American Express^® Gold Card Review [2024]: Perks for Foodies and Travel Buffs

Card basics

The American Express Gold® card rewards you for eating out, shopping at U.S. supermarkets, and traveling. The annual fee takes the fun out of it a little bit, but if you use the card strategically, you can quickly earn the annual fee back and reap the rewards of this card. With no foreign transaction fee, it’s also a great travel companion if you travel abroad frequently.

Who should get the American Express^® Gold Card?

The American Express Gold card is aimed at people who spend a lot on food, whether dining out or shopping at U.S. supermarkets, and frequent travelers, but keep in mind to get the maximum rewards for travel, you must pay with your Amex card and book through AmexTravel.com.

Don’t sweat the annual fee

According to our credit card valuation, the average household spends $6,000 dining out (including takeout) and $14,000 a year on groceries. That equals 24,000 points on dining and 56,000 points at U.S. supermarkets at the card’s earning rate as of August 26, 2024. Since the average point value is one cent per point, that’s like getting $800 back just for doing what you normally do, which more than makes up for the annual fee.

Travelers can earn 3X on flights booked directly with airlines or on Amextravel.com and 2X on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com, which as you know, can quickly add up as traveling is expensive today.

So if you have good to excellent credit, and want an American Express card that you can carry a balance on (since their other cards often don’t allow this), the Amex Gold may be a good fit.

Top benefits and perks

• Generous welcome offer: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases within the first 6 months of card membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. (Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.)
• Up to $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the up to $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 Dunkin' locations.
• Up to $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.
• Up to $120 dining credit: After enrolling, you can earn up to $10 in statement credits each month at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys for an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
• Up to $120 in Uber Cash: Cardmembers can also enjoy up to $120 per year in Uber Cash by adding the Amex Gold to their Uber account. Each month, you'll receive $10 in Uber Cash good toward Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. You must add your Amex Gold to the Uber app to benefit from this offer.
• No foreign transaction fee: The Amex Gold ranks high among cards with no foreign transaction fee. You can travel abroad without having to worry about racking up unnecessary charges every time you swipe your card.
• Travel insurance: If you pay for a car rental with your Amex Gold, you can also be covered by rental car insurance. Your luggage will also be covered by Amex's baggage insurance plan.
• Shopping benefits: Purchases made with this card could also be eligible for purchase protection and extended warranty protection. This could make this card a great fit if you plan to make a large purchase and would like extra protection.
• Payment flexibility: It’s a good rule of thumb to pay off your balance each month. But if you need some flexibility, this card's Pay Over Time benefit allows you to carry over a balance on eligible charges of $100 or more. Just be aware that this will cause you to be charged interest.
• Choose your gold: If you prefer rose gold or white gold to regular gold, then you're in luck. Amex has the option to choose which color gold you'd like your card to be.
• Amex offers: Cardholders get access to exclusive Amex offers that you can activate before shopping to enjoy savings.
• $100 property credit with the Hotel Collection: If you book two or more nights with the Hotel Collection and pay with your Amex, you may earn a $100 property credit.

Earning & redeeming rewards

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here's a look at how your points can add up with the American Express^® Gold Card. To calculate these values, we used a point valuation of 1 cent per point.

Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.

Year one earnings: $1,784

Year two earnings: $1,184

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which takes a look at points earned via spending, the welcome bonus, and the annual fee.

In our calculations, we also assigned all travel spending to the 3X for flights booked directly with airlines or on Amextravel.com. So if some of your travel budget is allocated to hotels and other travel purchases, as opposed to airfare, then you will see lower earnings. That said, the value of this card is potentially boosted by hundreds of dollars each over what is indicated here if you take advantage of the annual dining and other credits.

Best ways to earn

To get the most out of your Amex Gold benefits I suggest using the card when dining out, taking food home, or at U.S. supermarkets. You should also consider booking as much travel as possible through AmexTravel.com to maximize your earnings.

The card pays 1X points on all other eligible purchases, which is good if you don’t have any other rewards credit cards, otherwise, you may find better rewards on purchases like gas, retail purchases, and streaming services on other cards.

Maximizing your redemptions

You’ll get the most out of your Membership Rewards points by redeeming them for travel either through AmexTravel.com or by transferring points to one of their many travel partners. Most travel rewards have a value of $0.01 per point.

There are other options for redemption, but you’ll get less than $0.01 per point, so I suggest using the points for travel as much as possible.

Amex Gold transfer partners

If you prefer to book through another loyalty program, there are a number of airlines and hotels that are Amex transfer partners. Most Membership Rewards points transfer at a 1:1 ratio with these travel partners, with some exceptions. With the following airlines, you could use your Amex rewards to book nearly free flights.

If you want to use your Amex Membership Rewards for your lodging, you can also work your way toward staying at a hotel for free.

FAQ

Other cards to consider

If the benefits of the American Express^® Gold Card don’t offset the annual fee in your eyes, a card with comparable rewards and a lower annual fee may be a smarter choice.

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card offers a generous welcome offer that can help kickstart your travel plans and is an excellent option if you like to travel and dine out. The Sapphire Preferred offers many similar benefits to the Amex Gold, including travel insurance coverage and no foreign transaction fees.

They also offer Lyft and DoorDash benefits, but with a much lower annual fee of $95. Seeing how the Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold rewards stack up next to each other can help you decide which card offers the greater value.

Learn more in our Chase Sapphire Preferred review.

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

If you're more interested in travel benefits, then The Platinum Card^® from American Express would be a better fit. With this card, you'll get lounge access, a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee credit, elite status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors, and various airline and hotel credits. (Enrollment required for select benefits.)

However, keep in mind that the annual fee for the The Platinum Card^® from American Express card is much higher than the American Express Gold card at $695, so you must make sure it’s worth it before forking over the large amount of money.

Learn more in our Amex Platinum Card review.

Big Rewards at Restaurants

American Express^® Gold Card

4.9

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

American Express^® Gold Card

Learn How to Apply

See rates and fees | Terms Apply

Current Offer

Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases within the first 6 months of card membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. (Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.)

Annual Fee

$325

Rewards Rate

4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per year, after that 1X), 4X at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, after that 1X), 3X on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com, 2X on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com, and 1X on all other eligible purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Robust rewards for dining out and U.S. supermarket purchases
• Offers great travel rewards and benefits

Drawbacks

• High annual fee that isn’t worth it for everyone
• Doesn’t include any airport lounge access

Card Details

• Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases within the first 6 months of card membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. (Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.)
• 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per year, after that 1X), 4X at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, after that 1X), 3X on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com, 2X on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com, and 1X on all other eligible purchases
• Terms apply