4 Places That Don't Take the Amex Gold Card
KEY POINTS
- You won't be able to use your American Express® Gold Card at Costco or on costco.com.
- Progressive is another business that doesn't let customers pay with American Express cards, although you may be able to do it through PayPal.
- There are still some small businesses that don't accept American Express cards, and acceptance can be hit or miss with international businesses.
If you open the American Express® Gold Card, you'll probably want to use it often. After all, you can get over $400 in spending credits per year with it, more than enough to make up for the $325 annual fee. Terms apply, see rates and fees.
You'll also earn more points the more that you use it. With a large welcome offer, and rates of 2X to 4X points per $1 in bonus categories, this card gives you plenty of opportunities to earn bonus rewards.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = PoorGood/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: n/a
Balance Transfers: n/a
APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Rewards 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 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.
For the most part, you shouldn't have trouble paying with this card. But there are a few places where you'll be out of luck.
1. Costco
Most major retailers accept all types of credit cards, but Costco is an exception. It likes to have an exclusive arrangement with a single payment network.
That used to be American Express, but the two ended their partnership in 2016. Costco now only accepts Visa credit cards in its warehouses. You won't be able to pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Costco or on costco.com.
If you normally do your grocery shopping at a supermarket instead of Costco, the American Express® Gold Card is a fantastic choice. It earns 4X points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per year. Terms apply.
2. Progressive
With most auto insurance carriers, you can pay your premium using whatever type of credit card you want. Progressive does things differently, not letting drivers pay using their American Express cards.
If you really want to use your American Express® Gold Card, there may be a workaround. You could pay your Progressive bill with an American Express card through PayPal, according to online reports. The downside is that reports also indicate you can't set up automatic payments this way. You'll need to pay your premium manually.
3. Some U.S. small businesses
Pulling out an American Express card to pay used to be a moment when you'd hold your breath and hope for the best. It wasn't nearly as widely accepted as Visa and Mastercard. But that has changed in recent years, and American Express is now accepted at 99% of U.S. businesses that accept credit cards.
Still, 99% isn't quite 100%. There are some small businesses that don't accept American Express. While you can use the American Express® Gold Card as your daily driver, it's also a good idea to find a credit card with Visa or Mastercard as a backup.
4. Many international businesses
The American Express® Gold Card is one of the more popular travel rewards cards. You can transfer your points to over 20 airline and hotel partners, which is one of the best ways to save on travel costs. Terms apply. This card also has no foreign transaction fees.
Overall, it's a great card to use abroad -- when you can use it. While American Express is now widely accepted in the United States, international acceptance can be spotty. I've been to quite a few places abroad that don't accept American Express cards. I'd highly recommend having a Visa or Mastercard when you travel internationally.
It never hurts to have a backup plan
There are plenty of places where you can pay with the American Express® Gold Card. You could certainly use it as your top-of-the-wallet card that you pull out first.
But it's wise to have at least one other card you can use in a pinch. As you saw, not every merchant accepts American Express cards. And if you're considering getting the American Express® Gold Card, it's also a good idea to make sure the benefits match your lifestyle. To find out, learn more about this card in our full review.
Our Research Expert
Lyle Daly is a freelance writer who has been covering personal finance since 2016.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Motley Fool Money is 100% owned and operated by The Motley Fool. Our knowledgeable team of personal finance editors and analysts are employed by The Motley Fool and held to the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands.
For rates and fees for the American Express® Gold Card, click here