American Express® Gold Card Benefits & Review for 2024

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Highlighted by a generous welcome bonus offer, 4x point categories, and a variety of credits, the American Express® Gold Card has a lot to like. While not a travel card, it does feature numerous benefits for the frequent vacationer like 3x points for flights (booked directly with airlines and amextravel.com) and trip insurance. Additionally, it allows you to transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to a variety of partner airlines and hotels for more value.

American Express is a TheVacationer.com advertiser. Unlike typical credit cards, the Amex Gold allows you to carry a balance for certain charges, but not all.

Who is the American Express Gold Card For?

The ideal cardholder is someone who spends a lot of money at restaurants and grocery stores. The card earns 4x Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at restaurants (plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year (then 1x). It also includes up to a $120 yearly dining credit (up to $10 per month via statement credits) for purchases made at participating restaurants (enrollment required). Another benefit is up to a $120 yearly Uber Cash credit ($10 per month) for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. Finally, it includes up to a $100 onsite credit for qualifying activities at The Hotel Collection resorts (booked via Amex Travel) for two-night stays. Those credits easily offset the $250 annual fee (see Rates & Fees).

While the 3x points earned per dollar spent on flights is solid, The Platinum Card® from American Express ($695 annual fee – See Rates & Fees) earns 5x points per dollar spent on flights on up to $500,000 per calendar year booked directly with airlines and amextravel.com. It also earns 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked via amextravel.com. Finally, it features a variety of other premium travel benefits that the Gold Card does not have. For those reasons, I recommend pairing the American Express Gold Card with another travel-focused credit card like The Platinum Card for maximum value.

Business owners can apply for the American Express® Business Gold Card.

Featured American Express Gold Card Benefits

The Amex Gold card offers a variety of benefits for dining, shopping, and travel, and here are our top picks.

60,000 Point Welcome Bonus Offer

The Amex Gold’s current welcome bonus offer is 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. That is up from the previous bonus of 35,000 points. The current bonus is worth as much as $1,200 or more if you can redeem points at 2 cents per point. If you redeem for a statement credit (0.06 cents per point), the bonus is only worth $360. For that reason, I recommend transferring the 60,000 points to one of American Express’s airline or hotel partners for maximum value.

Earn 4x Points on Dining at Restaurants

At its heart, the Amex Gold card is a dining credit card. In addition to offering up to a $120 yearly dining credit (more on that later), it also earns 4x points per dollar spent at restaurants globally. That includes fast food establishments, fine dining, services like Uber Eats and DoorDash, and mom-and-pop restaurants. As someone who eats out a lot, that was a big factor in me getting this card. The good news is there is no limit to the 4x earnings at restaurants, so those who love eating out do not need to worry about a cap.

If you spend $5,000 per year at restaurants, you can earn 20,000 points. If you spend $10,000 per year at restaurants, you can earn 40,000 points.

Earn 4x Points at U.S. Supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, then 1x)

The second main appeal of the Amex Gold card is it earns 4x points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets. Unfortunately, it is only on the first $25,000 per year. After hitting the cap, the card then earns 1x points at U.S. supermarkets. Those living or traveling abroad are out of luck as the 4x points are only earned at U.S. supermarkets. Unless I am buying groceries at Target (I use my RedCard), I use my Amex Gold card for every grocery purchase.

By maxing out the $25,000 cap, you can earn 100,000 points per year. That is worth $2,000 if you redeem your points for 2 cents per point. Please note, superstores and warehouses do not qualify for the 4x points. After hitting the cap, I recommend opting for a different card for supermarket purchases.

Further Reading: Amex Gold Credit Score Requirements.

Earn 3x Points on Flights Booked Direct and at amextravel.com

Despite not being a travel card, the Amex Gold card does earn a respectable 3x points per dollar spent on flights. That includes flights booked directly with the airline and flights booked on amextravel.com. While you can do better elsewhere, it is surprisingly as good or better than other popular travel cards for direct bookings. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® ($550 annual fee) earns 3x points per dollar spent on flights booked direct (after the first $300 spent on travel per year). The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card ($95 annual fee) only earns 2x points per dollar spent on flights booked direct.

As previously mentioned, the American Express Gold Card pairs extremely well with The Platinum Card. It earns 5x points per dollar spent on flights (up to $500,000 per calendar year) as well as a multitude of other travel benefits. I hold both cards and recommend that strategy for anyone looking to maximize their earnings in the American Express ecosystem.

Up to $120 Per Year Dining Statement Credit ($10 monthly)

Cardholders are eligible for up to a $120 dining statement credit per year at eligible restaurants when using the Amex Gold card. Unfortunately, the credit is only available in up to $10 increments over the year, so you cannot use it all at once. Here are the participating restaurants and bakeries.

• Milk Bar
• Shake Shack (some locations)
• The Cheesecake Factory

Here are participating food delivery services and online marketplaces.

• Goldbelly
• Grubhub
• Wine.com

You must enroll to activate your dining credit. You can do it within your online account or by calling the number on the back of your Amex Gold card. American Express says the credit will appear within 2-4 weeks, but I have found it usually appears within a few days. As Grubhub and Seamless prices are usually higher than when ordering direct from the restaurant, you should always search for a coupon before ordering.

Up to $120 Per Year in Uber Cash ($10 monthly)

Cardholders are eligible for up to $120 in Uber Cash per year. Like the dining credit, you get $10 per month as opposed to the $120 all at once. Additionally, the $10 credit must be used in the month received. To activate the credit, add your Amex Gold card as a payment method in your Uber account via the Uber app. If accepted, you will begin receiving $10 per month in Uber Cash which can be spent on Uber rides in the U.S. or Uber Eats.

I have found Uber Eats to be extremely overpriced compared to ordering direct from the restaurant. As such, I do not recommend using your monthly $10 in Uber Cash on Uber Eats orders unless you have a coupon. While Uber Eats orders do earn 4x points per dollar spent compared to 1x points per dollar spent for Uber rides, it does not make up for the markup in price. Instead, opt for Uber rides.

Other American Express Gold Card Benefits

Here are other benefits the Amex Gold card offers.

Amex Offers

Amex Offers is one of the more underrated benefits of the American Express Gold Card and other Amex cards. It can be found at the bottom of your home screen when logging into your account under the heading “Amex Offers & Benefits.” To activate an offer, click the Add to Card button next to the offer. After activating, you can see that offer and any other offers you have already activated under the “Added to Card” tab. Here are some example offers you may see. Please note, these offers may or may not be live and are being used as examples only.

• Shopping – Spend $100 or more, get $20 back at wayfair.com
• Dining – Get +2 Membership Rewards® points per eligible dollar spent at The Capital Grille
• Travel – Spend $500 or more, get $125 back at Norwegian Cruise Line

Rental Car Insurance (secondary)

The Amex Gold provides secondary rental car insurance when using it to pay for your vehicle. You also must decline the rental car company’s collision damage waiver. This insurance protects against theft and damage, but there are exclusions. Not every car is covered, and some countries are excluded.

With secondary coverage, you file with your own insurance company first. The secondary coverage kicks in after. While there is some benefit to secondary coverage, I highly recommend upgrading to primary rental car coverage, or premium rental car coverage as American Express calls it. Enrollment is required, and it kicks in whenever you use your Amex Gold card to rent a car while also declining the rental car company’s collision damage waiver. Unless you are a Florida or California resident, it costs $19.95 or $24.95 per rental period for a maximum of 42 days.

Primary coverage maxes out at $100,000 for damage or theft to your rental car, and you file with American Express before your own car insurance company. Please note, liability insurance is not included with any of American Express’ rental car insurance options.

Further reading: Best Credit Cards for Car Rentals

The Hotel Collection Perks and Up to $100 Credit for 2-Night Stays

Amex Gold cardholders earn numerous benefits when booking two consecutive prepaid nights or more at The Hotel Collection via Amex Travel. This is a group of handpicked hotels by American Express that consistently offer a premium guest experience. Here are some of the benefits you get.

• 2x points per dollar spent (double the usual 1x points)
• $100 credit per room for various activities (maximum three-room limit per stay)
• Room upgrade (when available)

Available activities depend on the property. The maximum three-room limit per stay means you can get $300 in credits per stay by booking three rooms. To earn the benefits, the cardholder must complete the booking as well as be at the hotel for the stay.

While it may sound like all of the hotels are super fancy and expensive, there are reasonably priced options available.

Further reading: Best Hotel Credit Cards

Purchase and Extended Warranty Protection

Purchase and Extended Warranty Protection allow you to shop with more peace of mind. Here are the details.

Purchase Protection: Purchases are covered 90 days from the Covered Purchase Date for theft, loss, and damage (up to $10,000 per item and up to $50,000 per card for a calendar year). Enrollment is not required, but you must use your Amex Gold card to activate coverage. Exclusions on covered purchases apply, so I recommend reading the purchase plan documents before filing a claim.

Extended Warranty Protection: Covered purchases made with your Amex Gold card are eligible for an extra year of warranty covered after the manufacturer’s warranty expires. Here are a few important details.

• Protection only applies to warranties 5 years or less
• Coverage maxes out at $10,000 per item (and $50,000 per card per year).

Exclusions apply and different states have different rules, so I recommend reading the extended warranty plan documents before filing a claim.

Baggage Insurance

Cardholders enjoy insurance for both carry-on (up to $1,250) and checked bags (up to $500) when purchasing their fare with their American Express Gold card. This includes planes, buses, ships, and trains. New York State residents have a special $10,000 limit for every covered person on an eligible trip. You can read more details about what is covered and what is not covered here.

Trip Delay Insurance

Few things can ruin a perfectly planned vacationer faster than a flight delay. While the American Express Gold Card cannot prevent delays, it can lessen some of the pain and costs. Cardholders using their AMEX Gold card to purchase round-trip tickets are eligible for reimbursement for certain expenses for delays longer than 12 hours. Here are a few important details.

• Only covered reasons for the delay are eligible
• Only certain expenses are eligible for reimbursement
• Maximum $300 per trip
• Maximum 2 claims per card every 12 months

You can read more details about covered reasons, what expenses may or may not be covered, and other important details here.

Further reading: Best Credit Cards for Travel Insurance and Travel Insurance Buying Guide

Personalized Travel Services & Global Assist Hotline

Cardholders are eligible for assistance in the trip planning stages as well as during the trip. Here is what you need to know.

Personalized Travel Services: Call 1-877-227-5819 for personalized travel advice. Allow American Express travel experts to help you plan the perfect trip exactly how you want it.

Global Assist Hotline: Available exclusively to U.S. cardholders, this service provides medical, legal, and financial advice before traveling and when traveling more than 100 miles from home. The representative will either solve the problems themselves or find someone who can. If a third party is consulted, you will be responsible for any fees. Before the trip, you can receive advice on weather, passports, foreign exchange rates, and more. During the trip, you can receive advice on card cancellations, lost item help, ATM referrals, lawyer referrals, medical referrals, and more. Call 1-800-333-AMEX for assistance.

American Express Experiences

Cardmembers can take advantage of American Express Experiences for exclusive member-only events as well as access to ticket presales for the hottest concerts, plays, and other events. You must pay with your AMEX Gold card to qualify. Please note, there are no refunds or exchanges.

Complimentary ShopRunner Membership

Cardholders have access to a complimentary ShopRunner membership. ShopRunner provides its members with free two-day shipping at a variety of online stores. Only certain items are eligible, and you must select ShopRunner at checkout. This can be a valuable benefit depending on how much you shop online. Terms apply, and you must enroll your card at shoprunner.com/enroll/americanexpress.

Auto Purchasing Program

The Auto Purchasing program offers guaranteed savings on your next vehicle purchase. Go to this page, customize the car you want to purchase, enter your location, and see savings from a variety of local dealers for your target vehicle. The savings are guaranteed, so you can avoid any stressful bargaining over the price. The dealer will also allow you to put at least $2,000 of the car payment on your Amex Gold card, with some allowing the full purchase price. I highly recommend this method for getting a new car. While you may be able to save a little more by going to the dealership and haggling, this is an easy way to still get great savings.

American Express Preferred Seating

Do you enjoy going to sporting events, musicals, and concerts? American Express Gold cardholders have exclusive access to preferred seating only available to AMEX cardholders. Depending on the event, you may have to enter the phone number on the back of your card or part of your card number to gain access.

Membership Rewards Points Redemption Methods & Values

There are a variety of ways to redeem Membership Rewards Points, but some are much more valuable than others. While you will not always be able to get max value for your points, you should aim to redeem at a minimum of 1 cent per point.

Transfer Points to a Partner Airline or Hotel (2 cents or more per point)

The best way to redeem Membership Rewards points is to transfer them to a partner airline or hotel. Depending on the partner, points are worth as much as 2 cents per point or more! I recommend linking all of your transfer partner accounts to your American Express account for faster transfers. Most transfers are instant but can take as long as one week. We will start with the 18 airline transfer partners.

Airline point transfers cannot be reversed. I recommend waiting until you have a flight in mind before transferring. Always do the math first to see if it is cheaper to pay cash or to book using points. While it is possible to redeem points at 2 cents per point or more, it depends on what airline you transfer to as well as the date, flight, and cabin. Please note, there is a $0.0006 per point (0.06 cent per point) excise fee when transferring points to a U.S. airline. The good news is the fee is capped at $99 per transfer, but you should still take it into account before transferring. For example, transferring 50,000 points to JetBlue triggers a $30 excise fee.

Here are American Express’ three hotel transfer partners.

Hotel point transfers cannot be reversed. You should figure out the hotel you want to book before transferring. Do the math first to see if a cash booking is cheaper. While it is possible to redeem points at 2 cents per point or more, it depends on what hotel you choose, the date, and the room.

Book Travel via American Express Travel (0.5 to 1 cent per point)

The best ways to redeem points with Amex Travel are booking and upgrading flights. Points are worth 1 cent per point for flight bookings and upgrades, which is solid but not as good as transferring to a partner hotel or airline. Here are the current redemption methods and values using Amex Travel.

• Flight Bookings – $0.01 Per Point (1,000 points = $10)
• Flight Upgrades – $0.01 Per Point (1,000 points = $10)
• Prepaid Hotels, Cars, & Cruises – $0.007 Per Point (1,000 points = $7)
• Offsetting the Excise Tax – $0.005 Per Point (1,000 points = $5)

With a value of less than 1 cent per point, it does not make sense to use points to book hotels, cars, and cruises via Amex Travel. It makes even less sense to redeem points at $0.005 per point to offset the excise tax. As previously detailed, the excise tax is a $0.0006 per point fee when transferring points to a U.S. airline.

Gift Cards (0.5 to 1 cent per point)

Points can be redeemed at 0.5 cents to 1 cent per point when choosing from a selection of gift cards. Included in the 1 cent per point category is a variety of hotels, restaurants, and retail stores. Here are a few current redemption levels and examples (as of 7/29/2021 – these are subject to change).

• Fairmont Hotels, Benihana, Gap, etc – $0.01 Per Point (1,000 points = $10)
• Best Western Hotels, Bonefish Grill, Apple, etc – $0.0085 Per Point (1,000 points = $8.5)
• Delta, Uber, Starbucks, etc – $0.007 Per Point (1,000 points = $7)
• AMEX Gift Cards – $0.005 Per Point (1,000 points = $5)

I do not recommend redeeming points for gift cards with a value of less than 1 cent per point. There is just too much value elsewhere.

NYC Taxis (1 cent per point)

Those taking a taxi in New York City can redeem points at a rate of 1 cent per point to pay their fare. No enrollment is required, but you must have enough points to cover the entire fare. VeriFone and CMT enabled New York City taxis are eligible.

After swiping your American Express Gold Card in an eligible taxi, you will see the option to pay with points. Your card must be in good standing. It must also be enrolled in the Membership Rewards program.

This is not a bad way to use your points but transferring to a partner hotel or airline remains the best redemption method. It is also extremely limited since it is only certain New York City taxis.

Donate to Charity via JustGiving (0.7 cents per point)

While donating to charity is important, it is not the best way to redeem Membership Rewards points. JustGiving allows you to redeem points at a rate of $0.007 per point (0.7 cents) when donating to a selection of more than 1.5 million charities. To get started, create an account at JustGiving and find a charity you wish to support. You can then use your points to fund your donation.

Online Shopping and Online Checkout (0.5 to 0.7 cents per point)

Redeeming your points for online shopping is another method I do not recommend. You can pay with your points at checkout at a variety of different stores for a value of 0.7 cents per point. You can also shop membershiprewards.com for a value of 0.5 cents per point. Here are a few examples.

• Pay at Checkout: Amazon, PayPal, Staples, etc – $0.007 per point (1,000 points = $7)
• Shop at membershiprewards.com – $0.005 per point (1,000 points = $5)

The 0.5 cents per point value is the lowest you can get. While still a poor method, you are better off taking a statement credit at 0.06 cents per point.

Statement Credit (0.6 cents per point)

You can redeem points for $0.006 per point when taking a statement credit. This is yet another method to be avoided because the value is so poor. 1,000 points redeemed for a statement credit equals $6. Remember, you can redeem 1,000 points for $20 or more when transferring to the right airline or hotel partner.

Ticketmaster (0.5 cents per point)

Cardholders can redeem points at Ticketmaster for $0.005 per point, which is an atrocious value. Despite being another low-value method, you should take a statement credit before you redeem points with Ticketmaster.

Offsetting the Annual Fee

Before gaining value from the American Express Gold Card, it is important to first offset the $250 annual fee. The good news is a combination of statement credits and high bonus categories make it easy to do.

Statement Credits and Bonus Category Spending

This is the easiest way to offset the annual fee. Using the full $120 dining credit and $120 Uber Cash credit puts you at $240. You then only need to spend $250 in 4x bonus point categories to earn 1,000 points. Assuming you redeem the 1,000 points at a rate of 1 cent per point, you will have the remaining $10 necessary to offset the $250 fee. If you redeem the points at 2 cents per point, you only need to spend $125!

Bonus Category Spending Only

You need to spend $6,250 per year in 4x categories to offset the annual fee. That gives you 25,000 points, which are worth $250 when redeemed for 1 cent per point. If you redeem your points for 2 cents per point, you only need to spend $3,125 in 4x categories.

Credit Cards Similar to the American Express Gold Card

The Platinum Card® from American Express – The American Express Platinum Card is often compared to the Amex Gold Card, but they are more compliments as opposed to competitors. See our complete Amex Platinum Card vs. Amex Gold Card comparison article for further details.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card – The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is also frequently compared to the Amex Gold Card. See our complete Amex Gold Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card comparison article for further details

The Vacationer’s Final Thoughts

The American Express Gold Card is a fixture in my wallet. I use it every single day, whether it be going out to eat or buying groceries. I also take advantage of the up to $120 yearly dining credit and $120 in Uber Cash to practically negate the $250 annual fee. I do not use it for any travel expenses, however. While the 3x points earned per dollar spent on flights is pretty good, I earn 5x points with my Platinum Card. Other travel expenses, including car rentals and direct hotel bookings, go on my Chase Sapphire Reserve where I earn 3x points per dollar spent. It also does not include Global Entry or TSA PreCheck reimbursement (see the best credit cards for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck reimbursement), which is a key benefit for a travel credit card.

I highly recommend the Amex Gold card to everyone who spends a lot at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets. The 4x points earned per dollar spent are worth as much as 8 cents depending on your redemption method.

Don’t have a dining-focused or travel credit card yet? Check out The Vacationer’s Recommended Travel and Dining Card Picks for the best offers from American Express and other top issuers. You can also check out the CardMatch Tool (Read More: Learn How to Use CardMatch) to see what cards and offers you may already be prequalified for.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

See rates and fees for the American Express cards listed: American Express® Gold Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express.

American Express Insurance Disclosures:

Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions 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. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

Up to $300 per Covered Trip that is delayed for more than 12 hours; and 2 claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty§ can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. 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.

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.

Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Eligible Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the entire fare for a Common Carrier Vehicle ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible Account. Coverage can be provided for up to $1,250 for carry-on Baggage and up to $500 for checked Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus). For New York State residents, there is a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

You can rely on Global Assist Hotline 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Third-party service costs may be your responsibility. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.