Amex Gold Card’s Welcome Bonus History: 2019 to Today

The American Express^® Gold Card has evolved with various benefits and perks. What has remained the same is the card’s value for city dwellers and food enthusiasts, with an unmatched rewards rate on everyday purchases.

The Amex Gold card earns Membership Rewards points, which cardholders can transfer to nearly 2 dozen airline and hotel loyalty programs for travel. However, the first — and possibly biggest — chance to earn significant points comes from the card’s welcome bonus offer.

If you’re curious whether now is the right time to apply, this guide details the history of the Amex Gold card’s welcome offer over the last 5 years.

When To Apply for the Amex Gold Card

The Amex Gold card comes with a $325 annual fee (rates & fees).

If you want to apply for the card soon, you’ll want to ensure you’ve locked in the best welcome offer possible. Here’s what’s currently on the table:

BEST FOR DINING

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

American Express^® Gold Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

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Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

American Express^® Gold Card

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Welcome Offer

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.

60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,200

Annual Fee

$325

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

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

With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants, up to $50,000 per calendar year, and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x.

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

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 4x points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, up to $50,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
• 4x points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
• 3x points per dollar on flights purchased directly from airlines or at AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $325 annual fee (rates and fees)
• No lounge access

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Card Highlights

• 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.
• $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. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
• $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $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 U.S. Dunkin' locations.
• $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.
• $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 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, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
• Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. Eligible charges vary by property.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• Annual Fee is $325.
• Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Our points and miles valuations estimate Membership Rewards points to be worth 2.2 cents each, leaving you with roughly $1,200 in rewards value from this welcome offer.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the full history of the publicly available welcome offers on the Amex Gold card:

Score Targeted Welcome Bonus Offers on the Amex Gold Card

As you can see, the standard welcome offer hovers around 60,000 bonus points. However, it’s possible to be targeted for even higher offers — upwards of 100,000 bonus points — according to research from our team:

• Amex Gold 100K Points + up to $100 Back Welcome Offer
• Amex Gold Card 90K Points + up to $100 Back Welcome Bonus Offer
• Amex Gold Card 75K-Point Welcome Bonus Offer

Targeted offers are discussed in the articles above. Please note that these offers are not available to all applicants. Any information related to targeted offers has been collected independently and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Amex Gold Card Benefits

The generous welcome offer is just one of the many reasons why this card is so popular. Let’s take a look at the Amex Gold card benefits, though some may require prior enrollment:

• Select the gold or rose gold colorway
• Excellent Rewards Rate: Earn 4x points at restaurants worldwide on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year (then 1x points) and U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year (then 1x points); 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com; 2x points on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com; and 1x points on all other eligible purchases.
• Up to $120 Uber Cash Credit: Add your Amex Gold card as your payment method, and you’ll automatically receive $10 in Uber Cash each month for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
• Up to 84 Dunkin’ Credit: With the $84 Dunkin’ credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the Amex Gold card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations.
• Up to $100 Resy Credit: You can earn up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually after paying with the Amex Gold card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases.
• Up to $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Amex Gold card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys.
• Transfer Membership Rewards points to airline and hotel transfer partners and redeem for travel and gain maximum value.

Final Thoughts

Tracking the previous welcome bonus offers can help new applicants determine if they receive the best possible deal. It’s worth applying when you come across a welcome offer exceeding 60,000 bonus points for the Amex Gold card.