American ExpressGold

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Dining Cards · United States

American Express Gold Card

4.6 / 5 editorial rating

Best for: Big dining and U.S. supermarket spenders who'll use the monthly credits

Reviewed by the CreditCardCompare editorial team · Fees and rates checked September 2026 — confirm on the issuer's site before you apply

Annual fee$325/yr

IssuerAmerican Express

NetworkAmex

Purchase APRSee terms

Foreign transaction feeNone

Credit neededGood to Excellent (700+)

Pros

Strong earnings on dining and groceries
Monthly credits that are easy to put to use
No fee on foreign purchases

Cons

Has an annual fee
Credits come monthly, so unused amounts don't roll over

Compare USA cards

Rates and offers change. Confirm today's terms on the issuer's official site before applying. Independent comparison — not financial advice.

Our take on the American Express Gold Card

The American Express Gold Card is the best choice for someone who spends heavily at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets and will use its monthly credits, because 4x on both categories is among the highest ongoing earn rates on food. As of September 2026 the 4x rate applies to up to $50,000 a year at restaurants and up to $25,000 a year at U.S. supermarkets, so few households will reach the caps.

The $325 fee is where the math gets personal. Amex lists a $120 dining credit, $120 in Uber Cash, a $100 Resy credit and an $84 Dunkin' credit, but each is paid out in monthly or half-yearly portions for specific merchants. If you would use the Uber Cash and dining credit every month anyway, the effective fee falls to $85. If you would not, you are paying the full $325 for the earn rate.

On earning alone, at a conservative 1 cent per point, 4x beats a 2% cash card by 2 cents per dollar, so you need about $16,250 a year in dining and groceries to cover the full fee from the extra points. Everything outside food and travel earns 1x, so a second card for general spending is worth having.

Good fit if

You spend $1,000 or more a month combined at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets
You use Uber or Uber Eats most months, so the $10 monthly Uber Cash gets spent
You want 3x on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel from the same card

Skip it if

Much of your grocery shopping happens at warehouse clubs, so confirm with Amex that your store counts as a U.S. supermarket before applying
You don't want to track monthly credits to justify a $325 fee

Worked example

Suppose you spend $600 a month at restaurants, $500 at U.S. supermarkets and $1,000 on everything else. Restaurants and supermarkets total $13,200 a year and earn 52,800 points at 4x; the other $12,000 earns 12,000 points at 1x. That is 64,800 points, which we value at a conservative 1 cent each, or $648. Subtract the $325 fee and you are $323 ahead before any credits. Using the $120 dining credit and $120 Uber Cash adds $240 if you would spend that money anyway.

How it stacks up

The Blue Cash Preferred pays 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 a year for a $95 fee, which is the better deal for grocery-heavy families who rarely eat out. If dining is your main category and you want no fee, the Capital One Savor pays 3% on dining and at grocery stores, though it earns cash back rather than transferable points.

Best for people who spend a lot on restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, where the 4x rate is hard to beat; outside those it's just 1x, so it's a weak single-card setup. At $325 a year (as of 2026), $6,000 of grocery spend earns 24,000 points, and the monthly dining/Uber credits offset much of the fee if you actually use them month to month. The supermarket bonus is capped annually, so big grocery bills eventually drop to 1x. Confirm caps and credits on americanexpress.com.