American Express Gold Card Review

If you spend a lot, the American Express® Gold Card may be worth considering. Read on for the pros and cons of the AMEX Gold Card.

	Overall Score	3.8
	Rewards	4.5
	Fees	2.5
	Benefits	4.5

5-point scale (the higher, the better)

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Pros and Cons

• Welcome bonus
• 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com

• $325 annual fee

Terms Apply
Compare | See Rates & Fees

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Bottom Line

Good rewards card for cardholders who fly frequently or eat out

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Overview

Here's why you may consider American Express Gold - even with the $325 annual fee (See Rates & Fees):

• 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.

(See more benefits)

Yes, it has a hefty annual fee, but it might be worth it for certain kinds of spenders and travelers.

Let us explain.

The AMEX Gold Card offers a nice balance between earning rewards and travel perks. The annual fee may seem a bit high, but it offers benefits that help justify the fee. You'll find more perks than what you'd get with many cards.

We'll cover all the reasons to consider the card and why to skip it.

Editors' Highlights

This card competes against other popular rewards cards like Chase Sapphire Preferred® and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

Current American Express Promotions

Why It's Not for Everyone

First, let's go over the reasons you may want to skip the AMEX Gold.

• There is that $325 annual fee. This is on the high end for cards in general, but you may be able to justify it based on how often you'll use the card and where you'll use it (especially if you're a frequent traveler).

  If you prefer a credit card with no annual fee instead, check out this list.

• You need good/excellent credit: Are you wondering how to qualify for an American Express Gold Card?

  Generally speaking, you need good/excellent credit to qualify for most American Express cards.

  Pro Tip: For good Amex Gold approval odds, you'll want a credit score of 700 or higher.

• It's not accepted everywhere: Not all merchants take American Express. No matter how good the benefits and rewards are, it doesn't matter if the merchant won't accept your card. If you only have room in your wallet for one credit card, consider a Visa or MasterCard instead. Otherwise, think about having an American Express credit card with a backup Visa or MasterCard.

AMEX Gold Card Offer

Here are reasons why we think the American Express Gold is worth the annual fee:

• You fly frequently. If you're often in the air and tend to book your trip directly with airlines, consider this card. Instead of earning just one mile per dollar on airfare as you would with some other travel cards, you can use this card to earn 3X the points on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  

  American Express Gold

  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.

  Terms Apply

• You want a deal. 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.

• You are a big grocery shopper. 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.
  

  Counterpoint: Blue Cash Preferred

  Earn 6% cashback at U.S supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)

  Terms Apply

  If you spend $200 a week at U.S. supermarkets, you will earn 41,600 Membership Rewards points in a year. Are 41,600 Membership Rewards points worth the annual fee? You decide.

• You eat out at least twice a week. Not everyone cooks, but we've all got to eat. 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.

  Let's say you spend $150 a week dining at restaurants - that would earn you 31,200 Membership Rewards in a year.

  Maybe you spend $100 a week at U.S. supermarkets and $90 a week at restaurants. Combined, that's $190/week - enough for 39,520 Membership Rewards points a year.

• Flexible points redemption. But points are only as good as what you can redeem them for. And with Membership Reward points, you have flexibility.

  If you're more of a vanilla ice cream fan, you can redeem points for a statement credit or gift cards.

  But if you prefer some more rocky road-style variety, you can transfer the Membership Rewards points to frequent flyer programs such as Delta SkyMiles or frequent hotel programs such as Choice. In our opinion, you can make your rewards go further when you go that route.

  Read this in-depth Beginner's Guide to Airline Miles and Points.

• No Foreign Transaction Fee (See Rates & Fees). Do you want to use your card overseas?

  When you take this card with you outside the U.S., you do not have to worry about foreign transaction fees (some other credit cards charge 2.7% to 3% on purchases made outside the U.S.).

  Thinking of traveling overseas? Here is what you need to know about foreign transaction fees before you go abroad.

• No annual fee for additional cards (up to 5) (See Rates & Fees). You can get up to 5 additional cards for no annual fee. After that, the annual fee for 6 or more additional cards is $35 for each card. For instance, you can add your spouse as an Additional Card Member to your card account with no additional annual fee.

  See Current Offer >>

  Which is better: Amex Gold or Platinum? Amex Gold is cheaper at $325 annual fee per year. It is better for dining out and U.S. supermarkets. Amex Platinum has more travel perks, like lounge access, Global Entry fee credit, elite hotel status, and luxury travel discounts.
  

3X FOR FLIGHTS BOOKED WITH AIRLINES

© Dave Herholz (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Flickr

Keep in mind, you need to book directly with an airline or on amextravel.com to qualify. Third-parties, like online travel discount websites, don't count.

U.S. SUPERMARKETS

Qualifying supermarkets include Whole Foods, Meijer, Shoprite, Winn-Dixie, Stop and Shop, Vons, Pathmark, and online supermarket FreshDirect, among others.

Counterpoint: With the Blue Cash Preferred, cardholders can earn 6% cashback at U.S supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%). Note: Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. Read our review.

4X AT RESTAURANTS

© CreditDonkey

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.

Up $120 Year 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
  
• Five Guys

Even if you don't live near any of these restaurants, you can still use this credit for Grubhub deliveries.

HOW IT COMPARES

Chase Sapphire Preferred: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

This is a competitive card in terms of rewards. It has a higher spending threshold to get the bonus than Gold, but it has a lower annual fee. The annual fee is easy to recoup if you use the Sapphire Preferred often to earn on travel and dining at restaurants.

Still can't decide? Take a look at Amex's Membership Rewards vs. Chase's Ultimate Rewards to see which one seems easier to navigate and better for your needs.

Platinum Card from American Express: If the Gold Card's annual fee doesn't scare you, then see how you feel about its sister card's $695 annual fee (See Rates & Fees).

	American Express Gold	American Express Platinum
Annual Fee	$325 annual fee	$695 annual fee
	Terms Apply. See Rates & Fees	Terms Apply. See Rates & Fees
Bonus Deal	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 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Travel
Airline	Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.	Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
Hotel		Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
Points	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.	1 point for virtually every dollar spent.
Airline Status		$200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required Complimentary access to 5 airport lounge networks including The Centurion® lounge network, The International American Express lounges, Delta Sky Club® lounges, Priority Pass™ Select, and Airspace Lounge. Enrollment required for Priority Pass Select.
Hotel Status		$200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay. Enroll for complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status. Enroll for complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status.
Grocery	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.
Restaurant	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.
	Apply Now	Apply Now

For more information, read our in-depth AMEX Gold vs Platinum comparison.

BOTTOM LINE

In our opinion, the perks and rewards of the American Express Gold Card are extensive; in fact, we haven't even listed all the benefits of the card here. To learn more about what this card has to offer, visit American Express' online secure application.

Whether this card is right for you all comes down to the math. Will you be likely to use it at the supermarket and at restaurants? If so, the $325 annual fee may be just a blip in on your radar with the rewards far outweighing the expense.

In our opinion, the people who will really benefit from this card are frequent travelers. The 3X points on airfare when booked directly with airlines (or on AmexTravel.com) is tough to beat and redeeming them through the Amex's Membership Rewards can help take you far - literally.

Terms and limitations apply.

Next Step: View the issuer's official application, terms, and details