American Express Gold Card Review 2024

• American Express Gold Card Introduction
• American Express Gold Fine Print
• Quick Facts
• What Is the American Express Gold Card Best For?
• Amex Gold Card Rewards
• Amex Gold Card Benefits
• Amex Gold Card Requirements
• How To Maximize Amex Gold Rewards
• How the Amex Gold Card Stacks Up
• Is the American Express Gold Card Worth It?
• Methodology
• Frequently Asked FAQs

The American Express Gold Card is the midrange option for those who wish to earn American Express Membership Rewards®. Unfortunately, the annual fee of $250 isn’t waived the first year, but your lifestyle and spending habits may make it easier to swallow.

Although the dining and Uber credits seem helpful on paper, in reality, they have strings attached. You can earn up to $120 in dining credits, but they’re doled out in $10 monthly increments, are good only at a small selection of restaurants and delivery services—including Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, select Shake Shack locations, Goldbelly, Wine.com and Milk Bar—and require enrollment.

The Uber Cash also has to be used at the rate of $10 per month and is valid for rides and Uber Eats orders in the U.S. only. You must also link your eligible card to your Uber account to use this perk.

This card offers the ability to add up to five authorized cardholders for no additional fee. The users can be as young as 13, so the Amex Gold Card could be a sound card for family use.

Note that the American Express® Gold Card may not let you carry a balance from month to month on all of your purchases, so the intention should be to pay off your monthly balances in full.

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Purchase intro APR: N/A
• Balance transfer intro APR: N/A

• $250 annual fee
• Earn 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1 point per dollar), 3 Membership Rewards® points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express travel and 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases
• Up to $120 in statement credits annually for eligible restaurants, payable as credits of $10 per month (enrollment required)
• Secondary car rental damage and loss insurance on eligible rentals¹
• Up to $120 in annual Uber Cash credits, payable as $10 per month (terms apply)
• No foreign transaction fees

The American Express® Gold Card’s unique combination of spending category bonuses and additional benefits makes it one of the best credit cards for many types of consumers.

Best For	Reason
Best Credit Cards	Earn bonus points in multiple categories with an option to transfer them to nearly two dozen loyalty programs.
Best Credit Cards for Restaurants and Dining	Earn 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. Also, a $10 monthly dining credit at select restaurants with enrollment helps offset the annual fee.
Best Credit Cards for Groceries	Earn 4 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 spent in a calendar year, then 1 point thereafter).
Best Travel Credit Cards	No foreign transaction fees, earns Membership Rewards that can be transferred to many airline and hotel programs, offers travel protections, such as baggage insurance² and car rental insurance.
Best Airline Credit Cards	Earn 3 points per dollar on airfare purchased directly with airlines and Amex Travel and get trip coverage, such as flight delay³, baggage insurance and trip cancellation and interruption insurance³.
Best Metal Credit Cards	It weighs about 15 grams, and you can choose between the gold and the rose gold version.
Best Credit Cards for Weddings	Earn 4 points per dollar on dining, which can include catering and banquet halls if the merchant codes as dining.

See MoreSee Less

Earning Rewards

The American Express® Gold Card has the following rewards structure: Earn 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1 point per dollar), 3 Membership Rewards® points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express travel and 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases.

Additionally, the Amex Gold offers the following welcome bonus: 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months of card membership.

Redeeming Rewards

American Express Membership Rewards are valuable because they’re flexible. The points can be transferred to almost two dozen airline and hotel partners, most at a 1:1 ratio. In addition, American Express offers frequent transfer bonuses, which allow you to maximize your earnings. Among the most commonly used airline transfer partners are Air Canada Aeroplan, Delta SkyMiles and British Airways Executive Club.

If you don’t want to deal with transfer partners, you can redeem Membership Rewards for various gift cards in travel, retail and restaurant categories. Rates vary depending on the vendor and fluctuate between 0.6 cents and 1 cent per Membership Reward point. You also can pay with points at several vendors—most notably Amazon at 0.7 cents per Membership Rewards point.

One of the easiest ways to redeem Membership Rewards points is for flights via American Express Travel at 1 cent per point. By doing so, the flight booked with points will count as a “cash” flight in the eyes of the airline and may earn miles depending on the fare code and cost of the ticket.

Rewards Potential

Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage earners bring in $118,438 annually and we base spending on that number.

American Express® Gold Card Rewards Potential

Category	Earning Rate	Estimated Annual Spend	Estimated Annual Earnings
Groceries	4X	$7,243	28,972
Dining	4X	$4,622	18,488
Airfare	3X	$770	2,310
All Other Purchases	1X	$26,702	26,702
			Total: 76,472 American Express Membership Rewards

See MoreSee Less

• Amex Hotel Collection. Get a $100 hotel credit to spend on qualifying dining, spa and resort activities, plus a room upgrade upon arrival, if available, when you book a stay of at least two consecutive nights with American Express Travel.
• Car rental loss and damage insurance¹. When you use your card to pay for a rental vehicle and decline the collision damage waiver at the rental counter, you may receive secondary auto coverage in an eligible territory. Terms apply.
• Global Assist hotline⁴. 24/7 access for medical, legal, financial and other select emergency assistance and coordination services when more than 100 miles from home.
• Baggage insurance². Provides coverage for eligible lost, damaged or stolen baggage⁠. Terms apply.
• $120 dining credit. Amex Gold cardholders can earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when using their Amex Gold to pay at Grubhub, Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations—enrollment required.
• $120 Uber Cash. Get $10 in Uber Cash each month for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. by adding your Gold Card to your Uber account. (terms apply)

When applying for the American Express® Gold Card, American Express performs a hard credit inquiry to determine your creditworthiness. Amex considers your credit score, credit history and other factors to determine eligibility for the card. You’ll need at least a good to excellent credit score to qualify for the Amex Gold card. A good credit score is generally considered a FICO Score of 670 or higher.

The American Express® Gold Card works more like a pay-in-full card than a credit card. It doesn’t allow you to carry a balance from month to month on purchases, although you may qualify for the card issuer’s Pay Over Time feature.

The Gold Card is among the best for dining and grocery purchases, so using this card makes sense to leverage spending in these categories. It’s also a handy option when paying for air travel unless you have a premium travel card that earns a higher rate. The Amex Gold is probably not your best choice to use for other travel purchases, like hotels and rental cars. Other rewards credit cards offer a higher rate on everyday purchases.

Generally, your best value for redemptions is booking travel through American Express Travel or transferring your points to one of Amex’s travel airline or hotel partners.

Amex Gold Transfer Partners

Amex Gold offers added redemption flexibility by partnering with travel loyalty programs. Cardholders can transfer rewards they earn to any of the following Amex travel partners, most at a 1:1 ratio:

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Aeromexico Rewards
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue
• ANA Mileage Club
• Avianca LifeMiles
• British Airways Executive Club
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
• Delta SkyMiles
• Emirates Skywards
• Etihad Guest
• Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
• Iberia Plus
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Qantas Club
• Qatar Airways Privilege Club
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• Choice Privileges
• Hilton Honors
• Marriott Bonvoy

American Express® Gold Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Another well-known card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, is popular thanks to its well-rounded earning categories, flexible points and reasonable annual fee. For $95 per year, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. So, instead of earning bonus points on groceries, you’ll get bonus earnings on travel plus a decent rate on restaurants and other dining.

There are no dining or Uber credits on the Sapphire Preferred, but it has a lower annual fee and an annual $50 credit toward select hotel bookings. Additionally, Chase Ultimate Rewards® can be redeemed toward cash back at a much better rate, which might be flexibility you appreciate.

American Express® Gold Card vs. The Platinum Card® from American Express

The Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the most prestigious cards on the market, with a $695 annual fee to match (Terms apply, see rates & fees). The card earns 5 Membership Rewards Points per dollar for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year, 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases.

Although the Amex Gold offers elevated rewards across wider spending categories than the Amex Platinum, it can’t match the swanky perks that Platinum cardholders receive. Premium lounge access, Gold status with Hilton and Marriott Bonvoy hotels with enrollment, semi-annual Saks Fifth Avenue statement credits and statement credits on airline incidental expenses on an eligible airline you select each year and other perks all come with card ownership, enrollment required.

Read more. Amex Gold vs. Platinum

American Express® Gold Card vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Another premium card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, offers a solid set of benefits and credits, but caters to an entirely different type of customer. Instead of focusing on dining and groceries, it’s geared toward travelers.

Among the perks included are a robust set of travel protections—far more than what the Amex Gold offers—as well as up to $300 in annual statement credits for travel purchases and a Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership when you enroll.

You’ll miss out on earning 4 points per dollar for restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (up to a yearly maximum). Instead, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar on flights and 10 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals when purchasing travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3 points per dollar on other travel and dining and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

Read more. Amex Gold vs. Sapphire Reserve

The short answer? Probably. The American Express® Gold Card’s 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1 point per dollar), 3 Membership Rewards® points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express travel and 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases make the card a rewarding choice for many people. Membership Rewards are a versatile tool in the travel rewards toolkit. However, you’ll need to jump through a few hoops to make up for the $250 annual fee with the credits this card offers.

Ask an expert

Should you get an Amex Gold Card?

Meghan Hunter

Credit Card Expert

Becky Pokora

Credit Cards Writer

Clint Proctor

Credit Cards Lead Editor

 

The Amex Gold card is a wise choice for anyone looking to increase their stash of Amex Membership Rewards points, especially if you’re a foodie. It’s hard to beat the card’s bonus earnings on restaurant and U.S. supermarket purchases. Add that to the solid welcome offer, the various card credits and the flexibility of Membership Rewards, and it’s easy to realize the value one could get from the card.

Meghan Hunter

Credit Card Expert

 

The Amex Gold is worth it for someone who expects to use the card’s monthly dining credits and Uber Cash, which collectively are worth up to $240 in a year. For anyone else, it may be better to consider credit cards with a lower annual fee.

Becky Pokora

Credit Cards Writer

 

My family of four spends a lot on food every month, so I appreciate that the Amex Gold helps us accumulate rewards quickly on every grocery store trip or drive-thru run. But for those with more modest food budgets, the card may only be worth it if they maximize the monthly credits, which can take some work.

Clint Proctor

Credit Cards Lead Editor

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. The Amex Gold card was graded based on numerous factors, including its:

• Annual fee
• Welcome bonus
• Ongoing earning rates
• Value of individual rewards
• Included travel or merchant credits
• Additional cardholder benefits

Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Together, these factors provide a star rating for the Amex Gold Card.

To learn more about our rating and review methodology and editorial process, check out our guide on how Forbes Advisor rates credit cards.

To view rates and fees for American Express® Gold Card please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.
¹Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
²Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Eligible Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the entire fare for a Common Carrier Vehicle ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible Account. Coverage can be provided for up to $1,250 for carry-on Baggage and up to $500 for checked Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus). For New York State residents, there is a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
³Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
⁴You can rely on Global Assist Hotline 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Third-party service costs may be your responsibility. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.