Review: American Express Gold Card
Update: read the new restrictions American Express has implemented on the signup bonus for the Gold card
One of the best credit cards out there for anything food related is the American Express Gold.
Apply for the American Express Gold
Quick Facts
Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points plus 20% back in statement credits on eligible restaurant purchases after spending $6,000 in 6 months.
Points Earned: American Express Membership Rewards which transfers to 20 different airline and hotel partners. Or you can use your points for a statement credit at a value of .6 cents per point or 1 cent per point on flights and .7 cents per point on other travel.
Earnings Structure:
4x at restaurants worldwide now capped at $50,000 in spending annually. After $50,000 in spending you’ll earn 1x point.
4x on supermarkets in the U.S. (up to $25,000 per year)
3x on flights booked through airlines or AmexTravel.com
2x Points: on prepaid hotels, car rentals and cruises booked at amextravel.com.
1x on all other purchases
Annual Fee: $325 Rates & Fees
Foreign Transaction Fees: None
While the Amex Platinum might get all the hype, the Amex Gold is one card that almost everyone should have in their wallet. The current public welcome offer is to earn 60,000 points after spending $6,000 in 6 months.
Benefits
The reason why this is one card that everyone should have is the great bonus categories offered. 4x on dining, 4x on grocery stores, and 3x on flights mean that you are getting some of the highest bonuses on places that the majority of people spend their most money.
Additionally, to help offset that $325 annual fee, the Amex Gold offers a few different monthly statement credits that if used can add up to $424 per year.
New $100 Resy Credit: You’ll now receive up to $50 twice a year when you use your card at any restaurant on Resy. This runs like the American Express Platinum card’s biannual Saks credit from January 1st through June 30th and from July 1st through December 31st. Enrollment is required.
New $100 Annual Resy Credit
$120 Annual Dining Credit
The dining credit comes as a $10 per month statement credit when making eligible purchases. I typically try to do at the beginning of each month so I don’t forget.
Use your Gold card each month and get up to a $10 statement credit per month for the following: Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Five Guys, Milk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations (not airports). Shake Shack and Milk Bar will be removed after September 25th.
Things to note:
This credit is valid if the primary cardholder or an authorized user makes the purchase, however you won’t get multiple statement credits if both parties make an eligible purchase.
Their terms state that this isn’t valid for gift card purchases however, anecdotally this will still trigger the credit.
Valid only for purchases in the United states
Enrollment is required
New $84 Dunkin’ Credit: Use your card at Dunkin’ and receive up to $7 a month in credits for a total of $84 a year. Enrollment is required.
$120 Uber Credit
This is by far the easiest credit to use as it is automatically deposited into your Uber account on the first of each month as long as your Amex Gold is linked in your Uber account. You can use this credit for rides with Uber or for deliveries with UberEats.
Things to note:
This credit is only valid for Uber or UberEats within the United States
You don’t need to use your Amex Gold to use the credit, it just has to be linked in your account.
Enrollment is required
Access to Amex Offers
Having access to Amex Offers is huge and can save you a ton of money. This is a fantastic benefit to all American Express cards. Even if you didn’t use the $424 in annual credits, having access to Amex Offers can pay for the card itself with all the savings you can receive. I’ve saved over $680 on this card alone since I’ve had it.
Shoprunner Membership
Shoprunner gives you free 2 day shipping on 100+ online retailers which depending on how much you shop online can save you tons of money each year. All you have to do is enroll in the Membership section of your online account. Enrollment is required for this benefit.
The Hotel Collection
Book a hotel for at least two nights through AmexTravel.com’s Hotel Collection to receive a $100 statement credit plus a room upgrade if available. Note, this is different than Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts offered through the Amex Platinum.
Is it Worth It?
Absolutely. Even if you don’t spend a ton of money on restaurants or supermarkets, the credits you can earn make up for the annual fee. That coupled with the huge signup bonus and access to Amex Offers make this card a no brainer.
Check out my review of the other top American Express Card, the Amex Platinum
Want to Apply?
The best publicly available link is on American Express’ website.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
