American Express is giving the Gold Card a meaningful upgrade for its 60th anniversary. Announced April 30, 2026, the refresh adds a significant permanent earning rate increase on hotels, two new dining credit partners, and a complimentary car rental status benefit. If you carry the Amex Gold, your card now earns more in one of its most valuable categories, and that change is permanent.
The Biggest Change: 5x on Hotels via AmexTravel
The Amex Gold now earns 5x Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotel bookings made through AmexTravel. This is a permanent increase from the previous rate of 2x, a 150% improvement on that specific booking channel.
To earn the 5x rate, the hotel must be booked and prepaid through the AmexTravel portal (travel.americanexpress.com). Direct bookings with the hotel earn 1x, the same as any other non-category spend. The distinction matters: if you want the elevated rate, the booking must go through AmexTravel.
This puts the Gold Card’s hotel earning on par with the Chase Sapphire Reserve (which earns 8x on Chase Travel portal bookings) and makes it more competitive with the Capital One Venture X (10x via Capital One Travel) for cardholders who are already booking through the Amex ecosystem. For a card with a $325 annual fee, 5x on hotels is a meaningful addition.
New Dining Credit Partners: Buffalo Wild Wings and Wonder
The $120 annual dining credit ($10 per month) has expanded to include two new partners. Buffalo Wild Wings and Wonder join the existing lineup of Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations.
Wonder, for those unfamiliar, is a food delivery service that partners with celebrity and James Beard Award-winning chefs to bring restaurant-quality food to your door. Adding Buffalo Wild Wings broadens the credit toward sports viewing occasions, a category that previously had no representation in the dining credit program.
As always, the $10 monthly credit does not roll over. To get the full $120 annual value, you need to use at least $10 per month at one of the participating partners. The easiest approach is setting up an auto-charge through Grubhub for a recurring monthly order.
New Permanent Benefit: Hertz Five Star Status
Amex Gold cardholders now receive complimentary Hertz Five Star Status. This is a permanent addition to the card’s benefit stack.
Hertz Five Star members can skip the counter at most locations, choose their car from a dedicated Five Star selection, and receive a modest discount on standard rates. The tier does not include free upgrades by default, but it positions you to take advantage of complimentary upgrades when inventory allows.
For Gold cardholders who occasionally rent cars for leisure or business, this adds rental car status without any enrollment requirement beyond having the card. It is a relatively minor benefit compared to the hotel earning change, but it costs nothing extra and is permanent.
Limited-Time Elements (Act Before the Deadlines)
Two of the anniversary refresh benefits are time-limited and worth acting on quickly:
$96 Uber One Credit: New Amex Gold cardholders who enroll in Uber One through the card can receive a statement credit up to $96. This offer runs through October 30, 2026. Uber One costs $9.99 per month ($119.88 annually), so the $96 credit covers most of a year of membership. To claim, enroll in Uber One through the Uber app and link your Amex Gold card.
Hotel Collection Offers: Through July 15, 2026, AmexTravel’s Hotel Collection is running special offers including free nights, room upgrades, and property credits at participating hotels. These properties already trigger the Gold Card’s $100 hotel credit on stays of two or more nights. Combining the Hotel Collection offer with the $100 hotel credit and the new 5x earning rate makes eligible Hotel Collection stays meaningfully more rewarding through mid-July.
What Did Not Change
The core earning structure is unchanged. The Amex Gold still earns 4x at U.S. restaurants (including delivery), 4x at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, then 1x), and 3x on flights booked directly with airlines or through AmexTravel. The annual fee remains $325. The $120 Uber Cash credit ($10 per month via Uber Eats or Uber rides) is unchanged.
Is the Amex Gold Still Worth It?
The 5x hotel earning makes the Gold Card a stronger card for travelers who book through AmexTravel. Combined with 4x dining and 4x groceries, the Gold remains one of the highest-earning cards in everyday spend categories at its price point.
If you are evaluating the American Express Gold Card, the 60th anniversary update improves its case meaningfully. The hotel earning improvement and the Hertz status are both permanent. They will be part of the card going forward, not temporary promotions. The Uber One credit and Hotel Collection offers have windows to act, but the core upgrade is durable.
For existing cardholders, the 5x hotel rate is available immediately on AmexTravel bookings. No enrollment is required for the hotel earning change or the Hertz status benefit.