Amex Gold, thin ice.

[BallBounces]

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@BallBounces wrote:

I think I  have had enough of the Amex Gold Coupon Boo... er Charge Card.  I will probably downgrade to Green at next AF.  I like the notion of having an OG Charge Card, but I can also see a future where I get rid of it alltogether.  Plus ... these products aren't charge cards anymore anyway.

I frankly don't put the spend through to generate MR that justify the hassle over a cash back system.  I don't fly often, and don't generate enough MR to earn decent redemption.  Times are changing, and so are my product needs.  Just wish the Green Card wasn't so expensive either.  

<shrug>

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I did end up downgrading to the Green Card, and I am content with that decision for now.   Haven't had a Dunkin cofee in months.  We will see what the future holds for the green card.

[Thomas_Thumb]

Go green! 

[PhilL]

I currently have the Green and Gold.

I am considering getting rid of the Green and replacing it with the Wells Fargo Autograph. While the Green is generous for its MR point multipliers, the Autograph covers even more categories in my daily life, like gas. Also, the Autograph has no annual fee.

My complaint with Amex isn't so much the coupon book, but their business practices. 

Their cards are coded at fewer locations than their competitors', and they are more expensive for the same type of product.

For what they charge and how Amex markets itself as "premium and luxury," I find their customer service confusing, lacking, and unprofessional. It's also aggravating and disappointing that they offshore their customer service, when I can call someone at Chase or Citi and actually speak to someone in America.

[Total_Synergy]

So many good and valid points in these comments. Current $150 Green is good even for an occasional traveler if you use CLEAR (LoungeBuddy credit is gone).  BBPlus on business side is great for holding MR points with no AF.  WF Autograph (and others) earn enough vs. Green if you don't need CLEAR.  Standard, Classic and other lower-fee Greens (with or without MR) can make sense if your employer makes you use your own credit card and your main need for a 'charge' card is to avoid large utilization swings - great for younger folks as a card within a small card setup and young profile; can upgrade later for MRs if needed.

The breadth and depth of $150 Green is why Warren Buffett carries it, lol.  My Amex/Diners Club charge card experiences/hopes are in my signature.  But Amex charge cards still have their roots and justification from a time when MC/Visa were capped at $5k CL by statute and the current panoply of cards didn't exist.  In the present day, for all but a minority of use cases, 'personal charge cards' don't always live up to expectations vs. credit cards (even from Amex) with large fixed credit limits.  Just my 2 cents... 

[Stuart89]

Why not go to something like Blue Cash Preferred? It’s not as fancy, I guess, but it could save you more.