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The American Express® Gold Card is good for people with high food spending, including on groceries and at restaurants. It also has a useful, albeit somewhat complicated, travel rewards program. There's lots of value here for the right card member, but not everyone will be able to use all this card's benefits.
Keep reading our in-depth review to see if this card is a match.
Great for: Restaurants and U.S. supermarkets
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: n/a
Balance Transfers: n/a
Regular APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Rewards Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., 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
$250
Welcome Offer Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
60,000 Membership Rewards® Points
This card has some impressive benefits, including a high earning rate and welcome offer to earn points quickly. There are also potentially valuable spending credits, including $120 in annual dining credits and $120 in annual Uber Cash. (Terms apply.) It's a lucrative card for people who spend quite a bit in its bonus categories and can use its spending credits.
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 |
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
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.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year. N/A | 1% - 5% Cashback 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—automatically. |
Intro: Purchases: 0%, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months Regular: 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR |
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
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.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Up to $300 cash back Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. | 1.5% - 5% cash back Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases |
Intro: 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months Regular: 20.49% - 29.24% Variable |
Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited®
On Chase's Secure Website. |
|
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
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.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
75,000 Miles 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening | 2X-5X miles Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. |
Intro: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A Regular: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) |
The American Express® Gold Card is worth it if you can use its dining credits and Uber Cash. You can save up to $240 per year this way, so those benefits alone nearly outweigh the $250 annual fee (see rates and fees). But if you're not sure you'll use this card's features, you're better off looking elsewhere.
I had mixed feelings about the American Express® Gold Card. I loved the travel rewards program, as I was able to transfer my American Express points to multiple airlines to book business-class flights. The customer service from American Express is second to none, and it has one of the best online platforms of any card issuer. I also love how easy it is to earn bonus points with this card.
What I didn't like was the difficulty in using many of this card's benefits, especially the monthly dining credits and Uber Cash. I'm not a fan of features that you need to micromanage, which is why I eventually closed this card.
With many travel rewards cards, you earn bonus points on travel-related purchases, but hardly anywhere else. That's great when you're traveling, but it doesn't do you much good all the times that you're not.
You won't have that problem with the American Express® Gold Card. It earns:
So, you'll earn bonus points every time you use your card at the supermarket and when you go out to eat. Its rate of 4X points per $1 is one of the highest I've seen in those categories. You'll earn extra on flight bookings, too.
This card also has an excellent welcome offer of 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points bonus points. You earn that by spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months, which is just $1,000 per month. Terms apply.
American Express has an amazing travel rewards program with a ton of travel partners. You can transfer your points to over 20 airlines and hotels. I haven't found a card issuer with more travel partners. Terms apply.
Where this really comes in handy is costly airfare bookings -- think those business-class and first-class tickets that normally cost $3,000 or more. Instead of paying in cash, you could pick an airline partner and turn your American Express points into miles. Here are a few examples of what you could do:
Just so you know, this rewards program does have a learning curve. One of the most common complaints I see is people who have a huge balance of points with no idea what to do with them. If you're new to travel rewards, you'll probably want to spend a little time learning how to use Membership Rewards points.
Something I love about American Express is that it does the little things very well. Customer service tends to be fast and responsive, whether you use live chat or call. American Express regularly ranks at the top of J.D. Power's customer satisfaction studies for this reason.
Many American Express cards offer complimentary protections, and this one is no exception. It offers the following types of coverage on eligible purchases:
Now, you may have seen plenty of credit cards with protections like these. There's a key difference with American Express cards -- American Express handles the insurance itself. It doesn't outsource this to another company.
What does that mean for you? A much more customer-friendly claims process, according to online reports. While claims with other card issuers can be full of hassles, American Express is known for smooth handling of protection and insurance claims.
The American Express® Gold Card has several spending credits. Here's what you can get from it:
Use all those, and you're saving $340, putting you up $90 on the annual fee! But for most people, using all those credits is a stretch. You're also not really saving money if the only reason you're spending money at those restaurants and through Uber is to use your credits.
Before you get this card, consider whether these credits are a good fit for you. If you use Uber already and go to one of those dining partners every month, then this card makes sense. If not, well, forcing yourself to go to Shake Shack and order Uber Eats isn't all that fun.
The American Express® Gold Card is in an interesting position cost-wise. At $250 per year, it's much more expensive than many of the popular and affordable travel cards. If you don't want to pay that much, check out other credit card reviews for more options.
It is quite a bit less than the premium travel cards -- those generally range from $395 to as high as $695. But because it costs less, it also doesn't have the premium travel perks those cards offer. For example, you won't get any airport lounge access with this American Express card.
My No. 1 complaint with the American Express® Gold Card is that using its benefits can start to feel like a chore. Figure out a way to use the $10 monthly dining credit. Don't forget about this month's $10 in Uber Cash, either. Terms apply. Once next month rolls around, repeat the process.
This is seemingly an upscale card for people who spend heavily on dining and travel. There's nothing upscale about tracking $10 credits every month.
Compare credit card rewards, fees, APRs, and more using our side-by-side comparison tool.
A FICO® Score of 670 or higher is recommended to apply for the American Express® Gold Card, as it's intended for consumers with good and excellent credit. Keep in mind that card applications aren't entirely decided by your credit score. It's important, but American Express looks at a number of factors, including your income and overall credit history.
American Express lets you see if you're pre-approved for any of its cards online. You can check in your online account if you're already an American Express client, and if not, you can fill out your information in its pre-approval tool. This will match you with American Express card offers, which may or may not include the American Express® Gold Card.
The American Express® Gold Card is designed to be paid in full every month. If you use its Pay Over Time feature, that has a 21.24% to 29.24% Variable APR.
Here are the fees for the American Express® Gold Card:
The American Express® Gold Card has no preset spending limit. Instead, the amount you can spend adapts based on various factors, including your purchase, payment, and credit history. If you want to see if a large purchase will be approved, you can use the Check Spending Power tool in your online account or the mobile app.
If you want a more affordable travel card: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card only has a $95 annual fee. Even though it doesn't have as many spending credits, it has an even bigger welcome offer and several bonus categories, including dining and travel.
If you want an American Express card with even more perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express is about as feature-packed as it gets. It's much more expensive, with a $695 annual fee (see rates and fees). For that, you get over $1,500 in annual spending credits and complimentary access to over 1,400 airport lounges. Terms apply.
At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.
There is no credit limit or preset spending limit for the American Express® Gold Card. The spending limit is determined on a month-to-month basis and is based on your payment history, income, credit history, and other habits.
No, the American Express® Gold Card doesn't include airport lounge access. If you're looking for a card with that benefit, check out The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Yes, the American Express® Gold Card is made of metal.
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. The Ascent, a Motley Fool service, does not cover all offers on the market. The Ascent has a dedicated team of editors and analysts focused on personal finance, and they follow 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
For rates and fees for the The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here
The Motley Fool recommends Amex.