American Express® Gold Card: Complete Guide
The American Express® Gold Card is a solid option for those who can make use of the monthly dining credits — especially since it also offers terrific return on spend at both U.S. supermarkets and restaurants worldwide. Add in the strength of American Express® Membership Rewards transfer partners, and it’s hard to argue there’s a better card in those bonus categories. Whether you’re a foodie, a traveler, or both, the Amex Gold card packs long-term value into a mid-tier annual fee.
The American Express Gold Card Contents:
Amex Gold Application Tips
- Should you apply?
- Are you eligible?
- How to apply
- Reconsideration
- Annual Fee
Amex Gold Perks
- Travel Benefits
- Travel Protections
- Additional Perks
- Purchase Protections
- Rideshare Benefits
Amex Gold Earn Points
- Welcome Offer
- Bonus Spending Categories
- Premium Membership Rewards
Amex Gold Redeem Points
- Redeem Points
- Cash Back
- Travel
- Transfer Points
- Other Ways to Redeem Points
Amex Gold Manage Points
- Combine Points Across Cards
- Share Points Across Cardholders
- How to Keep Points Alive
- Keep, Cancel, or Product Change?
Related Cards
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.
Amex Gold Application Tips
Should you apply?
The Amex Gold Card comes with a welcome offer that easily outweighs the cost of the annual fee in year one. If you’re able to hit the minimum spend and take advantage of some of the premium perks, it’s a no-brainer to grab the card and enjoy the benefits.
If you love earning points on groceries and dining out — and you want points that can go far toward future travel—the Amex Gold is a fantastic fit. It’s one of the most rewarding cards for everyday spending, and it pairs well with other Membership Rewards-earning cards. It’s a keeper for many — especially if you max out its monthly dining and Uber credits.
Amex has one of the safest application processes out there. With their new “As High As” offer structure for the Amex Gold card, you can apply and know whether you are eligible for the card and its top offers without a hard inquiry on your credit report.
Are you eligible?
You’re only eligible for a welcome offer on the Gold card if you’ve never earned a welcome offer on the Gold card before nor held it, or any of the Amex Platinum cards previously. You must also be eligible according to the rules outlined below.
NOTE: Due to the family rules below, if you are considering applying for both the Amex Gold and the Amex Platinum, we advise applying for the Amex Gold card first and then the Platinum.
General Application Rules for American Express
- “Once in a Lifetime” Rule: You can earn the offer on a card only once. Data suggests that Amex considers a “lifetime” to be 7 years. Note: If you opened the card previously but did not earn the offer, you’re still not eligible to earn the offer.
- Card Limits: Amex usually won’t approve applications for new credit cards if you already have 5 or more Amex credit cards or 10 or more Pay Over Time (charge) cards. Both personal and business cards count towards the respective 5 and 10 card limits.
- 1/5 Rule: You can get at most 1 credit card within every 5 days. This rule does not apply to Pay Over Time (charge) cards, which include the Amex Membership Rewards consumer and business cards (Green, Gold, and Platinum, Plum).
- 2/90 Rule: You can open a maximum of 2 Amex credit cards in a rolling 90 day period. This rule usually does not apply to Pay Over Time (charge) cards.
- Family Rule: In addition to the Lifetime Rule, Amex now applies additional “family” rules to several groups of consumer cards including the Amex Membership Rewards cards (Green, Gold, Platinum). This rule states that you can get the welcome offer on any of the Amex Membership Rewards cards if you’ve never had a more expensive card than the one you are applying for. So, for example, you’re eligible for a welcome offer on the Amex Platinum if you’ve had the American Express® Gold Card, but you’re not eligible for a welcome offer on the Amex Gold if you’ve previously had the Platinum. There is a “?” here because the terms of these rules include the phrase, “you may not be eligible.” So this may not be a rule that applies to every applicant. Our advice is — if you want to make sure to get the welcome offers on both cards, you could get the Gold first and then the Platinum eventually. The good news is that Amex will let you know if you are NOT eligible before running the application. Note: These rules don’t apply to business cards.
How to Apply
You can find out your welcome offer when you click on the link below. (Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.) Click here for our walkthrough guide on “As High As” Offers and how they work.
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.
Reconsideration
If your application is denied, you can call the reconsideration line to ask that your application be reconsidered: 877-239-3491 (application status); 800-567-1083 (to review application decision). We have a great article on Strategy for Denied or Pending Credit Card Applications here.
Annual Fee
Primary cardholder: $325 per year
Optional Authorized Users: Additional cardholders are free (and Amex sometimes offers extra points when you add a cardholder and they meet a minimum spending requirement).
Amex Gold Perks
Travel Benefits
- Transferable Membership Rewards points to over 20 airline and hotel loyalty programs, often at a 1:1 ratio — including Delta SkyMiles, Air Canada Aeroplan, ANA, British Airways Avios, and more.
- $100 hotel credit on qualifying charges on stays of 2 nights or longer, plus a room upgrade upon arrival, if available with The Hotel Collection at Amex Travel. Eligible purchases vary by property.
- No foreign transaction fees
Travel Protections
While points and perks get all the attention, the Amex Gold card also includes some valuable travel protections that can save the day when plans go sideways. Whether you’re facing delays, cancellations, or lost bags, these built-in benefits can add serious peace of mind — just be sure to use your Amex Gold Card to pay for your travel.
Here’s a quick look at the travel protections that come with the Amex Gold card:
- Baggage Insurance Plan: Lost, damaged, or stolen luggage? Get up to $500 for checked bags and up to $1,250 total for carry-on per person, per trip.
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance: When you decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver (CDW) and pay with your Gold Card, you’re covered for damage or theft of eligible rental cars. Coverage is secondary in the U.S. and primary internationally.
- Premium Global Assist® Hotline: Traveling more than 100 miles from home? This 24/7 service can help with emergency coordination, medical referrals, legal assistance, and even emergency medical evacuation (costs may be covered in certain situations).
One thing to note: These protections only apply when the full cost of the trip or rental is paid with your Gold Card. Be sure to read the terms and conditions or your card’s Guide to Benefits for all exclusions and requirements.
Additional Perks
What makes this card special are the following perks:
- Up to $10 in statement credits monthly (up to $120 annually), with participating dining partners (Wine.com, Goldbelly, Grubhub (including Seamless), Cheesecake Factory, and Five Guys)
- Up to $10 in Uber Cash monthly (up to $120 annually), which can be used on Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. (Enrollment required.)
- $84 Dunkin’ Credit: earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the Amex Gold at Dunkin’ locations. (Enrollment required.)
- $100 Resy Credit: Up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. This is a semi-annual credit where you can receive up to $50 between January and June, and then another up to $50 between July and December. (Enrollment required.)
Purchase Protections
- Purchase Protection & Extended Warranty: Covers new purchases against damage or theft for 90 days (up to $10,000 per item, $50,000/year) and adds 1 extra year to eligible warranties of 5 years or less
- Extended Return Protection: If a merchant won’t accept a return within 90 days, Amex may refund up to $300 per item (max $1,000/year) on eligible purchases made with your card.
Rideshare Benefits
As noted above, The Amex Gold card offers up to $120 in annual Uber Cash, distributed as $10 each month. This credit can be used for Uber rides or Uber Eats orders within the U.S. To activate the benefit, simply add your Gold Card to your Uber account. Credits don’t roll over, so any unused balance expires at the end of each month.
Amex Gold Earn Points
Welcome Offer
You can find out your welcome offer when you click on the link below. (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.
Bonus Spending Categories
The bonus spending categories for the Amex Gold card are worth their weight in (you guessed it) gold, especially when it comes to grocery purchases and dining out. They include:
- 4x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x)
- 4x points at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S. (up to $50,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x)
- 3x points for flights booked with airlines or on amextravel.com
Premium Membership Rewards
As an Amex Gold Card member, you earn Membership Rewards points, which are versatile and valuable for various redemptions, especially travel. See our Amex Membership Rewards Guide for more details.
Amex Gold Redeem Points
Redeem Points
In general, Membership Rewards points are worth up to 1 cent each when redeemed for travel in the American Express Travel portal, merchandise, or gift cards. Note that redeeming for merchandise or gift cards is not recommended as it usually offers poor value. Fortunately, there is a way to get more value out of your points: transfer the points to over 20 airline and hotel partners.
Cash Back
Redeem points for statement credits or gift cards, though this typically offers less value compared to travel redemptions.
Travel
Use points to book flights, hotels, and more through American Express Travel.
Note: This article was inspired by Frequent Miler – any content used with permission.
