6 Reasons Why We Value the American Express® Gold Card

Here are some great reasons to love the Amex Gold.

1) Welcome offer valued at $1,200

When you hit your minimum spending requirement, you’ll get 75,000 American Express® Membership Rewards points. You can redeem these points in all sorts of ways: cash back, gift cards, travel booking, transfer to airline and hotel partners, etc. Keep reading below for the best ways to redeem.

2) Earn 4x on groceries and dining

The spending “multiplier” of 4x earning on groceries (U.S. only, and capped at $25,000 per year) and restaurants worldwide (capped at $50,000 per year) combine for what is the best-in-class for earning travel rewards on groceries and dining worldwide. Note: sometimes people do not realize that a “restaurant” can be any place that codes as dining on your credit card statement. This normally includes coffee shops, fast food restaurants, etc. For groceries, warehouse clubs like Costco or Sam’s Club and superstores like Target will most likely not count as groceries.

Additionally, with the current welcome offer, you’ll earn 20% back as a statement credit on purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 12 months of card membership, up to $350 back.

3) Up to $240 in food credits

This is where I can easily justify the annual fee of $325. In addition to the 4x points earnings on U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year) and restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per year), the Amex Gold card also offers $240 in food credit each year.

This is because you can earn up to $120 dining credits — doled out in up to $10 in statement credits monthly — with participating dining partners (Wine.com, Goldbelly, Grubhub (including Seamless), The Cheesecake Factory, and Five Guys). You’ll also receive up to $120 in Uber Cash annually — again divvied out in up to $10 credits per month. This benefit is valid for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the US.

4) Earn 3x on flight purchases

When you book directly with an airlines or on amextravel.com, you will earn 3x points.

5) Ways to redeem points for free travel

There are 2 popular ways to redeem Amex points for free travel.

1. Use points to book flights at a flat value of 1 cent per point. Other redemptions — like hotels, cruises, or vacation packages — typically offer less value, around 0.7 cents per point. While this is easy and convenient, it’s generally not the most rewarding way to use your points — especially compared to booking in Chase Travel℠ which can offer 1.25–1.5 cents per point depending on your card.
2. The much better value is the second option, which is to transfer to points to their airline and hotel partners. You can get some great value with this strategy, including booking Delta flights using Virgin Atlantic miles, using Air Canada Aeroplan to book United, Lufthansa, or other Star Alliance flights and leveraging Avianca LifeMiles for cheap awards with no fuel surcharges.

For a list of transfer partners, see our Amex Membership Rewards Guide.

Note: You may also be able to use points at certain Amex travel partners (like Fine Hotels + Resorts), but these redemptions often yield lower value unless paired with other promotions.

6) Application tips

Amex is generally the safest bank for trying your luck at a new welcome offer. They usually will not issue a hard pull when denying your application. Plus, they’ll now warn you during the application process if you’re not eligible for the offer.

To check Amex specific application rules, check out our Bank Application Rules article.

But the easiest way to check if you’re eligible is to check your CardGenie™ to see if this card is showing in your list of recommended cards.

My application experience

I recently applied for the Amex Gold card. It took about 2 minutes in total. Thankfully, I was approved immediately!

Here’s my nervous moment this morning… waiting for a decision.

Here’s the big sigh of relief!

One very cool thing with Amex is the ability to get your credit card number immediately. If you literally have a purchase to make later in the day, you can make it with your brand new card.

To get this number, you will see this option to get your card number instantly on approval.

In Summary

With higher than normal welcome offers, it’s an especially good time to consider the Amex Gold.

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Learn How to Apply >>

American Express® Gold Card

75,000 MR Points for $6,000 spend in 6 months + 20% in statement credits for restaurant purchases worldwide your first 12 months of card membership (up to $350)

A must-have for anyone who loves Amex Points. Some of the highest returns (4x!) for spending at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants worldwide (plus takeout and delivery in the U.S). Definitely worth a spot in your wallet. 

Terms apply.

Learn How to Apply >>