Increased Spend and New Family Rule for Amex Gold Card Bonus

Amex Gold Card Welcome Bonus Changes

American Express has made a couple of changes to its popular Gold Card. The spending requirement for the welcome bonus is now higher, and there’s a new eligibility restriction. Check out the details below.

Higher Spending Requirement

Regarding the spending, you will now have to complete $6,000 in purchases within the first six months in order to earn the welcome bonus. Previously the spending requirement was only $4,000. American Express recently increased the spending requirement on the Amex Platinum Card as well.

The new spending requirement of $6,000 is showing on direct links and even on the Resy offers. But some older referral links might still show the $4,000 spending requirement for the Amex Gold Card, so it’s worth a check.

New Family Rule

American Express has been introducing this bonus eligibility restriction on multiple family of cards recently. It started with Delta credit cards, then Platinum cards, and more recently Cash back cards.

Now the latest victim is the Amex Gold card (HT: Travel on Points). And this is a strange one, since you are probably wandering what family does this card belong to? Well, here are the new bonus eligibility terms on the Amex Gold Card:

You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer if you have or have had this Card, the Premier Rewards Gold Card, the Platinum Card®, the Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Charles Schwab, the Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley or previous versions of these Cards. You also may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer based on various factors, such as your history with credit card balance transfers, your history as an American Express Card Member, the number of credit cards that you have opened and closed and other factors. If you are not eligible for a welcome offer, we will notify you prior to processing your application so you have the option to withdraw your application.