American Express® Gold Card – Points & Rewards
8 Min Read | Last updated: April 30, 2026
With benefits across select dining and travel purchases and plenty of ways to earn and redeem Membership Rewards® points, plus flexible payment options – the Gold Card can reward your appetite for everyday life and more.
At-A-Glance
- The American Express® Gold Card rewards Card Members with Membership Rewards® points on eligible purchases that can be redeem for travel, gift cards, and more.
- The Gold Card has a $325 annual fee1 and comes with benefits across eligible dining purchases, including a $120 Dining Credit, $120 Uber Cash, $100 Resy Credit, and $84 Dunkin’ Credit.
- The Gold Card also offers Card Members financial flexibility, with flexible payment options such as Pay Over Time and Plan It®.
Layered with benefits especially made for dining and travel enthusiasts, the American Express® Gold Card can help reward your appetite for everyday life and more. Thinking about going for Gold? Here’s an in-depth look at the points and benefits the Gold Card offers – plus a quick explanation on its flexible payment options that offer Card Members with more control.
Terms apply to all benefits listed below. All benefits are subject to change.
Ways to Earn Points with The Gold Card
The Gold Card offers several accelerated Membership Rewards® points-earning opportunities, especially for food lovers and globetrotters:
- 4X Points on restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., on up to $50,000 in purchases each year.
- 4X Points on groceries at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases each year.
- 5X points on prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
- 3X points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ or purchased directly from airlines.
- 2X points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- 1X points on all other purchases.
Ways to Redeem Rewards with The Gold Card
Once you’re ready to use the Membership Rewards points you’ve earned with the Gold Card, there are several redemption options:
Pay with Points at Checkout:
You can use your points on your next online order at select partners. As a Gold Card Member, your point balances appear right at checkout, so you can easily apply points to your purchase.
Redeem for Gift Cards:
You can use points to get a gift card you can easily pull up on your phone and use when you shop. You can choose select digital gift cards for popular brands across travel, fashion, dining, home decor, and more.
Cover Charges:
You can also cover your Card charges with points. Sign in to your Card account, then simply check off the charge you’d like to cover. Whether it’s a one-off or a recurring payment, a necessity or a special treat – you can choose any eligible charge you like.
Pay with Points through AmexTravel.com:
Earn points when you book at AmexTravel.com, and then use Pay with Points to cover your next vacation.
Transfer Points:
Looking forward to an adventurous solo trip or memorable family vacation? You can also transfer points to 20 participating airline and lodging partners, so you can unlock more with points.
Note that the dollar-to-point value of Membership Rewards points varies according to how you redeem them.
The Gold Card’s Dining and Travel Benefits
Points aren’t all the Gold Card has to offer. Let's find out how you can access over $500 annually in value when using the Gold Card:
- $120 Dining Credit - Earn up to $10 monthly in statement credits when you use your Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit - Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits from January through June and up to $50 in statement credits from July through December. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin’ Credit - Enjoy up to $7 monthly in statement credits when you use your Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment required.
Dining Benefits
Tip:
To learn how the Gold Card can maximize your love of dining, read A Complete Guide to Dining with the Amex Gold Card.
Travel Benefits
- $120 Uber Cash - Receive $10 in Uber Cash monthly to use on rides and orders in the U.S. when you add your Gold Card to your Uber account and select an Amex Card as the payment method for your transaction.
- American Express® Gold Card Members can receive complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Save time by skipping the counter at select locations, you can go directly to the lot, select your vehicle, and get on the road to your destination. You can also add an additional driver for no additional cost2 and receive access to a wider selection of vehicles for more personalized choices based on your needs.3 Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required.
- With more than 1,300 properties worldwide, The Hotel Collection offers Gold Card Members a valuable suite of benefits when they book a two-night minimum stay through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App(TM), such as a $100 credit towards eligible on-property charges, as well as 12pm check-in, late check-out, and a room upgrade upon arrival--all when available.5
No Preset Spending Limit + More Ways to Pay
Unlike traditional credit cards with a set limit, the Gold Card has no preset spending limit. No preset spending limit means the spending limit is flexible: the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment or credit history – giving you the flexibility to unlock more purchase power as you use the Gold Card.
Plus, the Gold Card comes with flexible payment options that provides Card Members with more control: Pay Over Time and Plan It® – each one offering a different kind of flexibility.
Pay Over Time lets you carry a balance with interest up to your Pay Over Time Limit, while Plan It lets you select large purchases to split into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee. You can choose either option or pay in full each month.
This added flexibility can be a great way to get extra breathing room in your budget, especially when big ticket purchases come along. Plus, you’ll still earn the same points you usually do on eligible purchases.6
The Takeaway
If the majority of your spend is done on dining and travel, the Gold Card may be a good fit for you. With points earnings across dining, groceries, and travel – plus benefits like the $120 Dining Credit, $120 Uber Cash, and more – the Gold Card has you covered from your daily routine at-home to your next big getaway.
1 For more on Rates and Fees for the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
2 Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees.
3 Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
4 Eligible charges vary by property.
5 Certain room categories are not eligible for upgrade.
6 For more on Offer and Benefit Terms for the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
Megan Doyle is a business technology writer and researcher whose work focuses on financial services and cross-cultural diversity and inclusion.
All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.
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