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I love talking about travel credit cards. They’ve helped me travel the world for over a decade and saved me a fortune in flights, hotels, and other travel perks. I never get bored of comparing their perks, applying for new cards, and optimizing my benefits. <\/p>\n
These days, when it comes to travel rewards cards, there are generally two types that get a lot of attention: cards with low or no annual fees<\/a> that are good for beginners; and premium cards<\/a> for the jet set crowd, with their high fees and luxury perks. <\/p>\n There aren\u2019t too many cards that fall in between. Today I want to talk about a card that does: the American Express\u00ae Gold Card<\/a>. <\/p>\n While it\u2019s a favorite among avid points and miles collectors, it often gets left out of the larger conversation. I think that\u2019s a mistake, as this card has a lot to offer. <\/p>\n The Amex Gold recently got a refresh and an elevated welcome offer, making it an excellent time to consider this powerhouse of a card. I personally think it’s a card more travelers should have in their wallet and it is one I use.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s everything you need to know about the Amex Gold to help you decide if it\u2019s right for you: The American Express\u00ae Gold Card<\/a> is a card issued by American Express. I think it’s a great choice for travelers who enjoy dining out, as you\u2019ll earn more points dining at restaurants (up to $50,000 on these purchases per calendar year), as well as a ton of statement credits in the same vein (I\u2019ll get into specifics below). <\/p>\n With this card, you\u2019ll earn Membership Rewards\u00ae points, which you can transfer to any of their 21 airline and hotel partners (they have some solid partners too). <\/p>\n This card offers:<\/strong><\/p>\n The card comes with a $325 annual fee (See Rates and Fees<\/a>). Up to $120 in Uber Cash<\/strong> Before your purchase, make sure that Uber Cash is toggled on as a payment method, and then after your purchase you\u2019ll see the credit deduction on your in-app receipt. <\/p>\n You must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and 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. The Amex benefit may only be used in United States.<\/em><\/p>\n Up to $120 Dining Credit<\/strong> Up to $84 Dunkin\u2019 Credit<\/strong> Up to $100 Resy Credit<\/strong> With the Resy credit, you can get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with your Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants (or make other eligible Resy purchases). Unlike most of the card\u2019s other statement credits, this benefit is rolled out semi-annually, meaning you get up to $50 credit in the first half of the year, and then the other $50 the second half. You can also check your progress in the app or website: <\/p>\n I like semi-annual statement credits because they give you a bit more flexibility, although this is another credit that\u2019s fairly easy to use if you dine out frequently. You don\u2019t actually have to make a reservation with Resy; the restaurant just needs to offer Resy reservations. It\u2019s easiest if you live in or frequently visit a major city that has a lot of restaurants on Resy. <\/p>\n Up to $100 hotel experience credit <\/strong> Enrollment is required for select benefits mentioned in this section.<\/em><\/p>\n Access to Amex Offers<\/strong> Amex Offers are structured like this:<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to know that you have to hit that \u201cAdd to Card\u201d link before you can take advantage of each offer. While you probably won\u2019t be able to take advantage of most offers, sometimes you may, which is another way to recoup the annual fee on this card. It\u2019s worth it to check back every so often so you can add any offers to your card that you might use (just remember to pay with your Gold Card to redeem the offer). <\/p>\n With the American Express\u00ae Gold Card<\/a>, you earn Membership Rewards points. To get the most out of your points, you’ll want to transfer them to one of Amex\u2019s travel partners: <\/p>\n Most transfers are instant, though a few (like Iberia and Cathay Pacific) can take up to 48 hours. <\/p>\n You can also use your Membership Rewards points to book flights and hotels in Amex Travel, the travel portal. Though, as I\u2019ve talked about before<\/a>, this isn\u2019t the best use of your points. I generally wouldn\u2019t do it. <\/p>\n Unlike other companies (like Chase), American Express only allows you to earn a welcome bonus once per card. Ever. Plus, you can\u2019t earn a welcome bonus on a card at all if you already have (or have held) a higher tier card in the same family. <\/p>\n For the Amex Gold Card, that means you won\u2019t be able to get the welcome offer if you already have The Platinum Card\u00ae from American Express<\/a>. <\/p>\n I’m mentioning this because it’s important to think about if you want to get other Amex cards eventually. This means that for American Express cards, it\u2019s best to open cards moving up in the food chain, so to speak (so get the Gold Card before the Platinum Card). <\/p>\n Pros of the Amex Gold <\/strong><\/p>\n Cons of the Amex Gold <\/strong><\/p>\n The main draw of this card is being able to earn 4x points on restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets. It stands alone in that aspect among cards with transferable points (the most valuable kind of points). If you are a foodie that can make use of the credits and other perks, then you\u2019ll love this card.<\/p>\n As with any credit card, you should not get this card if you\u2019re already carrying a balance or plan to carry a balance. Interest rates for travel credit cards are notoriously high, and this card is no different. The points just aren\u2019t worth it if you\u2019re paying interest each month. <\/p>\n This card is also not for anyone with poor credit, as you need excellent credit to qualify. (If that\u2019s you, check out best credit cards for bad credit<\/a> so you can start improving your score today.)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Download my free guide to points and miles and learn how to use points and miles for free travel! It's how all the pros travel so much! In this guide, I'll show you:<\/p>\r\n
\n<\/p>\nWhat is the American Express\u00ae Gold Card? <\/h3>\n
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\n <\/p>\nBreaking Down the Amex Gold\u2019s Statement Credits<\/h3>\n
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\nAmerican Express is known for offering a lot of perks and benefits with its cards (that’s why I love their cards). As I mentioned, this card comes with up to $524 worth of statement credits. If you can take advantage of them, that\u2019s more than enough to offset the annual fee. Since there are so many credits (all with their own fine print), I want to break each one down. <\/p>\n
\nThis is probably the easiest benefit for most people to use. When you add your Gold Card to the Uber app, you\u2019ll get $10 in Uber Cash distributed each month, (adding up to $120 over the course of the year). You can use it for rides or to order food through Uber Eats, though I don\u2019t love that you can only use it in the U.S. since I’m often on the road. <\/p>\n
\nOn the flip side, I find this benefit a bit harder to use. You can earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Amex Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. I think it\u2019s kind of a random assortment of companies, but if you use any of these companies often, that\u2019s another $120 per year right there. <\/p>\n
\nThis benefit was added with the card\u2019s recent refresh. If you\u2019re a fan of Dunkin\u2019, with this credit you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with your Amex Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin\u2019 locations. Since most are on the U.S. East Coast (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Florida have the most locations), it\u2019ll be most useful to fellow East Coasters. <\/p>\n
\nThis is another benefit that was recently added. Resy is a restaurant-reservation website (owned by Amex) where you can make reservations at over 16,000 restaurants around the world. <\/p>\n![\"screenshot](\"https:\/\/media.nomadicmatt.com\/2024\/amexresydunkin.jpg\")
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\nThis is the card\u2019s only travel statement credit. With this benefit, 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, but it could include dining credits (like complimentary breakfast) or spa treatments. <\/p>\n
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\nIn addition to all those statement credits, by holding an American Express card you get access to Amex Offers. These are ever-changing offers where you can save money or earn bonus points with select retailers. The offers are targeted, so every cardholder has their own unique array of offers at any given time. <\/p>\n\n
Using Your Membership Rewards Points<\/h3>\n
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American Express Welcome Bonus Restrictions <\/h3>\n
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Who is the Amex Gold for?<\/h3>\n
\nIf you’re a foodie like me and spend a significant portion of your budget on food, the American Express\u00ae Gold Card<\/a> is a great card to add to your wallet. By racking up more points at restaurants around the world and U.S. supermarkets, you can use the spending that you already do to earn yourself flights and hotel stays around the world. And that’s what it’s all about! <\/p>\n\r\nStop paying full price for travel!<\/h5>\r\n
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