American Express cards have a reputation for offering valuable perks… but only if you actually use them.
Over the past few years, Amex has increased the annual fees on its charge cards, and then “made up for it” by stacking on credits — many of which are use-it-or-lose-it. If you forget to enroll, forget to use a credit, or miss a deadline, that’s money back in Amex’s pocket.
And if you have (or just renewed) an American Express Gold Card, January 1 is the big reset button. Most of the Gold credits run on a calendar schedule, which means the clock starts over today.
(And here’s a post about the difference between charge and credit cards.)
We’ve learned the hard way that Amex credits only help if you treat them like a system — not a nice bonus you’ll “remember later.”
With the American Express Gold Card, two things matter most:
- Some credits require enrollment (and Amex doesn’t exactly put a spotlight on that).
- Most of the credits are use-it-or-lose-it, so they only offset the annual fee if we build a simple routine to use them.
To make this card and its $325 annual fee worth keeping in our wallet, we focus on redeeming the credits we’d realistically use anyway. (Check out our full review of the American Express Gold Card for more details.)
Amex Gold credits reset: the goal is offsetting the annual fee
On paper, the Amex Gold has up to $424 in annual credits:
- $120 Dining Credit ($10/month)
- $120 Uber Cash ($10/month)
- $84 Dunkin’ Credit (up to $7/month)
- $100 Resy Credit ($50 Jan–Jun + $50 Jul–Dec)
That’s more than the $325 annual fee… if you remember to use them and you’re not forcing spending you wouldn’t normally do.
So here’s the 2026-friendly game plan: do a one-time setup and then create a simple monthly routine so the credits don’t slip through the cracks.
Amex Gold credits reset checklist: do this once
In a somewhat annoying move, Amex doesn’t automatically turn on every Gold benefit. Several credits only work after you enroll in the Amex app (or on your online account).
If you don’t enroll first, eligible purchases won’t trigger the statement credit — and any month (or half-year) you miss is gone for good.
Here’s the quick setup checklist:
- Enroll in the $10 monthly Dining Credit
- Enroll in the $7 monthly Dunkin’ Credit
- Enroll in the $50 semi-annual Resy Credit
- Link the card to your Uber / Uber Eats account
$10 Monthly Uber Cash (up to $120/year)
With the Amex Gold Card, you receive $10 in Uber Cash each month. There’s no Amex “enrollment” button for this one — you just need to add the card to your Uber account, and the Uber Cash shows up automatically each month.
Two important “don’t miss it” reminders:
- The Uber Cash expires at the end of each calendar month. If you don’t use it, it doesn’t roll over.
- Make sure an American Express card is selected as the payment method when you check out in the Uber / Uber Eats app, or Uber Cash may not apply.
How to make sure you use it:
- Put a recurring reminder on your calendar for the 25th of every month: “Use Gold Uber credit.”
- If you don’t take rides often, use it for a small Uber Eats pickup order (or even plan one “Uber month” meal).
$10 Monthly Dining Credit (up to $120/year)
This is the first credit you need to enroll for: the $10 monthly Dining Credit.
After you enroll, you can earn up to $10 in statement credits each month after purchases at:
- Grubhub (including Seamless)
- The Cheesecake Factory
- Goldbelly
- Wine.com
- Five Guys
How to make sure you use it:
- Add the Gold Card as the default payment method on Grubhub and set a recurring reminder for the first week of each month.
- If you’re the “I forget until the 30th” type, pick one easy fallback (Five Guys, Cheesecake Factory, etc.) and make that your “panic button” option.
$7 Monthly Dunkin’ Credit (up to $84/year)
Another credit that requires activation is the $7 monthly Dunkin’ credit. After you enroll, you’ll receive up to $7 in statement credits each month after eligible Dunkin’ purchases in the U.S.
How to make sure you use it:
- Add the Gold Card to the Dunkin’ app.
- Create a monthly routine: one Dunkin’ run or one reload early in the month so you’re not scrambling at the end.
- If you’re trying to make it foolproof, put a reminder on the 10th: “Use Dunkin credit.”
$50 Semi-Annual Resy Credit (up to $100/year)
This is the credit I expect most people to miss — because it’s not monthly. Instead, it’s $50 twice a year:
- Up to $50 January through June
- Up to $50 July through December
It also requires registration, and qualifying purchases can include:
- Payments made directly to U.S. restaurants partnered with Resy
- Eligible transactions made on Resy.com or the Resy app
- Payments via Resy Pay
How to make sure you use it:
- Put two calendar reminders on your phone right now: June 15 and December 15 — “Use Resy credit before it resets.”
- Even if you don’t care about “Resy” as a platform, check whether any restaurants you already like show up in Resy. If they do, this becomes the easiest credit of the bunch.
Final Thoughts
If you treat the Amex Gold like a set-it-and-forget-it card, it’s easy to leave value on the table. But if you treat it like a simple routine — one-time enrollment plus a couple of monthly reminders — the credits can do real work in offsetting that $325 annual fee.
At the start of 2026, the best move is simple:
- Enroll in the credits that require it
- Link the card where it needs to be linked
- Set reminders so you don’t accidentally donate money back to Amex
Because “up to $424 in credits” only matters if you actually redeem them.
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