How the Amex Gold Saved the Day When I Lost My New AirPods

Updated: February 20, 2025, 8:30am CST

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Amex Gold Card Overview
What Is Purchase Protection?
How Purchase Protection Saved the Day
Final Thoughts

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It’s no secret that the American Express^® Gold Card is a favorite here at Upgraded Points. With an incredible earning structure on everyday purchases and fantastic benefits, it consistently ranks as one of our top rewards cards.

However, it also has lesser-known perks that are arguably just as important. One such benefit is purchase protection, which gives me peace of mind when making purchases.

I recently bought myself a new pair of AirPods. Unfortunately, within a few weeks of the purchase, I misplaced one of them. Although I was upset at myself, I knew I was covered since I made my purchase with the Amex Gold card.

Here’s a look at the Amex Gold card and how its overlooked purchase protection benefit saved me a lot of money.

Amex Gold Card Overview

BEST FOR DINING

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

American Express^® Gold Card

U.P. Rating

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!

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

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 OfferEarn 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 Offer Valuation*:
Up to   $1,200

Annual Fee

$325

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent

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

The Amex Gold card routinely appears on our list of the best rewards cards, and it’s easy to see why. It has incredible earning potential in everyday spending categories.

It earns our favorite transferable points currency, American Express Membership Rewards points, serving as both a travel rewards card and an everyday spending card.

With the Amex Gold card, you can earn 4x points at restaurants worldwide on up to $50,000 per calendar year in purchases (then 1x) and 4x points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases (then 1x). The Amex Gold card also earns 3x points on flights purchased directly from airlines or at AmexTravel.com.

Amex Gold Trees and Plants Upgraded Points LLC 2 — The Amex Gold card is a workhorse when it comes to everyday spending. Image Credit: Upgraded Points LLC

With all the rewards-earning potential, it’s no surprise that the Amex Gold card has a substantial annual fee of $325 (rates & fees). However, to help offset the annual fee, the Amex Gold card comes with perks (enrollment required), including up to $120 in annual dining credits and up to $120 in annual Uber Cash for U.S. Uber Eats orders or Uber rides, which is distributed in up to $10 monthly credits.

What Is Purchase Protection?

Purchase protection is a benefit of many credit cards and typically does not require enrollment. It can help protect covered purchases you make on eligible cards when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost within a specific period (usually 90 days).

Depending on the card, the protection’s coverage amount and duration may differ. The Amex Gold card protects eligible purchases up to 90 days from the date of purchase. There is a limit of up to $10,000 per item and up to $50,000 per calendar year.

Hot Tip:

The purchase protection benefit only applies to covered purchases. Each credit card has its own terms, which determine if the benefit applies in your case and what items are excluded.

How Purchase Protection Saved the Day

Given the price of many electronics today, I always use premium cards to buy them, as they provide an extra layer of security for expensive purchases. This is especially important for me, as I am admittedly somewhat careless with my belongings.

After losing my AirPods just a month after I purchased them, I knew I would need to file a claim with AMEX Assurance Company, an insurance company that underwrites American Express’s protection benefits, including purchase protection.

To start the claim process, I headed to Amex’s website. I provided the necessary purchase information including the date of purchase, total amount spent (minus shipping charges), and place of purchase. The claim form also requested item information, including manufacturer name and model number (if applicable). Lastly, there was a section requesting a brief explanation of how I lost the item.

Hot Tip:

Supporting documentation, including a copy of the receipt from the purchase, a copy of the claim settlement from your primary insurance company (if applicable), a copy of your primary insurance declaration page (if applicable), and a police report if item is stolen, are often required in addition to the initial documents provided.

Within 72 hours of filing the purchase protection claim, I received an email from AMEX Assurance stating that my claim was approved and that the entire purchase price of approximately $170 would be credited back to my account.

Amex Purchase protection — I was glad to see that the statement credit posted within 72 hours of my filing a claim. Image Credit: American Express

Bottom Line:

It’s important to review your card’s terms and conditions to understand the specific protections available to you, as they can vary significantly between cards and issuers. I made the right decision by purchasing the AirPods with my Amex Gold card.

Final Thoughts

The Amex Gold card is fantastic for everyday spending, but its lesser-known benefits, like purchase protection, are arguably just as valuable. By utilizing the benefit, I was able to get a statement credit for the total value of the AirPods I lost.

When making purchases, it’s important to consider what card to put the purchase on and to make sure you’re getting all the value you can from the credit cards you carry around in your wallet.

For the purchase protection benefit of the American Express^® Gold Card, purchase protection is an embedded benefit of your card membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect covered purchases made on your eligible card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the covered purchase date. The coverage is limited up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Coverage limits apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.