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Is it worth getting a Gold card when I already have Platinum? Is it possible to receive good offers on the Gold which don’t appear on the Platinum, or are there any other benefits to having both?
It depends how you use your card. Gold earns you more MR when you cross the bonus MR thresholds. I buy a lot of non BA airline tickets in foreign currency which earns you 3 MR/£ before the threshold bonuses. I could use Curve but the s75 and Amex handling of it is vital for me – have used it twice with AM and once with AR. Also use gold for foreign hotel deposits for the same reason. Makes it easily the highest points earning Amex.
I find it has the best offers of any card (other than Plat HN/dining offers which aren’t really offers anyway). The recent 2,500 MR for £10 spend was bizarre, but have had quite a few very low/easy spend for extra MR as well.
I have therefore resisted the upgrade SUB to Plat but my wife took the 40k!
It depends how you use your card. Gold earns you more MR when you cross the bonus MR thresholds. I buy a lot of non BA airline tickets in foreign currency which earns you 3 MR/£ before the threshold bonuses. I could use Curve but the s75 and Amex handling of it is vital for me – have used it twice with AM and once with AR. Also use gold for foreign hotel deposits for the same reason. Makes it easily the highest points earning Amex.
I find it has the best offers of any card (other than Plat HN/dining offers which aren’t really offers anyway). The recent 2,500 MR for £10 spend was bizarre, but have had quite a few very low/easy spend for extra MR as well.
I have therefore resisted the upgrade SUB to Plat but my wife took the 40k!
All great points, thank you! I also buy a lot of non-BA flights but I’m not sure I’d get them on AMEX with the 3% foreign transaction fee, seeing as often you’re not paying for these flights in £. Also it’s only 2 MR/£ in that case, right? Not sure that justifies the fee.
I am also not too interested in the bonuses after the thresholds as I can already get 1.5 Avios/£ with BAPP and Barclaycard, and without foreign transaction fees with the Barclaycard via Curve.
I agree though it could be worth it just for the occasional good offers that pop up. I still intend to keep my Plat for at least the rest of my first year though.
@pelicanicecoffeeolaf in these cases, I see the 3% as my insurance premium and with 3 MR that essentially covers it. My son had a £800 AM ticket that was refundable (and clearly documented as such) save £100 fee but they refused to refund anything despite endless calls/emails. Amex got the full £800. Same with Aerolíneas Argentinas, refused to refund £1,750 during covid – invoking force majeure. They provided refund within a week of Amex initiating the chargeback. I don’t feel comfortable making say a $5000 hotel deposit a year ahead in an exotic country by transfer or debit card to save some FX fees. Probably all will be fine, but if it isn’t, I want some recourse.
You do get 3 for airline spend in foreign currency – the base MR + 1 for airline + 1 for foreign transaction. It was 4 until relatively recently, something they slipped in unannounced.
@pelicanicecoffeeolaf in these cases, I see the 3% as my insurance premium and with 3 MR that essentially covers it. My son had a £800 AM ticket that was refundable (and clearly documented as such) save £100 fee but they refused to refund anything despite endless calls/emails. Amex got the full £800. Same with Aerolíneas Argentinas, refused to refund £1,750 during covid – invoking force majeure. They provided refund within a week of Amex initiating the chargeback. I don’t feel comfortable making say a $5000 hotel deposit a year ahead in an exotic country by transfer or debit card to save some FX fees. Probably all will be fine, but if it isn’t, I want some recourse.
You do get 3 for airline spend in foreign currency – the base MR + 1 for airline + 1 for foreign transaction. It was 4 until relatively recently, something they slipped in unannounced.
Wow I had no idea, that’s great to know, thank you! Glad it all worked out for you thanks to AMEX too, and very true, that probably is worth the fee.
My main question to you would be, do you use Deliveroo?
If you do at ~ 2x a month then the gold card comes at minimal cost given the £5 credits. This is for keeping it past the first year. Given that it is free for the first year, there is no harm in getting the gold card and seeing if it works for you.
If you do decide to get the gold card then:
1) do not refer yourself for it (Amex might ban you);
2) get someone you know and like to refer you for it.You cannot get a sign-up bonus but someone else can get a referral bonus. If you literally know nobody else who has an Amex then email Rhys and ask him. Don’t email Rob as he’d just use the MR points for some spectacular redemption and then write an article about it which would make me jealous.
Amex do vary their offers widely on cards so an extra one can be fruitful. The best offer my wife and I have ever had saved us over £700 of cold hard cash and it only appeared on a supplemental card. Totally random but I’m not knocking it.
My main question to you would be, do you use Deliveroo?
If you do at ~ 2x a month then the gold card comes at minimal cost given the £5 credits. This is for keeping it past the first year. Given that it is free for the first year, there is no harm in getting the gold card and seeing if it works for you.
If you do decide to get the gold card then:
1) do not refer yourself for it (Amex might ban you);
2) get someone you know and like to refer you for it.You cannot get a sign-up bonus but someone else can get a referral bonus. If you literally know nobody else who has an Amex then email Rhys and ask him. Don’t email Rob as he’d just use the MR points for some spectacular redemption and then write an article about it which would make me jealous.
Amex do vary their offers widely on cards so an extra one can be fruitful. The best offer my wife and I have ever had saved us over £700 of cold hard cash and it only appeared on a supplemental card. Totally random but I’m not knocking it.
Cheers, I have a friend with Gold who can refer me! Is there a minimum spend required for the referral bonus? I should’ve tried to get referred by Rhys or Rob back when I got Plat, oh well.
No, the referral bonus is paid for the referral only and is not based on any spend.
In my experience Gold Amex offers are by far the strongest. I say this now holding Amex Plat which oddly does not attract such attractive rebate offers given the annual fee which is roughly 3x the Gold fee. Add to that the increased earning power and I’d say probably not worth upgrading especially given you won’t qualify for any welcome bonus.
Unless of course you will find out-of-ordinary value from various status (statii?) you will hold with Platinum.
My wife just broke 100 offers on her Gold!
My wife just broke 100 offers on her Gold!
Great, but how many are actually any use?
Similar reasons to @JDB above as why we are keeping a gold card in our household. I claim all my expenses anyway including the FX fees.
My wife just broke 100 offers on her Gold!
Great, but how many are actually any use?
Hehe exactly. For example a niche £10 off £900 spend at Harrods is not an offer.
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