The American Express® Gold Card is a card we can’t live without.
It earns 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; 1 point per dollar after) and dining at restaurants as well as 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly or through Amex Travel.
The card also comes with up to $10 in monthly dining credits on eligible purchases at participating restaurants and up to $120 in annual Uber Cash credits (which can be used for Uber or Uber Eats) for U.S. customers. Card must be added to Uber account to receive the Uber Cash benefit and enrollment required for select benefits.
But even though it’s a great card on its own, it also pairs well with other rewards cards to build a more well-rounded card strategy.
Today, we’re reviewing a few cards that pair well with the Amex Gold.
Supercharge your Membership Rewards balance
The first cards you should consider pairing with the Amex Gold are other Membership Rewards points-earning cards. Amex allows you to pool your points into one Membership Rewards account, meaning you can earn across multiple cards and cash in for one fantastic redemption.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Annual fee: $695 (see rates and fees).
Welcome bonus: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of cardmembership.
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Rewards rate: Earn 5 points per dollar on airfare purchased directly from the airline or through Amex Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year) and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel.
If you are a frequent traveler looking to upgrade your experiences, the Amex Platinum could be a great choice to add to your wallet alongside the Amex Gold. You’ll earn more on eligible airfare and hotels, plus you’ll get a stellar lineup of travel perks, including lounge access, elite status with both Marriott and Hilton and hundreds of dollars in assorted statement credits. Enrollment required for select benefits.
For more details, check out our full Amex Platinum review.
Apply here: Amex Platinum Card
The Amex Everyday® Preferred Credit Card from American Express
Annual fee: $95.
Welcome bonus: Earn 15,000 points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Rewards rate: Earn 3 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 in eligible purchases each year), 2 points per dollar at U.S. gas stations and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
The Amex Everyday Preferred often flies under the radar, but it’s a solid entry point into the Membership Rewards program if you are a beginner. It also makes a solid pairing with the Amex Gold. You’ll get 2 points per dollar at U.S. gas stations — a bonus category the Amex Gold lacks — but you can also get a 50% points earning bonus at the end of each month if you use your card more than 30 times. This makes it a great choice for everyday spending alongside the Amex Gold to boost your Membership Rewards balance.
For more details, check out our full review of the Amex Everyday Preferred.
The information about the Amex Everyday Preferred has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
Rack up points or miles with an Amex travel partner
If you are loyal to one of the hotels or airlines that are a Membership Rewards transfer partner, like Delta SkyMiles or Hilton Honors, a cobranded card could be a great way to supplement your earning potential.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99 (see rates and fees).
Welcome bonus: Earn 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months of cardmembership.
Rewards rate: Earn 2 points per dollar on eligible Delta, restaurant and U.S. supermarket purchases.
Those who live near a Delta hub or regularly fly with the airline might be interested in a Delta cobranded credit card that helps you earn bonus miles on flights and gives you some nice airline benefits. Delta is one of Amex’s transfer partners, which makes using your Amex Gold to supplement your Delta earning for redemptions easy.
The Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex is a great choice for casual flyers and those who don’t want to add a high annual fee to their wallet. Still, Delta’s other credit cards are also excellent choices for those who want help hitting elite status with the airline.
For more details, check out our full review of the Delta SkyMiles Gold.
Apply here: Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex Card
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
Annual fee: $95 annual fee (see rates & fees).
Welcome bonus: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership. Offer ends April 5.
Rewards rate: Earn 12 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels; 6 points per dollar spent at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations; and 3 points per dollar spent on other eligible purchases.
If you are loyal to Hilton Hotels when you travel, having a Hilton credit card in your wallet may be a good idea. The card comes with complimentary Gold status (though you can earn Diamond status when you spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your card in a calendar year), a free night award after spending $15,000 each calendar year, 10 free Priority Pass visits annually and more. Enrollment required for select benefits.
It’s a solid card to pair with your Amex Gold because it earns in one of the categories the Amex Gold misses — Hilton hotel stays — and you can transfer Membership Rewards to Hilton Honors to help you top off your Hilton account for redemptions.
For more details, check out our full review of the Hilton Honors Surpass.
Apply here: Hilton Honors Surpass Credit Card
Stock up on other types of points
Of course, there is also value in having cards that earn entirely different currencies in your wallet to maximize your redemption options across the board. Here are some options to diversify the points and miles you’re earning.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Annual fee: $95.
Sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Rewards rate: Earn 3 points per dollar on dining purchases and 2 points per dollar on a generous definition of travel purchases. Earn 5 points per dollar on Lyft through March 2025.
At face value, you may wonder why the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a good card to pair with the Amex Gold, considering it earns 2 points per dollar on travel and 3 points on dining — two categories that overlap with the Amex Gold. But Chase defines travel broadly, which makes this card a great choice for travel spending that isn’t flights booked directly through the airline or Amex Travel. Chase is also more generous than Amex in defining ‘dining’, which includes most bars.
And when it comes to earning diversified points, Amex and Chase both offer the most valuable flexible rewards currencies on the market — both are worth 2 cents each according to TPG valuations — and come with a unique set of redemption options, so it makes sense to have both in your wallet.
For more details, check out our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Annual fee: $95.
Sign-up bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Rewards rate: Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on every purchase.
If you want a catch-all card for your non-bonus spending, you can’t get much better than the Capital One Venture. You’ll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, and Capital One has recently taken steps to seriously upgrade its travel redemption options.
Between a revamped lineup of transfer partners, the fixed-value redemption option for broader travel purchases and boosted earn rates when booking travel through the Capital One travel portal down the line, now is a great time to add this card to your wallet.
For more details, check out our full review of the Capital One Venture Card.
Apply here: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Bottom line
Maximize your earning potential by getting a card that pairs well with your Amex Gold.
Of course, the options listed here aren’t the only good ones. If you’re loyal to a different hotel or airline, such as American Airlines or Hyatt, it can make sense to have a cobranded card with that brand to earn those points and miles since you won’t with your Amex. Alternatively, those with a side hustle may find more value in pairing your Amex Gold with a business credit card.
And if you haven’t added the Amex Gold to your wallet yet, now is a great time to apply and earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first six months of card membership. However, you might be able to earn a higher sign-up bonus through a friend or loved one’s referral link through June 7.
Official application link: American Express Gold Card
Additional reporting by Madison Blancaflor.
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Surpass card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Gold card, please click here.
