60,000 Membership Rewards points 
$1,287 First-year value The American Express® Gold Card is a travel-focused card with elevated Membership Rewards earning rates.
This card is ideal for individuals who can make the most out of the generous earning rates, and who can also take advantage of the annual dining credit of $120 (all figures in USD) and the annual Uber Cash credit of $120.
Bonuses & Fees
The American Express® Gold Card currently has a welcome bonus of up to 60,000 Membership Rewards points, which are earned after spending $6,000 within the first six months of card membership.†
The card has an annual fee of $325, and up to five additional cardholders can be added to the account for free. There is an annual fee of $35 per card if you wish to add a sixth additional cardholder or beyond.
Earning Rewards
With the American Express® Gold Card, you’ll earn 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar spent as the baseline earning rate.
Additionally, you can earn higher rates when you spend on select categories:
- Earn 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on restaurants worldwide and on takeout and delivery in the US‡
- Earn 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on US supermarkets, valid on up to $25,000 in purchases per year‡
- Earn 3 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or booked using the Amex Travel website‡
- Earn 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on Prepaid Hotels and other eligible travel purchases, booked through AmexTravel.com.‡
- Earn 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar spent on other eligible purchases‡
Redeeming Rewards
American Express Membership Rewards points are a flexible, transferable rewards currency that offer outstanding redemption opportunities.
You can redeem Membership Rewards points by transferring them to partnered airline and hotel loyalty programs, or you can redeem points directly with Amex Travel (American Express’ travel portal) by purchasing gift cards, shopping online, or redeeming for statement credits.
Of the above redemption options, the best value can typically be found by transferring your Membership Rewards points to one of the many partner programs.
As it stands, there are 17 airline loyalty programs and three hotel loyalty programs to which you can transfer Membership Rewards points.
The following airline loyalty programs are transfer partners with American Express Membership Rewards:
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Aeromexico Rewards
- Air France KLM Flying Blue
- ANA Mileage Club
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Delta SkyMiles
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Guest
- HawaiianMiles
- Iberia Plus
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
All but one of the airline programs have a transfer rate of 1:1 from Membership Rewards. This means that for every 1,000 Membership Rewards points you transfer, you’ll receive 1,000 miles/points in your airline loyalty program account.
The only exception to this is Aeromexico Rewards which has a 1:1.6 transfer ratio. In this case, for every 1,000 Membership Rewards points transferred, you’ll receive 1,600 Aeromexico Rewards points.
The following hotel loyalty programs are also transfer partners with American Express Membership Rewards:
- Choice Privileges
- Hilton Honors
- Marriott Bonvoy
Membership Rewards points can be transferred to Marriott Bonvoy and Choice Privileges at a 1:1 ratio and to Hilton Honors at a ratio of 1:2.
It’s worth noting that there are occasionally transfer bonuses from American Express Membership Rewards to transfer partners. These bonuses typically range from 25% to 50%. For example, a 25% bonus on transfers to Marriott Bonvoy would mean a transfer ratio of 1:1.25 instead of the usual 1:1.
Membership Rewards points can also be redeemed for bookings made through Amex Travel. Through this redemption avenue, you’ll receive a value of 1 Membership Rewards point = 1 cent. This means that for every 1,000 Membership Rewards points you redeem, you’ll get $10 to put towards travel.
Additionally, if you book travel outside Amex Travel with your Gold Card (including prepaid hotels, car rentals, cruises, and more), you can redeem Membership Rewards points for a statement credit at a lower value of 0.7 cents per Membership Rewards point.
In this case, for every 1,000 Membership Rewards points you redeem for bookings outside of Amex Travel, you’ll get a statement credit of $7.
You can also redeem Membership Rewards points for a statement credit against any eligible purchase made on your Gold Card at a value of 0.6 cents per Membership Rewards point.
By going this route, every 1,000 Membership Rewards points redeemed gets you a $6 statement credit.
Perks & Benefits
The American Express® Gold Card provides a handful of perks that most cardholders will find beneficial.
The American Express® Gold Card gains you access to the American Express Hotel Collection, and when you book a minimum two-night stay at an eligible hotel, you’ll earn a $100 experience credit that can be used towards incredible activities during your trip.
As a cardholder, you can also take advantage of the $120 Uber credit for up to $10/month off Uber Eats and Uber rides within the US, and the $120 dining credit for an up to $10/month statement credit when you spend with participating partners like Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, and wine.com.
With the American Express® Gold Card, you’ll also get all of the standard perks of being an American Express cardholder, including exclusive access to ticket presales and cardholder-only events, plus Amex Offers for extra everyday value when you use your card.
Amex Offers can be especially valuable, as you can use them to easily earn statement credits or Membership Rewards points on eligible purchases after registration.
Lastly, when using the American Express® Gold Card while traveling outside the United States, you won’t have to pay any foreign transaction fees – a benefit that can certainly amount to some significant savings over the course of your travels.
Insurance Coverage
The American Express® Gold Card comes with fairly strong insurance coverage. The benefits include:
- Trip Delay Insurance: Up to $300 per trip, with a maximum of two claims per 12 consecutive month period, if your trip is delayed by 12 hours or more.
- Baggage Insurance Plan: If your bag is lost, damaged, or stolen, you can receive up to $2,000 per checked bag and up to $3,000 per carry-on bag.
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance: You can decline the collision damage waiver (CDW) when you rent a car, and you’ll be covered for damage to or theft of the rental vehicle in a covered territory.
- Extended Warranty: Up to one additional year on top of the original manufacturer’s warranty on eligible warranties of five years or less.
- Purchase Protection: You’re covered for up to $10,000 per occurrence, or $50,000 per calendar year, if your new purchase gets stolen, accidentally damaged, or lost within 90 days of your purchase date.