- The Amex Gold Card has a high annual fee but offers hundreds of dollars' worth of valuable credits.
- Cardholders get up to $120 in Uber Cash credit and over $300 in total dining credits annually when enrolled.
- Here's how to maximize your benefits at the beginning of the year, or when you first get your card.
The American Express® Gold Cardis an urban foodie's best friend. If you love hitting up the latest restaurants and grabbing cocktails with friends but also enjoy cooking delicious meals at home, you'll rack up valuable Amex points in no time by paying with this card.
This card earns 4 points per dollar on most food-related expenses (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year at restaurants worldwide and on up to $25,000 per year at US supermarkets) and offers hundreds of dollars in credits that many people can easily spend. Our guide walks you through these benefits so you can get the most out of your shiny metal card.
What benefits does the Amex Gold offer?
The Amex Gold Card is the mid-tier Amex card for consumers — a step above the basic Amex Green Card, but not as prestigious as the vaunted Amex Platinum Card. As such, its benefits are generous but not over the top.
Some benefits require enrollment before you can use them, while others are automatically activated as soon as you become a card member.
These are the card's most noteworthy annual perks:
- Up to $100 Resy credit**
- Up to $84 Dunkin' credit**
- Up to $120 dining credit**
- Up to $120 Uber Cash**
- Amex Offers**
- Premium benefits and up to $100 credit on eligible hotel bookings through Amex's The Hotel Collection
- Baggage insurance
- Car rental insurance
- Trip delay insurance
- Dispute resolution protection
- Extended warranty
- Purchase protection
- Return protection
- Access to Events with Amex
- Amex Presale Tickets
**These perks require activation before use
Activating your Amex Gold benefits
The Amex Gold Card charges a $325 annual fee, which is steep if you don't maximize the card's benefits ($325.
The following perks require enrollment before you receive credit for qualifying transactions. It's easy to forget to activate your credits, so set a calendar alert to remind yourself to do so as soon as you get your card.
Up to $50 Resy credit every six months (up to $100/year)
Cardholders get up to $50 in statement credits twice a year when they pay for eligible Resy purchases with the Amex Gold Card, for up to $100 a year. Terms Apply.
The Resy reservations tool is growing in popularity nationwide, so this benefit should be very easy for most people to use. The credit amount is relatively generous, with no minimum purchase required and a six-month window for use.
This benefit requires enrollment, which you can complete by logging into your online account, or by calling the customer service number on the back of your card.
Your Resy credit is available once every six months, for an annual total of up to $100: up to $50 between January and June, and up to $50 between July and December.
Eligible Resy transactions include:
- Purchases made directly with U.S. restaurants that offer reservations on Resy.com and the Resy app
- Purchases made directly on Resy.com or in the Resy app
- Purchases made via Resy Pay
Restaurants must be live on Resy.com or the Resy app at the time of your transaction to be eligible for the statement credit and are subject to change at any time. Resy software purchases or Resy-branded Amex gift cards aren't eligible for this benefit, and Amex has the final say on whether the transaction is eligible for credit. In some cases, mobile transactions may not qualify for the credit. Finally, some gift cards purchased at Resy restaurants may not receive the statement credit, so don't rely on this loophole to maximize your credit.
Amex applies this credit based on the date the transaction takes place. If you dine out on the evening of June 30 but the merchant doesn't charge your card until the morning of July 1, for example, Amex will apply your statement credit toward the July-December benefit period instead of the January-June period. To avoid losing your credit to technicalities like this, it's a good idea to use this benefit earlier in the six-month window rather than waiting until the last minute.
Up to $7 monthly Dunkin' credit (up to $84/year)
Similarly, cardholders get up to $7 a month in statement credits when they use the Amex Gold Card to pay for eligible Dunkin' purchases within the U.S. Terms Apply.
This perk may be challenging for most people since maximizing the benefit requires placing a monthly order with Dunkin'. If your routine doesn't already include a stop at Dunkin's on a regular basis, you can set up recurring calendar reminders to treat yourself to a donut or warm beverage toward the end of each month.
This benefit also requires enrollment online or by calling customer service.
Your Dunkin' credit is available once per calendar month, for an annual total of up to $84. As with the Resy credit, you may not receive credit for your purchase for various reasons, including if the location you buy from doesn't accept Amex cards or incorrectly codes the transaction, such as when you buy from a Dunkin' inside of an airport or a gas station.
Similarly, Amex credits eligible purchases based on the transaction date, not necessarily when you receive the item. If you buy a coffee on December 31 but the merchant doesn't process your charge until January 1, the credit will apply to your January benefit period.
And if you cancel your Amex Gold Card or your account is past due, you may not qualify for this statement credit.
Up to $10 monthly dining credit (up to $120/year)
Amex Gold Cardholders who enroll in this benefit get up to $10 a month in statement credits on eligible dining purchases online or in person from the following businesses at their U.S. locations:
- Grubhub (including Seamless)
- The Cheesecake Factory
- Goldbelly
- Wine.com
- Five Guys
This benefit doesn't go very far on most purchases from companies like Wine.com. But it can easily translate to a nice monthly burger at Five Guys or a slice of premium cheesecake at The Cheesecake Factory and will offset some of your food delivery taxes and fees on Goldbelly or Grubhub and Seamless orders.
As with the previous credits, eligible purchases are subject to the same terms and conditions on transaction timing, merchant coding, and other factors.
Alcoholic beverages can only be sold and delivered to people who are at least 21 or older. Transactions received after 120 days from the transaction date will not be eligible for credit.
Up to $10 monthly Uber Cash credit (up to $120/year)
Cardholders who enroll in the Uber Cash benefit will receive up to $10 in Uber Cash each month after toggling on the "Uber Cash" payment option within the Uber or Uber Eats apps and designating their Amex Gold Card as the preferred method of payment.
You'll need to use the latest version of the Uber and Uber Eats apps, Your Amex Gold Card must be listed as a method of payment for your rides to qualify for this benefit, and it only applies to transactions completed within the U.S.
This perk can be one of the easiest Amex Gold Card benefits for most people to use, especially those who regularly rely on rideshare or food delivery services from Uber. But even those who don't use Uber often can benefit — when you catch a ride from the airport after arriving in a new city, for example, or for Uber Eats delivery to your hotel in lieu of room service.
As with the other credits, terms and conditions apply for eligibility. Your Amex Gold Card must be in good standing without a past-due balance to qualify for this benefit. Your card information must also be accurately stored with Uber, and payment info submitted via Apple Pay or Paypal will not be eligible for the credit.
If your card details change, such as a new expiration date or card number, make sure you update them within your Uber payment profile before the current month ends to ensure you remain enrolled for this benefit. You may be unenrolled from this benefit if your payment information isn't fully up-to-date by the first day of each month, and it can take up to 48 hours for your re-enrollment to process.
Finally, you'll only receive this credit on a single Uber account. If your Amex Gold Card is the designated payment method on both your own account and your partner's account, for example, only the first Uber account to which your card was added will receive the credit. This benefit doesn't apply to prior Uber transactions, and can't be used for UberFAMILY profiles.
Elite benefits and $100 credit per eligible booking through The Hotel Collection
Cardholders who book hotel stays through Amex's The Hotel Collection (THC) are eligible for elite-like benefits including noon check-in, late checkout, and room upgrades when available. They will also receive up to a $100 credit for incidental expenses such as restaurant or spa charges and may receive an additional amenity at select properties. Terms Apply.
THC perks can be useful for people who don't hold elite status with a specific hotel chain or who are planning a special trip. The $100 incidental credit and premium hotel experience can greatly enhance the value of your Amex Gold Card membership even if you only use the benefit once a year.
This benefit doesn't require enrollment the same way the previous credits did, but only applies to eligible reservations booked through The Hotel Collection within the Amex travel portal.
Eligible bookings must be reserved in the cardholder's name for a minimum of two consecutive nights or more, and paid with the Amex Gold Card. The cardholder must also stay on the booked reservation to receive THC benefits, and eligible spending must be charged to the hotel room to receive the $100 credit at check-out.
Benefits apply per room, per stay, with a three-room limit per eligible reservation. Back-to-back stays booked by a single cardholder, multiple cardholders staying in the same room, or cardholders traveling in the same party within a 24-hour period at the same property, are considered one stay, and do not qualify for additional THC benefits.
THC perks cannot be redeemed for cash, must be used during the booked stay, and can't be combined with other offers unless indicated.
Amex Offers
Amex Offers are targeted discounts, statement credits, and similar value-adding benefits you can activate for individual retailers that are specific to your card account. Terms Apply.
These can include offers like $20 back when you spend $100 at Lululemon, 25% back in the form of a statement credit after spending $200 at REI, or a certain number of Membership Rewards points for spending a specific amount of money with a particular merchant.
Most include an expiration date and do not go into effect until you've activated the offer. They do not retroactively apply to prior transactions.
Cardholders activate Amex Offers differently from the other benefits listed in this guide. You can find your Amex Offers at the bottom of your card page in your online dashboard or under the Offers tab in the Amex app. A handful of Offers are shown by default, and you can reveal more after adding available options to your card or by clicking on "View All."
Amex Gold benefits frequently asked questions
What are the benefits of an Amex Gold Card?
Amex Gold Cardholders can enroll in annual credits worth hundreds of dollars, including up to $100 for Resy, up to $120 in Uber Cash, up to $84 toward Dunkin', and up to $120 in additional dining credit. They also get elite-like benefits when booking eligible stays through The Hotel Collection, a premium portfolio of boutique properties worldwide. Cardholders also earn 4 points per dollar spent on eligible dining and groceries.
What are the drawbacks of the Amex Gold Card?
The Amex Gold Card's biggest drawback is a $325 annual fee (), but cardholders can come out well ahead if they use the card to pay for restaurant and grocery expenses and maximize their statement credits for Uber, Resy, Dunkin', and other dining.
Does the Amex Gold have TSA PreCheck?
No, the Amex Gold Card does not come with a statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®.
Does my Amex Gold get me into airport lounges?
No, the Amex Gold Card does not offer airport lounge access. If you want a premium Amex card with lounge access and many other luxury benefits, get The Platinum Card® from American Express. Alternatively, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Cardoffers airport lounge access with an annual fee just a few dollars higher than that of the Amex Gold Card.
Is the Amex Gold worth it, according to Reddit?
Cardholders on Reddit say the Amex Gold Card is worth it if you maximize most or all of the dining benefits each year and spend around $1,000 each month at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets.