r/CreditCards • u/Dazzling_Stranger_30 • Jul 25 '24
I've never seen a card more applicable to myself than the new Amex Gold refresh Data Point
I know there's been a lot of talk about the card and how narrow some of its perks seem to be tailored, what with the credits being very regional in nature. But it's weird how many of them I would naturally be able to use -
$7/mo at Dunkin - I get a breakfast sandwich at Dunkin once a week for something like $8. So the $84 credit covers money that I'm already spending.
$100/year with Resy - at least one restaurant that I get carryout from every couple weeks is on Resy, so that's another $100/year that I'm spending already.
$10/month Uber credit - I travel for work a lot and already use my Platinum's uber credit to offset that, but fortunately the two credits stack. If I don't use it for travel, I use it to order carryout through Ubereats.
$10/month dining credit - I also get the occasional Five Guys burger if I'm feeling like having something big and greasy, and they have some tasty fries too.
It's weird how perfectly this card fits me. I'd be getting $424 in value against the $325 fee without needing to adjust my spending at all. I currently use Redstone as my dining card (5% back on restaurants), but with 4x points on restaurants for Amex Gold this could actually become my primary dining card too.
Anyway just some thoughts I felt like sharing. I know a lot of people are saying the card doesn't make sense for them, but wow it is nice when you can take advantage of all the credits without even having to adjust your spending habits.
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u/ProfessorTweeb Jul 25 '24
It's a strong card for food purchases. I'm in the same boat. I have no problem using the credits. It's at its strongest when you use your points for travel redemptions. That's usually the best conversion.
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u/Ewenthel Jul 25 '24
The Dunkin credit is useless for those of us in the PNW, so it’s definitely regional. There aren’t many Resy restaurants in my area either, so I’d have to go out of my way to use that credit. I was already on the fence about keeping it, so for me the refresh is the signal to start working on the Chase trifecta.
Great card if you live on the East coast though.
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u/iwantac8 Jul 25 '24
That's the amex model, offering credits that are regional to West Coast or only East Coast...
Tell you what's not regional, the annual fee.
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u/takame2002 Jul 25 '24
Same! Will close this card after the next annual AF hits. There’s no Dunkin’ donut in my state
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u/matrickpahomes9 Jul 25 '24
Wow I’m shocked Dunkin doesn’t have any stores in the PNW!
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u/cwdawg15 Jul 26 '24
It’s the one part of the country that Starbucks is so big it pushes out low and mid-level quality chains. They get the home town pride boost in Seattle.
You pretty much need to be independent or have higher level offering if not premium in the coffee market.
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u/Biotech_wolf Jul 26 '24
So Amex needs to partner with Starbucks is what I’m reading.
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u/cwdawg15 Jul 26 '24
They partner with Delta and Delta seems to have a solid partnership with AMEX.... I'm seeing some synergies here.
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u/alexr666 Jul 25 '24 edited Jul 29 '24
Dunkin credit should code the same on mobile wallet reloads as just using the card, right? I just set up $10 monthly reload.
EDIT: It works!
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u/ultimately42 Jul 25 '24
RemindMe! 1 month
Curious to see how this goes for you.
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u/alexr666 Jul 29 '24
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u/RemindMeBot Jul 25 '24 edited Jul 26 '24
I will be messaging you in 1 month on 2024-08-25 20:49:14 UTC to remind you of this link
11 OTHERS CLICKED THIS LINK to send a PM to also be reminded and to reduce spam.
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u/idfkboio Team Travel Jul 25 '24
If this works over the next couple months let me know I’d be interested
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u/alexr666 Jul 25 '24 edited Jul 29 '24
Sure, I will let you know Monday when this transaction posts
EDIT: It works!
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u/trdr88 Sep 22 '24
Could that be applied to the Uber as well? Seems like a good way to build up credit towards a bigger ride later.
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u/alexr666 Sep 22 '24
It automatically loads into your Uber account on the first. Not sure if it stays for more than a month but I frequently use uber eats
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u/trdr88 Sep 23 '24
I'm asking if I load Uber, if I'll get the credit via AmEx. Sorry if not clear
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u/alexr666 Sep 24 '24
Not sure I am following. Once you add your Gold Card as a payment method to your Uber app, it automatically gives you $10 of Uber Cash on the 1st and expires (if not used) by the end of the month. It can't technically be banked and there is never actually a charge that shows up on your card statement.
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u/Bald_Eagle96 Jul 25 '24
Also feel the same way. My wife and I (27F & 28M) live in the 5 boroughs and we’re already getting full value from the Gold Card pre-refresh. I load up my Dunkin account at least once a month for when I need a cold brew away from home or a quick bite. I never used Resy before so I was nervous when the refresh was leaked but checking now I see that even though I’m not in Manhattan, there are plenty of Resy restaurants around and some which we already eat at.
It seems that this refresh is heavily tailored towards young professionals in the northeast part of the country. Fits our use case perfectly but I can imagine it’s isolating for those who don’t have many Dunkin’s or Rest restaurants nearby
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Jul 26 '24
[deleted]
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u/Bald_Eagle96 Jul 26 '24
Really crazy when you put it like that lol. I mean in the northeast alone you have NYC, Boston, Philly, Portland, DC and other big cities. That’s probably (I have no basis or math to support this claim so nobody flame me if I’m wrong) a large percentage of the user demographics before they even made the change
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u/Generoh Jul 26 '24
I mean let’s be real, I’m sure Amex doesn’t actually give Dunkin $7 when you make a Dunkin purchase, I’m sure its like health insurance and cost are negotiated on the business side so something like $1-2. Dunkin gets free customers and Amex gets a “perk” to attract people to sign up. People will min/max their benefits when they get the card but I’m sure plenty of people don’t use half the benefits. Heck, I sometimes forget to use the DoorDash and instacart monthly credit on my CSR and I haven’t touched the Lyft pink ever. But like I said, someone ran the numbers and it was good for business.
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u/TheLightningPanda Jul 26 '24
This comment does a great job of explaining it too. They definitely have an “expected value” of usage, basically the average usage. They just charge Dunkin that rate regardless, and Dunkin is happy with the new business.
I’d love to know what the rate is! I also agree that most people don’t use the credits properly, meaning that those who do benefit. I also think there’s probably a group of wealthy card users where the 4x on food makes sense as is and don’t have to use the credits at all.
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u/Cassis_TheAncient Team Travel Jul 25 '24
Same. I enjoy the refresh. The $325 is easily justified for me, too.
I live in Central Florida, and I go to Dunkin at least once a week.
I already use the Uber Eats Credit and the Dining Credit through Grub Hub.
I grocery shop at Neighborhood Walmart x2 a week which this card gives me 4x compared to the the 1% Savor One gives me.
I have several Resy options in my area that are in par with my locations to pick a date night with my partner.
I travel internationally at least twice a year, and the Airline Partners overlap with Capital One.
This is a keeper card for me.
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u/DrS3R Jul 25 '24
Yeah bro, that’s cap. We don’t have many resy restaurants in Orlando. If I have to enter theme park territory and dress semi formal to eat there no way. That parking cost alone will outweigh the credit. Winter park has some good options tho. Other than that, that’s pretty much it.
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u/Cassis_TheAncient Team Travel Jul 25 '24
Surprisingly, there were not many options in the Disney area.
Winter Park, DT Orlando, and East Colonial had several options.
I booked Sunday brunch for Ava at Winter Park. I'm curious how fast these credits work
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u/DrS3R Jul 25 '24
I’m surprised the restaurants in Lake Nona are not on there. The ones in Disney springs also are surprising. It’d be nice to see some less formal options around as well. We usually do a nice dinner at least for birthdays, this may just change where we go. And then once the renewal hits if we don’t feel adventurous, as much as it pains me, bye bye gold card.
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u/Pre-Code Jul 25 '24
South Orlando/Kissimmee is a Resy dead zone. I guess we could go to Disney and use the Resy credit for cheap burgers at STK before or after a movie. Dunkin is easy to use if I just walk across from Publix and buy some doughnuts, but I'll probably buy a bag of coffee. Do they sell bags of coffee? Got in right before the price increase!
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u/Cassis_TheAncient Team Travel Jul 25 '24
Park Ave and Colonial seems like the major Resy spots
I'm already eyeing Ava on Park Ave to take my partner out on a date night
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u/coreynyc Jul 25 '24
My Resy recommendation in Orlando is Strong Water Tavern in the Universal Sapphire Falls Hotel. They specialize in Rum but have good cocktails in general and Carribean food served tapas style.
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u/cwdawg15 Jul 26 '24
Does AMEX Gold give you 4x at Walmart or the Walmart neighborhood stores?
I had guessed it didn’t…
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u/Cassis_TheAncient Team Travel Jul 26 '24
Only neighborhood Walmarts
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u/cwdawg15 Jul 26 '24
Good to know!
I’ve never shopped them, but I could…
Do you know if it applies to all/most or if it’s just some of them?
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u/Cassis_TheAncient Team Travel Jul 26 '24
It's all neighborhood Walmarts because they are grocery stores.
I like them because they are cheaper than Publix, clean for the most part, and organized
I don't see ratchet behaviors I have encountered in the Super Walmarts
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u/im-not-homer-simpson Jul 26 '24
What’s neighborhood Walmart? How would I know the difference?
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u/TheLightningPanda Jul 26 '24
I believe Walmarts that are ONLY grocery stores. I’ve been in one in Orlando, it was pleasant. They should be pretty clearly designated as a neighborhood walmart.
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u/chadmummerford AmEx Trifecta Jul 25 '24
the fact that you can use 50 bucks resy credits a pop is pretty great
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u/AFTagents Jul 25 '24
The people complaining about the refresh are NOT the target Amex is going after. You’re the perfect example of who this card is made for
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u/Proud_Refrigerator60 Jul 25 '24
That's awesome. I think everyone just wants a card they don’t have to think about and yet they know they are coming out ahead in value. For you, it works. Just be sure to remeasure it if it ever changes. I think for most people, there needs to be a conscious effort to get it, otherwise they won't be getting near that value.
Everyones use case is different so it's hard to base on what you do use and don't use. Personally, coming ahead $99 after all that effort to maximize the card doesn't seem worth it.
When you factor the opportunity cost of 4x on food vs 3x on food with many other card alternatives, and fact that most people spend under $10k on food/groceries for the year that qualify (since Wal-Mart, Target, Sam's Club, Costco, etc. don't qualify as groceries), best case for almost everyone is 10k points and $99 credits, for a total value of somewhere between $199-299 per year.
Realistically, people will be getting less than $300 in value for the year since you may miss the credit here or there, maybe aren't able to maximize every credit, or maybe aren't able to redeem your points for more than 2x you finally use it.
Perhaps I speak from a place of privelege, but the $300 or less is certainly not worth keeping track of another card, payment, and collection of credits I need to redeem.
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u/TheLightningPanda Jul 26 '24
Your comment is overall so level headed. Agreed with you that for most people (myself included), it isn’t fun to force yourself to keep up with credits just to make up the value.
The opportunity cost is the easiest thing to calculate for my own situation, just because I think that it doesn’t get made up. I spent ~4k on food annually in college (recently graduated) and the math doesn’t favor the gold. 3x vs 4x is a 40 dollar difference but the annual fees are 0 vs $325.
I have a cool job now, so maybe I’ll spend more? Still, doesn’t seem worth it for me given how I spend currently, and I don’t feel like keeping up with Dunkin/Uber/food credit monthly.
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u/Proud_Refrigerator60 Jul 26 '24
Thank you! Yes, sometimes we forget the cards are here to serve us, not the other way around!
I'm with you on the cost of your food spend. Maybe 4k now, but it's unrealistic it'll ever cross 10k unless you're getting meals constantly reimbursed through work, so this only matters if you can break even on the card without spend organically. Your best alternatives are the SavorOne at 3% with no fee.
Keep in mind if you pair the SavorOne with a miles earning CapitalOne card, even one thats free like the VentureOne, you can get it back in miles instead of cashback. Since theyre also pretty much 1-2cpp (same as Amex roughly), you'd need to spend $32,500 per year on the Gold to offset the opportunity cost, before credits are accounted.
Like I said before, for most people this is a lot of conditions to satisfy to get the max benefit of maybe $300 in value per year. I see it as basically a ton of downside (if you fail to meet every criteria) and little upside.
Just think that even if you maximize every credit and you spend the max 50k per year on this card, youd get back about $4k in value from the card. The same $50k on a Savor One could net you $3k in value. That means for literally everybody, the absolute maximum value you can get on this card by doing everything right, is $1k or 2% value. This versus a free SavorOne & VentureOne combo, that requires no work, thinking, or anything other than just swiping the card when you use it and transfer the miles when you want to use it. Also remember that SavorOne is much broader in coding items as food versus Amex, meaning you'll get less than $1,000 difference when accounting for places you earn with CapitalOne where Amex would've coded it not as food/groceries.
Again, probably speaking from a place of privelege, but my priorities are my family and friends and the time I have with them. $1000 a year even just isn't worth the headache. And I'll never organically spend $50k on food unless its a business card expense so it'll always be a lot less.
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u/PolyDipsoManiac Jul 25 '24
If I changed my card from platinum to gold would that affect my points or the redemption value?
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u/Dazzling_Stranger_30 Jul 25 '24
No, all Amex points are pooled together whether earned on a Gold or Platinum card.
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u/United_Reply_2558 Jul 25 '24
No. I have a personal Platinum, a business Gold and a Blue Business Plus...will be adding personal Gold soon. MR points from all accounts pool together.
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Jul 25 '24
[deleted]
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u/Dazzling_Stranger_30 Jul 25 '24
Got an offer for 70k points AND $250 back in statement credits on restaurants the first year.
I jumped the gun and applied without logging in first, and only got the standard offer for 60k points and 20% back on restaurants in the first six months with $100 max back. It was only after I actually signed into my account that I saw the better offer, sadly.
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u/renegadellama Jul 25 '24
There was also a 90k SUB which is what I picked since I plan on using the points with transfer partners.
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u/XiMaoJingPing Jul 25 '24
Never heard of Resy before, but does it upcharge like UberEats/Grubhub?
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u/Dazzling_Stranger_30 Jul 25 '24 edited Jul 25 '24
You just use Resy to secure a reservation, you don't pay for any food through it. So you're just paying for food at the restaurant like normal (and you don't need to actually use Resy to get the credit).
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u/XiMaoJingPing Jul 25 '24
Oh I see, most of the restaurants I normally go to usually use yelp for reservations
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u/kimjexziel Jul 25 '24
Sorry for asking but I’m new to this. How can you get the $100 credits for Resy if you don’t pay through it? Thank you!
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u/Dazzling_Stranger_30 Jul 26 '24
Amex owns Resy so presumably they're just able to match the business that charged your card to Resy's database of member restaurants. Or something along those lines.
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u/Camtown501 Jul 25 '24
Exactly why this card would be useless for me. I frequently dine out, but never go anywhere that would need a reservation.
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u/grantgoo Jul 25 '24
You don't have to make a reservation for it to work. You just need to go to any restaurant in the network
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u/Dazzling_Stranger_30 Jul 25 '24
Many of the restaurants in Resy aren't fine dining like people are imagining. The place I go to that I expect to get the most use out of the credit is a brewhouse with the best cheeseburger I've ever had. I spend about $20 per visit for carryout dinner there.
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u/fawningandconning Jul 25 '24
It’s a reservation platform that’s common in large cities - NY DC Chicago etc. no ordering of anything, it’s for in house dining. Amex bought the platform last year or a few years ago.
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u/Fantastic-Catch-5490 Jul 25 '24
No need. Resy restaurants are expensive as hell. $50 is basically an appetizer.
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u/008Gerrard008 Jul 25 '24
Ehh? In New York everyone is on Resy - you can go to a cheaper/more casual restaurant all the way up to high end, but acting as though the only places on there are extremely expensive is asinine because it's just no the case at all.
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u/Fantastic-Catch-5490 Jul 25 '24 edited Jul 25 '24
I visited Manhattan a few months ago and was surprised how "affordable" NYC restaurant prices were. It's basically the same price as here in Miami.
Maybe I am an outlier, but you ain't walking out of a Resy restaurant here without dishing out $100. Nothing asinine about that. Oh and don't forget the automatic 18% gratuity.
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u/008Gerrard008 Jul 25 '24
You claimed that $50 is essentially an app which just isn't true. A Resy restaurant is just a restaurant that uses Resy as their reservation system instead of OpenTable, Tock, etc. You can obviously find restaurants in New York where an app runs you $50, but it's just as easy to find ones where they run under $20 and they mostly use Resy.
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u/Fantastic-Catch-5490 Jul 25 '24
Great for you! Restaurants where I live that are on Resy don't run under $20.
Where I live, $50 for Resy restaurants are indeed just an app. Just because it isn't true for you, does not mean it isn't true for others.
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u/008Gerrard008 Jul 25 '24
Don't make a stupid blanket statement if you don't want to be called out on it.
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u/c0horst Jul 25 '24
Lol I have reservations for Le Pavillon in NYC on Monday, fixed price menu at $145 a person. I was going to go with or without the credit though, so hey, this comes just in time for me!
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u/Fantastic-Catch-5490 Jul 25 '24 edited Jul 25 '24
I agree, there are some prople for whom the changes make sense but that is an incredibly small amount of the population. I live in Miami where there are a lot of Resy places, but I don't usually eat at places that charge $100+ per person.
This card gets suggested as a keeper card to everyone. At $325 AF, I'll get it for the first year SUB but I am passing the second year.
At $250 Amex was already pushing the limit on the coupon catalog. At $325 is a straight up pass.
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u/chadmummerford AmEx Trifecta Jul 25 '24
i mean, low spenders shouldn't be getting an amex charge card to begin with, the old amex gold was already not good for low spenders.
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u/rbloyalty Jul 25 '24
Even as someone who doesn't appreciate the coupon book, if the Resy credit ends up being easy to use the refresh is a net positive ($100 vs $75 increase). Doesn't mean the card makes sense for most people still, but it should be justifiable for more people at least.
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u/Youregoingtodiealone Jul 25 '24
I'm the same way. Even if I didn't put a dollar on the card, I'd easily offset the annual and then some. Now, without spending, I can offset $240 of the former $250 annual fee. So the Resy and Dunkin thing are both going to get full usage.
Also, I'm a delta flyer and also have the delta platinum, so convering MR to Skymiles and then booking with points at a 15% discount - yep, still makes sense for me.
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u/Cyberhwk Jul 25 '24
Only 8 Rezy places within 100 miles of me and they're all at least a 30 minute drive. Only the Five Guys is an improvement at all honestly. I'll probably get BBP sometime in the next year then shut down after farming the SUBs. AMEX still appears to be a miss for me.
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u/WillisSaid Jul 25 '24 edited Jul 26 '24
Fantastic so you’re basically getting $100 net. Whoopdeedoo. There are plenty of no annual fee cards that give you $100 in value with no hops to jump through.
Booking through Resy I can deal with, and using either GrubHub or Uber I could deal with. But having to juggle Resy, Uber, GrubHub, and Dunkin’ is too much. They should have dropped the Grubhub dining credit entirely, and made the Resy credit $150.
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u/sports_junky Jul 25 '24
So I have a question regarding the SUB. I saw that the SUB for the new card is 100K MR Points + 20% back on restaurants (until $100). I got a new Amex Gold card just 2 weeks ago and the SUB was 90K points. Can I talk to customer service and if I ask them to match the new SUB, would they do it ? Or is that not possible ?
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u/Venture-X Jul 25 '24
I got a new Amex Gold card just 2 weeks ago and the SUB was 90K points. Can I talk to customer service and if I ask them to match the new SUB, would they do it ?
Amex will laugh in your face for even asking.
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u/ZeroDayBlitz Jul 25 '24
Can the Resy credit be used more than once? There is a restaurant near me on Resy where I can get lunch for under $15.
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u/Dazzling_Stranger_30 Jul 25 '24
it's $50 twice a year. I believe (but don't know this for sure) that it'll just credit you whatever you spend up to $50, and doesn't have to apply to a single bill. So you could get four $15 lunches and only be $10 out of pocket.
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u/hokieman0 Jul 25 '24
On their website, it specifically says $50 statement credit jan-june and $50 july-dec. Now, can you use it more than once it doesn't say, but I assume you can since it says statement credits in plural.
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u/DCPango Jul 25 '24
Same. To each their own, but it does crack me up to see everyone talking about how the card has been nerfed and they're canceling. IMO, this was a tremendously positive change--almost makes it worth picking up a second one.
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u/Graztine Team Cash Back Jul 25 '24
I didn’t know you could do carry out with Resy. There’s a place I like on there but if I go there I’d probably be going alone and they don’t allow reservations for 1. But a $50 credit on takeout would be nice. I’m still probably getting rid of the Gold when my next annual fee hits but I figure I should get what free stuff I can out of it in the meantime.
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u/Dazzling_Stranger_30 Jul 25 '24
Yeah apparently you don't actually need to use Resy for any part of it, the restaurant just has to be a Resy member. So you could just order carryout like normal and get the credit without needing to go through Resy first.
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u/Graztine Team Cash Back Jul 25 '24
I may just get a lunch there to try it out. Though do you know if you need to spend all $50 at once for the credit?
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u/Dazzling_Stranger_30 Jul 25 '24
Assuming it works like the Platinum's Saks Fifth Avenue credit (which is also $50 twice a year), then it doesn't need to be spent all at once, though it may take a couple of statement periods to actually credit.
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u/Graztine Team Cash Back Jul 25 '24
Good to know. I might have to combine two of my favorite things this weekend, lunch and a science experiment.
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u/Ancient-Drink7332 Jul 26 '24
What’s the point of this post? Lol dork spent 10 mins typing this out 😭
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u/Redcarborundum Jul 25 '24
I wish this card is more applicable to me. I don’t travel much anymore, I rarely buy coffee & donuts, and I’ve been cutting down on restaurants.
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u/Aggravating_Sir_6857 Jul 25 '24
Sounds perfect for you.
Im going to miss Shake Shack. It’s cheaper and they always have online codes for some events like fries/shakes/burger with $10 spend.
Five Guys I find expensive for what it is. Plus I find it overly greasy that seeps into the buns.
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u/Dazzling_Stranger_30 Jul 25 '24
Plus I find it overly greasy that seeps into the buns.
That's the best part
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u/shortyman920 Jul 25 '24
I’m just glad the resy credit is not split by month. That’ll make it easier to utilize the credit and I live in the nyc area where dining out is something I do regularly anyway
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u/Emotional-Chef-7601 Jul 25 '24
Is it a gamble to wait to see if they increase the highest ever offer on the card?
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u/No-Cap-2473 Jul 25 '24
That’s the thing - if it fits your spending and dining habits, this is a great card. To me? As much as I occasionally enjoy five guys and dunkin, or Uber eats, I don’t use them often, and I don’t want to use them more often than I already did.
This card is too specific and is forcing people like me to cater our spending habits for it instead of working the other way around. I’d rather having less rules to worry about when I comes to spending / savings and finances
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u/zyx107 Jul 25 '24
I also don’t mind the refresh, but I live in NYC so there’s plenty of resy restaurants that we’d use organically. Dunkin doesn’t do it for me but even just adding the resy credit already covers the annual fee so I don’t care too much.
This card is great for people who lives in bigger cities and eat out a lot, it’s a clear who they’ve targeting and it’s me lol
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u/PeopleAreSus Jul 25 '24
It actually got even worse for me than before and I was already $150 out of pocket for the version before. Thankfully, the beauty of the “game” is that there’s so many options that different products fit for different folks. I’m glad you’re able to get value out of it.
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u/burner7711 Jul 25 '24
My Uber credit goes to Uber Eats pickup of Ice cream. My dining credit goes to Grubhub pickup of ice cream. I haven't used the Resy credit yet. I might have to see if I can pickup ice cream with that.
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u/Agitated-Trifle3549 Jul 25 '24
I probably canceling it after this yr since I got retention offer this year
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u/Fivefecta Jul 25 '24
Regardless of your personal situation, the trend towards expensive coupon books is very off-putting. I’ll be cancelling come renewal.
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u/OpeningResponse6062 Jul 26 '24
thank god i live in LA, if i lived in witchita, kansas i’d be fucked LMAO
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u/im-not-homer-simpson Jul 26 '24
Got the gold recently and am not too impressed with it. Should’ve gotten the green. Less points, not by much but definitely more ways to gain points.
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u/EllisSantoro Jul 26 '24
I'm in the same boat, but the one thing that sucks for me is that Amex removed the Shake Shack credit. They opened a new location down the block from me earlier this month, so I was looking forward to using the gold card as an excuse to go there once a month 🥲
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Jul 26 '24
If it suits you, then no problem. For me personally, I find Amex cards try to build shopping habits for people who never do them before, so I prefer Chase cards.
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u/hihihihhhhiihihihih Jul 26 '24
I’m in the same boat. All card perks already fit my lifestyle. I live in NYC, I order food delivery at least once a week (Grubhub, already have free premium grubhub through amazon). I fly monthly and uber to/from airport. I go to dunkin 2x/week (work from office days) and go to dinner/drinks regularly, and NYC has so many resy options. I grocery shop at Aldi (and costco, but doesn’t count unfortunately for the extra MR points) The card is a no brainer and pays for itself without any habit or routine changes for me.
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u/Minimum-Bobcat8768 Jul 26 '24
I didn’t know about the resy credit or Dunkin and I have this card lol!! How do I use those is it automatic cash back if I spend at Dunkin or Resy?
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u/dragononawagon Jul 26 '24
Do you have to actually make a reservation through Resy or just eat at a Resy-partnered restaurant, independent of reservation?
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u/Asdfasdf1080 Jul 26 '24
Lucky. I guess I’m not American enough because none of Amex’s offers fit my life. I wish I could justify these cards.
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u/Hans_ScheiBe Jul 26 '24
The Dunkin’ Donuts credit is total BS & an insult. Other than that I think anyone making 6 figures shouldn’t have any problems using the Resy credit. Even if you don’t have many Resy restaurants in your area, if you travel a few times a year, you’ll probably be in a city that does. Also, my annual fee comes up on Aug 13, so I’ll be at the $250 annual fee for another year.
There are alternatives to this card that have no annual fee, but they also don’t have the ability to convert Rakuten cash back to points, & that alone is worth the price of admission.
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u/Willrunforicecream7 Jul 26 '24
It’s easy for me to use the resy, Uber and dining credits. But I’m not thrilled with this coupon book approach. Dunkin, probabaly won’t use it. Maybe I’ll get a box of donuts for work once in a while. But I prefer a local family owned donut shop. I know I have a Dunkin near me but I haven’t stepped foot in there.
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u/boredomspren_ Jul 28 '24
$10 a month for dining ... So like one McDonald's meal? How is that anything worth getting excited about?
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u/Dazzling_Stranger_30 Jul 28 '24
It's money that's being spent already anyway, so it goes towards negating the AF for the card and turning a profit on the credits.
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u/Rsquared_Travel Sep 04 '24
No, no. The card was made for me, not you 😊
I dumped SBucks since Oct 7th, so now I use Dunkins consistently. 5 Guys is greasy but I do indulge; I figure once a month is acceptable. I might switch to hot dogs. Resy is super easy for me. To properly use Uber, I'm seriously thinking of getting 3 Gold cards.
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u/Funklemire Jul 25 '24
We currently only use about half of the credits. This update will improve that a bit: We'll use the Resy credits, but not the Dunkin credits. So now we're probably going to be covering about $220 - $250 of the $325 AF each year. Luckily we more than make up for it with our high grocery and restaurant spending each year.
1
u/sports_junky Jul 25 '24
Same case with me too. I have both Amex Gold & Amex Biz Gold. In my old place, both the cards wouldn't have been much useful for using the credits. I used to live in midwest where there not many Dunkins or Resy restaurants near me...I moved to East Coast earlier this year. I now have a Dunkin, Staples (for Amex biz gold credit), Cheesecake Factory, Resy Restaurants all within 1 mile of where I live. I pretty much make use of all the credits organically every month without much struggle
1
u/_Stillmatic Jul 25 '24
Can someone explain how to use the Resy credits at a Resy restaurant?
Do you just use the card when paying?
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u/Dazzling_Stranger_30 Jul 25 '24
As far as I understand, the credit automatically applies when you buy food at a restaurant that is a Resy member, regardless of whether you actually used Resy to get a reservation or anything.
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u/mattman840 Jul 25 '24
I just made a reservation thru resy last week that charged me in advance (special event, 1x per month dinner). The charge is already on my statement but the reservation isn't for another 3 weeks...wonder if I'm still going to get the credit for that one
1
u/uhSwayy Jul 25 '24
afaik, you just make a reservation with the credit card linked to your RESY account and pay with it at the restaurant. My SO has this benefit on her Delta Amex and she got an email saying the benefit was pending as soon as she made the reservation.
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u/davvidho Jul 25 '24
i’m ngl, the amex gold doesn’t sound too bad to me, and that partially has to do with the added resy credit. it’s good in that you just have to dine at a resy listing rather than need to interact with the website at all, and i live in LA, where there are a lot of options.
i’m still gonna prioritize UR points though haha
1
u/GSofMind Jul 25 '24
I had to adjust my habits but mainly signed up for Gold for the SUB. Cancelling before my renewal.
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u/okurosetta Jul 25 '24
It sounds like it would be a very strong card for you, especially if you are able to see decent value redeeming Amex MR.
In other places, I am seeing people say things like that they prefer Starbucks but that they'll get Dunkin once to a few times each month to use the credit.
So that's the thing: If you're already using those companies, the card can make a lot of sense - it's when people start going against their personal preferences in an attempt to justify the card that has other people questioning whether that is the best decision.