10 American Express Gold Card Benefits You Didn’t Know About
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Written by
Katherine Fan
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Edited by
Emily Gadd
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Reviewed by
Jasmin Baron
The American Express® Gold Card, an advertising partner, is one of the best cards for foodies, hands down. If the bulk of your discretionary spending goes toward dining out, cooking at home and traveling on occasion, it’s hard to beat the Amex Gold for earning potential.
But credit card perks are only valuable if you use them — they don’t mean much if you don’t know about them or understand how to use them to the best advantage.
This mid-tier American Express card has a $325 annual fee, so it isn’t the best fit if you’re on a tight budget or if you don’t spend enough on bonus categories to make the expense worth your while. This guide outlines some of the best Amex Gold Card benefits you may not know about, to help you maximize your investment.
1. Generous Welcome Offer
The Amex Gold has a unique welcome offer for new cardholders. You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. You’ll be able to see exactly how much you can earn when you apply for the card.
You’ll typically need to spend a certain amount of money within a designated amount of time to earn a credit card welcome offer, so applying just before making a large purchase is a smart way to kill two birds with one stone.
2. Bonus Points on Groceries and Dining Out
Dollar for dollar, the Amex Gold earns some of the best returns on food-related spending. Cardholders earn 4 American Express Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 per calendar year (then 1x). And because the card doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee, this benefit is particularly handy for travelers who enjoy dining around the world.
Amex Gold cardholders also earn 4x at supermarkets within the U.S., which makes cooking dinner much more exciting, knowing you’re racking up rewards for future travel and other adventures. This bonus earning rate is capped at $25,000 per calendar year; every dollar on groceries after that earns 1x.
3. Extra Rewards on Travel Expenses
The Amex Gold also earns generous returns on travel expenses. Cardholders earn 3 Amex points per dollar on flights booked directly through the airline or on AmexTravel.com, and 2x on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel expenses booked through Amex Travel®.
These rewards add up quickly, especially on flight purchases — and select hotels through Amex enjoy additional benefits, which we’ll describe in more detail below.
4. Resy Credit Every 6 Months
The Amex Gold comes with several generous credits worth hundreds of dollars each year. While most are divvied up into monthly allotments, the $50 semi-annual Resy credit is the easiest one to use.
You’ll need to enroll in this benefit to activate your credit. After that, simply dine at an eligible restaurant in the Resy network and pay with your card to trigger the credit. The $50 Resy credit will appear on your credit card statement.
Cardholders get up to $100 per calendar year: up to $50 from January through June, then up to $50 between July and December.
5. Monthly Credit for Burgers, Cheesecake, Wine and More
The Amex Gold offers a monthly credit of up to $10 toward purchases from dining partners Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com and Five Guys. Similar to the Resy credit, this benefit applies to any eligible transaction charged to your card after you enroll via your online dashboard.
Some cardholders use this credit to treat their kids to a slice of cheesecake every month, while others use it to offset their wine subscriptions, weeknight burger dinners, food delivery orders or bougie grocery treats.
6. Monthly Credit for Coffee and Donuts
Cardholders receive a monthly credit of up to $7 for U.S. purchases at Dunkin’. As with the previous credits, you’ll activate the benefit by enrolling through your Amex account online. Up to $7 will be automatically credited back to your account in the form of a statement credit after making an eligible purchase at a participating Dunkin’ location.
If you prefer saving the $7 credits toward larger purchases, or you don’t have a Dunkin’ nearby, cardholders have reported success using the Dunkin’ app to load a monthly charge of $7 onto a digital gift card with the Amex Gold. However, this credit won’t apply to gift cards you purchase in stores, per the fine print on this offer.
7. Monthly Uber Cash
The Amex Gold includes up to $120 a year in Uber Cash credits that can be used in the U.S. for Uber rides or toward Uber Eats and Postmates food delivery.
After enrolling in the benefit, verify that you have the newest version of the Uber, Uber Eats or Postmates app, then add your Amex Gold as a payment method. The account will automatically load $10 Uber Cash on the first day of the month, which expires if unused by the last day of the month and does not roll over.
When you’re ready to use rewards, make sure the Uber Cash payment method is toggled on, and that your Amex card is selected for payment in the app to activate the credit.
8. Benefits and Credits for Select Hotel Bookings
The Amex Gold Card is best for food-related expenses, but cardholders also enjoy luxury perks on hotel stays booked through The Hotel Collection within Amex Travel. This carefully curated portfolio of premium hotels provides additional benefits for cardholders who book stays of two nights or more, including:
- Up to $100 experience credit toward incidental expenses at the hotel, such as dining, spa treatments and more
- Complimentary room upgrade when available
- Complimentary early check-in at 12 p.m. when available
- Complimentary late check-out when available
To activate this benefit, simply book an eligible hotel stay through The Hotel Collection via Amex Travel and pay with your American Express card.
9. Travel Insurance and Purchase Protection
The Amex Gold Card comes with built-in travel insurance that can make a bad travel day a little more bearable. It also includes protection benefits that can reimburse you if something goes wrong with an eligible item you’ve purchased with your card.
- Trip delay insurance: When you book a round-trip flight entirely with the card and your trip is delayed by 12 hours or more for an eligible reason, you can be reimbursed for certain expenses of up to $300 per trip. Cardholders are limited to up to two claims within a rolling 12-month period. Terms apply, so read the fine print in your card benefits guide.
- Baggage insurance: On trips paid entirely with the Amex Gold, you can be reimbursed for lost, damaged, or stolen bags if the airline doesn’t fully compensate you for the worth of your belongings. Cardholders with eligible claims can get up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked bags. For New York state residents, there is a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all impacted travelers and luggage on the same reservation. Terms, benefits, and exclusions apply.
- Car rental coverage: You’ll receive secondary insurance protection when you pay for a car rental with your card and decline the collision damage waiver (CDW) offered by the rental car company during checkout. Important exclusions and conditions apply, so read the fine print before booking. For example, rentals in several countries are excluded from coverage, including Australia, New Zealand and Italy.
- Extended warranty: Cardholders enjoy extended warranty coverage on eligible purchases made with the Amex Gold, up to one additional year of coverage after the manufacturer’s warranty ends. The extended warranty benefit covers up to $10,000 per eligible claim, and up to $50,000 a year. Terms apply.
- Purchase protection: This benefit protects you if a new purchase you’ve made with your card is damaged, stolen or lost within 90 days of your original purchase date. Purchase protection covers up to $10,000 per covered purchase, and up to $50,000 a year. Terms and conditions apply.
10. Access to Amex Offers
Amex Gold cardholders can enroll and unlock additional discounts, incentives and rewards through Amex Offers.
Amex Offers vary from retailer to retailer and can take many different forms. For example, you might get an offer to earn $35 back after spending $180 at the Ray-Ban store, or 1,000 Amex points after spending $100 on shipping expenses. Offers vary from time to time, and are targeted at specific individuals.
You can activate these offers by adding them to your card via your online dashboard before making the required purchase. You’ll automatically see the incentive in your account after the eligible transaction has been processed.
For the Trip Delay insurance on the American Express® Gold Card, Up to $300 per Covered Trip that is delayed for more than 12 hours; and 2 claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
For the Baggage Insurance on the American Express® Gold Card, Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Eligible Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the entire fare for a Common Carrier Vehicle ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible Account. Coverage can be provided for up to $1,250 for carry-on Baggage and up to $500 for checked Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus). For New York State residents, there is a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
For the Car Rental Insurance on the American Express® Gold Card, Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
For the Extended Warranty on the American Express® Gold Card, When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty§ can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
For the Purchase Protection on the American Express® Gold Card, Purchase Protection is an embedded benefit of your Card Membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect Covered Purchases made on your Eligible Card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date. The coverage is limited up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Coverage Limits Apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Frequently Asked Questions About Amex Gold Benefits
What are the benefits of an Amex Gold Card?
The Amex Gold Card earns generous returns on food and travel expenses and comes with annual credit opportunities toward Uber, Resy, Dunkin’ and other popular restaurant chains.
Is the Amex Gold worth paying for?
The Amex Gold can be worth it if you spend at least $1,000 a month on food and travel expenses, which earn up to 4 Amex points per dollar, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year or you regularly use Uber or Uber Eats and dine at Resy restaurants and Dunkin’. Otherwise, the card’s $325 annual fee may not be worth the expense to you.
Why is the Amex Gold so popular?
The Amex Gold is popular with foodies and travelers because it you can earn hundreds of dollars’ worth of annual credits toward dining and travel while offering generous travel insurance and purchase protection benefits.
Does the Amex Gold give you TSA PreCheck?
No, the Amex Gold doesn’t come with credit toward TSA PreCheck enrollment fees.
How much is the Amex Gold annual fee?
The Amex Gold Card has an annual fee of $325.
