American Express Gold Card review: Best for foodies

Emily Thompson specializes in beginner content as a credit cards editor. She taps into her prior experience as a high school English teacher to help others demystify credit scores and unlock experiences that credit card rewards can make possible.

Chris Nelson is an associate credit card writer for TPG. He specializes in budget travel, hotels, earning elite status through minimal spending and redeeming points for maximum value.

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Editor's Note

American Express Gold Card overview

The American Express® Gold Card wants a seat at your table, whether you're dining out at restaurants or buying groceries at U.S. supermarkets to cook at home. You might also benefit from its various statement credits to save money throughout the year. If you're a food lover, the Amex Gold may be a great option for your wallet. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

*Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

Although its annual fee of $325 (see rates and fees) might seem pricey to some, the Amex Gold regularly ranks as one of our top rewards cards thanks to a couple of key features. Amex recently refreshed the card, raising its annual fee, adding some benefits for foodies and introducing a swanky new limited-edition color option.

With stellar earning rates on dining and grocery purchases and monthly credits that can net you a lot of value if you utilize them effectively, the Amex Gold remains a TPG staff favorite.

And I'm a proud member of its fan club. This is one of the best cards in my wallet, thanks to its whopping 8% return (according to TPG's July 2024 valuations) on my dining and grocery purchases. Plus, its rose gold shine makes it the star of the show when I pull it out of my wallet to pay for dinner.

If you have a good or excellent credit score (670 or above) and are considering joining the Amex Gold club, here's everything you need to know.

Amex Gold pros and cons

• More bonus points on dining at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets; terms apply
• Solid bonus-earning on flights booked directly with the airline or with Amex Travel
• Over $500 per calendar year in statement credits

• Not as effective for those living outside the U.S.
• Steep annual fee
• Some cardmembers may find it difficult to use certain statement credits

Amex Gold welcome offer

The Amex Gold is currently offering a limited-time welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first six months of card membership, plus 20% back in statement credits on global restaurants up to $100 in the first six months of card membership. Offer ends 11/6.

Based on TPG's July 2024 valuations, this bonus is worth $1,300.

However, the CardMatch Tool may allow you to get an even higher welcome offer of up to 90,000 points, so it's always a good idea to check there to see if you're targeted (your offer is subject to change at any time).

Amex Gold benefits

The Amex Gold offers several excellent perks for cardmembers, but here are the main ones to be aware of and to maximize (enrollment is required for select benefits; terms apply):

• Up to $120 annual dining statement credit each calendar year: Earn up to $10 in monthly statement credits when you pay with the Amex Gold at participating dining partners, including Five Guys, Grubhub, the Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly and Wine.com.
• Up to $120 in annual Uber Cash per calendar year: Earn up to $10 in Uber Cash monthly for Uber Eats and Uber rides in the U.S. You must add the card to the Uber app to receive the Uber Cash benefit. This perk is a monthly statement credit similar to the Uber Cash on The Platinum Card® from American Express .
• Up to $100 annual Resy credit each calendar year: Earn up to $100 in Resy credits. This credit is broken down into two up to $50 credits biannually. This perk is similar to the Resy credit available on the Delta Amex cards.
• Up to $100 in hotel credits per calendar year: Cardmembers who use their card to book a stay of two nights or more through Amex's The Hotel Collection receive an up to $100 on-site credit for qualifying activities. Depending on the property, this could include dining, spa treatments or other activities.
• Up to $84 annual Dunkin' credit each calendar year: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits when you pay with the Amex Gold at Dunkin' locations.

• Baggage insurance: If your luggage is lost, stolen or damaged when you're traveling with a common carrier and you've purchased your ticket with the Amex Gold, you'll be eligible for up to $1,250 in coverage for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage. For New York State residents, there is a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all covered persons per covered trip.*
• Purchase protection and extended warranty: You'll get purchase protection and an extended warranty on eligible purchases made on your Amex Gold. There are exclusions to what types of purchases are covered, which regions or territories coverage is available in and other conditions to be aware of, so be sure to read your benefits guide.*
• No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees): This card's lack of foreign transaction fees makes it a great choice for international purchases, especially because you'll still earn 4 points per dollar at global restaurants (on the first $50,000 spent per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).
• Send & Split: Amex's Send & Split feature makes splitting purchases with a group even easier. It connects to your PayPal and Venmo accounts to allow you to request payment through those apps and apply the payment directly to your Amex account.

The standout benefits are the Uber, dining, Dunkin' and Resy credits. By maximizing these each month, you can glean a full $424 in value annually, which means you'll be net positive $99 in value.

TPG reader Chris H. frequently utilizes two of these offers, writing: "Uber and GrubHub credits.** I use them every single month because they're offered every month" (via Facebook).

Note: Reader-submitted responses have not been edited, reviewed or approved by the issuers nor reflect TPG's opinions of these cards.

It's true you can use the $10 Uber credit benefit as well as the $10 dining credit benefit each month, so it's important to enroll when you get your card to leverage the value.

The Resy credits are incredibly easy to use, and you may not even realize you are using them as you just need to eat at a restaurant registered with Resy. No reservation is required.

But the underrated Send & Split feature is probably my second favorite benefit. I used to be torn when it came to putting a whole group dinner on my card — I wanted to earn the points but didn't want to deal with the hassle of collecting payment from everyone else.

This feature allows me to easily request payment from my friends and apply it to my balance, with no chasing down payments or multi-step account transfers needed.

Cardmembers can track progress toward statement credits in the benefits tab on the Amex app and website.

*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

**Enrollment required. Uber Cash requires card be added to Uber app to receive this benefit.

Earning points on the Amex Gold

The Amex Gold impresses when it comes to its bonus categories and long-term earning potential. It accrues points at the following rates (terms apply):

• 4 points per dollar on dining at restaurants on up to $50,000 per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar)
• 4 points per dollar on up to $25,000 in purchases at U.S. supermarkets per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar)
• 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly from the airline or through amextravel.com
• 2 points per dollar on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked through amextravel.com
• 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases

These are some of the most generous earning rates of any rewards card. Earning four points per dollar on dining (up to that $50,000 annual cap) and groceries at U.S. supermarkets (up to that $25,000 annual cap) is equivalent to an 8% return on spending, based on TPG's July 2024 valuations.

And while the Amex Gold doesn't offer the most substantial earning rates on general travel, that 3-point-per-dollar earning rate on flights is nice for those who don't have another travel credit card.

Redeeming points on the Amex Gold

The American Express Membership Rewards points you can earn with the Amex Gold are among the most valuable rewards points around.

Transferring your Amex points to a travel partner generally provides the most value, although that isn't your only redemption option.

You can use points to buy gift cards, cover charges on your billing statement, shop at Amazon or ride with Uber. You can also use points to book travel directly through Amex Travel. However, choosing a redemption option other than transferring your points to a travel partner means you'll fall short of TPG's 2 cents-per-point valuation.

Transferring points on the Amex Gold

Cardmembers can transfer their points to the program's many airline and hotel partners for excellent travel options. This includes a handful of U.S.-based programs — like Delta SkyMiles and JetBlue TrueBlue — but you'll often get even more value by leveraging international airline programs.

For example, Virgin Atlantic can provide some fantastic redemptions — such as the ability to score round-trip, first-class flights on ANA between the U.S. and Japan. Another excellent redemption option is transferring points to Avianca LifeMiles for cheap Star Alliance premium cabin awards.

TPG senior points and miles writer Ben Smithson loves to transfer his Membership Rewards to Air Canada's Aeroplan program for the huge range of airline redemption partners at sensible fixed award chart rates, as well as the ability to transfer them to British Airways Executive Club to book short-haul flights from the United Kingdom to Europe for under 5,000 points each way.

On the hotel side, you can transfer Membership Rewards points to Choice Hotels and Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio and Hilton Honors at a 1:2 ratio.

American Express also regularly offers transfer bonuses, which can be a great way to squeeze even more value from your points.

Which cards compete with the Amex Gold?

The Amex Gold's $325 annual fee places it between mid-tier and premium-level cards. Although there's no direct comparison on the annual fee front, several cards offer similar bonus categories and perks.

• If you want to earn on dining and travel with a lower annual fee: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns 3 points per dollar on dining and 2 points per dollar on travel purchases, and the Chase Travel℠ portal has a great slate of transfer partners. It has a $95 annual fee, making it a great option for anyone looking to keep their annual fees low. To learn more, check out our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
• If you want to earn a flat rate on all your purchases: The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns 2 miles per dollar on all purchases, making it a good option for anyone who spends a lot of their budget outside of specific bonus categories. It also has some solid transfer partners. To learn more, check out our full review of the Capital One Venture Rewards card.
• If you want more premium travel rewards:The Amex Platinum comes with a slew of perks like airport lounge access and complimentary hotel elite status. It earns 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with the airline and Amex Travel (on the first $500,000 spent per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), plus 5 points on hotels booked through Amex Travel. To learn more, check out our full review of the Amex Platinum.

For additional options, check out our full list of best cards for travel and dining out.

Bottom line

The Amex Gold isn't just a pretty card. The earning rates at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets make it a strong pick for all food purchases.

If you can take full advantage of them, this card's statement credits add even more value and make the $325 annual fee easily worth paying. For foodies, this card is worth its weight in gold.

If you're ready to apply for the Amex Gold, be sure to check the CardMatch tool to see if you're targeted for any special offers. These offers are subject to change at any time.

For rates and fees of the Amex Gold, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.