Anyone who has gone out for a meal with me over the last two years knows that I proudly break out my Chase Sapphire Reserve card when the bill arrives on the table. I then usually brag about the fact that I am earning 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on my portion of the bill and compare that to what my friends are earning (usually less). Rob, who is an authorized user on my account, also uses his additional Reserve card when dining. Lastly, to top off our Ultimate Rewards points that we earn from dining, my kids break out their Chase Freedom Unlimited cards (under my account) when they are out dining with their friends. Here, they are earning 1.5 Ultimate Rewards points per $1 at restaurants which are flowing into my Ultimate Rewards bucket. Needless to say, we have done pretty well accumulating Chase Ultimate Rewards points at restaurants over the last few years.
However, Amex has thrown me for a loop and I am jumping at it! From now on, when you see me, Rob or my kids at a restaurant, we will no longer be using our Sapphire Reserves or Freedom Unlimited cards but instead, we will ALL be breaking out our new American Express Gold cards (in the pretty rose gold color to boot), that we recently got while securing a 50,000 American Express Membership Rewards point bonus.
There are a number of reasons why Chase is out and Amex is in for my family at restaurants….here goes.
1. Let me start by saying that I love both Chase Ultimate Rewards Points and American Express Membership Rewards Points, so I am somewhat indifferent as to which currency of the two that I am amassing and will more often than not go with which one will offer more rewards per $1 spent.
2. The American Express Gold Card offers 4x points at restaurants where the Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers 3x points.
3. My favorite one-My kids can earn that same amazing 4X points on their own at restaurants. I was unwilling to get my kids additional Sapphire Reserves at $75 a pop. Instead they had their own free Chase Freedom Unlimited cards. However, while Rob and I were earning 3x at restaurants, my kids were only earning 1.5x points at restaurants. The additional American Express Gold cards ARE FREE. We each have our own and we can each use them at restaurants at the lucrative 4x earning rate.
4. It’s so pretty and I am excited to show it off. It will most likely lead to a conversation about credit cards and I can display my knowledge. :-)-They are only making a limited number of the cards in rose gold (till January 9th). I am excited that my family and I were some of the early ones to snatch them up. (although at first we got the wrong color).
Important fact-All of the above goes out the window if I am dining outside of the U.S. You see, Amex is very specific in that you only earn bonus points on dining at US RESTAURANTS. Were I to break out my American Express Gold card in Morocco this Christmas, or in Milan next summer, I would only earn 1x point on dining. Guess which card is tagging along with me to Morocco and Italy? Yup, I will gladly welcome my Chase Sapphire Reserve back for this trip. Make sure if you choose to bring another card in lieu of your Amex abroad, it is a card that has no foreign transaction fees.
There are a bunch of other reasons why I got the Amex Gold card and why I am excited about it (ie-supermarkets) and you can read more about that here.
To learn about more of the features of the card, you can click here.
