The American Express Gold Card Review: Is It the Ultimate Dining & Travel Rewards Earning Card?
Discover the benefits and features of the Amex Gold credit card in our detailed review.
Introduction
The American Express Gold Card has earned its reputation as a top-tier rewards card, particularly for those who spend heavily on dining and travel. Unlike ultra-premium cards that focus on luxury perks, the Amex Gold is designed for everyday spending, offering some of the best rewards in the industry for restaurant and grocery purchases. It also provides strong travel earning potential and valuable credits that can help offset its annual fee.
Compared to other Amex premium cards, the Amex Platinum is better suited for frequent travelers who prioritize lounge access, travel credits, and elite status perks, while the Amex Green Card is a more budget-friendly alternative with a focus on general travel benefits. The Amex Gold strikes a perfect balance, catering to those who want high rewards on food and travel spending without the ultra-high annual fee of the Platinum.
But does the $325 annual fee truly justify the benefits? The answer depends on how much you spend in the key bonus categories and whether you can take full advantage of the card’s statement credits and redemption options. Let’s break it down.
Maximizing Rewards: Why the Amex Gold Stands Out
Unmatched Dining & Grocery Rewards
One of the standout features of the Amex Gold is its 4X Membership Rewards points on dining worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, then 1X). This makes it one of the best credit cards on the market for food-related spending, particularly for restaurant lovers and families who spend heavily on groceries.
Compared to competitors, the Amex Gold far outperforms most travel rewards cards, which typically offer just 2X or 3X points in these categories. For example, Chase Sapphire Preferred only offers 3X on dining and 1X at grocery stores, making the Amex Gold the better choice for food purchases.
For an average consumer who spends around $1,000 per month on dining and groceries, this translates to 48,000 Membership Rewards points annually—worth approximately $720 in travel when transferred to airline partners. That’s already more than double the annual fee in value just from everyday spending.
Strong Travel Earning Potential
While the Amex Gold isn’t a dedicated travel card, it still delivers solid rewards for airfare purchases, offering 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or through AmexTravel.com. This makes it a strong option for frequent flyers, even if it doesn’t include perks like airport lounge access or airline fee credits found on premium travel cards.
Compared to the Amex Platinum, which offers 5X on flights (up to $500,000 per year), the Gold falls slightly behind. However, considering the lower annual fee, the 3X flight earnings still make it an excellent mid-tier travel card for those who want strong airfare rewards without paying for a premium travel card.
If you book $5,000 in flights per year, that’s an additional 15,000 Membership Rewards points, worth $225+ when redeemed for travel through transfer partners. Combined with dining and grocery earnings, the Amex Gold easily becomes a high-value travel rewards card.
Generous Welcome Bonus
New cardholders can currently earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 in the first six months. This is a highly competitive welcome offer, and the extended six-month spending window makes it easier to meet the requirement without overspending.
To put this into perspective, 60,000 points are worth:
$600 in statement credits (not ideal but possible)
$900 toward flights through Amex Travel
$1,200+ when transferred to travel partners like ANA, Air Canada, or Delta
For those concerned about meeting the $6,000 spending threshold, strategies like prepaying bills, using the card for everyday expenses, and utilizing Amex Offers can make it more manageable. If you typically spend $1,000 per month on the card, you’ll easily meet the requirement within six months without changing your spending habits.
When combined with the high everyday earning rates, the welcome bonus alone makes the Amex Gold a valuable first-year card, helping to offset the annual fee and kickstart your Membership Rewards balance.
Annual Credits: Do They Justify the $325 Fee?
One of the biggest ways to offset the Amex Gold’s $325 annual fee is through its built-in dining and Uber credits. If used consistently, these can significantly reduce the effective cost of the card, making it a high-value option for food lovers and frequent Uber users. But are these credits truly easy to use, or do they come with too many restrictions?
Dining & Uber Credits: Easy to Use or Too Restrictive?
The Amex Gold offers up to $120 in Uber Cash per year, deposited as $10 per month into your Uber account. This can be used for Uber rides or Uber Eats, making it fairly easy to redeem—especially for those who use Uber regularly. The only catch? You must use it within the month, or you lose it.
The $120 annual dining credit is another key benefit, split into $10 per month and usable at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Milk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations. While these options cover a decent variety of restaurants and food delivery, some cardholders might find them limiting compared to a broader dining credit that applies anywhere.
In addition, Amex Gold cardholders can also get up to $100 for Resy, a restaurant reservation platform that offers dining experiences and perks at select locations. While this can be useful for those who enjoy fine dining and curated experiences, it may not be as beneficial for those who prefer more casual or everyday dining options.
To fully maximize these credits, it’s essential to:
Set a reminder to use the credits every month before they expire.
Link your Amex Gold to your Uber account to ensure the Uber Cash automatically applies.
Use Grubhub strategically for takeout orders to get the dining credit without extra effort.
While these credits can add up to $340 in total value per year, they require consistent effort to utilize fully. If you already spend money on Uber and dining delivery, these credits can make the card’s net cost effectively $0—but if you rarely use these services, they could go to waste.
Hotel Collection Perks
For occasional travelers, the Amex Gold’s Hotel Collection benefit provides a $100 experience credit when booking a stay of at least two nights through Amex’s Hotel Collection. This can be used for dining, spa treatments, or other hotel experiences at participating properties.
While this isn’t as generous as the Amex Platinum’s Fine Hotels + Resorts perks, it’s still a valuable benefit for travelers who book premium hotels. However, it’s worth noting that these bookings must be made through Amex Travel, and rates may sometimes be higher than booking directly.
Compared to premium hotel perks on luxury travel cards, the Amex Gold falls short in offering elite status, free breakfast, or room upgrades. Those who prioritize hotel benefits may want to consider pairing the Amex Gold with a dedicated hotel credit card to maximize perks.
Where the Amex Gold Falls Short
Annual Fee vs. Value: Is It Worth $325?
For big spenders on dining and groceries, the Amex Gold delivers immense value—often far exceeding the annual fee through points earned and credits used. However, for those who don’t dine out often, use Uber, or spend heavily on groceries, the fee can be difficult to justify.
The ideal cardholder for the Amex Gold is someone who:
Spends at least $500 per month on groceries and dining, maximizing the 4X earning potential.
Regularly uses Uber for rides or food delivery to take full advantage of the Uber Cash credits.
Books occasional hotel stays through Amex’s Hotel Collection to benefit from the $100 experience credit.
For those who don’t fit this profile, a cash-back card or a more general travel rewards card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred might provide better value with more flexible perks.
Limited Travel Perks
While the Amex Gold excels at earning travel rewards, it lacks several key travel perks found on premium travel cards:
No airport lounge access, unlike the Amex Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve.
No airline fee credits, making it less useful for frequent flyers who check bags or purchase in-flight amenities.
To fill these gaps, pairing the Amex Gold with another premium travel card—such as the Amex Platinum (for lounge access and airline credits) or Capital One Venture X (for comprehensive travel perks)—can create a more well-rounded travel rewards strategy.
Point Redemption Pitfalls
One of the biggest mistakes Amex Gold cardholders can make is redeeming points for cash back, where points are worth only 0.6 cents each—a terrible redemption value compared to travel redemptions. Instead, the best way to use Membership Rewards points is by transferring them to airline and hotel partners, where they can be worth 1.5–2 cents per point or more.
Some of the best transfer partners include:
Air Canada Aeroplan (great for Star Alliance flights)
ANA Mileage Club (high-value business class redemptions to Asia)
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (premium cabin awards on Singapore Airlines)
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (great for Delta and ANA redemptions)
By strategically transferring points, cardholders can extract maximum value, turning 60,000 points into $1,200+ worth of flights rather than settling for a disappointing $360 in cash back.
Ultimately, the Amex Gold is a powerhouse for earning travel rewards, but cardholders need to use their points wisely to avoid devaluing their hard-earned rewards.
Who Should Get the American Express Gold Card?
The Amex Gold Card is one of the best rewards cards for food lovers and frequent travelers, but it’s not for everyone. Here’s who will get the most value out of it—and who should look elsewhere.
Ideal Cardholders
The Amex Gold is a powerhouse for those who spend heavily on dining and groceries. If you frequently eat out or cook at home, the 4X Membership Rewards points on restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year) far exceed what most competing cards offer.
It’s also a great choice for self-booking travelers, offering 3X points on flights when booked directly with airlines or through AmexTravel.com. While it lacks premium travel perks like lounge access, it’s still a solid travel rewards card for airfare purchases.
To fully maximize its value, cardholders should also be regular Uber and dining credit users. If you can consistently redeem the $120 Uber Cash and $120 dining credit, you’ll offset a large portion of the card’s $325 annual fee.
Who Should Skip It?
Not everyone will find the Amex Gold a good fit. If you prefer cash-back rewards over travel points, a card like the Citi Double Cash or Blue Cash Preferred might be a better choice. The Amex Gold’s points are best redeemed for travel, so if you’re just looking for simple cash rewards, you won’t get the best value.
Additionally, frequent travelers who want premium perks—like airport lounge access, airline fee credits, and hotel elite status—will likely find the Amex Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve to be a better fit. The Amex Gold isn’t designed for luxury travel perks; it’s optimized for earning points on everyday spending.
Finally, low spenders who don’t fully utilize the Uber and dining credits might struggle to justify the $325 annual fee. If you’re not spending at least a few hundred dollars a month on dining and groceries, you might not get enough value from the card to make it worthwhile.
Final Thoughts: Is the Amex Gold a Must-Have in 2025?
The Amex Gold remains one of the best rewards cards for those who spend heavily on food and want to earn flexible, high-value points for travel. With its 4X points on dining and groceries, 3X on airfare, and valuable credits, it’s an excellent mid-tier card for consumers who want premium rewards without the steep $695 fee of the Amex Platinum.
However, it’s not a one-size-fits-all card. If you’re not spending enough in the key bonus categories or want premium travel perks, you might find better value elsewhere. Pairing it with another card—such as the Amex Platinum for travel perks or the Citi Double Cash for everyday spending—can help cover spending categories where the Gold falls short.
To get the best value, cardholders should focus on:
Maximizing the 4X and 3X categories
Using the Uber and dining credits monthly
Transferring points to travel partners instead of cashing out
For the right person, the Amex Gold is a top-tier rewards card that delivers outsized value year after year.
FAQ: Common Questions About the Amex Gold Card
Does the Amex Gold have a foreign transaction fee?
No, the Amex Gold does not charge foreign transaction fees, making it a good choice for international travelers.
Can you carry a balance on the Amex Gold?
The Amex Gold is a Pay Over Time card, meaning it’s technically a charge card with a flexible payment feature. While you’re expected to pay your balance in full each month, certain purchases may be eligible for extended payments with interest.
How do the Uber and dining credits work?
The $120 Uber Cash is credited at $10 per month and applies to Uber rides or Uber Eats. The $120 dining credit is also issued as $10 per month, usable at Grubhub, Goldbelly, The Cheesecake Factory, Milk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations. Both credits expire if not used within the month.
What happens if I cancel my card—do I lose my points?
Yes, if you cancel the Amex Gold without another Membership Rewards card, you will forfeit your points. To avoid losing your rewards, consider downgrading to a no-annual-fee Amex card that earns Membership Rewards, such as the Amex EveryDay Card.
Should I get the Amex Gold or Amex Platinum?
The Amex Gold is best for dining and everyday spending, while the Amex Platinum is built for luxury travel perks like lounge access, airline fee credits, and hotel elite status. If you spend more on food than travel, the Gold is a better fit. If you want top-tier travel benefits, go for the Platinum.
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The Amex Gold card has transformed my spending habits for the better.
Jessica M.
New York
I love the rewards program and how easy it is to earn points.
Mark T.
Los Angeles