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Updated June 2, 2022

American Express Gold Card Review

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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.

5-point scale (the higher, the better)

Pros and Cons

  • Welcome bonus
  • 3x points for flights booked directly with airlines
  • $250 annual fee

Bottom Line

Good rewards card for cardholders who fly frequently or eat out

Overview

Here's why you may consider American Express Gold - even with the $250 annual fee (See Rates & Fees):

  • Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 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.

(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.

Are you a big traveler but torn over whether this is the right card for you? Think of it this way: If you are more interested in travel benefits than travel rewards, consider the Platinum Card from American Express instead. The Platinum Card comes with travel-friendly perks such as airport club access and concierge service.

Current American Express Promotions

ForCard
Airline PurchasesAmerican Express Gold
Premium TravelThe Platinum Card
Cash BackBlue Cash Preferred

Why It's Not for Everyone

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

  • There is that $250 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.

    American Express Gold

    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.

  • You want a deal. It can be tough waiting for rewards to accumulate when you have a brand new account. With this card, you will earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you use your new card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months. That's in addition to whatever other rewards you earn during that time period.

  • You are a big grocery shopper. This card earns you 4X points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).

    Counterpoint: Blue Cash Preferred

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

    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. This card earns 4x points at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S..

    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.

  • Up to $120 yearly dining credit: You 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.

  • Flexible points redemption. In addition to the above rewards, you will earn 1X the points on other purchases.

    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.

  • Hotel Collection. In our opinion, this perk can be quite valuable if you book at least two consecutive nights through American Express Travel. You can get a $100 hotel credit on qualifying charges, plus a room upgrade upon arrival, when available with The Hotel Collection at americanexpress.com/hc. See terms for exclusions.

  • You want to feel confident when you buy things or travel. Here are just a few of the benefits:

    • You get baggage insurance for eligible lost, damaged or stolen baggage, for up to $1,250 for carry-on luggage and $500 for checked baggage.
    • Renting a car? You get car rental loss and damage insurance on eligible car rentals (but note that it does not include liability coverage and is secondary coverage).
    • Plus, this card offers extended warranty protection for eligible purchases. And there's no enrollment required.

See Current Offer >>

Which is better: Amex Gold or Platinum? Amex Gold is cheaper at $250 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

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.

Note: This deal is for passenger flights only, not charters or private jets.

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%). Read our review.

So-called "big-box stores" like Wal-Mart and Target, online superstores like Amazon, and warehouses like Costco are NOT considered supermarkets. Your mom-and-pop corner grocery store or specialty shop that only sells cheese or meat are also NOT considered to be supermarkets. Chances are, if a store sells groceries in addition to clothes and electronics, it is not - in Amex's view - a supermarket.

4X AT RESTAURANTS

Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points when you dine at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S..

What qualifies as a restaurant depends on how it registers on your card. A restaurant that's within a hotel may not be described as restaurant on your card and therefore wouldn't get you 4x points.

Up $120 Year Dining Credit

Every month, you get a $10 statement credit when you pay with your Gold Card at these participating restaurants and food delivery services:

  • Grubhub
  • The Cheesecake Factory
  • Goldbelly
  • Wine.com
  • Milk Bar
  • Select Shake Shack locations

If you max out these credits, that would be a total of $120 per year in savings. Enroll for this benefit when you apply for the American Express Gold Card.

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. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

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).

Because of its high price tag, the Platinum Card is best for frequent travelers who make good use of the platinum treatment they can get when using this card, including up to $200 for Uber rides annually and a $200 Airline Fee Credit each calendar year plus access to five airport lounge networks.

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 $250 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 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

David R is a contributing writer at CreditDonkey, a credit card comparison and reviews website. Write to David R at davidr@creditdonkey.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for our latest posts.

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by American Express. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through the Advertiser's affiliate programs.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. This site may be compensated through the Advertiser's affiliate programs.

For rates and fees of the American Express Platinum card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express Gold card, please click here.

Disclaimer: The information for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by CreditDonkey. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

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Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed on this page are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.

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