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American Express Gold Card — Full Review [2022]

Name: American Express Gold Card — Full Review [2022]
Item: American Express Gold Card
Rating: 4.59
Author: Jarrod West

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"Earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets."

This is the go-to card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants and those who want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Learn More (at Amex's secure site)

Jarrod West

- UPDATED: June 27, 2022 |

The American Express® Gold Card is definitely a game-changer.

With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x.

There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are a number of other benefits as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.

Pros

4x points per $1 at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
4x points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases; and 1x thereafter
3x points per $1 on flights purchased directly from airlines or at Amex Travel
Up to $120 annual dining credit: up to $10 monthly statement credit when you pay with the Amex Gold card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations
No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)
Access to the American Express Hotel Collection
Access to American Express transfer partners

Cons

$250 annual fee (see rates and fees)
No lounge access

Amex Gold Card — Snapshot

Welcome Bonus & Info (Partner Content)
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $4,000 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.
- $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.
- Updated $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and 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.
- Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms Apply.
Card Categories:
Rewards Center
American Express Membership Rewards
Customer Service Number
800-528-4800
Login Link
https://online.americanexpress.com/
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Great Card If

You want a card with flexible redemption options
You spend a lot at U.S. supermarkets, on dining out, and airfare
You can make use of the annual dining credit
You want a card with no foreign transaction fees
You’re an active-duty military member who wants access to exclusive card perks and benefits.

Don't Get If

You don’t enjoy traveling
You don’t spend much money on dining out, airfare, or supermarkets
You prefer a card with no annual fee
You prefer a card with increased offerings like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

Amex Gold Card — Fees

Annual Fee
- $250
Foreign Transaction Fees
None
Interest Rates
- 17.49%-24.49% Variable
Late fees
- Up to $40
Cash Advance APR
- 26.74% Variable
- Fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.
Additional Info
Rates & Fees

Amex Gold Card - Is It Worth it?

Woman walking in airport — Image Credit: VisionPic.net via Pexels

The Amex Gold card is an absolute workhorse of a card when it comes to earning Amex Membership Rewards points, especially for those that have a large level of annual spending on dining or U.S supermarket purchases. In fact, you’ll be hard-pressed to find many better cards for these purchases.

Some might see the $250 annual fee that the card charges and immediately write it off as a non-starter, but you should consider that the card offers a $120 annual dining credit and a $120 annual Uber Cash credit.

Plus, when you combine those credits with the cards other benefits like baggage insurance, access to Amex’s The Hotel Collection, and access to Amex Offers, you can see it is fairly easy to get more value out of the card than the fee you pay.

To help make your decision, ask yourself these questions:

Do I spend a lot each year on dining, on airfare, and at U.S. supermarkets?
Can I easily get more value out of the card’s benefits than the annual fee I’ll pay?
Do I want a card that earns transferable rewards?

If you answered yes to those questions, then the Amex Gold card would likely be very worth it for you.

Active -duty Military? You can access exclusive military perks and benefits as an Amex Gold cardholder.

Amex Gold Card Top Benefits

$120 Dining Credit

Earn up to $10 in statement credits each month when you use your card to make purchases at the following restaurants and food delivery services:

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

The Hotel Collection

The Amex Gold card gets you access to The Hotel Collection. This group of exclusive hotels offers special benefits to cardmembers when booking a stay of at least 2 nights at select properties in the collection. You can enjoy the following benefits with The Hotel Collection:

$100 hotel credit to spend on dining, spa, or resort charges
Room upgrade when available

Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance

Use your card to reserve and pay for your car rental, decline the rental agency’s coverage, and you’ll be covered (up to $50,000) if the car is damaged or stolen. This coverage is secondary to other insurance.

Baggage Insurance Plan

If you pay for your entire ticket with your Amex Gold card, and the carrier damages your bag or the items inside, you can receive coverage of up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and $500 for checked baggage.

Purchase Protection

When you make a purchase with your card and the item is accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, you’ll receive coverage for up to 90 days from the purchase date and $10,000 per occurrence.

Extended Warranty Protection

If you purchase an item that has a manufacturer’s warranty of fewer than 5 years, your card extends that warranty coverage by 1 additional year.

Best Ways To Earn and Redeem Your Amex Points

Even though the Amex Gold card is great at earning points on its own, there are still many other great ways to earn Amex Membership Rewards points that you’ll want to be aware of.

Since you’ll earn points rapidly, you need to learn how you can put those points to good use. To do so, we recommend you check out our guide to the best ways to redeem your Amex Membership Rewards points for max value.

So much of learning how to maximize your points and miles comes down to learning how to effectively use transfer partners to reach your travel goals. Given that, if you want to learn how to squeeze as much value as possible out of your points, you need to learn about the Amex Membership Rewards transfer partners and how to use them!

Alternatives to the Amex Gold Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is one of the most popular travel rewards cards on the market, and with benefits including 2x points per $1 spend on dining and travel, no foreign transaction fees, and flexible redemption options (including transfer partners), it’s easy to see why the card is so popular.

For just a $95 annual fee, you’ll be able to start earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points, one of the most valuable loyalty currencies available. Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed for incredible value through the program’s select transfer partners.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

There’s a lot to love about the CapOne Venture card — including airline and hotel transfer partners and 2x on all other purchases.

If the majority of your daily spending comes from purchases outside of dining and travel categories, then the CapOne Venture card might be a great option for you.

Citi Premier® Card

The Citi Premier card offers 3x points per $1 on travel purchases, including gas stations, making it one of the few travel credit cards on the market to offer a high return on gas purchases.

This makes the card an excellent choice for those who drive often for work or love taking road trips. Citi Premier cardholders will also earn 2x points per $1 on restaurants and entertainment purchases.

We’ve compared the Amex Gold card to some other popular credit cards:

The information presented above regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Citi Premier® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not reviewed by the issuer.

For the rates and fees of the American Express Gold Card, please click here.

Featured Image Credit: American Express

Frequently asked questions

Is the Amex Gold card worth it?

The Gold Card offers great earning potential at supermarkets, restaurants, and airfare expenses while offering a variety of high-value redemption options.

Points can be redeemed for a variety of travel partners and can be transferred directly to other loyalty accounts when you need points elsewhere.

Cardholders also benefit from perks such as the up to $120 annual dining credit.

While the card does come with a $250 annual fee, if you’re able to maximize the bonus categories and card perks, it may be very worth the fee.

Does the Amex Gold card earn Membership Rewards points?

Yes, the card earns Membership Rewards points that you can use for huge value!

Do Membership Rewards points expire?

No, as long as your account stays active and in good standing, you will never lose your Membership Rewards points.

What is the annual fee on the Amex Gold card?

The annual fee is $250.

Does the Amex Gold card charge foreign transaction fees?

No, there are no foreign transaction fees when using the card.

Is the Amex Gold card metal?

Yes, the card is a metal card with a gold finish. A Rose Gold finish is also available.

Does the Amex Gold card have a credit limit?

No, the card doesn’t have a preset spending limit. But that doesn’t mean you have access to unlimited spending. Your purchasing power will adjust based on the use of your card, payment and credit history, and financial resources.

How do Membership Rewards points work?

When you make purchases on your card, you earn rewards in the form of points. These Membership Rewards points can be redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, travel, and more.

The points accumulate in your account until you redeem them.

To redeem your points, simply log in to your online American Express card account and select the Membership Rewards portal to view your account summaries and the various ways to earn and redeem points.

Membership Rewards points can be redeemed for merchandise, gift cards, travel, used as a charity donation, and even spent on Amazon — but their greatest value is realized when transferring points to airline partners.

How do I get the $120 dining credit?

To receive the dining statement credit (which is limited to $10 each statement period), you must enroll through your American Express portal and use your card at participating restaurants.

Those restaurants include Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations/

The maximum credit is $120 per calendar year.

Does the Amex Gold Card have airport lounge access?

No, the Gold Card does not have lounge access. If you’re looking to access airport lounges, consider a card like Amex Platinum card so you can get into 1,300+ lounges around the world.

About Jarrod West

Jarrod has been writing about credit cards and loyalty programs, along with various travel and finance topics, for over 5 years. As an expert in the field, he is regularly called upon to comment on the latest news in the space, and has been featured in publications like the New York Times, Matador Network, and Yahoo Finance. With a B.S. in Economics earned from Northern Kentucky University, Jarrod uses his experience to analyze the best credit cards and rewards programs for readers. He also regularly attends conferences to learn and share ideas with fellow travelers. So, if you see him at conferences like TravelCon, CardCon, or Frequent Traveler University, be sure to stop and say hello!

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5 comments

rOB October 4, 2018
Is this a “new” card or precluded from getting if you have previously
had the Gold Card ?
- Stephen Au October 5, 2018
  Hey Rob, the Gold card and old PRG card are considered the same product, so you can only get the sign-up bonus once.
  - Patricia October 5, 2019
    I recently used my boyfriend’s Gold Business card to book a trip which included 4 Delta Air Line tickets. The next day there were several charges ranging from 7.50 for trip delay insurance and 9.95 for baggage premium insurance? Is this an automatic charge? I didn’t request or need either. Is this something I can have removed off the card? It was almost 100.00?
    I appreciate your help. Thank you
    - Christine Krzyszton October 6, 2019
      Hi Patricia. First, please be advised that we are not American Express or Delta. We are Upgraded Points, a blog specializing in points, miles, credit card, and travel resources. You could call American Express at the number on the back of the card and inquire about the charges in question. Sorry we can’t help you further.
Feroz Siddik October 5, 2018
You may actually get a better offer for 50,000 points if you use a referral code.