Who should get Amex Gold?

The American Express® Gold Card is popular with consumers who want to earn rewards through the Amex Membership Rewards program. After all, the program allows you to redeem rewards for gift cards, merchandise or travel through AmexTravel.com, and you can also transfer your points to a range of partner airlines and hotels.

The main downside to the Amex Gold Card is its $250 annual fee. However, this fee can be a good investment considering the generous welcome bonus and the fact that you can get up to $240 in annual credits for certain restaurant purchases and food delivery or sharing.

Should You Get Amex Gold? While APR travel credit cards can be difficult, there are many people who benefit tremendously from this American Express credit card.

In this guide, we will explain the main benefits of Amex Gold, who should apply and who might be better off using another rewards credit card.

Brief refreshment: Detailed information about Amex Gold

Amex Gold gives new cardholders the chance to receive a generous welcome bonus as well as exceptional rewards for purchases at US restaurants and supermarkets, as well as flights booked by airlines or through AmexTravel.com. Here are the main details of this card:

• 60,000 Membership Rewards if you spend $4,000 within the first six months of opening an account.
• 4 points at restaurants, 4 points for purchases up to $25,000 in US supermarkets during a calendar year (then 1 point for every dollar), 3 points for flights booked by airlines or through AmexTravel.com, and 1 point for others purchases.
• $250 per year
• $120 in Uber Cash per year and up to $120 per year in food credits (registration required); no fees for foreign transactions

Who should get Amex Gold?

When you look at the benefits of Amex Gold, it’s easy to see why people apply. You can earn rewards in the valuable Amex Membership Rewards program, and many people spend a lot of money on groceries and dining out anyway.

Amex Gold may be perfect for you if you fit any of the descriptions below:

Gourmets who spend a lot on food and restaurants

The categories on this card are perfect if you’re a foodie who often spends a lot of money on signature ingredients or dining out. After all, large food purchases can earn tons of points in these categories, which can help offset the annual card fee and earn even more points for free rides.

How much can you earn? Let’s say you spend $800/month on dining out (average $200/week) and $1,500/month on US supermarkets. In this case, one year of spending will earn you 110,400 American Express Membership Rewards points, which will give you approximately $1,104 when redeemed through the Membership Rewards portal for flights, or approximately $662 if you refund them as cash on your statement.

Also, be aware that Amex Gold gives up to $120 per year in dining credits at select eateries (registration required). This credit comes in increments of $10 per month and is good for grocery shopping at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations.

Uber enthusiasts and Uber Eats

This card also gives you up to $120 in Uber Cash each year, but keep in mind that this also applies to Uber Eats purchases (applies to US Eats orders and rides).

If you use Uber or like to order food delivery or takeaway, you should know that these credits are distributed at $10 every month for a year. And you have to add your card to the Uber app to get the benefit.

Anyone who wants to complete the Amex trifecta

Finally, Amex Gold is very popular with those looking to maximize their Amex Membership Rewards points with more than one Amex credit card.

Amex trifecta also includes a Platinum Card® from American Express and a Blue Business® Plus credit card from American Express.

Amex Platinum offers bonus rewards in various categories as well as some luxury travel perks, while Blue Business Plus allows cardholders to earn 2 points on spending up to $50,000 per year and then 1 point (conditions apply). By using Amex trifecta, you can maximize rewards on almost all of your purchases and access additional benefits along the way.

Who should not get Amex Gold?

While Amex Gold makes sense for many rewards enthusiasts, there are scenarios where another rewards credit card might be a better fit. Here are some types of users who should choose a different travel credit card.

Anyone who hates loans that are difficult to use

American Express tends to offer credit on accounts that are difficult to use and don’t roll over from month to month. That’s true of its up to $120 annual food credits, which are only eligible for select restaurants and expire each month unless you spend $10 on qualifying purchases.

The Uber Cash you get with Amex Gold works the same way. You receive $120 in credits each year, but they are issued in increments of $10 per month.

Many people don’t like dealing with specific loans that keep expiring and only work for certain types of purchases. That is why many choose the Chase Sapphire Reserve card over competing travel credit cards.

Instead of hard-to-apply credits, Chase Sapphire Reserve offers a $300 annual travel credit that automatically applies to most purchases made with your card.

People who want to earn Amex Membership Rewards without paying an annual fee.

If you hate the annual card fee but want to earn Amex Points, then Amex Gold is probably too expensive for your taste. Instead, consider the American Express* Amex EveryDay® Credit Card, which allows you to earn Amex Membership Rewards points at no annual fee. Specifically, you can start by earning 10,000 points by spending $1,000 on a card within three months of opening an account (conditions apply).

You’ll also earn 2 points on annual US supermarket purchases up to $6,000 (then 1 point), and 1 point on all other purchases. As a bonus, the Amex EveryDay card even gives you 20 percent reward points when you use it for 20 or more purchases within a billing period.

Amex enthusiasts who want more travel perks

If you’re looking for extra luxury travel perks, you’ll probably want to opt for Amex Platinum over Amex Gold. A higher annual fee of $695 applies, but you will receive benefits such as airport lounge membership, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck commission credit, up to $200 in airline fee credits, up to $200 in Uber Cash every year, automatic golden elite. status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors, and several travel insurance benefits.

In contrast, Amex Gold only offers a few travel perks – additional car rental coverage and $100 credit for qualifying events with The Hotel Collection when you book at least two nights in a row.

How to get the most out of Amex Gold

Even though carrying an Amex Gold card costs $250 per year, there are many reasons to consider applying. Some of it has to do with the value you can get from the card, but some people have applied just to get their hands on the rose gold version of the card that Amex recently made available permanently.

Either way, here are some tips on how to get the most out of your card:

• Try our CardMatch tool to see if you qualify for a more generous welcome offer than what is offered to the public.
• Add your Amex Gold Card as your preferred payment method to your Uber account to take full advantage of your monthly Uber credits.
• Keep an eye out for Amex offers that can help you earn more points or reward money on qualifying purchases.
• Every month, look for opportunities to use your $10 in monthly food credits. If you don’t live near a restaurant that qualifies for this credit, check out Grubhub’s food delivery options in your area.
• Use your card to buy tickets from AmexTravel.com or from you. do directly with airlines to maximize category 3 points.
• Avoid using the Amex Pay Over Time feature, which will force you to shell out for variable annual interest rates from 17.49 to 24.49 percent.

bottom line

The Amex Gold card isn’t for everyone, but it might be for you. We advise you to compare all credit cards with the best rewards on the market today to see which ones suit your spending style and the rewards you want to earn. If Amex Gold isn’t the best option, research will help you find the right card for your wallet.

*All American Express Amex EveryDay® credit card information has been independently collected by CreditCards.com and has not been verified by the issuer.