is it worth getting Amex GOLD...

[notmyrealname23]

If you will never, ever, EVER EVER travel, the AMEX MR cards are dumb for you. Stick to cash back (AMEX or whoever).

If your travel is so infrequent that you'd rather just pay cash when you do than have a stash of points, and isn't particularly oriented to luxury travel where using points can eliminate a lot of cash cost (think first class and luxury hotels vs. road trips and Motel 6- I would emphasize there's nothing wrong with traveling in a style that suits you, I take road trips and stay in inexpensive hotels myself), then the AMEX MR cards are dumb for you as long term holds (and doing churn and burn as others have suggested may give you popup problems). Stick to cash back products.

I regularly take RTW trips in business or first class, or spend 12-24 hours on planes or in transit to where I go on vacation, and I plan to do so once the response to pandemic gets us to a calmer point, so definitely let me use miles, points and AMEX MR points for those trips while you stick to cash back... and to be honest, even I use a cash back card when it suits the moment.

[randomguy1]

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@notmyrealname23 wrote:

If you will never, ever, EVER EVER travel, the AMEX MR cards are dumb for you. Stick to cash back (AMEX or whoever).

If your travel is so infrequent that you'd rather just pay cash when you do than have a stash of points, and isn't particularly oriented to luxury travel where using points can eliminate a lot of cash cost (think first class and luxury hotels vs. road trips and Motel 6- I would emphasize there's nothing wrong with traveling in a style that suits you, I take road trips and stay in inexpensive hotels myself), then the AMEX MR cards are dumb for you as long term holds (and doing churn and burn as others have suggested may give you popup problems). Stick to cash back products.

I regularly take RTW trips in business or first class, or spend 12-24 hours on planes or in transit to where I go on vacation, and I plan to do so once the response to pandemic gets us to a calmer point, so definitely let me use miles, points and AMEX MR points for those trips while you stick to cash back... and to be honest, even I use a cash back card when it suits the moment.

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You make a good point regarding never traveling, however if travel is not too frequent, one can still benefit from travel protections when booking with higher tier travel cards. Whether or not it is worth the AF depends on each individual.

[Anonymous]

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@Wavester64 wrote:

....if I am not a traveler (AND have the BCP)..?

I see there are DPs saying either via targeted offer or using the "incognito" mode, an AMEX GOLD can be had for 60K points on $4K spend in 6 (not 3) months. I see a lot of card chasers drooling over this - but that $250 AF is STEEP! I never saw myself ever getting a card with an AF then this year I took advantage of the BCP upgrade from BCE, but at least I paid like 1/2 the $95 for now and got the $150 SUB quite easily with the required spend. But $250...I dunno.

What are your thoughts?

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I am over 5/24 until Feb 2021, next card won't drop off until June 2021.  I seriously need a few Chase cards and am considering blowing that up for this card.  

[notmyrealname23]

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@randomguy1 wrote:

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@notmyrealname23 wrote:

If you will never, ever, EVER EVER travel, the AMEX MR cards are dumb for you. Stick to cash back (AMEX or whoever).

If your travel is so infrequent that you'd rather just pay cash when you do than have a stash of points, and isn't particularly oriented to luxury travel where using points can eliminate a lot of cash cost (think first class and luxury hotels vs. road trips and Motel 6- I would emphasize there's nothing wrong with traveling in a style that suits you, I take road trips and stay in inexpensive hotels myself), then the AMEX MR cards are dumb for you as long term holds (and doing churn and burn as others have suggested may give you popup problems). Stick to cash back products.

I regularly take RTW trips in business or first class, or spend 12-24 hours on planes or in transit to where I go on vacation, and I plan to do so once the response to pandemic gets us to a calmer point, so definitely let me use miles, points and AMEX MR points for those trips while you stick to cash back... and to be honest, even I use a cash back card when it suits the moment.

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You make a good point regarding never traveling, however if travel is not too frequent, one can still benefit from travel protections when booking with higher tier travel cards. Whether or not it is worth the AF depends on each individual.

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It depends on what the benefit is. Personally in 15 years of international traveling I've never had an occasion to use travel interruption insurance, for instance (the times airlines dealt me overnight delays I rolled with the punches and took their funny money apologies). Peace of mind might be invaluable at any price and I won't knock anyone who needs it; but as far as that went I preferred to self-insure (and couldn't get a premium travel card or even any credit card for most of that time anyway).