6 Reasons Why We Value the American Express® Gold Card
At Travel Freely, we’re all about helping you earn the most free travel in the simplest way possible. That starts with choosing cards that offer exceptional welcome bonuses and long-term value.
The American Express® Gold Card consistently earns a top spot on our list thanks to its generous bonus categories, flexible points, and strong everyday rewards. Whether you’re dining out, grocery shopping, or booking your next trip, this card delivers high value across the board. Now with an “As High As” offer, ongoing perks that travelers actually use, the Amex Gold is one of the most rewarding cards for everyday spending—and a powerful way to build your stash of points.
American Express Gold Card current offer:
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.
Here are some great reasons to love the Amex Gold.
1) “As High As” Welcome offer valued at $1,325
And with Amex’s new “As High As” offer experience, you now have the chance to see the maximum welcome offer you might qualify for — when you apply and without impacting your credit.
While exact offers vary by person, we’ve seen some applicants receive enticing welcome offers through this tool. Even if you don’t land the top-tier amount, many applicants still qualify for an offer higher than the standard public welcome offer. It’s a simple, no-risk way to check for the best possible deal before committing.
When you hit your minimum spending requirement, you’ll get up to 100,000 American Express® Membership Rewards points. (Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.)
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) “No Obligation” Opportunity
Not only does Amex’s new “As High As” feature allow you to check what your offer is (and it could be a huge welcome offer!), it’s also a way to check without any risk.
Here’s why it’s a big-deal “no obligation” opportunity:
- Fill out an application to see your personalized offer before you commit.
- It uses a soft credit check only — NO impact to your credit score (NOTE: If you accept and are approved, a credit check will be run before final approval.)
- You could qualify for more than the public standard offer.
- If you don’t like the offer, you can walk away — no strings attached!
This is one of the rare times you can see your top-tier offer upfront — with no risk. Click here for our walkthrough guide on “As High As” Offers and how they work.
3) Earn 4x on groceries and dining
The spending “multiplier” of 4x earning on groceries at U.S. supermarkets (capped at $25,000 per year, then 1x) and restaurants worldwide (capped at $50,000 per year, then 1x) 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.
4) Up to $240 in food credits
This is where I can easily justify the annual fee of $325. In addition to the 4x earning on groceries at U.S. supermarkets (capped at $25,000 per year, then 1x) and restaurants worldwide (capped at $50,000 per year, then 1x), 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 (Enrollment required). This benefit is valid for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the US.
5) Earn 3x on flight purchases
When you book directly with an airlines or on amextravel.com, you will earn 3x points.
6) Ways to redeem points for free travel
There are 2 popular ways to redeem Amex points for free travel.
- 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 up to 1.75 or 2 cents per point depending on your card and whether you book using a flight or hotel with Points Boost.
- 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.
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. Click here for our walkthrough guide on “As High As” Offers and how they work.
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. 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.
Learn how to apply and find out your welcome offer. (Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.)
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.
