Asking me to pick my favorite credit card would be like asking a father of 27 to pick his favorite child. And yes, I do have that many open, active credit cards (but only one child).
However, there’s one card that I use more frequently than any other in my wallet — and that’s my American Express® Gold Card.
Right now, Amex Gold applicants can find out their offer and see if they are eligible for as high as 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 for an offer.)
Here’s why the Amex Gold has been (and will remain) a mainstay in my wallet.
Lucrative earning rates
One of the most appealing features of the Amex Gold Card is its earning rates. After the card’s recent refresh, here’s how you earn Membership Rewards points on the card:
- 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked through amextravel.com and the Amex Travel App™
- 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 in purchases every year, then 1 point per dollar)
- 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases every 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 through amextravel.com
To me, it’s those pair of food-centric earning rates that stand out.
I often eat out with my family, but we also love to cook at home. While it sometimes seems like our grocery bill is high, we never come anywhere near the Amex Gold’s yearly spending cap ($25,000 a year, equating to $480 a week). And since the card doesn’t have foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees), I can confidently swipe it at restaurants abroad to still earn those bonus points.
These bonus categories alone make the Amex Gold a perfect fit for me.
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Dining 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 (enrollment is required for all of these).
For starters, I easily use the up to $10 in Uber Cash† I get on the card each month, valid for Uber rides and Uber Eats orders in the U.S. Right now, you can even unlock a year of Uber One membership with the card, thanks to a targeted offer in celebration of the card’s 60th anniversary.
In addition, 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 when we’re on the road. Effectively saving $10 each month (plus earning 4 points per dollar on the rest of the purchase) is an easy win.
Beyond that, you can also earn up to $100 in statement credits for eligible U.S. Resy purchases on the Amex Gold (up to $50 from January to June and up to $50 from July to December). There’s only one Resy restaurant near my house, but it is an easy way to save money when traveling, letting me treat my family to a nice dinner out while saving up to $50 twice a year. Enrollment required.
Finally, cardholders receive up to $7 in monthly Dunkin’ credits. This applies to purchases made directly at U.S. Dunkin’ locations, but it can also be triggered by reloading your account through the Dunkin’ app. My daughter and I love hitting Dunkin’ on weekend mornings when my wife has to work, and it’s great to have that balance waiting for us when we do. Enrollment required.
†Uber Cash will only be deposited into one Uber account when you add the Amex Gold as a payment method and redeem with any Amex card.
Targeted offers
I’ve also gotten a ton of value from targeted Amex Offers on the card.
Since 2021, I’ve received over $575 in statement credits and nearly 7,000 additional points by activating these offers at merchants like Amazon.com, CVS and Fanatics. I also earned a 10,000-point bonus for adding an authorized user and referred a friend back in 2023, taking home a one-time bonus of 20,000 points (these offers aren’t always available and subject to change at any time).
As noted above, there are some solid offers available right now to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Amex Gold, including:
- Earn 50% back as a statement credit on all eligible Clear+ membership purchases through July 30, up to $300 back total (through July 30) — which can be stacked with TPG’s special offer of $40 off your first year of membership.
- Earn up to $96 back, one time, when you purchase an annual Uber One membership (through Oct. 30).
- Spend $99 or more on an annual HBO Max subscription, earn $50 back (through June 17).
Enrollment required.
I make it a point to check my account at least once a week to activate any offers that align with my normal spending habits.
Valuable transfer partners
Finally, I am a huge fan of the American Express Membership Rewards program.
TPG values Amex points at 2 cents apiece thanks to the array of lucrative transfer partners, including Air Canada Aeroplan and Air France-KLM Flying Blue. Even better? The program frequently offers transfer bonuses to select partners.
Some of my favorite past redemptions through Amex transfer partners include:
- 42,500 points transferred to Avios for nonstop, 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’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to the Philippines — though sadly this option is no longer available
- 70,000 points transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan for business-class flights from Florida to Europe (or back) on Discover Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines and TAP Air Portugal
For additional suggestions, check out our guide to maximizing Amex Membership Rewards points.
Bottom line
With 27 credit cards in my wallet, I clearly cast a wide net when deciding which ones are a good fit for my lifestyle. However, I actually only 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 is a workhorse in this regard.
With 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets and worldwide restaurants, I earn a ton of Amex points on two of my biggest spending categories. Pair that with the solid statement credits, targeted offers and terrific slate of transfer partners and the Amex Gold will stay at the top of my wallet for years to come.
To learn more, read our full review of the Amex Gold.
Apply here: American Express Gold Card
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold, please click here.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thepointsguy.com
