Last updated on March 31st, 2023
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American Express® Gold Card
American Express® Gold Card
American Express® Gold Card
- See Pay Over Time APR Regular Purchase APR
- 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate Cash Advance APR
At a Glance
Foodies, rejoice! The American Express® Gold Card grants you the ability to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at restaurants worldwide and US supermarkets, and 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or via amextravel.com. There are also numerous travel perks of note, including statement credits for hotel and airline purchases.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- Earn 75,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X)
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required
- Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Annual Fee is $250
- Terms Apply
- Regular Purchase APR: See Pay Over Time APR
- Cash Advance APR: 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Cash Advance Transaction Fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
- Penalty APR: 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Annual Fee: $250
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $40
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $40
- You want to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for global restaurant purchases, including takeout and delivery
- You also wish to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points on purchases at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 annually)
- You travel often and can take advantage of 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or via amextravel.com
- You would benefit from statement credits on a variety of travel expenses
American Express® Gold Card Review
The American Express® Gold Card caters to both epicureans’ lifestyle that appreciates dining at trendy restaurants and the in-home chef the loves to host meals for friends and family. Besides being a fantastic card for foodies, it also offers competitive rewards for travel and statement credits for airline and hotel stay.
A Huge Welcome Offer
The Gold Card from American Express currently features one of its biggest welcome offers ever. New accounts can earn an impressive 75,000 Membership Rewards points when making $4,000 in the first six months. Sixty-thousand Membership Rewards points has an approximate value of $750 for travel through amextravel.com – a huge tally for a fairly easy-to-achieve spend.
How to Earn Rewards
Amex Gold cardholders can earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants around the world, 4X Membership Rewards points when shopping at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 in purchases each year), and 3X Membership Rewards® points for flights booked directly via their respective airlines or at amextravel.com.
Unfortunately, the Dining category does not include bars, nightclubs, cafeterias, convenience stores, or restaurants located inside of hotels. The travel rewards category has restrictions as well, and only rewards points for airfare, but cardholders could easily supplement this with a more general travel card or a hotel rewards card.
How to Redeem Amex Membership Rewards
As with other loyalty programs, Amex Membership Rewards points apply to a wide variety of redemption options. Those redemption options include:
| Travel | Statement credits | Merchandise |
| Gift cards | Charity | Points transfers |
Membership Rewards have an average value of $0.01, but Amex points usually have a higher average value when they are transferred to partners. American Express Membership Rewards are an exceptional value because they transfer to many other airlines and hotels. These include:
| AeroMexico (Club Premier) | Avianca (LifeMiles) | Emirates (Skywards) |
| Air Canada (Aeroplan) | British Airways (Executive Club) | Etihad (Guest) |
| Aer Lingus (AerClub) | Cathay Pacific (Asia Miles) | Air France/KLM (Flying Blue) |
| All Nippon Airways (ANA Miles) | Delta Air Lines (SkyMiles) | Hawaiian Airlines (HawaiianMiles) |
| Iberia Plus | Choice Privileges | Hilton Honors |
| Marriott Bonvoy | JetBlue (TrueBlue) | Marriott Bonvoy |
| Marriott Bonvoy | Virgin Atlantic (Flying Club) |
Choose Your Card Design
Dining Statement Credits
The Gold Card also comes with dining statement credits worth up to $120 per year. When using the Amex Gold Card to pay for dining purchases at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations, cardholders earn up to $10 in statement credits per month.
Uber Statement Credits
The Gold Card also comes with an additional monthly statement credit towards Uber or UberEats. Cardholders that register their Gold Card as a payment option through their Uber or UberEats account receive a a $10 credit automatically every month. This new bonus amounts to $120 per year.
A Recoupable Annual Fee
The annual fee is on the higher end of the spectrum at $250. Still, those who annually spend $6,250 on a combination of restaurants and supermarket purchases alone (about $520.83 per month) will easily make up the cost.
Pay Over Time
While the Gold Card is a charge card, that does not mean cardholders can’t enjoy the chance to carry a balance. American Express offers a special “Pay Over Time” feature that allows charge cardholders to finance select purchases at a competitive APR.
Cardholders can activate Pay Over Time, and select charges will be added to the feature automatically. Them Gold Cardholders have the choice of paying the balance in full or carrying that balance with interest. The Pay Over Time credit limit is found in the balance details on a user’s account (see terms).
Other Premium Features
Like other American Express products, the Gold Card features a variety of benefits and protections. These features include:
- Baggage Insurance Plan for up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
- Amex Global Assist® Hotline and access to Personalized Travel Service
- Access to the American Express the Hotel Collection
- No foreign transaction fees
Should You Apply for the American Express® Gold Card?
Overall, the Amex Gold Card is a competitive rewards card for those who want dining, supermarket, or travel rewards. Although the annual fee is relatively high (and not waived during the first year), recovering the cost is very doable for the average individual and their family.
It is suitable for use as your primary card, but the reward categories also allow room for use with other types of rewards cards, particularly gas and hotel cards. For those who cannot swing the $195 annual fee, some comparable alternatives would be the Capital One Savor ($95 annual fee that is waived the first year) or the Discover it® Cash Back (no annual fee). The Chase Sapphire Preferred is another option with a great, low annual fee.
