American Express Gold Card Review

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The American Express Gold Card is a mid-range option for those looking to earn American Express Membership Rewards points. Some cards offer food rewards, others offer rewards for spending at U.S. supermarkets, but the American Express Gold Card leads the industry with a $4 per dollar member reward for anything you eat or drink.

Disadvantage? Annual fee of $250, no waiver for the first year. On paper, the card’s rewards justify the fee. Get up to $120 in restaurant points and up to $120 in Uber Cash. However, things are not that simple. The $120 restaurant credit must be redeemed in $10 monthly increments, is only available in a handful of restaurants and delivery services, and requires registration. Uber Cash is also mandatory and costs $10 per month for rides and Uber-Eating in the US only. You’ll also need to link an eligible card to your Uber account.

The card shares travel protection benefits with up to five authorized cardholders at no additional cost. Users can be as young as 13, so this could be a good card for families.

At first glance

$250 annual fee
4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at restaurants, plus U.S. takeout and delivery, 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), 3 Membership Rewards® points per dollar 1 point per dollar on flights purchased directly through the airline or through American Express, and 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases.
Up to $120 credit on annual bills at eligible restaurants, with monthly payments of $10 credit
Second Rental Damage and Loss Insurance for Eligible Rental Cars
Up to $120 in Uber Cash Points per year, $10 per month
No foreign transaction fees

American Express Gold Award

Earn rewards

The rewards structure for the American Express Gold Card is as follows:

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4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at restaurants, plus U.S. takeout and delivery, 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), 3 Membership Rewards® points per dollar 1 point per dollar on flights purchased directly through the airline or through American Express, and 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases.

In addition to traditional rewards, the American Express Gold Card offers an annual $120 credit at restaurants like Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Cheesecake Factory, Shake Shack, Boxed and delivery services Grubhub and Seamless. However, the credit must be used in monthly increments of $10, and you must sign up to get the benefit, making it difficult to use.

Cardholders also get $10 per month in Uber Cash when they add an eligible Gold card to their Uber account, for a total of up to $120 per year, which can be used on Uber Eats or driving in the US.

In addition, the American Express Gold Card offers the following welcome bonus: 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $4,000 in the first 6 months of card membership.

Redeem rewards

American Express Membership Rewards points are valuable because they are flexible. Points can be transferred to nearly two dozen airline partners, mostly on a 1:1 basis. Additionally, American Express offers frequent transfer bonuses to help you maximize your earnings. The most common airline transit partners include Delta Air Lines (SkyTeam airline), British Airways and Iberia Avios (oneworld) and Air Canada Aeroplan (Star Alliance).

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If you don’t want to mess with your transfer partner, you can use your loyalty rewards to redeem a variety of gift cards in the travel, retail and dining categories. Tariffs vary by provider, and each Membership Rewards point varies between 0.5 cents and 1 cent. You can also pay with points at a number of suppliers, most notably Amazon, which rewards points for as little as 0.7 cents per member.

One of the easiest ways to redeem Membership Rewards points is to fly with American Express Travel for 1 cent per point. Therefore, a flight booked with points counts as a cash flight in the eyes of the airline and can earn miles based on the fare code and ticket price.

Benefits of the American Express Gold Card

Global Helpline: Medical, legal, financial and other select emergency assistance and coordination services available 24/7.
Amex Hotel Collection: Earn $100 hotel credit when you book through American Express for a minimum of two consecutive nights to spend on room upgrades (if any) at eligible restaurants, spa and resort activities, and upon arrival.
Baggage Insurance: Covers eligible luggage for loss, damage or theft. Conditions apply.
Rental Loss and Damage Insurance: If you use your card to pay for the rental car and decline the collision damage waiver at the rental counter, you may be able to get secondary auto insurance in eligible areas. Conditions apply.
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Interest expense

Note that the American Express Gold Card may not allow you to settle the balance of all purchases on a monthly basis. Therefore, the aim should be to pay off your monthly balance in full.

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Interest expense

Recurring APRs: See Pay-Per-Time APRs
Purchase introductory APR: Not applicable
Introduction to Balance Transfer APR: N/A

Cost

Annual fee: $250
Balance transfer fee: Not applicable
Cash Advances: $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.
Foreign purchase transaction fee: none.

How the American Express Gold Card stacks up

American Express Gold Card and American Express Green Card

The American Express® Green Card has an annual fee of $150 and is one of the entry-level membership rewards cards. It offers 3 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on eligible travel and dining, including takeout and delivery, and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. If you spend more of your budget on travel, especially for those who commute and travel more than flying, the American Express Green Card may be a better fit than the American Express Gold Card.

American Express® Gold and Platinum® Cards from American Express

The American Express Platinum Card® is one of the most reputable cards on the market, with a corresponding annual fee of $695 (terms apply. See rates and fees). The card earns 5 bonus points per calendar year up to $500,000 on flights booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel and 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel, for Earn 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases.

While the American Express Gold Card offers higher rewards than the American Express Platinum Card in a wider range of spending categories, it can’t match the funky perks that Platinum cardholders receive. Premium lounge access, Gold status at Hilton and Marriott Bonvoy hotels (by registration), eligible annual Uber Cash purchases when your card is linked to your account, annual points on your Saks Fifth Avenue bill, and Airfare Points for the eligible airline of your choice Additional benefits per year are related to card ownership and registration is required.

American Express® Gold and Savor Rewards Credit Cards*

If you want lower grocery rewards and lower annual fees than Amex Gold, consider Capital One®’s Savor® Rewards. For a $95 annual fee, the Savor Card earns 4% cash back on all dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services, 3% cash back at grocery stores, and 1% cash back on all other purchases. You can’t get the food and Uber Cash you get with the American Express Gold card, but Savor’s lower annual fee might get you going.

Is the American Express Gold Card Right for You?

Short answer? perhaps. The American Express Gold Card earns 4 points per dollar at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year, followed by 1 point), making this card a worthwhile choice for many. Membership Rewards is a versatile tool in the Travel Rewards Toolkit. However, you have to jump through some hurdles to balance the $250 annual fee with the points this card offers.