Best in Class
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Amex Gold Credit Card Review
Key Takeaways
If you’re in the points and miles game for the long term, you’ll likely consider the American Express Gold personal card at some point. The 100,000-point sign-up bonus may feel underwhelming given the $325 annual fee, and no one can predict if or when an elevated or targeted offer might come around. This might be a card you can put on hold for a while — especially if you have other options and are always working toward a new sign-up bonus. However, even with a smaller welcome offer, the card offers enough value in its ongoing benefits that you may want to keep it beyond the first year. If your primary spending is on groceries and dining out, you can accumulate a substantial number of extra points while working toward the bonus.
Why This Card Could Be Right For You
The standard welcome bonus for this card is 100,000 miles after spending $6,000 over six months. While that isn’t incredibly high, it’s still valuable, and the six-month window makes the required spend more manageable for many people. Because American Express has 18 airline transfer partners and three hotel partners, these 100,000 miles can be very versatile.
Although the $325 annual fee may give you pause—especially since the sign-up bonus isn’t eye-catching—the other benefits might stand out. For instance, if you spend a lot on food (both dining out and grocery shopping), the American Express Gold personal card will boost your point earnings as you work toward the welcome bonus. It offers 4x points on dining out and groceries, and also provides various statement credits that could make you keep it after the first year.
- $100 annually for dining at U.S. Resy restaurants
- $7 monthly statement credit at Dunkin’ Donuts
- $10 monthly statement credits with Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys
- $10 in Uber Cash each month (usable on Uber rides or Uber Eats)
All told, these credits can total $420 in annual savings, easily offsetting the $325 annual fee.
When The Usual Advice Doesn't Apply
Here are some exceptions where the card might not be good for you:
- The sign-up bonus isn’t particularly large, and historically elevated public offers on this card are uncommon
- American Express sign-up bonuses are only valid once. You might want to wait for a higher offer if you can
- If you don’t dine out often and won’t take advantage of the card’s statement credits
What to Know About Amex Membership Rewards
Amex points are great in theory. We just find them harder to collect and more expensive to hold than Chase points.
- If you’re in the points game long enough, you’ll dabble in both main systems (Chase & Amex).
- Amex has a one card bonus every 7 years rule, so ultimately, there will be more of a limit to how many you can collect via sign-up bonuses.
- There is only one no-fee card that allows you to earn and keep Membership Rewards points - the Blue Business Plus card.
- Delta and Hilton are solid transfer values and having Amex points gives you top-off flexibility if you are invested in either of those systems.
- We do find Amex travel a higher quality of service over the Chase travel portal.
How The Amex Gold Credit Card Fits In The Amex Membership Rewards Ecosystem
One key detail about American Express personal cards is that, to be eligible for the welcome bonus on all of them, you must acquire them in the order of Green, Gold, then Platinum. If you get the Platinum card first, you will not be eligible for the sign-up bonuses on the Green and/or Gold later.
- Green Card: $150 annual fee, 40,000-point welcome bonus, and a CLEAR Plus credit (valued at $199). Some people skip this card and start with the Gold. That choice depends on your 5/24 status and overall card strategy.
- Gold Card: $325 annual fee, 100,000-point welcome bonus (after $6,000 in spending over six months), plus strong multipliers on groceries and dining, as well as multiple statement credits.
- Platinum Card: $895 annual fee, 175,000-point bonus (after $8,000 in spending over six months), plus many statement credits and perks that can offset the high annual fee.
All personal cards count against your 5/24 status. However, American Express also offers a similar slate of business cards — Green, Gold, and Platinum — where the same “order” rule does not apply. You can get the business versions in any order, though the “one bonus per lifetime” rule still applies. If you’re close to reaching 5/24 and want to explore business cards, you may find an elevated sign-up bonus or perks better suited to your spending habits.
My Experience, No Filter
My wife and I focused on Chase cards for 18 months until she was denied for a business card. We needed a new approach to “cool off” from Chase, so we jumped on an elevated offer of 90,000 points for the Amex Gold (we didn’t have an Amex card yet). The Green card only had a 40,000-point offer, so we skipped it, knowing we’d miss out on that sign-up bonus in the future.
With 4x points on groceries and restaurants, this card really fits our family of five since food is our biggest everyday expense. We don’t often use the additional dining credits, so we might downgrade or cancel in a year. Still, it’s nice to diversify and have other transfer partner options beyond Chase and Capital One.
Card Information
Bonus Points
100,000
Minimum Spend
$6,000 / 3mo
Point Value
1.55 ¢
Annual Value
Annual Fee
$325
1st Year Value
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Differentiating Perks
Annual $304 Dining Credits*
4X on Restaurants*
4X on U.S. Grocery Stores
3X on Flights
Card Extras
Extra
Worth/Fit
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Total Annual Value
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No extras to display for this card.
Card Benefits
No benefits are available for this card.
Historical Card Offers
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Average Frequency
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Estimated Next Offer
Start Date
Offer Length
Bonus
Minimum Spend
Spend Categories
6.2¢
Per Dollar
Spent
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6.2¢
Per Dollar
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4.7¢
Per Dollar
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3.1¢
Per Dollar
Spent
Spent
3.1¢
Per Dollar
Spent
Spent
3.1¢
Per Dollar
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1.6¢
Per Dollar
Spent
Spent
Amex Gold Application Rules
If you have received a signup bonus from a higher tiered card, you are ineligible to receive a bonus from a lower tiered card in that same card family
Card approval not subject to 5-personal-cards-in-24-months rule
Amex allows only 1 bonus per specific card every 7 years (yours or that version of the card)
After you apply, Amex may show a pop-up saying you're ineligible for the welcome bonus
Point Transfer Options
+9 Lower Value Transfers Show
Ranking of Cards Offering Amex Membership Rewards
Downgrade Options
Amex Green
Amex Membership Rewards