AmEx Announces Upgrades on the Features of Its Gold Card

American Express (AmEx) has improved the features of its Gold Card.

After relaunching its Gold Card last fall, the card issuer updates in the new version, including a slew of enhanced benefits. The 4x-Membership Rewards points rate now applies to restaurants anywhere in the world and not just in the U.S. This feature intends to rival the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, which targets frequent American fliers. However, cardholders can only get the 4x points from purchases made at restaurants, bars, pubs, cafes, and other eligible merchants.

The card also added up to $120 in annual dining credits, distributed into $10 per month. These credits apply automatically to eligible purchases at some participating restaurant chains.

AmEx also added the list of outlets where customers can use the dining credit. Apart from restaurants, the credit will also apply when customers buy from the wholesale website Boxed.

Cardholders can still get the same rewards features of the original Gold Card version, including the 4x points on grocery items purchased on qualifying U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year and 1 point for anything beyond that). They can also earn 3x points on flights booked directly with an airline carrier or with AmEx travel and 1 point on other purchases.

The card upgrade comes after the tremendous success of the refreshed Amex Gold Card in October, AmEx Vice President of U.S. Consumer Premium Products, Sabrina Sodja said.

The card issuer is also bringing back the card’s rose-gold edition, which it introduced during the card’s relaunching, for a limited time. Aspiring cardholders should be referred by a friend to qualify. When the rose-gold card was still available, AmEx had problems keeping up with requests because of its popularity.

The improved version of the Gold Card comes with a higher annual fee of $250 from the original $195.