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A Complete Guide to Amex Gold Card Benefits

Review Updated
Natasha Etzel
Nathan Alderman
Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures that our product ratings are not influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.

If you're looking for a new mid-range card with food and travel perks, you may want to consider the American Express® Gold Card. Unlike other American Express cards with high annual fees, the annual fee for Gold Card members is $325 (see rates and fees). This makes the American Express® Gold Card an excellent rewards card option for food and travel spending. Terms apply.

The American Express® Gold Card also has more benefits and offers better rewards when compared to the less-expensive American Express® Green Card. If you care about how your card looks and feels, you'll appreciate that this is a sturdy metal card. It comes in both a gold and a rose gold card option. So you'll be able to spend in style while earning plenty of rewards. Keep reading to learn more about the American Express® Gold Card benefits.

American Express® Gold Card
Apply Now for American Express® Gold Card

On American Express' Secure Website.

Terms apply

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Apply Now for American Express® Gold Card

On American Express' Secure Website.

Terms apply

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APR

Purchases: n/a

Balance Transfers: n/a

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 per calendar year in purchases), 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.

1X-4X Membership Rewards® Points

Annual Fee

$325

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. 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 Membership Rewards® points

  • This card offers considerable value, as it earns 4X points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X) and 4X points at restaurants. Plus, earn 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on American Express Travel. Meanwhile, over $500 in value annually can potentially offset the entire $325 annual fee. (Terms apply.) Overall, it’s an incredibly lucrative card for those who spend a lot in its bonus categories and can use its spend credits.

    • Impressive welcome offer
    • Restaurant rewards
    • U.S. supermarket rewards
    • Travel and dining credits
    • High-value rewards points
    • Annual fee
    • Inflexible spending credits
    • 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.
• 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. • Trip delay insurance underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
 • Extended warranty, baggage insurance plan, car rental loss & damage insurance, and purchase protection warranty underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

Amex Gold Card benefits

The American Express® Gold Card has no shortage of perks. If you dine out at restaurants, get takeout regularly, or spend a lot of money on U.S. supermarket expenses each month, this may be the right card for you. It offers high reward rates on U.S. supermarkets, restaurant, takeout, and delivery purchases. Check out some of the top American Express® Gold Card benefits. Terms apply.

A generous welcome offer

For starters, the American Express® Gold Card offers a hefty welcome offer of 60,000 Membership Rewards® points to new cardmembers. You can earn this welcome offer after meeting the minimum spend requirements of $6,000 within the first 6 months of account opening.

The value of the 60,000 Membership Rewards® points depends on how you use them. If you redeem for flights through the American Express Travel portal, the value is $0.01 per point. You can instead redeem your points for other travel needs through the portal for $0.007 per point. The welcome offer is valued at $0.006 if you redeem it for statement credit.

Another option for Gold Card members is to transfer their points to one of Amex's many transfer partners. If you do this, you could get even more than $0.01 per point in value from your points. Terms apply.

Earn 4 points at restaurants

Another one of the excellent American Express® Gold Card benefits is the ability to earn 4 points per $1 at restaurants on up to $50,000 in spending per year. An eligible purchase can include worldwide restaurant purchases and U.S. takeout and delivery expenses charged to your card. This is a significant reward rate compared to other dining and restaurant credit cards. Terms apply.

Earn 4 points at U.S. supermarkets

When you use this American Express card, you'll earn 4 points per $1 spent at U.S. supermarkets. This is an excellent rate when compared to grocery credit cards. Earnings for this spending category are capped at $25,000 per year. Terms apply.

Earn 1 point on all other purchases

The American Express® Gold Card offers 1 point per $1 on other eligible purchases that you make with your card. Don't spend what you can't afford, because the American Express® Gold Card functions differently than other credit cards. While this card offers Pay Over Time and Plan It payment options for some of your purchases, you'll need to pay most credit card charges in full each month. Terms apply.

$120 annual dining credit

American Express® Gold Card users also receive a $120 annual dining credit. You'll earn $10 in statement credit each month, and you can use the credit at participating dining partners, which include GrubHub, Goldbelly, The Cheesecake Factory, Five Guys, and Wine.com. This is not an automatic perk; you'll need to enroll first. You can do this in your Amex account. Terms apply.

$10 per month in Uber credit

Another one of the American Express® Gold Card benefits that you won't want to miss out on is the monthly Uber cash credit. Each month, you'll get access to $10 to redeem on Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. This credit is loaded into your Uber account wallet at the beginning of each month. Be sure to use this credit because each month's unused credits will expire. You'll need to add your American Express® Gold Card to your Uber wallet to use this perk and get your credits. Terms apply.

Free ShopRunner subscription

As an Amex cardmember, you'll also receive a complimentary membership to ShopRunner. This service provides free two-day shipping and free returns at select retailers. ShopRunner is currently available at more than 150 stores. You must enroll to take advantage of this perk. Once you do, you can use this service for free for as long as you remain an Amex cardmember. Terms apply.

Amex Gold Card travel benefits

The American Express® Gold Card provides cardmembers with plenty of food and shopping perks, but that's not all. With this card, you'll also be able to take advantage of travel benefits. To utilize these perks, you must make sure that you charge your travel expenses to your American Express® Gold Card. Here are some of the best American Express® Gold Card travel benefits.

Earn 3 points per $1 on airline purchases

This perk will pay off if you do a lot of air travel. With the American Express® Gold Card, you'll earn 3 points per $1 on airline purchases made directly at AmexTravel.com and directly with airlines. When compared to airline credit cards, this is an excellent rewards rate. Terms apply.

Get $100 credit to The Hotel Collection

Another one of the notable American Express® Gold Card travel benefits is $100 credit for activities at The Hotel Collection. You must book two consecutive nights or more at a participating property to qualify for this perk. You must also make the booking through the American Express Travel portal, and you must charge your American Express® Gold Card. The $100 credit will be applied to eligible charges.

Eligible activities vary by property, so check to see what qualifies. This card membership perk can make your next hotel or resort stay more memorable and enjoyable. Terms apply.

Rental car insurance

This American Express card also offers rental car insurance*. Amex refers to this coverage as car rental loss and damage insurance. It's secondary to any other insurance you have, such as your car insurance policy -- but this can provide an extra layer of security when you're traveling and need to rent a car.

You'll need to pay for the entire rental with your American Express® Gold Card to use this benefit. You'll also need to decline the collision damage waiver the rental car company offers. When you do both of these things, you'll be covered for damage or theft to a rental vehicle in a covered territory. The maximum coverage amount is $50,000. Be sure to review your card's terms and conditions, as this coverage has some exclusions. Terms apply.

Baggage insurance

Another one of the American Express® Gold Card benefits that you won't want to miss out on is baggage insurance**. You'll be covered if your bags are lost, damaged, or stolen. The maximum coverage is as follows:

  • $1,250 for carry-on baggage
  • $500 for checked baggage

If you have baggage issues while traveling, you can use your coverage to take care of replacement costs. You'll need to pay the full fare of a common carrier vehicle ticket with your card to be able to use this perk. Common carrier vehicles include air, land, and water vehicles. Terms apply.

No foreign transaction fees

Like other travel credit cards, taking this card with you when traveling abroad is no problem. That's because no foreign transaction fee is charged when using your card to make purchases outside of the U.S. Foreign transaction fees are typically 3%, which can add up, so this is a big deal. Terms apply.

Access to the global assist hotline

American Express® Gold Card users can access the Global Assist Hotline***. This resource provides 24/7 medical, legal, financial, and other emergency assistance and support. You can use this service if you're traveling more than 100 miles from home. Cardmembers can call 1-800-333-AMEX to get help. While this resource is available to you, it's important to note that you will be responsible for any third-party costs.

The American Express® Gold Card benefits are plentiful. As you consider the best credit cards, don't rule out the American Express® Gold Card. This card has an affordable annual fee and offers impressive perks. This includes impressive rewards for food purchases, air travel purchases, and some nice travel and food credits. Terms apply.

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Best for cash back on rotating categories
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 18.49% - 27.49% Variable APR *Rates as of December 12, 2024.

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Best for cash rewards on everyday spending
$200 cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. 2% cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening

Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers

Regular: 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR

Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Best for unlimited rewards on purchases
25,000 points Circle with letter I in it. 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases 1.5 points per dollar Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.49% - 28.49% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers.

Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days

Regular: 18.49% - 28.49% (Variable)

FAQs

  • Yes, the American Express® Gold Card is a rewards credit card. Here's an overview of how you can earn rewards when using your credit card:

    • Earn 4 points per $1 on purchases made at eligible U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 in purchases annually).
    • Earn 4 points per $1 on worldwide restaurant purchases and eligible takeout and delivery purchases made within the U.S.
    • Earn 3 points per $1 on flight purchase when booked directly with airlines or Amextravel.com.
    • Earn 1 point per $1 on other eligible purchases.
    • Terms apply.
  • Yes, the American Express® Gold Card includes valuable travel benefits like no foreign transaction fees, baggage insurance, rental car insurance, and a $100 experience credit when making eligible The Hotel Collection bookings through the Amex travel portal. Terms apply.

  • As an American Express® Gold Card holder, you'll be eligible to receive $10 per month in Uber cash credit, which can be used for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. This card also offers up to $10 per month in statement credit when you use your card to pay for eligible dining purchases at GrubHub, The Cheesecake Factory, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Terms apply.