American Express Introduces Increased Welcome Bonus for Gold Card

For those in search of a charge card that will reward them for everyday expenses such as dining and grocery shopping, as well as benefit them once their travels resume, American Express may have just revealed a worthwhile deal. Currently, American Express is offering a special welcome bonus for the Gold card. Now, new cardholders can earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points when they spend at least $4,000 in their first six months. In addition to the increased points — the highest amount ever offered on this card — this bonus also gives cardholders twice as much time to reach the minimum spending requirement than the typical three months. Previously, the standard offer for this card was 35,000 Membership Rewards points.

As luck would have it, the American Express Gold Card is one that cardholders should still be able to make plenty of use of despite the “new normal.” That’s because, in addition to earning 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar on eligible purchases, it earns 4x points at restaurants — including take-out and delivery — as well as 4x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 in spending per year). On top of that, cardholders enjoy up to $10 in dining credits each month. These statement credits can be earned by making purchases from Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Boxed, and “participating Shake Shack locations.”

When cardholders are ready to travel again, they can also take advantage of other Gold card perks, including 3x points on flights booked either directly from the airline or via the Amex Travel portal. Speaking of Amex Travel, Gold cardholders will also have access to the American Express Hotel Collection, which offers special perks at select properties. Also included is up to $100 per year in statement credits for airline incidentals. However, according to reports, this perk is set to be discontinued in 2022 in order to make way for different benefits (although cardholders will still be able to claim their credits for the rest of 2020 as well as in 2021).

While the Amex Gold Card does carry a $250 annual fee, the credits, multipliers, and other perks including Amex Offers can help cardholders make up for that expense. Moreover, the 60,000 Membership Rewards points that customers can collect with this enhanced offer could be worth $360 if utilized for a statement credit, up to $600 if redeemed for gift cards or via Amex Travel, or potentially more than $1,000 if transferred to travel partners for flights or hotel stays (your results may vary). In any case, cardholders should have no issues getting value from their Gold card during their first year.

At this time, it’s not clear how long this 60,000 point sign-up bonus will last — so, if you’ve had your eye on the American Express Gold Card, now may be a great chance to add it to your wallet.

Also published on Medium.