Who should get the Amex Gold?

The American Express® Gold Card is popular among consumers who want to rack up rewards in the Amex Membership Rewards program. After all, the program lets you redeem rewards for gift cards, merchandise or travel through AmexTravel.com, and you can also transfer your points to an array of airline and hotel partners.

The main downside of the Amex Gold Card is its $250 annual fee. However, this fee can be a good investment considering the generous welcome bonus on offer and the fact that you can get up to $240 in annual credits for specific dining and food delivery purchases or ridesharing.

Should you get the Amex Gold? While travel credit cards with annual fees can be hard to commit to, there are plenty of people who get outsized value from this American Express credit card.

In this guide, we’ll explain the main benefits of the Amex Gold, who should apply and who might be better off with a different rewards credit card altogether.

A quick refresher: Details of the Amex Gold

The Amex Gold gives new cardholders the chance to earn a generous welcome bonus as well as exceptional rewards on restaurant and U.S. supermarket purchases, plus flights booked with airlines or through AmexTravel.com. Here are this card’s the major details:

• 60,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $4,000 in first six months of account opening
• 4 points at restaurants, 4 points on up to $25,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar), 3 points on flights booked with airlines or through AmexTravel.com and 1 point on other purchases
• $250 annual fee
• $120 in Uber Cash per year and up to $120 in dining credits per year (enrollment required); no foreign transaction fees

Who should get the Amex Gold?

When you look at the benefits of the Amex Gold, it’s easy to see why people apply. You get to earn rewards in the valuable Amex Membership Rewards program, and many people spend a lot on groceries and dining out anyway.

The Amex Gold may be perfect for you if you fit any of the descriptions below:

Foodies who spend a lot on groceries and dining out

This card’s categories are perfect if you’re a foodie who frequently spends a lot on specialty ingredients or dining out. After all, big food purchases can rack up a ton of points in these categories, which could help offset the card’s annual fee and earn even more points for free travel.

How much can you earn? Let’s say you spend $800 per month dining out ($200 per week on average) and $1,500 per month at U.S. supermarkets. In that case, one year of spending would earn you 110,400 American Express Membership Rewards points, which would give you a value of roughly $1,104 when redeemed through the Membership Rewards portal for airfare, or around $662 if you redeem as cash back on your statement.

Also, keep in mind that the Amex Gold comes with up to $120 per year in dining credits at select eateries (enrollment required). This credit is given out in increments of $10 per month, and it’s good for food purchases at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Boxed and participating Shake Shack locations.

Uber and Uber Eats enthusiasts

This card also comes with up to $120 in Uber Cash each year, but keep in mind that this also applies to Uber Eats purchases (applicable to U.S. Eats orders and rides).

If you take Uber rides or love to order food for delivery or takeout, you should know that these credits are doled out in increments of $10 each month throughout the year. And you must add your card to the Uber app to receive the  benefit.

Anyone who wants to complete the Amex trifecta

Finally, the Amex Gold is very popular among those who want to maximize Amex Membership Rewards points with more than one Amex credit card.

The Amex trifecta also includes The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express.

The Amex Platinum offers bonus rewards in different categories as well as some luxury travel perks, whereas the Blue Business Plus lets cardholders earn 2 points on up to $50,000 in spending each year, then 1 point (terms apply). By using the Amex trifecta, you can maximize rewards on almost all your purchases and get access to complimentary benefits in the process.

Who shouldn’t get the Amex Gold?

While the Amex Gold makes sense for many rewards enthusiasts, there are scenarios where another rewards credit card could be a better fit. Here are some types of users who should pick a different travel credit card.

Anyone who hates credits that are hard to use

American Express tends to offer account credits that are hard to use and don’t roll over from month to month. This is true for its up to $120 in annual dining credits, which are only good for select dining options and expire each month if you don’t spend $10 on eligible purchases.

The Uber Cash you get with the Amex Gold works the same. You get $120 in credits each year, but they’re given out in increments of $10 per month.

A lot of people don’t like dealing with specific credits that constantly expire and only work for certain types of purchases. That’s also why many opt for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card among competing travel credit cards.

Instead of credits that are difficult to use, the Chase Sapphire Reserve offers a $300 annual travel credit that automatically applies to most travel purchases made with your card.

People who want to earn Amex Membership Rewards points without paying an annual fee

If you hate card annual fees but you want to earn Amex points, then the Amex Gold is probably too pricey for your tastes. Consider the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express* instead, which allows you to earn Amex Membership Rewards points without an annual fee. Specifically, you can start by earning 10,000 points when you spend $1,000 on your card within three months of account opening (terms apply).

You’ll also earn 2 points on up to $6,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets each year (then 1 point), as well as 1 point on all other purchases. As a bonus, the Amex EveryDay card even gives you 20 percent in bonus points when you use it for 20 or more purchases within a billing period.

Amex enthusiasts who want more travel perks

If you want more luxury travel perks, you’ll probably want to pick the Amex Platinum instead of the Amex Gold. A higher annual fee of $695 applies, but you’ll get benefits like airport lounge membership, a fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership, up to $200 in airline fee credits, up to $200 in Uber Cash each year, automatic Gold elite status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors, plus a handful of travel insurance benefits.

By contrast, the Amex Gold only offers a few travel benefits — secondary auto rental coverage and a $100 credit for qualifying activities with The Hotel Collection when you book a stay of at least two consecutive nights.

How to get the most out of the Amex Gold

While the Amex Gold card does cost $250 per year to carry, there are plenty of reasons to consider applying. Some of them have to do with the value you can get out of the card, yet some people have applied just to get their hands on the Rose Gold version of the card, which Amex recently made available on a permanent basis.

Either way, here are some tips to get the most out of your card:

• Try our CardMatch tool to see if you qualify for a more generous welcome offer than what is being offered to the public.
• Add your Amex Gold Card as the preferred method of payment on your Uber account so you can take full advantage of each month’s Uber credits.
• Keep an eye on Amex Offers that can help you earn more points or bonus cash on eligible purchases.
• Look for opportunities each month to use your $10 in monthly dining credits. If you don’t live near a restaurant that qualifies for this credit, check out Grubhub’s food delivery options in your area.
• Use your card for airfare purchases on AmexTravel.com or that you. make directly with airlines to maximize the 3 points category.
• Avoid using Amex’s Pay Over Time feature, which will leave you forking over interest at a 19.74 percent to 26.74 percent variable APR.

Bottom line

The Amex Gold card isn’t right for everyone, but it could be right for you. Our advice is to compare all the top rewards credit cards on the market today to see which ones align with your spending style and the rewards you want to earn. If the Amex Gold isn’t the best option out there, research will lead you to the right card for your wallet.

*All information about the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by CreditCards.com and has not been reviewed by the issuer.