Amex Gold Card vs. Amex Platinum Card: Which is Right For You?

I love all of my Amex credit cards, but these two are definitely my favorites. As they are a strong duo for scoring Membership Rewards points, I use these cards in entirely different ways. 

My American Express® Gold Card lives in my wallet as an everyday essential for groceries and dining. The Platinum Card® from American Express pays for itself in credits and gets packed every time I travel.

Each card has its strengths -- and weaknesses. In the ultimate battle of Amex Gold vs. Platinum, however, I have to give the edge to the American Express® Gold Card for earning better rewards and being more affordable.

From a purchase rewards perspective, this is the clear winner. Sure, 5X beats 4X, but the 5X category is so narrowly defined that it's hard to use regularly. The 4X bonus categories on the American Express® Gold Card are ones you'll use every week -- if not every single day (terms apply). 

This is one of the few cards that has a permanent place in my wallet.

What's more, while neither card is cheap, $250 is still less than half of $695. Plus, it's a lot simpler to make up your annual fee with the American Express® Gold Card (see rates and fees). 

Instead of a huge list of credits that you need a spreadsheet to maximize (I love a good spreadsheet, but even I have to admit it's a bit much), the American Express® Gold Card has just two. And they're pretty easy to use without much extra effort if you eat out a couple of times a month.

Look, this isn't a card you're going to use every day. I don't even keep this in my wallet unless I'm traveling. The main reason I got it in the first place was the welcome offer: I nabbed the coveted 150,000-point welcome offer that appears now and then. 

But that's not why I keep this pricey platinum perk machine. The Platinum Card® from American Express (see rates and fees) blows most cards out of the water in sheer volume of benefits. Those benefits can be extremely valuable -- as in, covering the annual fee and then some -- if you can use them organically.

I travel often enough that I can get a lot of return from the travel perks. Airport lounge access alone has saved me hundreds of dollars, and the Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program has helped us make some awesome memories. I also maximize the streaming, Uber, hotel, and airline credits every year to offset the high annual fee (terms apply, see rates and fees).

Still torn? Let's compare each card's different features for a more detailed perspective.

Amex Gold Card vs. Amex Platinum Card annual fee 

Considering one annual fee is half as much as the other, you'd think the winner would be clear here. But the credits make the fight harder to call.

The American Express® Gold Card's credits mean you can get back most, but not all, of your annual fee. If you already use Uber (or, in my case, Uber Eats), then the monthly Uber Cash is super easy to use up organically. Similarly, if you already eat lunch out at least once a month, then a monthly GrubHub pickup order could be a simple way to get the most out of your other credit. Maximizing both is worth $240 in value each year (terms apply).

The Platinum Card® from American Express has a lot more ground to cover, but it also has many more credits. You don't even need to use them all. If you maximize the Uber, streaming, airline, and hotel credits, you'll get $840 in value (terms apply). That not only makes up for the annual fee, but puts more than $100 in your pocket. However, that's only the case if you can maximize them organically, which many folks may not be able to do.

For a specific subset of cardholders, The Platinum Card® from American Express has more profit potential. For the average cardholder, the American Express® Gold Card is probably going to be more affordable.

Winner: Amex Gold Card (by a nose)

Amex Gold Card vs. Amex Platinum Card welcome offer 

American Express welcome offers can vary a lot based on the time, date, browser, region, your history with Amex…etc. Amex also has a "one bonus per card per lifetime" rule.

The base-level welcome offer you see with the American Express® Gold Card is for 60,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $6,000 in the first 6 months (terms apply). The best offer I've ever personally seen was for 100,000 points when you spend $4,000 in the first 6 months.

The Platinum Card® from American Express is generally more impressive. The common welcome offer is for 80,000 Membership Rewards points for spending $8,000 in the first 6 months. However, some lucky folks can find offers for 150,000 points for spending $6,000 in the first 6 months (terms apply).

If you can get lucky with your welcome offer, The Platinum Card® from American Express takes this category.

Winner: Amex Platinum

Amex Gold Card vs. Amex Platinum Card intro APR 

Neither the American Express® Gold Card nor The Platinum Card® from American Express have any kind of intro APR offer. Everyone loses.

Winner: Nobody

Amex Gold Card vs. Amex Platinum Card rewards 

Both of these Amex cards earn Membership Rewards points, so it's all about which earns better rewards. At first glance, you see "5X" vs. "4X" and think, easy win. Nope! The Platinum Card® from American Express has very narrowly defined bonus categories that make them less valuable than you may first assume:

• 5X points on airfare purchased directly from the airline or through Amex Travel
• 5X points on hotels booked through Amex Travel
• 1X points on other purchases
• Terms apply

These categories exclude hotels booked anywhere except Amex Travel, even if you book with the hotel. It also excludes travel booked through third-party discount sites. Do I use this card to earn rewards on flights and FHR (Fine Hotels + Resorts) bookings? Sure. Do I use it for rewards on anything else? Nope.

In contrast, this is where the American Express® Gold Card shines (pun intended). You'll earn:

• 4X points on dining, including takeout and delivery
• 4X points at U.S. grocery stores (on first $25,000 in grocery purchases per year)
• 3X points on flights purchased with the airline or through Amex Travel
• 1X points on other purchases
• Terms apply

With these 4X categories, you will find yourself pulling out this card all the time. Before I worked from home, I used it every day to buy lunch. I still use it multiple times a week at the grocery store and for pizza night.

Winner: Amex Gold

In the end, the winner between these two credit cards really depends on your own lifestyle. The American Express® Gold Card has great everyday rewards that pretty much anyone can use. It also makes it simpler to get back your annual fee in statement credits without a lot of extra work.

However, most folks don't get The Platinum Card® from American Express for the purchase rewards. It's a travel card with a ton of perks, from airport lounge access to hotel status. And for the folks who can (organically) maximize its credits, this card has a lot of potential.

If you're trying to choose between the two, consider where your money already goes and select the card that best fits your organic spend. Or, for folks who are really torn, well, why not both?