Why I love my Amex Gold card and will keep it for many years

Asking me to choose my favorite credit card would be like asking a 27-year-old father to choose his favorite child. And yes, I have so many credit cards open and active (but only one child).

However, there is one card that I use more frequently than any other in my wallet, and that is my American Express® Gold Card.

Right now, Amex Gold applicants can learn about their offer and see if they are eligible to receive up to 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. (Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible to receive an offer.)

Here’s why Amex Gold has been (and will continue to be) a mainstay in my wallet.

Lucrative profit rates

One of the most attractive features of Amex Gold Card are their profit rates. after card recent updatethat’s how you win Membership Rewards points on the card:

• 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked through amextravel.com and Amex Travel App™
• 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide (on purchases up to $50,000 each year, then 1 point per dollar)
• 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (on purchases up to $25,000 each year, then 1 point per dollar)
• 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked through amextravel.com, the Amex Travel app or directly with airlines
• 2 points per dollar spent on prepaid car rentals booked through amextravel.com and the Amex Travel app
• 2 points per dollar spent on cruises booked and paid for through amextravel.com

For me, what stands out are those pair of food-focused win rates.

I often go out to eat with my family, but we also love to cook at home. While it sometimes seems like our grocery bill is high, we never come close to Amex Gold’s annual spending limit ($25,000 a year, which is $480 a week). And since the card does not have foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees), I can confidently spend it at restaurants abroad to keep earning those bonus points.

These bonus categories alone make Amex Gold perfect for me.

Meal and travel benefits

Beyond the earning rates, I’m a big fan of the card’s additional benefits, many of which come in handy when we travel (you need to sign up for all of them).

To start, I easily use the up $10 Uber cash†I receive the card every month, valid for Uber rides and Uber Eats orders in the US. Right now, you can even unlock a year of Uber One membership with the card, thanks to a specific offer on 60th anniversary celebration card.

Additionally, the card features Up to $10 in monthly statement credits at select dining partners, including popular merchants like Five Guys, Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Wonder and Buffalo Wild Wings. We happen to love Five Guys in the Ewen family as it’s a great place to grab a quick bite to eat when we’re on the road. Effectively saving $10 each month (plus earning 4 points per dollar on the rest of your purchase) is an easy win.

Beyond that, you can also earn up to $100 in statement credits for eligible individuals. Resy Purchases in the USA on Amex Gold (up to $50 from January to June and up to $50 from July to December). There is only one Resy restaurant near my house, but it’s an easy way to save money when I travel by allowing me to treat my family to a nice dinner and save up to $50 twice a year. Registration is required.

Finally, cardholders receive up to $7 in monthly Dunkin’ credits. This applies to purchases made directly at Dunkin’ US locations, but can also be activated by reloading your account through the Dunkin’ app. My daughter and I love going to Dunkin’ on weekend mornings when my wife has to work, and it’s great to have that balance waiting for us when we do. Registration is required.

†Uber Cash will only be deposited into an Uber account when you add Amex Gold as a payment method and redeem with any Amex card.

Targeted offers

I also got a lot of value from targeted campaigns. Amex Offers on the card.

Since 2021, I’ve received over $575 in statement credits and nearly 7,000 bonus points by activating these offers at merchants like Amazon.com, CVS, and Fanatics. I also got a 10,000 point bonus for add an authorized user and recommended to a friend in 2023, taking home a one-time bonus of 20,000 points (these offers are not always available and subject to change at any time).

As noted above, there are some solid deals available right now to celebrate Amex Gold’s 60th anniversary, including:

• Earn 50% back as a statement credit on all eligible Clear+ membership purchases through July 30, up to a total of $300 cash back (through July 30), which can be accumulated with TPG Special Offer $40 off your first year of membership.
• Earn up to $96, one time, when you purchase an annual Uber One membership (through October 30).
• Spend $99 or more on an annual subscription to HBO Max and get $50 back (through June 17).

Registration is required.

I make it a point to check my account at least once a week to activate any offers that align with my usual spending habits.

Valuable transfer partners

Lastly, I’m a big fan of the American Express Membership Rewards program.

TPG values ​​Amex points at 2 cents each thanks to the variety of lucrative transfer partnersincluding Air Canada airplane and Air France-KLM Flying Blue. Even better? The program frequently offers transfer bonuses to select partners.

Some of my favorite past trades through Amex transfer partners include:

• 42,500 points transferred to Avios for non-stop business class flights from Miami International Airport (MIA) to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD)
• 95,000 points transferred to ANA Mileage Club for round-trip business class flights on Philippine Airlines from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to the Philippines, although unfortunately this option is no longer available
• 70,000 points transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan for business class flights from Florida to Europe (or vice versa) on Discover Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines and TAP Air Portugal

For additional suggestions, see our Guide to Maximizing Amex Membership Rewards Points.

In a nutshell

With 27 credit cards in my wallet, I clearly make a wide selection when deciding which ones fit well into my lifestyle. However, I only really use a handful of them for my regular spending, and it takes a lot to earn a spot in that rotation.

and the Amex Gold Card It is a workhorse in this sense.

At 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants around the world, I earn a ton of Amex points in two of my biggest spending categories. Combine that with solid statement credits, targeted offers, and great list of transfer partners and Amex Gold will remain at the top of my wallet for years to come.

For more information, read our full review of the Amex Gold.

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Apply here: American Express Gold Card

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For Amex Gold rates and fees, click here.