American Express
American Express Gold
American Express Gold costs $325 annual fee and earns up to 4× on dining. It also carries $84 of statement credits a year, which is where a lot of its real value sits. Everything below comes from the card catalog we check against issuer terms, with the arithmetic spelled out.
Enter a typical month of spending to see what the American Express Gold returns after its fee next to three cards it is usually compared with, then take those numbers to the full credit card rewards calculator to weigh up everything else in your wallet. No signup, and it runs in your browser.
- Annual fee
- $325 annual fee
- Best earn rate
- 4× dining
- Points value
- 2¢ a point
- Used when you transfer to a travel partner. Cash back is worth 1¢.
- Welcome bonus
- 60,000 points
- About $2,000 if you redeem at 2¢ a point, and only if you clear the spending requirement.
- Credits a year
- $84
- What the calculator counts, after discounts for perks most people do not use in full.
- Foreign transaction fee
- none
What the American Express Gold earns
- Caps at $50,000 of spend Year on Dining, then 1×.
- Caps at $25,000 of spend Year on Groceries, then 1×.
Hotels and rental cars through the issuer's travel site
5×
Only through the issuer's portal
Dining
4×
U.S. supermarkets
4×
Flights through the issuer's travel site
3×
Only through the issuer's portal
Flights and hotels booked direct
3×
| Category | Rate | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels and rental cars through the issuer's travel site | 5× | Only through the issuer's portal |
| Dining | 4× | |
| U.S. supermarkets | 4× | |
| Flights through the issuer's travel site | 3× | Only through the issuer's portal |
| Flights and hotels booked direct | 3× |
Rates checked with the issuer in October 2026. Spending outside these categories earns 1×. Confirm current terms with the issuer before you apply.
Is the American Express Gold right for you?
Enter a typical month. You will see what the American Express Gold returns after its annual fee, next to three cards it is usually compared with, and the full credit card rewards calculator weighs up everything else you spend.
Estimated rewards per year, after the annual fee
American Express Gold Top for your numbers
4× dining, 4× groceries; 1× everything else. $325 annual fee.
Rewards $1,150 · Fee −$325
+$825
IHG One Rewards Premier Select
12× travel booked direct, 6× dining; 1× everything else. $350 annual fee.
Rewards $766 · Fee −$350
+$416
3× travel booked direct, 2× dining; 1× everything else. $350 annual fee.
Rewards $498 · Fee −$350
+$148
5× travel booked direct; 1× everything else. $895 annual fee.
Rewards $646 · Fee −$895
−$249
How we estimate
- Every rate on this page comes from the card catalog. American Express Gold pays 1× on spending outside the bonus categories listed above, and up to 4× on dining.
- We value this card's points at 2¢ each. Cash back is valued at 1¢.
- Net is a year of rewards minus the annual fee. Credits count only when you tick the box.
- Welcome bonuses are left out of the tool so the numbers read as an ordinary year.
- Rent is not in the boxes: most landlords charge a fee that cancels out the rewards, and only a few cards earn on rent at all. Add rent in the full calculator, where those rules are modelled.
- Travel-portal bookings are not in the boxes, because portal prices differ from booking direct. The portal rates are in the table above.
- Rates checked with issuers in October 2026. Terms change, so confirm with the issuer before you apply. Educational estimate, not financial advice.
One category doesn’t pick a wallet. Add the rest of your monthly spending to see which cards win across everything, fees included.
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Welcome bonus
60,000 points to 100,000 points
About $2,000 if you redeem at 2¢ a point, and only if you clear the spending requirement.
Points and partners
Amex Membership Rewards
Transferable to airline and hotel partners.
Airlines
Aer Lingus, Air Canada (Aeroplan), Air France-KLM, ANA, Avianca, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta, Emirates, Etihad, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia, JetBlue (1.25:1), Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
Hotels
Choice Privileges, Hilton (1:2), Marriott Bonvoy
Credits and perks
| Credit | Sticker value | Counted |
|---|---|---|
| Dunkin' credit Up to $7 a month at U.S. Dunkin' locations. | $84 | $84 |
Sticker value is the full face amount. Counted is what the calculator credits, which is lower where most people do not use the perk in full.
Where this data came from
Checked americanexpress.com 2026-10-05. $325 annual fee. 4x on restaurants worldwide up to $50,000 a year and 4x on U.S. supermarkets up to $25,000 a year, each cap separate; 3x on flights booked with airlines or through Amex Travel; 5x on prepaid hotels through Amex Travel, with 2x now applying to prepaid car rentals and Amex Travel cruises; 1x other. The row previously put 2x on hotels through Amex Travel and described the restaurant cap as $25,000, which is the supermarket figure. New benefits not modeled: complimentary Hertz Five Star Status and The Hotel Collection $100 property credit on stays of two nights or more booked through Amex Travel.
FAQ
The American Express Gold charges $325 a year. Earning back $325 means about $451 a month on dining, where it earns 6¢ more per dollar than the base rate. Credits and the welcome bonus can cover the rest.
4× on dining, and 1× on spending outside its bonus categories.
It depends on your mix, not the card. Earning back $325 means about $451 a month on dining, where it earns 6¢ more per dollar than the base rate. Credits and the welcome bonus can cover the rest. It also carries $84 of credits we can count, but only count them if you would spend that money anyway. Run your own numbers in the calculator above to see where it lands against the rest of the catalog.
The listed welcome offer is 60,000 points, and offers at these cards change often, so confirm the current terms and the spending requirement with the issuer before you apply. At 2¢ a point that is about $2,000, before you count the annual fee and whether you would clear the spending requirement for it.
Yes. It earns Amex Membership Rewards, which you can transfer to the partners below. Airlines: Aer Lingus, Air Canada (Aeroplan), Air France-KLM, ANA, Avianca, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta, Emirates, Etihad, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia, JetBlue (1.25:1), Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic. Hotels: Choice Privileges, Hilton (1:2), Marriott Bonvoy. Transfers are what make a 2¢ valuation reachable; using the points for cash back is worth far less.
No. The American Express Gold charges no foreign transaction fee, so spending abroad earns at the same rate as at home, minus what the merchant adds.