Amex Gold Card Review: Hundreds of Dollars in Credits and Massive Rewards

The American Express® Gold Card offers considerable value, as it earns 4x points at U.S. supermarkets ($25,000 annual spending cap) and restaurants, plus bonus points for qualifying travel purchases (terms apply). But this premium rewards card isn't cheap, either. Find out whether it's the card for you in our detailed American Express® Gold Card review.

This card is a good fit for: Consumers looking for bonus rewards at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets. Occasional and frequent travelers will also like this card's versatile rewards points and travel benefits.

Top perks

American Express has put together a deep lineup of benefits for one of its most popular cards.

Earn up to 4 points per $1

The American Express® Gold Card earns:

• 4 points per $1 at restaurants
• 4 points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year
• 3 points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or on American Express Travel
• 1 point per $1 on other purchases
• terms apply.

There's no denying it, 4 points per $1 is an incredible rate and makes the card one of the best choices for dining and grocery cards. If you spend a lot in those areas, this rewards card can help you dramatically boost your rewards.

Welcome offer

You earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases within the first 6 months (terms apply).

SEE MORE: Best Sign-Up Bonus Credit Cards

$120 in annual dining credits

You receive dining statement credits of $10 per month when you use your American Express® Gold Card at select participating restaurants and food delivery services. The lineup of providers, including Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations, is sure to please varying tastes (terms apply).

$120 in annual Uber Cash

When you add your American Express® Gold Card to your Uber account, you automatically receive $10 in Uber Cash each month. You can use this for Uber Eats orders and Uber rides in the United States (terms apply).

Flexible rewards points

The American Express Membership Rewards program has a deep roster of airline and hotel partners. You can transfer your points to the loyalty programs of any partner to make an award booking with that travel provider. Transfers are widely known as the best way to maximize American Express Membership Rewards points because they could lead to bookings that get you $0.02 per point or much more.

Another solid redemption option is the Pay with Points feature to book airfare through American Express Travel. You'll get a value of $0.01 per point this way, and you can apply your points towards a cash airfare purchase (terms apply).

LEARN MORE: A Complete Guide to American Express Membership Rewards Points

No foreign transaction fee

The American Express® Gold Card doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee (see rates and fees).

$100 hotel credit

When you book The Hotel Collection properties with American Express Travel for stays of at least two nights, you receive a $100 onsite experience credit. This statement credit applies to qualifying activities, such as dining or spa treatments. Qualifying activities vary by property (terms apply).

RELATED: Best Hotel Credit Cards

Travel and purchase protections

American Express cards are known for having excellent complimentary protections. The American Express® Gold Card is no exception, as it offers the following types of coverage on eligible purchases:

• Purchase protection
• Extended warranty
• Car rental loss and damage insurance
• Baggage insurance plan
• terms apply.

These kinds of protections can come in handy when you need them. Make sure to read the guide to benefits that comes with your card (it's also available online) to understand what's covered and what isn't.

RELATED: The Ascent's Travel Credit Cards Hub

What could be improved

While this card offers quite a few features, it still has a couple minor issues.

Annual fee

The American Express® Gold Card has a $250 annual fee (see rates and fees). While the fee is justifiable for many, it's a high annual fee, and something potential applicants should consider. If you're looking for something more affordable, continue checking out credit card reviews, as there are plenty of cheaper travel cards available.

Inflexible spending credits

Although the American Express® Gold Card offers valuable spending credits, they aren't entirely easy to use. Dining credits are doled out in $10-per-month increments, so you need to dine with a participating restaurant every month to maximize this benefit (terms apply).

MORE OPTIONS: Best Credit Cards for Dining and Restaurants

The American Express® Gold Card works differently than a standard credit card. You're supposed to pay the full balance by the due date. But it also has two options to finance certain purchases: Plan It® and Pay Over Time.

Plan It® allows you to follow a payment plan with a set payment amount for eligible purchases. Pay Over Time lets you pay off a purchase over time with interest.

LEARN MORE: What's the Difference Between a Credit Card and a Charge Card?

It's recommended that you only apply for the American Express® Gold Card if you have a FICO® Score of 670 or higher. Like just about all the best travel rewards cards, this card is for consumers with good or excellent credit.

Keep in mind that card applications aren't decided entirely by your credit score. A high credit score always helps, but American Express looks at many factors, including your income and overall credit history. Your credit score alone doesn't guarantee an approval or a denial.

The annual fee is well worth it if you're planning to use your American Express® Gold Card regularly for dining, U.S. supermarkets, and travel purchases, and you can take advantage of the credits it offers.

Between the $120 in annual dining credits and up to $120 in Uber cash for U.S. Uber and Uber Eats orders, its $250 annual fee would cost you $10 per year after you take the credits into account (terms apply). For a card with such a high rewards rate, $10 per year isn't much.

SEE MORE OPTIONS: Best Credit Cards

You can take advantage of the high rewards rate and spending credits it offers.

Since the American Express® Gold Card has so many benefits, it can work well for many different types of consumers. If any of the following are true, you should think about applying:

• You're a foodie. Whether you like going to restaurants or picking up your ingredients at the grocery store, you'll have the opportunity to earn lots of bonus rewards.
• You like to travel. This card has useful travel perks and flexible points you can transfer to several airlines and hotels.
• You find the variety of credits valuable. The Uber, hotel, and dining credits can add up if you spend in these categories.

Our credit card methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.