The American Express® Gold Card is one of the higher-end card products offered by American Express and comes with a $325 annual fee (see rates and fees). While it isn't quite as expensive as the Amex Platinum, this still puts it toward the higher end of the annual fee spectrum.
However, despite the fee, the American Express® Gold Card could be an excellent value -- for the right person. Here's a rundown of what you get for $325 per year, and whether it could be a good idea for you to apply for the card in 2024.
What do you get for $325 per year?
We'll get to the card's reward program in the next section, but there are some valuable benefits of the American Express® Gold Card (terms apply). You can read our full review of the card for details, but here's a rundown of the key points:
- $120 in annual dining credits ($10 per month) toward purchases at certain restaurants and food delivery services (terms apply).
- $120 per year in Uber Cash ($10 per month), which can be used toward Uber rides or Uber Eats deliveries (terms apply).
- $100 onsite experience credit toward things such as dining or spa treatments, when booking The Hotel Collection stays with American Express Travel (terms apply, benefit varies by property).
- Several travel and purchase protections, such as baggage insurance and extended warranty benefits (terms apply).
- No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees). Many competitors charge a 3% fee for foreign transactions.
Don't forget about the rewards
In addition to all of these, the American Express® Gold Card offers excellent rewards rates in American Express Membership Rewards points. The card earns 4 points per $1 at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (up to $50,000 or $25,000 in purchases per year, respectively), 3 points per $1 on flights booked directly through airlines or with American Express Travel, and 1 point per $1 on other purchases (terms apply).
Not only that, but Membership Rewards points have flexible redemption options, including transferring them to certain airline partners' loyalty programs, which can get you $0.02 per point in value or more.
Of course, the value of the Membership Rewards program depends on how much you spend, and what you spend it on. But it isn't tough to see how using the American Express® Gold Card as your primary method of buying groceries and paying in restaurants can deliver a ton of value.
Is it worth it to you?
Just like most other cards with an annual fee, there's no perfect answer to the question of whether the American Express® Gold Card is worth the cost or not. It depends on how much you use it. After all, if you take advantage of the Uber and dining credits every single month, you'd only need to find $10 in additional value from the card to justify paying the fee. However, I can tell you firsthand that using an Uber credit every month doesn't always happen.
The bottom line is that if you take full advantage of its benefits and use the card every time you dine out, buy groceries, or book flights, the perks of the American Express® Gold Card can be worth double the card's annual fee, or even more.
FAQs
The bottom line is that if you take full advantage of its benefits and use the card every time you dine out, buy groceries, or book flights, the perks of the American Express® Gold Card can be worth double the card's annual fee, or even more.
What are the benefits of American Express Gold Card 2025? ›
In addition to the 4X Membership Rewards points at worldwide restaurants (on the first $50,000, then 1X starting on Jan. 1, 2025), you'll earn: 4X points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X) 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on Amextravel.com.
Is an American Express Gold Card worth having? ›
Is the Amex Gold a luxury card? The American Express® Gold Card falls between entry-level rewards cards and top-tier luxury cards. It lacks some premium perks, such as airport lounge access and elite status benefits, but it offers more value than most lower-cost cards.
Is the American Express Gold Card prestigious? ›
The American Express® Gold Card is considered a luxury card since it's a metal card with impressive rewards on dining, groceries, and travel. Like many high-end credit cards, the Amex Gold card requires good credit and charges a high annual fee ($325 in this case).
What income do you need for Amex Gold? ›
American Express hasn't published a minimum income requirement for the Amex Gold Card. Income is one of several components that Amex will consider when reviewing your application for the Amex Gold, and a relatively low income may be balanced out by a strong credit score and credit history.
Is Amex Gold still metal? ›
The American Express® Gold Card now comes in three metal designs: Gold, Rose Gold, and Limited Edition White Gold.
What is the average Amex Gold card limit? ›
The average credit limit for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is $14,373, with $5,000 being the most common. The American Express® Gold Card does not have a traditional credit limit and was compared to similar premium cards.
Do I get TSA PreCheck with Amex Gold? ›
The application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck is available to American Express Gold Corporate Card Members, Consumer Platinum Card® Members, Corporate Platinum Card Members, Business Platinum Card Members, Consumer Centurion® Members, Corporate Centurion® Members, Business Centurion® Members, Delta ...
Does the Amex Gold card get you into airport lounges? ›
Although the American Express® Gold Card and the American Express® Business Gold Card don't come with the ability to enter lounges, it does provide a variety of other benefits. While most of these are food-focused, the card does offer some decent travel insurance, including trip delay insurance.
Is Amex Gold a bad credit card? ›
The American Express® Gold Card is a good card that is worthwhile for people with good credit or better who are heavy spenders. Amex Gold provides rewards rates that are above the market average in addition to a great welcome offer.
The Amex Gold Card offers a competitive rewards structure of 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at restaurants (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar beginning on 1/1/2025), 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar ...
Is it hard to get an Amex Gold card? ›
American Express will pull your credit when you apply. And since it features some pretty decent benefits, the American Express® Gold Card requirements for approval tend to be a little stricter. We recommend that you have a good to excellent credit score, which ranges from 690-850, before you apply.
Is Amex Gold card elite? ›
Yes, the Amex Gold card is considered an elite card, since it's a metal card for heavy spenders, offering premium rewards on dining, groceries, and travel.
Why Amex Gold is better than Platinum? ›
Both cards provide some pretty impressive ways to earn points. The Gold card offers more chances to earn points on everyday spending while the Platinum card's 5X Membership Rewards on travel makes it better for those who travel frequently.
Which American Express card is the most prestigious? ›
1. American Express Centurion Card
- The American Express Centurion Card is the most exclusive credit card in the world and is commonly known as the “Amex Black Card.” ...
- The Centurion card is so exclusive that American Express won't release the card's full details or say how one can become a cardholder.
Do I need a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to apply? Yes, you must have a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to apply for an American Express Card.
Is it hard to get approved for Amex Gold? ›
American Express will pull your credit when you apply. And since it features some pretty decent benefits, the American Express® Gold Card requirements for approval tend to be a little stricter. We recommend that you have a good to excellent credit score, which ranges from 690-850, before you apply.
How much do you have to spend on an Amex Gold card to make it worth it? ›
The Amex Gold Card starts you off with a welcome offer of 60,000 points when you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your card within six months of card membership. The card currently offers 20% back on restaurant spending worldwide within the first six months of card membership (up to $100 back).
Is Amex Gold card no limit? ›
The American Express Platinum, Gold, and Green Cards have no preset spending limit. No preset spending limit means the spending limit is flexible.
