American Express Gold Card Review

American Express Gold Card Review

I’ve had an American Express Gold Card for a few years now. It’s definitely one of my favorites when it comes to rewards, along with the Chase cards I reviewed a few months back. The Amex Gold Card is generally a highly rated credit card, largely because of the benefits that come with the account. There are certainly benefits and drawbacks to the American Express Gold Credit Card, though, so I wanted to lay them out for you as I see them.

Some of my daily necessities, including the Evergreen Mini from SteamLine Luggage, Beauty Pie’s Plantastic Hand Cream, the Antonym Certified Organic Baked Foundation, and Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Organic Lip Balm!

The Pros and Cons of the American Express Gold Card

The Pros of the Amex Gold Card

Amex Has Great Customer Service

First of all, I like how responsive American Express is regarding fraud alerts, charge contestations, and general customer service. If anything unusual has shown up on my account, they have been quick to resolve the issue. Furthermore, they have been super proactive anytime they believe my card had been used fraudulently. This doesn’t happen often, mind you. But, when it does, it’s nice to know that they’re on top of things.

The American Express Rewards Points Structure

Besides the customer service, I like the reward points structure of the American Express Gold Card. There are a lot of ways to get rewards earnings (a popular pro of the card) and there are a variety of ways to use the points. While the Amex gold does not exactly have a cash back structure — at least, not like you can get with Chase and other credit cards — I do find that the Amex credit card rewards are still very useful.

Purchases at restaurants and grocery stores automatically get 4 membership points for every dollar (up to $25,000 in annual purchases). Flights booked directly with airlines or through the Amex travel portal earn 3 points per dollar.

Beyond the point structure, Amex also offers a $120 dining credit annually. This means you can get up to $10 a month in statement credits for using the card at restaurants. This is part of the reason the card is often considered a great option for people who frequent restaurants.

There is also a $100 airline fee credit that is available once a year on qualifying airlines.

There are also certain rotating offers that you can opt into on the Amex platform. These offers were super helpful during the holidays, as they covered a lot of great stores, like J.Crew. At any given time, there’s about 100 offers available for you to opt into. Most are for online shopping, but there are also a number for restaurants, hotels, and other services. Some offers give you additional rewards points, while others offer specified credits for your monthly statement.

No Foreign Transactions Fees with Amex Gold

There are no foreign transaction fees, as well, which is great for online shopping at places like Beauty Pie, which are UK based.

Looking for great cash back credit cards? I've had an American Express Gold Card for a few years  and love it. Review my pros and cons of this option here!

The Cons of the Amex Gold Card

Amex’s Annual Fee

The biggest con to this Amex card is the $250 annual fee (which isn’t waived the first year). You can add up to five additional cards for no extra fee; beyond that, there is a fee of $35 a year for each additional card.

Other cards through Amex don’t have annual fees, like the Blue cash Everyday Card, but they don’t necessarily have as good of benefits as the Gold Card. However, it depends on what you use your card for, so be sure to check out all the other options if you’re prioritizing certain benefits!

The American Express Rewards Program Doesn’t Offer Direct Cash Back

As I mentioned above, a second con for me is that you can’t convert points to cash, like you can with Chase. The cashback reward program isn’t set up quite the same as those that deposit cash directly back into your bank account. Instead, you can shop with the points through the Amex platform, redeem points for gift cards or travel expenses, or use the points to cover charges on your monthly statements (which is what I typically do).

Overall Review of the American Express Gold Card

Is the American Express Gold Card worth it?

For me, the benefits of the Amex Gold Card definitely outweigh the drawbacks. This seems to be a consistent sentiment with other reviews of the American Express Gold Card.

I’ve been able to recoup a good amount more than the annual fee each year that I’ve had it, and the customer service benefits are important to me. Plus, it was super helpful over the holidays, when they ran a deal with the American Express gift card, where I got money back for buying cards as holiday gifts.

So, if you’re looking to build your credit or try out a new card, I’d recommend giving the American Express Gold Card some consideration. If you’re looking for something with a lower annual fee, there are a bunch of different cards available through American Express with different rewards priorities. Be sure to check them out and see which suits your needs best!


Interested in trying out the American Express Gold Card or another American Express card?

Use my referral link and we can both get rewarded if you’re approved! For example, you may be eligible to earn an additional 40,000 rewards points. Details vary based on the card you choose.


*This post was originally published on April 6, 2020. It was most recently updated on November 14, 2022.