American Express Gold vs. American Express Platinum: Which is right for you?

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

If you’re a foodie, frequent traveler or simply seeking luxury benefits, you may consider picking up the American Express® Gold Card or The Platinum Card® from American Express.

Both these premium cards offer valuable rewards and benefits, but how you get that value depends on your lifestyle and spending habits. The Amex Gold offers some of the highest returns on grocery and dining purchases while the Amex Platinum unlocks premium perks like airport lounge access and numerous travel and shopping statement credits.

Let’s dive into the key features of these top-tier American Express cards so you can decide which is best for you – or whether it makes sense to get both.

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with an intro bonus of 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.

With the American Express Gold Card, you’ll earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first six months of card membership. You’ll also receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Offer ends 11/6/24.

Since both cards earn the same rewards, it’s fairly easy to see that the Amex Platinum’s welcome offer is more valuable. It’s worth $800 in airfare booked through American Express Travel and can be worth even more when you transfer the points to one of Amex’s travel partners like Delta Sky Miles, Avianca LifeMiles or Flying Blue.

The downside to the Amex Platinum’s bigger intro bonus is that it’s tougher to earn. You have to spend $2,000 more to qualify for it and you have to do it in three fewer months. With the Amex Gold, you have to spend an average of $1,000 per month for six months to earn the bonus. With the Amex Platinum, you have to spend an average of roughly $2,667 a month for three months to get the bonus points.

The Amex Gold and Amex Platinum are both very rewarding for different types of purchases. The Amex Gold is one of the top options for dining and grocery purchases. The Amex Platinum shines for certain flight and hotel purchases.

The Amex Gold offers a top-tier return for restaurant and U.S. supermarket spending. Although these categories have a yearly cap, it’s high enough that it won’t limit what many people can earn.

While the Amex Platinum is lucrative for airfare and hotels, the bookings that qualify for the increased return are restricted. You have to book directly with the airlines or through Amextravel.com, so third-party sites won’t qualify for the 5X points and only prepaid hotels booked through Amextravel.com earn 5X points.

The Amex Gold and Amex Platinum both earn flexible American Express Membership Rewards points. There are several options for redeeming Amex Membership Rewards points, including gift cards, statement credits, purchases at select merchants and travel booked through Amextravel.com. These options typically get you 0.5 to one cent per point in value, which isn’t ideal.

The best redemption option for both cards is to take advantage of the top deals you can book with Amex’s airline or hotel partners. You’ll typically receive more value from your Amex points if you transfer them to the right airline partner and book expensive international flights. The Amex transfer partners, include Delta Sky Miles, Air Canada Aeroplan, ANA Mileage Club, Emirates Skywards and others. Regardless of which card you have, you’ll have access to the same partners and transfer ratios.

What makes the Amex Gold and Amex Platinum shine is the perks they offer. Both cards come with a long list of benefits that help justify their annual fees.

Amex Platinum cardholders can enjoy these perks and statement credits:

• Up to $200 back in hotel statement credits on select prepaid bookings (Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay. Certain room categories are not eligible for upgrade.)
• Up to $200 annual airline fee credit per calendar year in statement credits after incidental fees are charged by your one selected, qualifying airline to your Card
• Up to $300 per calendar year Equinox credit (enrollment required)
• Up to $100 annual Saks Fifth Avenue credit in the form of statement credits (up to $50 back semi-annually; enrollment required)
• Up to $189 credit to enroll in CLEAR® Plus (subject to auto-renewal; excluding any applicable taxes and fees)
• Up to $240 annual digital entertainment credit (Up to $20 per month; enrollment required)
• Up to $155 annual Walmart+ credit. (Up to $12.95 per month plus applicable taxes on one membership fee. Plus Ups are not eligible. Subject to auto renewal)
• Airport lounge access, including Delta SkyClubs and Amex Centurion Lounges
• Up to $200 in Uber cash annually ($15 per month, $20 in Dec.; Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only)
• $100 fee credit for Global Entry every 4 years or up to $85 for TSAPreCheck every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider.

On top of these offers, you’ll also get Gold status with both Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors (enrollment required; terms apply) and car rental privileges with Avis, Hertz and National (enrollment required; terms apply). The Amex Platinum also comes with extensive shopping and travel protections*.

Amex Gold cardholders can enjoy these perks and statement credits:

• Up to $120 in Uber Cash annually ($10 per month; you must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible American Express Gold Card must be a method of payment in your Uber account. The Amex benefit may only be used in the United States.)
• Up to $120 in annual dining credits ($10 in statement credits per month; enrollment required) for purchases at eligible painters, including Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Five Guys and more.
• Up to $84 in annual Dunkin’ credit ($7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Dunkin’ locations.)
• Up to $100 in annual Resy credit: up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• Access to special benefits including a $100 credit, to use towards eligible charges, when you book stays at The Hotel Collection properties through American Express Travel, with a minimum two-night stay requirement. Experience credit varies by property.
• *Access to the Amex Global Assist Hotline and Personalized Travel Service
• Travel insurance including *baggage coverage and **rental car loss and damage insurance

* Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

** Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

Since the Amex Gold and Amex Platinum both earn Membership Rewards points, they can complement each other. If you had both cards, you could earn high rewards on dining, groceries, airfare (booked directly with airlines or through Amextravel.com) and prepaid hotels (booked through Amextravel.com).

It wouldn’t be hard to quickly accumulate a massive Membership Rewards balance, but all those rewards come at a cost. You’d be paying over $1,000 in annual fees each year to keep both cards in your wallet. In this situation, you’ll have access to over $2,000 in statement credits each year, but the logistics of maximizing those opportunities could be overwhelming. You would need to manage at least a dozen offers, many of which are only valid at specific brands, require enrollment or must be redeemed on a monthly or semi-annual basis.

If you’re a heavy spender who can get lots of value from maximizing your rewards and are willing to jump through all the hoops necessary to get the most from these cards, it could be worth it to have both. But for most people, one of these cards is more than enough.

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*For rates and fees of the American Express^® Gold Card, click here.

**For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.