The American Express® Gold Card makes TPG’s top charts yearly as one of the best cards for dining at restaurants. It comes with food-focused bonus categories and a slate of other valuable perks that can help you save big — whether at home or on the road.
The card was refreshed in late July with an increased annual fee, more statement credits, a new earning rate cap and a limited edition color option.
While the annual fee is $325 (see rates and fees) and isn’t waived the first year, we’ll help you walk through the card’s unique benefits to see how to make it pay for itself.
Maximize the welcome offer
The Amex Gold comes with a limited-time offer of 60,000 points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership. Plus, new cardmembers can earn 20% back as a statement credit for eligible restaurant purchases in the first six months of card membership (up to $100 back). Offer ends 11/6.
Based on TPG’s July 2024 valuations, this limited-time welcome offer is worth up to $1,300. Remember that you could be targeted for a much higher offer through the CardMatch tool or referral offers.
Amex Membership Rewards points can be redeemed for anything from cash back to lavish flights in Singapore Airlines first-class suites. However, not all redemption options are equal. You’ll get the most value from this program by transferring points to partner hotel and airline loyalty programs.
Some key transfer partners to note include Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Hilton Honors.
Even better, Amex regularly offers transfer bonuses that you can leverage to get as much as 40% extra value from your points. Just remember that we never recommend speculatively transferring points to a program without a specific use in mind, as miles can be devalued at any moment, and transfers can’t be reversed.
Related: How to redeem American Express Membership Rewards for maximum value
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Use the card at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets
It doesn’t matter if you prefer dining in or out. If you like food — who doesn’t? — you should have no trouble maximizing the Amex Gold’s bonus spending categories.
The card awards 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide on up to $50,000 per calendar year (1 point per dollar thereafter) and U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year (1 point per dollar thereafter).
With our July 2024 valuation of 2 cents per point in mind, the Amex Gold yields a whopping 8% return on food purchases, beating out most cards on the market.
These bonus categories may be valuable enough to open the card well before considering the welcome bonus. If you spend at least $4,075 per year on groceries and dining combined, you’ll come out ahead on the $325 annual fee.
Tip: Although the Amex Gold doesn’t carry any foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees), the bonus points for supermarket purchases are only awarded for spending in the U.S.
Related: Why the Amex Gold is one card we can’t live without
Pay with this card when booking flights
The Amex Gold earns 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly through the airline or Amex Travel, amounting to a return of 6% based on TPG’s valuations.
Plus, if your luggage is lost, stolen or damaged when you’re traveling with a common carrier and you’ve purchased your ticket with the Amex Gold, you’ll be eligible for up to $1,250 in coverage for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Related: The best travel credit cards
Ensure your Amex Gold is a payment method for Uber
By adding your Amex Gold to your Uber app, you’ll automatically receive up to $10 in monthly Uber Cash, which can be used for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. Although this credit doesn’t roll over month to month, this benefit should be easy to maximize.
The Amex Gold must be added to the Uber app to receive this benefit. Terms apply.
Related: Who should (and who shouldn’t) get the Amex Gold card?
Use the annual dining credit
You’ll get an up-to-$120 annual dining statement credit (allotted in up-to-$10 increments each month) when paying with your Amex Gold at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com and Five Guys.
Delivery services for Grubhub are available in most major U.S. cities, and it’s hard to imagine that a purchase at any of these merchants would cost less than $10 a month, so this benefit should be easy to use.
TPG credit cards writer Olivia Mittak uses her Amex Gold’s dining credit to cover the cost of a Grubhub+ subscription. Since she frequently orders delivery, this is an easy way for her to maximize this benefit.
You’ll have to enroll through the Amex website to get this benefit. Like the Uber Cash credit, the $10 dining credit expires at the end of each month, so you won’t be able to roll any unused credits over. Terms apply.
Related: A complete guide to the Amex Gold dining credit
Use the Resy credits
You’ll get up to $100 in Resy credits, which are broken into two $50 bi-annual credits (up to $50 from Jan through June and up to $50 from July through Dec).
You must enroll through the Amex website to use these credits. Once enrolled, all you need to do is pay your bill with your Amex Gold at any restaurant registered with Resy; no reservation is required. There are currently over 16,000 restaurants on Resy, so if you live in or near a city you should be able to use this benefit.
These credits are so easy to use that you may not even realize you are using them. You must use each up to $50 credit in each half of the year and can’t roll over any unused portion. Terms apply.
Use the Dunkin’ Donuts credits
Cardmembers receive up to $84 in Dunkin’ Donuts statement credits (allotted in up to $7 increments each month) when paying with their Amex Gold at Dunkin’.
Like the other monthly credits, this Dunkin’ credit expires at the end of the month. Enrollment is required on the Amex website, and terms apply. This credit is very straightforward and also very easy to use.
That said, this credit is harder to use if there aren’t any Dunkin’ locations in your area. If that’s the case for you, check whether any airports you fly through have a Dunkin’. That can be a great way to use this benefit.
Related: Why Chase needs a competitor to the Amex Gold
Get elitelike benefits with The Hotel Collection
A lesser-known benefit of the Amex Gold Card is accessible by booking hotels through Amex’s The Hotel Collection.
By making a reservation of two nights or longer, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar, a room upgrade at check-in (upon availability) and a $100 on-site credit, which can be used toward things like dining, the spa or resort activities at the property.
Booking just one or two of these stays a year can help you recoup a huge portion of the card’s annual fee. Amenities may vary by location. Terms apply.
Bottom line
Many credit cards come loaded with valuable benefits, but their worth is only realized if you actually use them. Luckily, the Amex Gold makes it pretty easy to do so. Between the dining credits and Hotel Collection benefits, the card’s annual fee is easily covered.
Throw in the outstanding return on food purchases, and you’ll come out ahead.
To learn more, check out our full review of the Amex Gold.
Apply here: American Express Gold Card
Related: Chase Sapphire Reserve vs. Amex Gold
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here.
