While some premium cards have annual fees drifting toward quadruple digits, the American Express® Gold Card has hovered at $325 since 2024. The card offers its highest reward points on grocery purchases and dining out, along with a slew of other restaurant and travel perks, making it a good contender for those who spend heavily in those categories. However, this card isn’t right for everyone, so read on to see if it’s a good fit for you. See Rates & Fees
[SEE: Best American Express Credit Cards]
What Does the AmEx Gold Offer?
You’ll earn the following points when spending with your AmEx Gold:
— Four points per dollar at restaurants worldwide on the first $50,000 spent each year
— Four points per dollar at U.S. grocery stores on the first $25,000 spent each year
— Three points per dollar on flights booked through AmEx Travel or directly with the airline
— Two points per dollar on prepaid hotels and other travel booked through AmEx Travel
— One point per dollar on all other eligible purchases
In addition to reward points, AmEx Gold cardholders enjoy the following credits and perks:
— Resy credit. Cardholders can earn up to $100 per year ($50 semiannually) for purchases made with the Resy platform. Enrollment required.
— Uber Cash. Get $10 in Uber Cash each month when you use your AmEx Gold for rides or orders, which equals up to $120 per year.
— Dunkin’ credit. American Express Gold Card holders qualify for up to $84 per year ($7 per month) back as a statement credit on purchases made with Dunkin’.
— Card design options. The American Express Gold Card is available in Gold and Rose Gold.
— Dining credit. Enjoy up to $120 per year ($10 per month) at qualifying restaurants. Enrollment required.
— Hotel Collection. American Express has an expanded list of properties where cardholders can receive a $100 experience credit when booking a hotel stay of at least two nights through American Express Travel.
— Welcome offer. New American Express Gold cardholders can qualify for a welcome offer as high as 100,000 Membership Reward Points for spending $6,000 in the first six months.
Is the American Express Gold Card Worth It?
With a fee of $325, the American Express® Gold Card is expensive to own, and you’ll need to make regular use of its perks to justify the cost. The higher fee makes it difficult to cover the fee on rewards alone, unless you spend a significant amount on dining and U.S. supermarket purchases.
It’s a unique offering for its fee class, coming with fewer travel credits and perks than luxury cards like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or The Platinum Card® from American Express. Still, its dining-related credits and benefits can add up to more than $420 in value.
In the end, the American Express® Gold Card is still worth it if you make regular use of its dining, Uber Cash and Dunkin’ or Resy credits, at the least. The flexibility of the dining credit and Uber Cash benefit makes earning rewards easy. Simply order food or take an Uber ride at least once per month, and eat at a qualifying restaurant once per month to get $240 worth of value. The Dunkin’ and Resy credits are a bit more particular, but the right spender can make use of them.
If you don’t already spend money with these merchants, however, paying for a higher annual fee for the credit might not be worth it. U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card and the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card both charge no annual fee and offer grocery rewards at a competitive rate to the Gold. See Rates & Fees
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Is the AmEx Gold Card Worth its $325 Annual Fee? originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 07/29/25: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
