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The American Express® Gold Card and the American Express Platinum Card® both allow you to earn valuable Membership Rewards® points on eligible purchases. The Amex Gold is well-suited for earning rewards on everyday purchases, while the Amex Platinum is a premium card packed with travel benefits (like airport lounge access).
The better card for you depends on your preferences and spending habits, though some frequent travelers may benefit from both cards to best take advantage of their different rewards categories and benefits.
Our best credit card picks are based on a series of rubrics developed by our credit card experts. We use our unique rubrics to rate eligible cards according to their benefits, fees, and other factors. The information we use comes from a combination of credit card issuer websites, cardholder agreements, and our own data collection from issuers.
5x Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App
4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x)
4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x)
3x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines, on AmexTravel.com, or on the Amex Travel App
2x Membership Rewards points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App, and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com
1x Membership Rewards points on all other eligible purchases
Earn up to $10 in statement credits each month when you pay with your American Express Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder (enrollment required)
Up to $100 in annual statement credits ($50 semi-annually) when you use your American Express Gold Card on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants on the Resy app or Resy.com
Up to $84 per year ($7/month) in statement credits after you enroll and pay with your American Express Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’® locations (enrollment required)
Our best credit card picks are based on a series of rubrics developed by our credit card experts. We use our unique rubrics to rate eligible cards according to their benefits, fees, and other factors. The information we use comes from a combination of credit card issuer websites, cardholder agreements, and our own data collection from issuers.
5x points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 per calendar year)
5x points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel
1x points on all other purchases
Get up to $600 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel (up to $300 semi-annually; The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay)
Get up to $400 in annual statement credits ($100 each quarter; enrollment required) for eligible purchases with Resy, including dining at Resy restaurants
Enjoy up to $200 in Uber Cash annually — that’s $15 in Uber Cash for rides or Uber Eats orders each month, plus a bonus $20 in December (you must have the latest version of the Uber App downloaded and your eligible American Express Platinum Card must be a method of payment in your Uber account; Amex benefit may only be used in United States)
Both the Amex Gold and Platinum cards carry high annual fees relative to other reward cards. However, with a $570 difference between them, our choice is the (comparatively) more budget-friendly Amex Gold.
Because you can earn rewards on everyday spending and use the annual credits while traveling or at home, the Amex Gold card’s $325 annual fee is easier to offset for a wide range of users.
The Amex Platinum Card does have plenty to offer cardholders in exchange for its $895 annual fee, too. But making up the cost requires much of your spending to go toward travel and travel-related expenses. While frequent travelers can quickly outpace the cost with travel-related benefits and annual credits, it may not be as easy for people who only travel a few times per year.
Here are the available welcome offers on both cards:
American Express Gold Card: You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in the first 6 months (welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer); apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact (if you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted)
American Express Platinum Card: You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in the first 6 months (welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer); apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact (if you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted)
We think the Amex Platinum offer is better because you can earn more rewards for the same spending. The spending periods on both offers are longer than average, giving you plenty of time to meet the spending requirements.
Winner
The more you compare travel credit cards, you may find yourself in one of two camps: Either you prefer earning rewards on everyday spending to redeem for travel, or you prefer earning rewards on travel to put toward more travel.
The Amex Gold is better for the former, while the latter type of cardholder will prefer the Amex Platinum. But there are a few more details of these cards’ rewards structures that lead us to choose the Gold Card in this category.
The Platinum Card rewards your travel spending — making it ideal for cardholders who are constantly on the go:
5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel (up to $500,000 spent each year, then 1x)
5x points on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel
1x points on everything else
But even frequent travelers may be limited with these categories, since you’ll only earn the 5x bonus rewards when you book travel through Amex’s travel portal or reserve flights directly with airlines. Compared to other cards with much more comprehensive travel rewards, this could hinder your ability to score a great deal elsewhere while still earning bonus points.
The Amex Gold, on the other hand, offers some of the highest rewards rates at restaurants and supermarkets you’ll find among any rewards credit card today. It’s among the highest-earning cards for everyday spending:
5x Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App
4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x)
4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x)
3x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines, on AmexTravel.com, or on the Amex Travel App
2x Membership Rewards points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App, and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com
1x Membership Rewards points on all other eligible purchases
Read more: Is the Amex Gold Card still worth it? See what’s changed
Whether a bonus category is good for you is subjective, as it depends on your typical spending habits. However, we think the Amex Gold makes sense for more people because its spending categories align with everyday purchases.
You would need to travel frequently to get the most value out of the Amex Platinum’s rewards rate.
The Platinum Card’s added benefits are second to none among premium travel credit cards available today. According to Amex, the Platinum Card’s value is worth more than $3,500 annually. If you take advantage of every single benefit the Platinum Card offers, you’ll undoubtedly get more than enough to make up for the $895 annual fee.
There’s also some overlap between the benefits offered by both cards. Both offer annual credits with Resy restaurants, monthly Uber Cash, and hotel credits for eligible stays booked through Amex Travel. With these overlapping benefits, you will get more savings each year with the Amex Platinum — but it’s worth doing the math on how much you’ll actually spend on these purchases each year to decide if the extra credit value is worth it.
Remember: credits and benefits can only save you money if they offer value on purchases you would have made anyway.
Deciding between the benefits offered by these two cards depends on your lifestyle and travel preferences. The Amex Gold has many benefits that make sense for foodies, while the Amex Platinum has a wide variety of travel and shopping benefits.
You want a lower annual fee
You like to eat out
Your spending habits align with its bonus categories
For most travelers, the American Express Gold Card will offer maximum value relative to cost. Not only does it carry a much lower annual fee, but its rewards and benefits can help you make the most from your purchases at home and when you travel.
With bonus rewards at restaurants and supermarkets and annual credits for Uber and dining, many people will easily maximize the Gold Card’s value and get more out of it than they spend on the annual fee. Then, you can take those boosted rewards and turn them into savings on hotels, airfare, and more on your next trip close to home or abroad.
The Amex Gold isn’t the best fit if you want premium travel perks, such as airport lounge access or annual airline credits.
You want more benefits
You frequently travel
Your spending habits align with its bonus categories
The American Express Platinum Card makes sense if you can take advantage of its many benefits to justify its high annual fee. Not all of its perks are travel-related, but it does have multiple benefits that cater well to frequent travelers. That includes access to the Amex Global Lounge Collection.
This isn’t a great card for earning rewards on everyday expenses, so we recommend pairing it with another card with different spending categories to help maximize your earnings on daily purchases.
If you really want to rack up Amex Membership Rewards points and cash in on travel, you may consider adding both cards to your wallet. The Amex Gold and Amex Platinum cards make sense when paired together because they have complementary benefits. You can use the Amex Gold to earn higher rewards rates on everyday purchases while making the Amex Platinum your go-to card for booking flights and hotel stays.
However, consider the cost of the two annual fees together: You’d pay $1,220 per year to have both cards. It’s a hefty sum that’s only worth it if you get enough value from the available rewards and benefits.
If you’re a very frequent traveler who spends most of your year on a trip or planning for the next, combining these cards’ rewards can help you increase your points earned while taking advantage of the range of added benefits.
But for most people, combining the Amex Gold and Platinum probably isn’t necessary. Choose the card that best fits your spending and budget, and you can maximize your spending without leaving any value on the table.
We consider both the Amex Gold and Amex Platinum among today’s top travel rewards credit cards, but there are plenty of other options that may be a better fit for your spending, redemption preferences, budget, and more.
Why we like it: This no-annual-fee travel card may be easier for cardholders with little experience using travel credit cards to open and start earning. You’ll earn 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 1.25x miles on every other purchase. Unlike many travel cards, the Capital One VentureOne also has a generous introductory APR on new purchases and balance transfers for 15 months.
Read our full Capital One VentureOne review
Why we like it: It’s hard to go wrong with the $95 annual fee Chase Sapphire Preferred as your travel card of choice. The Sapphire Preferred Card offers up to 50% boost on eligible travel redemptions made through Chase Travel℠, making this card’s welcome bonus even more valuable for your next trip when you book with Chase.
Read our full Chase Sapphire Preferred review
Why we like it: Another major premium travel rewards card available today is the Venture X from Capital One, with a $395 annual fee. Your Capital One miles are worth 1 cent per point when you redeem them toward past travel purchases made with your card or when you book through Capital One Travel.
The Venture X also offers an annual $300 credit toward travel booked through Capital One Travel. Plus, you’ll get an additional 10,000 miles each year starting on your first account anniversary.
Read our full Capital One Venture X review
This article was edited by Rebecca McCracken
Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to the author(s) and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn’t include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Source: Yahoo Finance
