The American Express® Gold Card
Current welcome offer
90,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months of card membership
Overall Rating: 4.2 / 5
Total value of benefits vs annual fee: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Everyday earning potential: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Travel Benefits and Credits: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Non-travel benefits and Credits: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good for International Travel Use: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author's Review
With an annual fee of $250, this card is easily justfiable, given the super-competitive earning multipliers on some of the most common spend categories. I consider this card to be an ideal optoin for families, assuming that grocery, dining, and takeout are top spend categories. The monthly $10 credits towards Uber Eats/Rides as well as the $10 monthly statement credit for select restaurants will reduce the effective annual cost of this card by $240, making the effective annual cost $10. On a personal note, this was my first ever American Express card, so I have a soft spot for this one, but it has objectively been one of the most powerful earners in my wallet for the last 11 years.
Is this card for you?
This card is for you if you...
use either Uber Eats and Uber Rides at least once a month
will purchase airfare to earn the 3x on eligible airfare spend
spend on food, whether it's groceries, dining out, delivery, or takeout
will book hotels on amextravel.com for the added Hotel Collection benefit, which includes a $100 experience credit (experience credit varies by property)
fly Delta, British Airways, Air France/KLM, Virgin Atlantic
stay at Marriott, Hilton, or Choice Privileges hotels and properties
Even if you don't do all of the above, you can still get tons of great value.
Summary of Card Features
Annual fee
$250
Membership Rewards
4x Membership Rewards® points on restaurants worldwide, including delivery and takeout
4x Membership Rewards® points at US supermarkets (excludes Walmart, Target, and warehouse clubs), on up to $25,000 in spend
3x Membership Rewards® points booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com
1x on all other eligible spend
Points can be redeemed in a variety of ways such as redeeming for statement credits, gift cards, cash back, depositing for cash into your checking account, redeeming for purchases with shopping partners, or transferring to travel partners.
Travel Benefits
No foreign transaction fees
Acess to The Hotel Collection on amextravel.com, which rewards guests with a $100 experience credit per stay (min. 2 night stay required)
$120 annual Uber cash in the form of monthly $10 Uber cash deposits at the beginning of each month into your Uber account to be used for Uber Eats or Uber rides purchases
Global Assist® Hotline
Baggage Insurance Plan
Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
Other Benefits
Access to American Express Experiences - exclusive access to presale tickets and events near you
American Express Preferred Access - access to premium seats for select cultural and sporting events
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