Note: This review is from 2021, and significant details have changed. Check out our updated 2024 review!
The American Express Gold Charge Card is a mid-to-high tier card for food and travel. It earns a decent amount of points at restaurants and grocery stores, and has benefits to offset the high annual fee. It’s one of the more flexible cards from American Express, and it wouldn’t hurt for most people to take a look.
FEATURES AT A GLANCE
- $250 annual fee
- Zero foreign transaction fees
- 4x points on dining (restaurants, takeout, delivery)
- 4x points on groceries (up to $25,000 spent at U.S. grocery stores)
- 3x points on flights
- 1x points on everything else
- Metal card
- AMEX Offers
SIGN UP BONUS
The sign-up bonus (SUB) on AMEX cards varies often. As of November 2022, the Gold card publicly offers 90,000 points (normally 60,000) after spending $4,000+ in your first 6 months of holding the card. This is a 22.5% RoS (Return on Spend) not including cash back, miscellaneous benefits, or the annual fee. At 60k points it’s a 15% RoS.
When applying through Resy’s website, the sign-up bonus is 75,000 points plus restaurant purchases get 20% back as a statement credit (max $250 in credits) in your first 12 months. You’d have to spend $1,250 on dining to max out the credits ($104 per month). For some people, this is worth $100 more compared to the 90k SUB. Keep in mind that all offers are subject to change at any time.
Until the end of 2021, AMEX Gold came with 12 free months of Uber Eats Pass ($120 value).
In September 2021, the Gold card offered 75,000 points plus a 0% APR introductory rate. Always try to get the best possible offer, since American Express cards give sign-up bonuses once per lifetime for each card.
OTHER BENEFITS OF THE AMERICAN EXPRESS GOLD
- $10 monthly Uber Cash (expires at the end of each month, valid for either Uber Eats orders or US-based Uber rides)
- $10 monthly credit at Grubhub or “other participating partners.”
- $100 credit for “qualifying activities” when customers “book The Hotel Collection with American Express Travel.”
- Emergency assistance hotline
- Lost baggage insurance
- Car rental insurance (secondary)
The card also allows people to get “premium seats” and “exclusive access to ticket presales and Card Member-only events in a city near you.”
At one point, the card offered free Shoprunner membership ($79 value) and a free Travel Leaders membership ($295 value). These benefits may not exist anymore.
RESTRICTIONS AND CREDIT SCORE
Recommended credit score: 670+
Although American Express is widely accepted, it doesn’t have the same acceptance rate as Visa or Mastercard, especially overseas. It’s good to have a backup card when traveling.
Also note that this is a charge card, not a credit card, and the usual AMEX restrictions apply.
MAXIMIZING REWARDS WITH AMERICAN EXPRESS
AMEX added the option to redeem points for cash at $0.01 each in 2021. This gives the sign-up bonus a $900+ value. Transferring to travel partners can make points more valuable. However, the options can be limited, depending on cardholder location and travel preferences.
American Express transfer partners include:
- Asia Miles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Delta SkyMiles
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Guest
- Finnair Plus
- Air France Flying Blue
- Hilton Honors
- Iberia Plus
- Marriott Bonvoy
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Radisson Rewards
- SAS EuroBonus
- Singapore KrisFlyer
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
The Gold card is aimed at people who like food delivery, Uber trips, and grocery shopping. The 4x points on dining and grocery is the main draw. For someone who can get full use out of the Uber and dining credits, the Gold card almost pays for itself in the first year ($240 value vs $250 annual fee). That doesn’t even take into account the points earned from using the card.
Cardholders have to spend around $3,000 a year on dining and groceries to outdo no-fee 3% cash back cards. ($120 earned at 4% vs $90 earned at 3%). Spending $250 per month is easily attainable for most people. Some cards can earn more on groceries, but are limited to $6,000 a year in spending. The Gold is a clear winner if you spend more than that.
The $100 credit with hotel stays is mostly useless, since other cards (even within AMEX’s own lineup) offer more benefits, and the credit can’t be used for booking hotel rooms. It’s only for extras like spa treatments. For flights and hotels, it’s better to apply for the American Express Platinum card.
Keep in mind that the less you use the card’s credits, the more you’d have to spend to offset the annual fee.
Your points can get increased value with the AMEX Schwab Platinum card, 1.1 cents per point instead of 1 cent per point. This effectively makes the Gold card 4.4% cash back on dining and groceries.
ALTERNATIVES TO THE GOLD CARD
The Citi Premier is the closest alternative; it earns points in the same categories and has a lower annual fee. It isn’t a good card overall though. For separate categories, examples of alternatives include:
Dining: Chase Sapphire Reserve, Citi Custom Cash, Chase Freedom Flex, U.S. Bank Altitude Go
Groceries: American Express Blue Cash Preferred, Citi Custom Cash, Capital One SavorOne
Flights: Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Platinum
General travel: Chase Sapphire Reserve, US Bank Altitude Reserve, Capital One Venture X
Everything else: Any 2% card, such as PenFed Power Rewards
CONCLUSION
The Gold isn’t the best card for travel expenses, but it’s decent when combined with other benefits. It’s best for getting food (restaurants or groceries), depending on personal spending habits (and if you can maximize the annual credits). For some people, the Gold card is a fantastic deal, but it does have some fairly narrow applications. No-fee cards might be a better deal for others.
The Gold card is best for people who spend between $6,000 and $25,000 annually on dining and groceries. In the short term however, the large sign-up bonus makes the card attractive for at least one year. Long-term, other cards like the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve could be better.
We rate the Gold card 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Note: This review was last updated in November 2022. Details may have changed since then. Please do your own research where applicable, to ensure you’re getting the best deal. Or contact us directly to take advantage of our personalized consulting services!