Benefits of the American Express Gold Card
It offers bonus points on food-related purchases, plus dining and travel credits. Rewards are transferrable to travel partners.
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Updated · 2 min read
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Managing Editor For serious foodies, the benefits of the American Express® Gold Card are tailor-made for your wallet.
If you can take full advantage of everything this card offers, you'll easily be able to offset the $325 annual fee (see rates and fees).
The main course: elevated rewards for dining in, dining out and grocery shopping. But the card also serves up healthy side portions of airline benefits and other perks.
Here are the benefits of the American Express® Gold Card:
🤓 Nerdy Tip
At different times in 2026, holders of the American Express® Gold Card can receive limited-time perks, including an Uber One membership credit, a Hilton Honors points transfer bonus, and AmEx travel offers. Terms apply. Points: Spending rewards
1. Bonus rewards on dining, supermarkets and certain travel
The American Express® Gold Card earns:
- 5 Membership rewards points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked through amextravel.com.
- 4 Membership Rewards points when you dine at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 per year in purchases. This includes takeout. After that, 1X back.
- 4 points at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 per year in purchases. After that, 1X back.
- 3 points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- 2 points on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel booked through American Express.
- 1 point on all other spending.
- Terms apply.
2. A sizable welcome offer
American Express describes it this way: "You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted. Terms Apply."
3. Flexible reward redemptions
The Membership Rewards points you earn with the American Express® Gold Card can be redeemed several ways, including for statement credits, gift cards or on Amazon.com. But transferring points to AmEx's multiple airline and hotel partners will almost always net you the most value per point. AmEx features more such travel partners than any other major U.S. credit card loyalty program. Here’s the list of Membership Rewards partners and transfer rates.
Full list of AmEx transfer partners
Airlines
- Aer Lingus AerClub (1:1 ratio).
- AeroMexico Club Premier (1:1.6 ratio).
- Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1 ratio).
- Air France/KLM Flying Blue (1:1 ratio).
- ANA Mileage Club (1:1 ratio).
- Avianca LifeMiles (1:1 ratio).
- British Airways Club (1:1 ratio).
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (5:4 ratio)
- Delta SkyMiles (1:1 ratio).
- Emirates Skywards (1:1 ratio).
- Etihad Guest (1:1 ratio).
- Iberia Plus (1:1 ratio).
- JetBlue TrueBlue (2.5:2 ratio).
- Qantas Airways Frequent Flyer(1:1 ratio).
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (1:1 ratio).
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (1:1 ratio).
Hotels
- Choice Hotels (1:1 ratio).
- Hilton Hotels & Resorts (1:2 ratio).
- Marriott Hotels & Resorts (1:1 ratio).
For details on transfer ratios, see AmEx's website.
Travel and entertainment perks
4. Dining credits
Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Buffalo Wild Wings, Wonder and Five Guys.
Get up to $7 per month in statement credits when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment required.
Get up to two $50 in statement credits semi-annually after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. Enrollment required.
5. Up to $120 a year in Uber cash
Add your American Express® Gold Card to your Uber account and automatically receive $10 per month in Uber Cash, good toward U.S. Uber Eats orders or Uber rides. Unused Uber Cash from this benefit does not roll over from one month to the next. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
6. $100 "experience" credit
Book a room through American Express Travel that's part of the Hotel Collection, stay two consecutive nights and get a $100 hotel credit to spend on qualifying resort experiences. Terms apply, and experiences may differ by property.
7. Presale and preferred event tickets
For select events, cardholders will have access to presale and/or preferred seating tickets purchased with their American Express® Gold Card.
8. No foreign transaction fees
Some credit cards add an additional 3% to 5% for using your card outside the U.S., but the American Express® Gold Card does not.
9. Hertz Five Star status
As a cardholder, you’ll receive Hertz Five Star status which gets you vehicle upgrades (if available) and an additional driver added at no cost, among other perks. Enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration is required.
Terms apply.
Read about the benefits of other popular credit cards
Protection and insurance benefits
Travel
10. Trip Delay Insurance
If a trip paid with the card is delayed for more than 12 hours due to a covered reason, you can get reimbursed eligible expenses made with the card (up to $300 per trip). There’s a maximum of two claims per eligible card within a 12-month period.
11. Rental car insurance
When you use your American Express® Gold Card to reserve and pay for your car rental, and decline the collision damage waiver at the rental car counter, you can be covered if the car is damaged or stolen. This coverage is secondary, meaning it kicks in after your personal auto insurance. Learn more about credit card rental car coverage.
12. Baggage insurance plan
You can be covered for lost, damaged or stolen baggage when you purchase your entire ticket on your card. Coverage can be provided for up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage.
Shopping
13. Purchase protection
Get up to $10,000 per covered purchase made with the card (up to $50,000 per calendar year) for up to 90 days from the purchase date when items are damaged, stolen or lost.
14. Extended warranty
When you charge a covered purchase to the card, you’ll receive extended warranty protection which can add up to one extra year to an original manufacturer’s warranty of five years or less. Coverage extends to the amount charged to the card, up to a maximum of $10,000 and cannot exceed $50,000 per calendar year.
Terms apply.
More about the card
To view rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, see this page.
Insurance Benefit: Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance
- 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. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
Insurance Benefit: Baggage Insurance Plan
- 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.
New Ways to Get Rewarded!
American Express® Gold Card 
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Your Offer Could Be As High as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points. Find Out Your Offer. Terms Apply.
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