used at partner restaurants such as Shake Shack and Seamless.
The card also gives 3x points for flights booked through the website; US $ 100 annual airline tax credit; a loan of $ 75 for selected hotels; and other benefits. The catch: There is an annual fee of $ 250 and cardholders will no longer receive double refunds for gas purchases (they will get 1x back).
In addition, new users will receive 20 percent “on invoices for purchases in US restaurants, up to $ 100 in the card account within the first three months” of using the card. You will also receive 25,000 bonus points if you spend $ 2,000 over the same time period ( The Points Guy estimates bonus points at $ 475). This is not so much a bonus card for the avid traveler as it is an avid foodie.
So how does this compare to other lunch bonus cards? Keep in mind that the recently updated Savor Card * from Capital One offers four percent back at restaurants and bars and two percent back at grocery stores, among other perks, for an annual fee of $ 95 ($ 0 in the first year). The Chase Sapphire Preferred also costs $ 95 ($ 0 in the first year), but only gives you two points for lunch and travel. However, the fringe benefits and 4x increase in grocery shopping is hard to beat. However, the $ 250 royalty might make you wonder.
Another bonus, depending on how you look at it: the new card is now in metal and you can get it in rose gold until January. Because we all know millennials love rose gold .
* Full Disclosure: I have a Capital One Savor Card.