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American Express® Gold Card
Apply Now
On American Express's secure site
Terms Apply
Rewards Rate
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).
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Dining Credit
$120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and 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, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
Card Network
Annual Fee
$250
Credit Score Needed
Excellent, Good
Offer Details
  • Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

  • 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.

  • $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.

  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and 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, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.

  • Get a $100 experience credit with a minimum two-night stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel. Experience credit varies by property.

  • Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.

  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.

  • Annual Fee is $250.

  • Terms Apply.

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All content is written by editorial staff or writers engaged by the site, not by marketers/sales staff. Editors responsible for producing the content are not in contact or affiliated with any advertiser and are not compensated based on success of the affiliate links. All decisions regarding recommendations are determined separately from advertising relationships. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.

American Express® Gold Card Review

August 11, 2022

In this article, we’ll review the American Express® Gold Card from one of our partners, American Express. We’ll highlight who the card is for, the credit score requirements, fees, key characteristics, and more. 

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. 

This Article Contains: 

(Click on a link to jump to the specific section) 

Let’s get started.

 

Who is the American Express Gold Card for?

 

The Gold Card, from our partner American Express®, is for someone wanting to go above and beyond. With a holistic rewards program and competitive perks, this rewards card suits customers that use their card more frequently than the average spender.

As such, it’s an ideal credit card for those seeking to maximize their rewards for spending on dining, shopping, and travel. 

The $250 annual fee (See Rates and Fees) might seem high at first glance, but the handsome welcome offer, perks, and rewards more than make up for it. 

Spending $4,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership qualify you for 60,000 Membership Rewards® points.

The Gold Card is often seen as the precursor to The Platinum Card® from American Express, which comes with a $695 annual fee (See Rates and Fees). If you are looking for a premium rewards card from American Express and The Platinum Card seems a bit too much, the Gold card is a solid option.

American Express Gold Card Benefits 


Below are some of the benefits associated with the AmEx Gold card: 

  • Flexible redemption options - You can transfer your AmEx Membership Rewards points to over 20 airline partners, including Delta, British Airways, Emirates, JetBlue, and more. You spend your points to buy various gift cards for stores like Apple, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, and more. You could also use your AmEx Membership Rewards points to pay for your Amazon purchases at 0.7 cents per point.

  • $120 Uber credit - Add your AmEx Gold Card to your Uber account and automatically receive $10 each month in Uber Cash for Uber Eats or your Uber ride in the US, totaling $120 in annual credits. 

  • Dining credit - In addition to Uber credit, AmEx Gold cardholders can also earn $120 worth of dining credit each year. You can earn up to $10 each month when paying with your Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. 

  • Baggage Insurance - 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.
    • Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.When you purchase the entire fare for a common carrier vehicle (plane, train, ship, or bus) with your Gold Card, American Express can cover your carry-on baggage for up to $1250 and checked baggage for up to $500. 
  • Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance - 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.

  • Global Assist® Hotline - 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.

  • Pay With Points - Use your Membership Rewards points to pay for your flight, prepaid hotel, prepaid car rental, vacation package (flights and prepaid hotel), or prepaid cruise booking. 

Next, we'll take a closer look at the kind of credit score you need to apply for this card.

American Express Gold Card Credit Score Requirements


As with many cards targeting travelers and big spenders, you’ll need atleast a 'Good' credit score to receive approval for the AmEx Gold. A good score is anything above 670. 

Although credit card companies factor in more than just your credit score, applying with a higher credit score will increase your approval odds and grant you better rates. 

Next, let’s see what kind of fees you can expect.

American Express Gold Card Fees


Card membership costs $250 annually (
See Rates and Fees). 

Cash advances will cost you $10 or 5% of the cash advance, whichever is greater (See Rates and Fees).

Both, late payments and returned payments incur a penalty fee of up to $40. (See Rates and Fees

There are no foreign transaction fee charges which make this an excellent card to carry on trips abroad. (See Rates and Fees).  

Key Characteristics of the American Express Gold Card


Let’s look at some of the essential attributes of this AmEx card: 

  • Premium design - Much like the Platinum Card, the Gold Card comes in a sleek metal finish. Cardholders can pick between two distinct gold hues to fit their style. The Gold Card is as much a status symbol as it is a wallet essential.

  • Generous welcome offer - Spending $4,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of account opening will net you 60,000 Membership Rewards points. Depending on how you redeem the points they can be worth up to $600.

  • Solid rewards rate - 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). Enrollment required.

  • Flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express’ travel portal will reward you 3x points per dollar spent. 

Alternatives to the American Express Gold Card


Below are a few alternative credit cards you can consider: 

Final thoughts


The American Express Gold Card is an excellent rewards card for anyone looking for a solid travel rewards card. The annual fee is quite modest considering the appealing rewards rate, generous welcome offer, and annual credits. (See Rates and Fees)

You can apply for this card here

Rates and Fees for the American Express Gold Card can be found here

Rates and Fees for The Platinum Card from American Express can be found here.

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All content is written by editorial staff or writers engaged by the site, not by marketers/sales staff. Editors responsible for producing the content are not in contact or affiliated with any advertiser and are not compensated based on success of the affiliate links. All decisions regarding recommendations are determined separately from advertising relationships. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.
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BestCreditCard calculates your approval odds by comparing your credit profile to other BestCreditCard members who were approved for this product. These approval odds are estimates only and do not guarantee approval. Credit card issuers use a variety of different types of credit scores and criteria to make credit decisions. The TransUnion credit score we provide is based on the VantageScore 3.0 model and may not be the credit scoring model used by financial institutions presenting offers on our website.