American Express® Gold Card
- Best for: Heavy restaurant and supermarket spenders who book flights with points; regular Uber, Grubhub, and Dunkin’ customers
- What Sets It Apart: 4X points at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets; $424 a year in dining, Uber, Resy, and Dunkin’ credits
- Cost: $325 annual fee; no foreign transaction fee; 19.74% to 28.74% variable APR on Pay Over Time balances
- Welcome Offer: Up to 100,000 points after $8,000 in purchases in 6 months; exact offer, if any, shown before you accept
- Rewards: 4X at restaurants (up to $50,000 a year) and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000); 5X on prepaid Amex Travel hotels; 3X on flights booked with airlines or Amex Travel; 1X elsewhere; points worth 1 cent on Amex Travel flights or 0.6 cent as a statement credit
- Rideshare: $10 in Uber Cash each month for Uber rides and Uber Eats orders in the U.S.; unused Uber Cash expires at the end of each month; Uber and Lyft rides earn 1X
- Dining Credits: Up to $10 a month at Grubhub, Seamless, Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder; up to $50 every six months at Resy restaurants; up to $7 a month at Dunkin’; enrollment required; unused amounts don’t carry over
- Pros: 4X on restaurant meals abroad with no foreign transaction fee; welcome offer worth up to $1,000 toward Amex Travel flights; no annual fee on up to five additional cards
- Cons: Points worth 0.6 cent as statement credits; dining credits need enrollment and don’t carry over; no airport lounge access
Get the American Express® Gold Card if you spend heavily at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, will use most of its $424 in yearly credits, and will book flights with the points. Redeemed for statement credits, its 4 points per dollar are worth 2.4 cents, less than the 3 cents a no-fee card can pay on dining and groceries.
The Gold suits households that eat out often and buy groceries at U.S. supermarkets, where its 4 points per dollar apply, rather than at superstores or warehouse clubs. Its credits cover purchases at specific merchants such as Uber, Grubhub, and Dunkin’, so they pay off only if you already spend there.
Key Features
- $325 annual fee, no foreign transaction fee, and a 19.74% to 28.74% variable interest rate on balances you carry
- Welcome offer of up to 100,000 points after $8,000 in purchases in 6 months, with your exact offer, if any, shown before you accept
- 4 points per dollar (4X) on the first $50,000 a year at restaurants worldwide and the first $25,000 at U.S. supermarkets, 5X on prepaid Amex Travel hotels, 3X on flights booked with airlines or Amex Travel, and 1X elsewhere
- Monthly credits of up to $10 at Grubhub, Five Guys, and three other dining partners, $10 in Uber Cash, and up to $7 at Dunkin’, plus up to $50 every six months at Resy restaurants, all in the U.S.
- Points worth 1 cent each toward Amex Travel flights and 0.7 cent toward prepaid Amex Travel hotels or Amazon purchases
Pros
- 4X on restaurant meals abroad, with no foreign transaction fee
- Welcome offer worth up to $1,000 toward Amex Travel flights
- No annual fee on up to five additional cards
Cons
- Points worth just 0.6 cent each as statement credits
- Unused credits don’t carry over, and Uber Cash expires at the end of each month
- Dining, Resy, and Dunkin’ credits require enrollment
- No 4X at bars, bakeries, or restaurants inside hotels and casinos
- No airport lounge access, a perk of the $895 Platinum Card
If you’ll use at least $325 of the credits, they cover the fee, and each restaurant or supermarket dollar earns 4 cents toward Amex Travel flights against 3 cents in cash from Capital One’s no-fee Savor card. Leave the credits unused, and the Gold’s extra cent per dollar covers its fee only past $32,500 a year at restaurants and supermarkets, so below that the Savor is the better card.
Learn more about the American Express® Gold Card or see how it compares to the best credit cards for dining.
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