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The American Express® Gold Card is one of the best cards for groceries and dining out, and comes with benefits like $120 in Uber credits each year when you enroll. But it also has a hefty $325 annual fee (rates and fees).
I don't have this card myself. But for the right person, the Amex Gold Card is a great mid-tier travel rewards card because it earns bonus points on flights, hotels, and rental cars.
Who Should Get the Amex Gold Card?
If you're just getting into the points and miles game, the Amex Gold Card can be a great compromise between a no-annual-fee card with everyday benefits and a premium card with airport lounge access that has a sky-high annual fee to match.
In my opinion, the Amex Gold Card is best for young professionals in larger cities who dine out often, but still enjoy cooking at home from time to time. If you max out the American Express® Gold Card's annual 4x bonus on dining and restaurants on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, you could take home 300,000 Amex points each year — enough for two round-trip international flights in business class. That's a ton of money to spend on restaurants each year, though, so you probably won't hit that annual cap.
The classy metal card looks sleek when you pull it out at a restaurant, and comes with a $10 monthly Uber Cash credit to help you get home safely. And you won't pay foreign transaction fees, so it's a great option to take on international trips.
I don't have an Amex Gold Card myself because the fees aren't worth the benefits for me. My Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card comes with airport lounge access for just a few dollars more in annual fees. And while it earns less on groceries and dining out, I consistently earn 2% back on every dollar I spend. But if you value American Express Membership Rewards points above all other credit card rewards, this card is a smart pick to maximize your spending on dining and at U.S. supermarkets.
$325
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See Pay Over Time APR
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months of Card Membership
Good to Excellent
- Great rewards for dining and for shopping at U.S. supermarkets
- Monthly statement credit for eligible dining purchases recoups some of the annual fee
- Underwhelming welcome bonus
Foodies and travelers alike will appreciate the American Express Gold's generous welcome bonus and Membership Rewards points earning. Its Uber Cash credits are useful for rides and Uber Eats, and monthly dining credits with participating merchants like GrubHub and Seamless are easy to use.
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $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. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. 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, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
Amex Gold Card Rewards
The best way to decide if the Amex Gold Card is worth it for you is by evaluating the card's benefits against the annual fee. If you'd spend $325 or more on the following perks each year, you'll likely come out ahead by getting the Amex Gold Card.
While I don't have this particular card, I do hold other cards that earn Amex points, which I primarily use to top up my Delta SkyMiles account; I've found some great international flight deals on Delta or Delta's SkyTeam alliance partners. I also use Amex points for Air Canada redemptions because I've gotten great business-class flights to Europe and Asia through Air Canada partners.
That being said, Amex points aren't for everyone. If you live in New York City or a major Delta hub such as Minneapolis or Atlanta, you'll always be able to find redemptions for this reward "currency." My hometown has a decent Delta presence for its size, but I've found more value out of Austin by concentrating my attention on Chase Ultimate Rewards® and cash-back alternatives.
If you live in a similar market, you also may want to do what I did: figure out which airlines and routes you take most often from your home airport, and tailor your card rewards strategy accordingly. But keep in mind you can also use Amex points for other things, such as hotel stays with its transfer partners Hilton, Marriott, and Choice Privileges.
Amex Gold Card Welcome Bonus
The Amex Gold Card offers a welcome bonus of 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months of Card Membership, worth at least $1,180 based on Business Insider's valutions.
According to Business Insider's valuations of points and miles, Amex points are worth an average of 1.8 cents apiece, so earning this welcome bonus would be a nice way to boost or jump-start your own stash of rewards.
Earning Amex Membership Rewards Points on the Amex Gold Card
The Amex Gold Card is best suited for foodies who cook and dine out a lot.
This card earns the best returns on dining and groceries, which often tend to be top categories of spend for many people. Foodies earn Amex points at the following rates:
- 4x at restaurants worldwide on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar
- 4x at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 spent in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar
- 3x on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com
- 2x on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com
- 1x on all other eligible purchases
If I had the Amex Gold Card, I'd maximize it by utilizing additional Amex cards that earn bonus points in other areas of spend every purchase.
The "Amex trifecta" includes the Amex Gold Card, The Platinum Card® from American Express, and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express.
If I had these three cards, I'd have access to Amex Centurion Lounges and Priority Pass airport lounges worldwide; earn 4x on restaurants and groceries; 5x on travel through Amex Travel or 3x on flights booked outside of Amex; and $320 in Uber credit each year when enrolled.
Redeeming Amex Membership Rewards Points
Amex has a number of airline and hotel partners, including Delta Air Lines. Delta is part of the SkyTeam network, which also includes airlines like Aeromexico, Air France-KLM, Virgin Atlantic, and many more that have taken me around the world on points for as little as $5.60 out of pocket per flight.
I transfer my Amex points to American Express airline and hotel partners for international flights and aspirational hotels worldwide. Depending on how I book, I often get a value of at least 2 cents a point — a particularly good deal for international first-class and business-class flights worth up to $14,000 if I paid for them in cash.
I rarely do so, but I can also redeem my points through American Express Travel.
Amex Gold Card Benefits
The Amex Gold Card comes with valuable perks for shopping, dining, and travel that save cardholders money, including monthly credits that can significantly reduce the card's annual fee.
I recommend this card for households that frequently order takeout or food delivery. Most benefits are "use it or lose it," and don't roll over month to month.
$300+ in Annual Dining Credits
If you're a foodie in a city with a fun dining scene, you can get a few hundred dollars worth of free meals from the Amex Gold Card, after enrollment.
I always remind friends and family members to enroll for these benefits on the cardholder benefits page to begin collecting their rewards. If you don't opt-in, you won't get credit at any of the following restaurants.
Cardholders receive monthly credits on Resy, Grubhub, and select restaurant chains:
Up to $50 Semi-Annually at Resy Restaurants ($100/year)
Resy is becoming ever more popular, especially with buzzy new restaurants that seem to have monthslong waitlists. I've found myself with Resy, Tock, and Open Table accounts that automatically link my phone number to my dining account.
As of 2024, Amex Gold Cardholders can enroll to receive two semi-annual credits of $50 apiece, totaling $100 a year. These credits apply to eligible dining purchases made at participating Resy restaurants between January and June, then July and December.
Up to $10 Monthly at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys ($120/year)
Amex Gold Card holders also get up to $10 a month back in statement credits on purchases at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys when enrolled. The complimentary credit automatically appears on your statement after you use your Amex Gold Card to pay for an eligible order.
I've found Grubhub credit to be the easiest benefit to use in this category: Cardholders have the full range of local Grubhub restaurants to choose from instead of being limited to a handful of restaurants.
Up to $7 Monthly on Dunkin' ($84/year)
As of 2024, Amex Gold Card cardholders also receive $7 each month in statement credits when making purchases at participating Dunkin' locations after enrollment.
Up to $10 Per Month in Uber Cash Credits ($120/year)
The Amex Gold Card also comes with $10 a month in Uber Cash credit after enrollment, again up to a maximum of $120 per year, toward eligible U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats purchases.
It's always nice to have some spare Uber credit, but I personally find these small monthly amounts frustrating to use. I'd far prefer an annual credit of $120 that I can spend on a single pricy ride or on several shorter ones at my discretion.
Up to $100 Annual Experience Credit Plus Late-Checkout Privileges
Amex Gold Card holders get an annual statement credit of $100 toward eligible resort expenses when booking a hotel stay of two or more nights through the Amex Hotel Collection. The credit doesn't apply toward the cost of your hotel; instead, it's good for ancillary expenses such as spa massages, dining in the hotel restaurant, or any other on-property expense you may incur during your stay.
Cardholders also receive late check-out and early check-in benefits when available, plus a room upgrade at arrival whenever available.
I personally have yet to book a hotel through the Amex Hotel Collection because I prefer pursuing status directly with the hotel brands I frequent. But if you don't stay in hotels often enough to chase elite status, this benefit can be a nice way to pamper yourself a little more than usual.
Travel Insurance Protections and Benefits
The Amex Gold Card comes with several coverage benefits for travel. These are strong perks, but there are cards that offer better protection (including several with lower annual fees).
- Secondary rental car insurance
- Baggage insurance
- Trip delay insurance
- Purchase protection
- Extended warranty
- Global Assist hotline
Secondary Car Rental Insurance
Secondary car rental insurance offers supplemental protection for any costs incurred if your rental car is stolen or damaged. You're eligible for this protection if you use the card to pay for your rental in full, and decline the rental company's collision damage waiver.
I personally wouldn't use this benefit since several other cards offer primary rental car coverage, which is better because it doesn't require me to first file a claim with my own insurance company.
For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card only costs $95 in annual fees, but offers primary rental car insurance for cardholders. If you frequently rent cars when you travel, I'd recommend getting the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card over the Amex Gold Card.
Baggage and Trip Delay Insurance
Baggage insurance is helpful if you paid for airfare with this card and an airline loses or damages your luggage in transit. Amex Gold Card holders can claim up to $500 per person for checked bags, and $1,250 per person for carry-on luggage. This is a generous amount by most standards; I've rarely lost luggage carrying more value than these limits.
And if you've ever been on delayed flights like I have, you'll appreciate trip delay insurance. This benefit will reimburse you up to $300 for meals, lodging, toiletries, medication, and other personal items if you've paid for a covered trip with your Amex Gold Card and it's delayed by 12 hours or more, up to two times per consecutive 12-month period.
I've personally found trip delay insurance to be the easiest perk to use for travel compensation. You'll need official proof from the airline regarding your flight delay, so I typically email the customer service support team and request documentation detailing the specific issue. Once I have that in hand, the insurance company usually disburses my funds within 10 business days.
Pro tip: Many of these benefits have exclusions or specific eligibility conditions, so make sure you read the fine print in your cardholder agreement.
Would I Recommend the Amex Gold Card?
I have more than two dozen credit cards to my name, but I struggle to justify the cost of the Amex Gold Card after the annual fee increased to $325 in 2024 (rates and fees).
If Amex points are worth 1.8 cents apiece and I earn 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants and grocery stores, I'd have to earn rewards on $4,513 of dining spend before I'd break even on the $325 annual fee each year. In contrast, other foodie-friendly credit cards with no annual fee allow me to earn rewards right away, as I explain in more depth in the section below.
But if you're all in on Amex points and you spend a lot on dining, this card could easily be worth the annual fee to you.
Cards I Would Get Instead of the Amex Gold Card
I have each of the credit cards mentioned below, which is why I probably won't ever get the Amex Gold Card. Neither of the following credit card charges an annual fee, which means that all the rewards I earn are mine to keep; I don't need to calculate their value relative to the cost I pay each year to hold that card.
Bilt Mastercard®
The Bilt Mastercard® is a no-annual-fee credit card that earns 3 points per dollar on dining expenses (rates and fees). Business Insider values Bilt points at 1.65 cents apiece on average. So if I spent the same $4,513 at restaurants on the Bilt credit card, I'd have $223 in rewards when my Amex Gold Card rewards finally break even with the annual fee.
In fact, the dining rewards on the Bilt Mastercard® are exactly why I have this credit card, even though I don't pay rent. (The Bilt Mastercard® is best known as a card for renters because it allows them to pay rent to earn rewards without paying any transaction fees.) While I'd eventually earn more points with the Amex Gold Card after I pass the break-even point on dining and groceries, I prefer easy gratification and the "gamified" rewards system that Bilt offers.
Read more about this card in our Bilt Mastercard card review.
Chase Freedom Flex®
Another great option with no annual fee is the Chase Freedom Flex®. I'm partial to Chase credit cards because I find them extremely easy to use from my home base in Austin.
The Chase Freedom Flex® earns 3x on dining and drugstore expenses, which is extremely handy because I find myself at CVS and Walgreens far more often than I think, especially during the winter months. Chase points are worth 1.8 cents apiece on average based on our valuations, just like Amex points, so I'd have $240 in cash back on this card after spending the same $4,513 I'd need to break even on the Amex Gold Card. This card also earns 5x on travel booked through Chase Travel℠.
Two more handy benefits to the Chase Freedom Flex®: bonus categories and partner cards. Chase Freedom cards have quarterly bonus categories that earn 5x per dollar spent on up to $1,500, and sometimes those benefits stack with existing bonus rewards. For example, hotels were a 5x category in Summer 2024 that also earned 5x (an additional four points on top of the base 1x) if booked through Chase Travel℠. Thus, Chase Freedom Flex® cardholders like myself who booked hotels through Chase in Q2 earned a whopping 9 points per dollar spent. At a value of 1.8 cents per point, that's a value of more than 16 cents per dollar.
Like Amex cards, Chase also offers great "partner" cards that pair well together. When I combine the Chase Freedom Flex® with a travel rewards card like my Chase Sapphire Reserve®, my rewards are worth significantly more when redeemed through Chase Travel℠ or transferred to Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer partners.
Read more about this card in our Chase Freedom Flex credit card review.
Amex Gold Card Frequently Asked Questions
Primary benefits of the Amex Gold Card include 4x Amex points at restaurants, including takeout and delivery; 4x at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 a year in purchases; 3x on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com; 2x on hotels and other travel booked through Amex Travel; and 1x on other purchases. Cardholders can also enroll to enjoy a dining credit worth a few hundred dollars a year, and an Uber Cash benefit worth up to $120 a year.
Compared to other premium rewards cards, the Amex Gold Card offers some of the best rewards on dining and supermarket purchases. However, the annual fee recently increased to $325, and the card lacks some premium travel perks, such as airport lounge access, which are available on higher-tier rewards cards with comparable fees (rates and fees).
The current welcome bonus for the Amex Gold Card is 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months of Card Membership.
The Amex Gold Card is a solid mid-tier card with many benefits, but it has a very high annual fee relative to competitors in the same category. People without high dining or grocery expenses may struggle to maximize enough value from this card to justify its $325 annual fee (rates and fees).
To maximize rewards, use the card for all dining and supermarket purchases to take advantage of the 4X points. Utilize the card for flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com to earn 3X points. Take full advantage of the dining credit and Uber Cash benefits to offset the annual fee and enhance your overall value.
The Amex Gold Card is a premium card, so it's harder to get than some other rewards cards. Amex looks at your credit score, income, account history, and other factors when it looks at your application. You also won't be eligible for the bonus if you have or have had the Amex Gold Card. Amex has a once-per-lifetime rule which means you're only eligible for the bonus once, per card, per lifetime. However, if you have/had the business version of the card — the American Express® Business Gold Card — you're still eligible for the Amex Gold Card bonus.
To be considered for the Amex Gold Card, you'll typically need at least a good credit score, or even better, an excellent credit score. This means a FICO score of at least 670. If you're still working on building your credit history, be sure to read our guides on improving your credit score and how using credit cards can help boost your score.
The Amex Gold Card is very much worth it if your spending habits line up with the card's bonus categories and you're able to maximize its benefits. Cardholders can enroll to get $120 in annual Uber credits, more than $300 in dining credits, and a $100 annual credit toward qualifying hotel expenses such as spa treatments or restaurant dining.
The Amex Gold Card does not come with a CLEAR® Plus credit. If that's something you're looking for, both the Amex Platinum Card and Amex Green Card offer credits for CLEAR® Plus.
The Amex Gold Card doesn't have a preset spending limit. Instead, the amount you can spend is flexible and varies based on factors like your payment habits and past purchase history. If you aren't sure whether a big purchase will be approved, you can use Amex's "Check Spending Power" tool in your online account or app to find out. Because the Amex Gold Card isn't like a traditional card, you must pay your balance in full each month to avoid hefty late fees. However, Amex offers a "Pay Over Time" feature that allows you to pay off eligible charges of $100 or more, with interest, over a longer period.
Yes, the Amex Gold Card is a metal card. It's made of stainless steel and other materials and weighs about 15 grams.
When you apply for the Amex Gold Card, you'll be given a choice of colors: traditional gold or the popular rose gold design. Rose gold was originally a limited-edition color, but it was brought back in 2021 as a permanent option for cardholders. If you already have the Amex Gold Card and want to switch your color, you can order a replacement card through the "Account Services" section of your online account.
Why You Should Trust Me: How I Reviewed the Amex Gold Card
I've been reviewing credit cards and travel rewards since 2015 and personally have more than two dozen active credit cards in my wallet. Friends and family frequently ask me for my best recommendations on credit cards right now, so I think about the various merits of popular cards all the time.
I compared the Amex Gold Card against leading competitors and rated this credit card based on the following criteria:
Annual fee — Is the card's annual fee in line with rates from competing cards? Is the fee justifiable compared to the card's offered benefits?
Earning potential — Does the card earn generous rewards on specific spend categories that average consumers can maximize each month?
Benefits and perks — Do the benefits included on this card significantly enhance the cardholder's lifestyle?
Rewards ecosystem — Are rewards earned on this card transferrable to other card accounts? Can they be redeemed or transferred for airline and hotel travel?
Learn more about how we rate credit cards at Business Insider.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please click here.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
**Enrollment required.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Trip Delay Insurance, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance, and Cell Phone Protection Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. Global Assist Hotline Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, Card Members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. Extended Warranty, Purchase Protection, and Baggage Insurance Plan Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
For rewards and benefits of the Bilt Mastercard, please click here.
For a guide to the benefits of the Bilt Mastercard, please click here.
