The American Express® Gold Card has long been a favorite of foodies, offering impressive rewards on eligible supermarket and restaurant purchases, along with some dining benefits to help cover the cost of its annual fee.

But recently, Amex made some updates to the Gold Card, which included an annual fee bump from $250 to $325. Whether you're an existing cardholder or you've had it on your radar to apply, here's how to determine whether the higher annual fee is worth it.

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American Express® Gold Card

Rates & fees, terms apply

• Annual fee
  $325
• Welcome offer
  Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases in the first 6 months
• Card type(s)
  Travel, Rewards
• Recommended credit score
  Excellent/Good

• Rewards rate
  • 4x Membership Rewards Points at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x)
  • 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x)
  • 3x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com
  • 2x Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com
  • 1x Membership Rewards points on all other eligible purchases

• Benefits
  • Earn up to $10 in statement credits each month when you pay with your American Express Gold Card at Five Guys, Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, and Wine.com (enrollment required)
  • Up to $100 in annual statement credits ($50 semi-annually) when you use your American Express Gold Card on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants on the Resy app or Resy.com
  • Up to $84 per year ($7/month) in statement credits after you enroll and pay with your American Express Gold Card at more than 9,000 U.S. Dunkin’® locations

Read our full review of the American Express Gold Card

What's changed with the Amex Gold Card?

The new-and-improved American Express Gold Card has a $325 annual fee, which is $75 higher than the previous yearly charge. While the new benefits are valuable enough to make up for that increase, that's really only true if you can maximize them.

Here's what's new:

• Resy credit: Every six months, you'll get up to $50 in statement credits toward purchases at U.S. restaurants on the Resy app or Resy.com. That includes purchases made directly from U.S. restaurants that offer reservations on Resy.com and Resy.com — you don't even need to make a reservation — and purchases made directly on Resy.com or in the Resy app.

• Dunkin' credit: Each month, you can get up to $7 in statement credits toward purchases made with Dunkin' Donuts.

Other Amex Gold Card features

In addition to the new Resy and Dunkin' credits, American Express also made an update to its existing dining benefit, which gives you up to $10 in statement credits toward eligible dining purchases.

With the card revamp, Amex added Five Guys to the list of options, which also includes Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, and Wine.com.

You'll also enjoy $10 in monthly Uber Cash, which you can use for Uber rides or Uber Eats delivery orders.

The card's rewards program gives you the following:

• 4x at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 spent per calendar year, then 1x)

• 4x at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 spent per calendar year, then 1x)

• 3x on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com

• 2x on other eligible travel purchases booked through AmexTravel.com

• 1x on all other purchases

Read more:
Amex Gold vs. Amex Platinum
Amex Gold vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred

Is the card worth its annual fee?

With a $325 annual fee, you'd expect solid perks, and the Amex Gold Card doesn't disappoint. However, with the way the card's benefits are structured, it can be challenging to make the most of the card's value.

Here's a quick reminder of the card's credits:

• Up to $120 in dining credits annually, divided into $10 monthly increments

• Up to $120 in Uber Cash annually, divided into $10 monthly increments

• Up to $100 in Resy credits annually, divided into $50 semi-annual increments

• Up to $84 in Dunkin' credits annually, divided into $7 monthly increments

Combined, that's up to $424 in value each year in addition to any rewards you earn from using the card for everyday purchases. That's more than enough to cover the card's annual fee each year, at least theoretically.

However, because of the limitations Amex sets for its dining perks, you'll have to stay on top of your spending every month to make sure you're maximizing their value.

What's more, let's say you don't normally get coffee from Dunkin' Donuts on your morning commute, you don't take Uber rides often. In this case, you may have to spend money you otherwise wouldn't to get those perks.

American Express® Gold Card

Rates & fees, terms apply

Learn more

Read more: Best American Express credit cards

Ultimately, you'll need to consider your spending and dining habits to determine whether the Amex Gold Card is worth it for you. While the value is there, it may be frustrating to figure out how to make the most of the card's benefits.

If your spending already aligns with the card's perks or you can easily adjust your habits to make it work, it can be well worth the cost of the annual fee — especially if you already spend a lot on groceries and dining out.

However, if you find yourself spending money just for the sake of getting a statement credit, the costs may end up outweighing the benefits in the long run.

This article was edited by Alicia Hahn

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