Review: American Express Gold Card

Who is  the American Express Gold Card for?

Quick Facts about the Amex Gold Card

Amex Gold Card Review

Let’s get straight to the point: When it comes to dining out or grocery shopping, there really is no travel credit card more rewarding than the American Express Gold Card. It’s my go-to recommendation for travel enthusiasts who love food (and really, who doesn’t like to eat). 

It’s also a card that’s solid for earning rewards on flight purchases. If these three spending categories make up a significant chunk of your budget—-and you also value travel rewards (that are earned in the form of super-flexible Amex Membership Rewards points)—then the Amex Gold card can be an absolute no-brainer. 

Earning points with the American Express Gold Card

If you spend money on food and flights, it’ll be easy to earn points on the Amex Gold card. Let's take a look at what you'll earn:

• 4X points at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year)
• 4X points at US supermarkets (up to $25,000 annually, then 1X points)
• 3X points on flights purchased directly with airlines or at AmexTravel.com
• 2X points on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com
• 1X points per dollar on all other eligible purchases. Terms and conditions apply.

Redeeming points with the American Express Gold Card

Since we know you’re interested in travel, let’s talk details. To redeem Amex points for travel, the best way to maximize your points is by transferring them to airline or hotel partners. 

You can also redeem your points when booking through American Express Travel, but this method likely won't get you maximum value. 

Let’s dive into this below.  

Amex transfer partners

You can transfer Amex points to these airline partners.
 

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Aeromexico Club Premier
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• ANA Mileage Club
• Avianca LifeMiles
• British Airways Executive Club
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
• Delta SkyMiles
• Emirates Skywards
• Etihad Guest
• Air France/KLM Flying Blue
• Hawaiian HawaiianMiles
• Iberia Plus
• Qantas Frequent Flyer
• Qatar Privilege Club
• Singapore KrisFlyer
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

First off, while this might seem obvious, you need an account with the program in order to transfer points from Amex to that program. Usually, that just requires a form and a few clicks to complete—and it’s totally free. 

Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind about transferring points to partners is that once a transfer is complete, you cannot convert the points back to Amex. (Therefore, make sure you want the points in that airline or hotel account before transferring.) 

With the exception of Aeromexico and JetBlue, you can transfer Amex points to airlines at a one-to-one ratio, meaning one Amex point is equivalent to one airline mile. For instance, you can convert 10,000 Amex points to 10,000 Delta SkyMiles. 

Most Amex point-to-airline transfers occur instantly, but several partners do take a bit of time. These include Aeromexico (up to 12 days), ANA (up to 3 days), Cathay Pacific (up to 7 days), Iberia (up to 3 days), Singapore (up to 2 days), and Virgin Atlantic (up to 2 days). This matters because the cost in miles could change in the time it takes for the transfer to be complete. 

You can transfer Amex points to these hotel partners.

• Choice Privileges 
• Hilton Honors
• Marriott Bonvoy

While both Choice and Marriott have a one-to-one transfer ratio, Hilton has a one-to-two transfer ratio, meaning 1 Amex point is equivalent to 2 Hilton points. (However, don’t get too excited, as Hilton typically requires way more points to redeem for hotel stays.) 

Welcome offer on the Amex Gold

The current welcome offer can get you a wide variety of travel experiences. Here are some ideas of what you could do with those points. 

• Take a solo vacay and fly in style one-way from the East Coast of the US to Europe (or vice versa) in business class using 60,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points. Transfers from Amex occur instantly, and you can book flights on airlines such as SWISS, United, Austrian, and more. 
• Fly with your partner from the West Coast of the US to Hawai’i for 13,000 British Airways Avios per person (or 54,000 Avios round-trip for two) on American Airlines or Alaska Airlines economy. Save some cash for surf lessons and poke.
• Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of Tokyo and fly ANA’s incredible business class from the US to Japan for one (1) with 47,500 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points. Have a few points left over to help you book a hotel.
• Make a flight booking via the Amex Travel portal that would cost $600 in cash. A prepaid hotel booking would only get you a $420 stay. 

Additional benefits of the American Express Gold Card

• $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
• $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express(R) Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations.
• $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express(R) Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express(R) Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.

If you add the total value of the credits up ($424), you’ll more than make up the cost of the annual fee. 

In addition to these perks, cardholders also get access to the Amex Hotel Collection, a curated list of properties through Amex Travel, where you can receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. Eligible charges vary by property.

You aren’t charged foreign transaction fees, and there’s trip delay insurance, as well as baggage insurance of up to $1,250 in coverage for carry-ons, and up to $500 for checked bags is included (when airfare is purchased with the Amex Gold).‡ 

^{*Enrollment required for select benefits. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.} 

^{‡Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an IAG Company.}

Alternatives to the Amex Gold Card

The Amex Gold is a valuable card for its specific bonus categories, but there are better options out there for those who spend a lot of their budget outside of dining, groceries, and flights. 

Amex Gold vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

One drawback of the American Express Gold Card to note is that non-flight travel purchases—like hotels, car rentals, Airbnbs, and trains—don’t receive the same 3X Amex points per dollar. 

Amex Gold vs. Amex Platinum 

The Amex Platinum earns 5X points on flights purchased directly with airlines or at AmexTravel.com, compared to the 3X points the Amex Gold earns in these categories. However, unlike its golden cousin, the Platinum Card does not earn bonus points on food-related purchases.