American Express Gold Card
| Annual fee | $325 Fact |
| Foreign transaction fee | None |
| Rewards currency | Membership Rewards points |
| Est. point value | 2.00¢ Estimate |
Last updated Oct 26, 2026
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Before you apply
General American Express policies as commonly reported by applicants, not a prediction about your application.
Sign-up bonus history
5-year best: 100,000 pointsView as a table
| Period | Bonus | Spend requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2021 to Aug 2024 · 2.8 yr | 60,000 points | $4,000 |
| Aug 2024 to Jan 2025 · 5 mo | 60,000 points plus $100 statement credit | $6,000 |
| Jan 2025 to Jul 2025 · 6 mo | 60,000 points | $6,000 |
| Jul 2025 to now · 15 mo | 100,000 points Best | $6,000 |
Based on the public offers we have on record over time. Short-lived offers may not appear, and elevated or targeted offers are not shown.
How you earn
| Category | Rate | Currency | Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prepaid hotels (issuer portal) | 5x | Membership Rewards points | No cap |
| Groceries | 4x | Membership Rewards points | $25,000/yr |
| Restaurants | 4x | Membership Rewards points | $50,000/yr |
| Flights | 3x | Membership Rewards points | No cap |
| Car rentals and cruises (issuer portal) | 2x | Membership Rewards points | No cap |
| Everything else | 1x | Membership Rewards points | No cap |
Your elite status
Recurring credits
Estimated value| Get $10 in Uber Cash each month when you add your Gold Card to your Uber account, usable on Uber rides and eligible orders in the U.S. Primary cardmember only
|
$120/yr (Monthly) |
| Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. Annual savings of up to $120. Shared across the account
|
$120/yr (Monthly) |
| Get up to $50 in statement credits from January through June and up to $50 from July through December at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants. Enrollment required. Shared across the account
|
$100/yr (Semiannual) |
| Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment required. Shared across the account
|
$84/yr (Monthly) |
| Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when booking The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or Amex Travel App. Requires two-night minimum stay. Shared across the account
|
$0/yr (Per use) |
Credit value depends on whether you use each credit; treat these as potential value.
Benefits & protections
Card factsComplimentary upgrade to Hertz Five Star Status as a Gold Card Member, plus 2X Membership Rewards points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
Enjoy every trip abroad with no foreign transaction fees from American Express.
24/7 emergency assistance and coordination services when traveling more than 100 miles from home, including medical/legal referrals, emergency cash wires, and missing luggage assistance. Third-party costs are Card Member's responsibility.
Enjoy an enhanced experience at select stadiums and arenas including dedicated entrances or fast lanes; enroll your Card and get 10% back on qualifying concessions purchases up to $250 per calendar year.
Access to Amex Presale Tickets and Amex Reserved Tickets for select sports, music, and other events, plus additional perks at select events.
Send money and split purchases with Venmo or PayPal users in the American Express App, without standard Venmo/PayPal credit card fee. Enrollment required.
Extended Warranty can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer's Warranty on warranties of 5 years or less; coverage up to the amount charged, not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year.
Covers eligible purchases for up to 90 days from purchase date if accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost; up to $10,000 per purchase, up to $50,000 per calendar year.
Coverage for damage to or theft of a rental vehicle when using your Eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire rental and declining the CDW. Secondary coverage, no liability coverage. Not available in Australia, Italy, New Zealand.
Covers lost, damaged, or stolen baggage when the Entire Fare for a Common Carrier ticket is purchased with the Card; up to $1,250 for carry-on and $500 for checked baggage.
If a round-trip is paid for entirely with your Eligible Card and a covered reason delays your trip more than 12 hours, Trip Delay Insurance can help reimburse certain additional expenses, up to $300 per trip, maximum 2 claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period.
Authorized users on the Amex Gold
Card factsThe first 5 are free, then $35 a year each. Must be 13 or older.
Each authorized user gets
- Baggage insurance plan
- Car rental loss and damage insurance
- Extended warranty
- Hertz five star status
- Purchase protection
- Trip delay insurance
Shared across the account
- American Express venue collection
- Dining credit
- Dunkin credit
- Resy credit
- The hotel collection credit
Primary cardmember only
- Uber Cash
Transfer partners
A transfer bonus is running on this currency. Navigator shows how big it is and when it ends.
Alliance reach: Oneworld, SkyTeam, Star Alliance. Points transferred to a member can often be redeemed across the alliance.
News on this card
-
Article Aug 22, 2026Is Cash Back Better Than Points? Amex Gold vs. 2% Cash Back
Points do convert to money, at 0.6 cents each. Where a flat 2% card wins, where the Amex Gold wins, and why most people should carry both.