American Express Gold Card review: A big welcome offer, dining and Uber credits, and bonus points in top categories are hard to beat

Review: Is the Amex Gold the best card for you?

The American Express® Gold Card got a makeover earlier this year with the addition of new statement credits and the return of the stylish rose gold card design, but there are plenty of other reasons it should be on your radar.

For starters, the Amex Gold Card is currently offering its highest public welcome bonus ever: 60,000 points after you spend at least $4,000 in your first 6 months of account opening. The previous offer was for just 35,000 points after meeting the same spending requirement, so the current bonus represents a significant boost.

The card also earns a whopping 4x Amex Membership Rewards points at restaurants and 4x points on up to $25,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets each calendar year (then 1x). For this reason, the Amex Gold Card sits high on our lists of the best cards for grocery purchases and best cards for dining. You'll also earn 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel, and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

Read more: The best American Express cards of 2021

Although its premium-card sibling, The Platinum Card® from American Express, gets a lot of attention for offering upscale travel perks and lucrative statement credits, the Amex Gold Card has benefits of its own that can nearly offset its $250 annual fee (See Rates). These include new Uber Cash credits you can use toward eligible US Uber rides or Uber Eats purchases (up to $120 per calendar year ($10 per month), and the Gold Card needs to be added to the Uber app to receive the Uber Cash benefit) and up to $120 in annual dining credits** with participating food delivery services and restaurants. 

The Amex Gold Card is a terrific choice for travelers and those staying closer to home between its generous bonus categories, welcome offer, and statement credits. If you like earning American Express Membership Rewards points, be sure to have a look at the Platinum Card and American Express® Green Card as well to compare their perks and spending categories — depending on your travel and spending habits, they could also be a good fit for your wallet.

Comparison: American Express Gold Card vs other Amex cards

*on up to $25,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets per calendar year, then 1x

***up to $10 in statement credits per month when you use the Amex Gold card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.

****up to $10 in Uber Cash per month (this is only applicable to U.S. Eats orders and Rides, and the Gold Card needs to be added to the Uber app to receive the Uber Cash benefit)

*****Eligible digital subscriptions include Audible, SiriusXM, The New York Times, and Peacock

Amex Gold card vs other rewards cards

*the Amex Gold card earns 4x points on up to $25,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets each year, then 1 point per dollar.

***the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers 5x points on Lyft rides through March 2022.

****the Amex Gold offers up to $10 in dining credits each month when you use your card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations.

How to earn points with the American Express Gold card

The Amex Gold Card is among the best cards for foodies because it earns strong rewards on dining and grocery shopping. You'll earn points at the following rates:

• 4x points at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets each year, then 1 point per dollar)
• 3x points on flights booked with the airline or Amex Travel
• 1 point per dollar on all other purchases

To maximize your points earning, you can pair the Amex Gold Card with other Amex cards to earn the most points for every purchase. The "Amex Trifecta" of cards includes the Amex Gold Card, The Platinum Card® from American Express, and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express.

How to use Amex Membership Rewards points 

The Amex Gold Card earns American Express Membership Rewards points, which are among the most valuable transferable points currencies and a favorite of rewards credit card holders.

Read more: How to earn, redeem, and maximize Amex Membership Rewards points

There are lots of Amex Membership Rewards redemption options for those who aren't traveling, but you'll typically get the most value when you use points for travel. You can transfer points to nearly two dozen American Express airline and hotel partners for award flights and stays, and depending on what you book, you could get a value of 2 or more cents for each point. This can be an especially good deal for international first-class and business-class flights.

If you don't want to worry about award charts or blackout dates, you can also redeem points at a rate of 1 cent apiece for flights, and at a slightly lower rate for hotels, rental cars, and more through American Express Travel. 

Other options for redeeming Amex Membership Rewards points include:

• Use points to buy gift cards (usually 1 cent per point)
• Cash in points for statement credits toward purchases made on your card (0.6 cents per point)
• Pay with points at checkout at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Saks Fifth Avenue, Boxed.com, Dell.com, Staples, and more (0.7 cents per point)
• Redeem points for food delivery with GrubHub and Seamless (0.7 cents per point)
• Use points to pay for New York City taxi fare in vehicles using enabled point-of-sale devices (1 cent per point)
• Shop with points for merchandise and gifts through Amex (usually 0.5 cents per point)

Whatever your plans are, earning flexible points like Amex Membership Rewards is a smart move. Instead of locking yourself into a specific airline or hotel program, you'll have the option to turn rewards into travel when you're ready, or statement credits, merchandise, and gifts if you'd rather stay close to home. 

Benefits and features

The Amex Gold Card comes with valuable perks for shopping, dining, and travel perks that can help you save money, including monthly credits that can put a big dent in the card's annual fee.

Up to $10 in monthly dining credits (up to $120 per year)

Amex Gold Cardholders receive up to $10 per month back in statement credits, worth up to $120 per year, toward purchases with Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations.

Read more: The Amex Gold Card comes with up to $120 in annual dining credits — here's how to use them

Even if you don't visit the participating restaurants, getting the credits for Grubhub and Seamless food deliveries makes it easy to max out the credit each month, since you'll have so many restaurants to choose from. After you use your Amex Gold Card for the purchase, you'll receive the statement credit — but keep in mind, if you don't use the full credit one month, it won't roll over to the next.

Up to $10 per month in Uber Cash credits

The newest benefit offered by the Amex Gold Card is up to $10 per month in Uber Cash credit, again up to a maximum of $120 per year. Once you add your Amex Gold Card as a payment method in your Uber account, it works just like the Uber credits on the Amex Platinum card. These Uber Cash credits can be used toward eligible US Uber rides or Uber Eats purchases

Read more: The best credit cards for food delivery

You can redeem Uber Cash toward Uber rides or Uber Eats food delivery in the US, but it won't roll over to the next if you don't use up the entire credit each month.

Complimentary year of Uber Eats Pass

Cardholders can save on delivery fees and get discounts by activating a free year of Uber Eats Pass by December 31, 2021. Be sure to activate your complimentary year of Uber Eats Pass (worth up to $119 based on the $9.99 monthly price over 12 months) through the Uber Eats app before you spend your new credits on food delivery (you need to enroll by 12/31/2021).

You'll get waived delivery fees and a 5% discount on orders of $15 or more at eligible restaurants (taxes and service fees may apply and do not count toward the order minimum).

Car rental insurance

The Amex Gold Card offers secondary car rental insurance when you use the card to pay for your rental in full and decline the rental company's collision damage waiver. Coverage is for theft or damage only (not liability) and some rentals, vehicle types, and countries are excluded, so be sure to read the terms.

Baggage insurance

When you pay for a covered trip with your Amex Gold Card, you can be covered for baggage loss or damage, up to $500 per person for checked bags and $1,250 per person for carry-on luggage.

Read more: 4 credit cards with the most comprehensive travel insurance — from trip cancellation to lost luggage

There are exclusions for high-risk items and some states have different limits, so check the terms and conditions for specific details.

Trip delay insurance

You can get reimbursed up to $300 for meals, lodging, toiletries, medication, and other personal items if you've paid for a covered trip with your Amex Gold Card and it's delayed by 12 hours or more, up to two times per consecutive 12-month period.

Purchase protection

When you pay for an eligible item with the Amex Gold Card, you can be covered for loss or damage up to 90 days from the date of purchase, up to a maximum of $10,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per year.

Extended warranty

Cardholders can also get an extended warranty on eligible items when they use their Amex Gold Card to pay — up to one additional year added to eligible US manufacturers warranties of five years or less.

Global Assist Hotline

The Amex Gold Card comes with an underrated perk that can be a lifesaver if you have an emergency while you're away from home. Cardholders get access to Amex's Premium Global Assist Hotline, which can help arrange things like passport replacement, medical referrals, and translation services.

The service itself is complimentary, but you'll be responsible for any third-party costs. 

Amex Offers

Like other American Express cards, the Amex Gold Card includes targeted discounts and bonus rewards at participating merchants through Amex Offers.

Fees and costs

Although the Amex Gold Card charges a $250 annual fee, it's possible to get much more value than that each year between statement credits, perks, and bonus points. It's also a good choice for international purchases, because you won't pay foreign transaction fees.

There are fees for late and returned payments and cash advances (See Rates) as with most other cards. 

• Related Content Module: More Credit Card Coverage

Join the conversation about this story »