AmEx Gold Boosts Bonus Offer to 60K; Airline Fee Credit Will End After 2021
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Offers described on this page have changed since publication. See our review of the American Express® Gold Cardfor the current offer.
American Express is giving new American Express® Gold Card cardholders an opportunity to snag a richer welcome offer.
New applicants can now earn the following bonus: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first six months. Terms apply (see rates and fees). That's an increase of 25,000 points from the previous offer, which required the same amount of spending in the same timeframe.
The card's annual fee remains $250. Terms apply.
Airline fee credit will end after 2021
However, a key benefit of the American Express® Gold Card is going away at the end of next year. An AmEx representative confirmed to NerdWallet that the card plans to discontinue its annual $100 airline-fee statement credit.
UPDATE: As of Feb. 4, 2021, the airline fee credit is no longer available to new cardholders. It will end for all other cardholders at the end of 2021.
Currently, cardholders can apply this credit toward incidental air travel fees, including checked-bag fees, with one selected qualifying airline (which you can change once a year).
"The airline fee credit on the American Express® Gold Card will no longer be available at the end of 2021," the representative said. "Current Gold card members will be able to continue to use the airline fee credit through December 31, 2021. We will continue to evolve and enhance our card benefits and services to provide relevant and rich value to our card members in the areas they care about most, so stay tuned."
Ongoing rewards will stay the same
The American Express® Gold Card will still offer the following ongoing rewards:
4 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent at restaurants, including takeout and delivery.
4 points per $1 spent at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 in purchases per year (then 1X back).
3 points per $1 spent for flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
1 point per $1 spent on other eligible purchases.
Terms apply.
AmEx has been hiking welcome offers across a number of its credit cards recently, including its Blue Cash products and cards in its Marriott Bonvoy portfolio.
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