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American Express Gold Card

The American Express Gold Card has a $325 annual fee and earns 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets, each up to a yearly spending cap ⁠2. Its other defining features are monthly dining and Uber Cash credits, plus secondary car rental coverage and trip delay insurance ⁠2⁠4⁠6.

Compiled from official sources Checked against American Express’s terms Last reviewed How we research
Contents12 sections

At a glance

Annual fee$325⁠2
Foreign transaction feeNone⁠2
RewardsEarns 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per calendar year) and at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year), 5X on prepaid hotels and 3X on flights booked through American Express Travel or directly with airlines, 2X on prepaid car rentals and cruises through AmexTravel.com, and 1X on other eligible purchases.
Rewards programAmerican Express Membership Rewards
NetworkAmerican Express
Authorized usersNo fee No annual fee for up to 5 Additional Cards; $35 for each Additional Card from the 6th onward⁠2
IssuerAmerican Express · Official card page

What to know about the Gold

The 4X restaurant rate covers the first $50,000 of eligible purchases per calendar year and the 4X supermarket rate the first $25,000; after each cap the rate falls to 1X ⁠2. Superstores, convenience stores, warehouse clubs and meal-kit delivery services do not count as supermarkets, and restaurants inside hotels, casinos or event venues are excluded from the restaurant rate ⁠2. Flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel earn 3X, and prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel earn 5X ⁠2.

The dining credit pays up to $10 a month at Grubhub, Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory and Wonder, and the Dunkin' credit up to $7 a month; both require enrollment ⁠2. The Resy credit pays up to $50 from January through June and up to $50 from July through December, also with enrollment ⁠2. Uber Cash of $10 a month appears once the card is added to an Uber account, and unused monthly Uber Cash does not carry over ⁠2.

American Express's guides list car rental coverage of up to $50,000 per rental agreement on a secondary basis, and trip delay coverage of up to $300 per trip once a delay passes 12 hours ⁠4⁠6. The product page states that the card does not have lounge access benefits ⁠1. Up to 5 Additional Cards carry no annual fee; from the sixth onward each costs $35 ⁠2.

Earning rewards

How the Gold earns points
RateOn
4x points per $1 Restaurants worldwideLimit: $50,000 of eligible purchases per calendar year, then 1XRestaurants inside another establishment (hotel, casino, event venue), bars, nightclubs, cafeterias, caterers, bakeries and similar are excluded⁠2
4x points per $1 U.S. supermarketsLimit: $25,000 of eligible purchases per calendar year, then 1XSuperstores, convenience stores, warehouse clubs and meal-kit delivery services are not considered supermarkets⁠2
5x points per $1 Prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel⁠2
3x points per $1 Airfare on scheduled flights charged directly with passenger airlines or through American Express TravelCharter flights and private jet flights are excluded⁠2
2x points per $1 Prepaid car rentals through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App, and cruise reservations booked and paid through AmexTravel.comNon-prepaid car rentals, non-prepaid hotels, ticketing services and other fees are excluded⁠2
1x points per $1 Other eligible purchases⁠2

Membership Rewards point value varies by how points are used; transfers of points to a U.S. airline's frequent flyer program carry a fee of $0.0006 per point (maximum $99).⁠2

Travel insurance and assistance

Rental car coverageCar Rental Loss and Damage Insurance: up to $50,000 per rental agreement for damage to or theft of a rental vehicle, rentals up to 30 consecutive days; secondary coverage. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.⁠4⁠3⁠2⁠1
Trip delayTrip Delay Insurance: reimburses reasonable additional expenses when a covered trip is delayed more than 12 hours, up to $300 per covered trip, 2 claims per eligible card per 12 consecutive months; secondary coverage provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.⁠6⁠5⁠2
Lost or damaged luggageBaggage Insurance Plan: up to $500 per covered person for checked baggage and up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage, $250 maximum for high-risk items (New York residents: $10,000 aggregate per trip for all covered persons); secondary coverage underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.⁠8⁠7⁠2
Travel and emergency assistanceGlobal Assist Hotline: 24/7 coordination and assistance (lost passport, translation, missing luggage, emergency legal and medical referrals) when traveling more than 100 miles from home; services are free but Card Members are responsible for third-party costs.⁠2⁠13⁠15

Purchase and phone protection

Purchase protectionPurchase Protection: covers damage, loss or theft of covered purchases for up to 90 days from purchase, up to $10,000 per covered purchase and $50,000 per eligible card per calendar year ($500 per covered event for natural disasters). Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.⁠10⁠9⁠2
Extended warrantyExtended Warranty: extends original manufacturer's warranties of 5 years or less by up to 1 additional year, up to $10,000 per covered purchase and $50,000 per eligible card per calendar year. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.⁠12⁠11⁠2

Travel perks

Hotel benefits programThe Hotel Collection: bookings of two consecutive nights or more through American Express Travel include a $100 credit toward eligible charges, plus 4pm late check-out, 12pm check-in and a room upgrade when available.⁠2

Account features

Free credit scoreFICO Score and Experian credit report through American Express MyCredit Guide, free for Card Members.⁠14

Statement credits

Dining Credit$120 up to $10 per month. Enrollment required; participating partners Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory and Wonder, at U.S. partner locations; not available to Classic, Traditional or Senior Gold Card Members⁠2
Uber Cash$120 $10 each month. Add the Gold Card to an Uber account; usable in the U.S. when an Amex Card is selected; unused monthly Uber Cash does not carry over⁠2
Resy Credit$100 up to $50 January-June and up to $50 July-December. Enrollment required; eligible purchases at qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants and other food and beverage establishments, on Resy.com, in the Resy app and via Resy Pay; effective September 15, 2026, also purchases made directly on exploretock.com and the Tock app for U.S. establishments⁠2
Dunkin' Credit$84 up to $7 per month. Enrollment required; U.S. Dunkin' locations⁠2

Other perks

Hertz Five Star statusComplimentary upgrade to Hertz Five Star status; enrollment required and a Hertz Gold+ account needed⁠2
Membership Rewards point transfers to airline and hotel loyalty programsEnrollment in the participating frequent flyer or frequent guest program required; U.S. airline transfers carry an excise-tax offset fee⁠2
No Preset Spending Limit with Pay Over TimeCharge-style card with a flexible spending limit; eligible charges can be carried with interest via the Pay Over Time feature⁠2

Not listed for this card

The American Express pages and benefit terms we checked for the Gold do not list these benefits:

Some benefits come from the card network rather than the bank and are not always advertised. Your own Guide to Benefits, or the number on the back of the card, is the final word on what your account covers.

Sources

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