The American Express® Gold Card is offering 35,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 3 months.
You can now get up to $100 a year for incidental fees with your selected airline. Cardholders earn 4X Membership Rewards® points when you dine at restaurants worldwide.
Also earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). Then, earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
You can use points for gift cards for dining, entertainment, and to shop over 500 of some of your favorite brands.
 With the American Express® Personal Savings Account: • Earn 1.70% APY on your deposits. Your Personal Savings account earns interest daily and is posted to your account monthly. • Links easily with your current bank accounts. No need to switch banks. • FDIC Insured. Your account is insured to at least $250,000 per depositor. • No monthly fees, no minimum balance. • 24/7 Account Access |
Table of Contents
American Express Gold Card Summary
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| Bonus Available | 35,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 within 3 months. |
| *Bonus Value | $700 |
| Dining Credit | $120 annually with dining partners (up to $10 monthly) |
| Airline Fee Credit | $100 airline fee credit per calendar year on incidental fees |
| Ongoing Rewards/Benefits | Earn 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide. Earn 4X Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. |
| Foreign Transaction Fees | No |
| Annual Fee | $250 |
Recommended Free Credit Score (Get Free Score) 690 – 850 (Good – Excellent)
Amex Gold Card Bonus Offer
Take advantage of the 35,000 Membership Rewards Points from the American Express Gold Card. To qualify for this offer, you must spend at least $4,000 on eligible purchases with your card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
Here are some ways you can meet the minimum spending requirement:
| • Plastiq - Using Plastiq allows you to pay for your personal expenses such as rent, tuition, mortgage, auto lease etc. Although they charge a 2.5% processing fee for using your credit card, this will contribute to the card bonus that you will receive. There is also a referral program that allows you to earn "Free-Free Dollars" that goes towards processing fees as well. |
| • Funding Checking Accounts - When it comes to funding a checking account, opening your initial deposit with a credit card is the usual way to go about it. However, if you want to have more opportunities, you should open a checking account that offers a sign-up bonus. This allows you to work towards bonuses from not one but two different sources instead. Banks like Chase, Huntington Bank, TD Bank and BBVA offers credit card funding, and for your opening deposit, you can often fund anywhere from $50-$1000 with a credit card, depending on the bank. |
| • Gift Card Purchases With Using a Credit Card - Another way to acquire the bonus is using your credit card to purchase gift cards. Buying a a gift card or an individual merchant card typically do not require a purchase fee and are used towards leisure, so gift cards are ideal. However, gift cards such as a Visa or American Express do incur purchase fees because they can be spent anywhere, but gift cards that are specifically for a certain online shopping site such as Amazon or eBay don't. |
| As for a Citi Credit Card, you should call customer service and ask them to lower your Cash Advance limit to $0 before making any purchases because Citi tends to read gift card purchases as a Cash Advance. Ideally, you should do this with any card just to be safe. Lastly, there is such thing as a discounted gift card which can be purchased on Raise or eBay. If you use a credit card often for everyday purchases, it can build your credit score that will contribute towards paying for things such as bills and taxes. |
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Amex Gold Card Vs. Premier Rewards Gold Card
The new Gold Card from American Express is refreshed and does a lot of things better than its predecessor. Below we have a table listing all of the new features of the Gold Card and the only category it doesn’t improve on is U.S. gas stations.
| Rewards Category | American Express Gold Card | Premier Rewards Gold Card (Old Version) |
| Restaurants Worldwide | 4x | 2x at U.S. Restaurants Only |
| U.S. Supermarkets | 4x, capped at $25,000 per calendar year | 2x |
| U.S. Gas Stations | 1x | 2x |
| Airfare Purchased Directly From Airlines or on amextravel.com | 3x | 3x |
| Non-Category Spending | 1x | 1x |
As you can tell from the table above, the American Express Gold Card can earn you a large amount of points on worldwide restaurants and U.S. supermarket spending. So if you have plans to travel, then this is a great card to use on restaurants while you’re abroad. However, I do not recommend you use this card as your primary travel card because of its limited acceptance.
Redeeming Your Points
The Amex Gold Card gives you the ability to transfer your earned Membership Rewards points to 20+ travel partners. This allows you to possibly earn higher class flights with various airlines and routes.
The best part about transferring your points to a partner is that it will generally earn you more value for your points. You have the chance to get up to 2 cents per point with this method. For example, 50,000 Membership Rewards points can have an average value of $1,000.
Membership Rewards Airline Partners
| Aer Lingus | AeroMexico | Air Canada |
| Air France/KLM | Alitalia | All Nippon Airways |
| Avianca | British Airways | Cathay Pacific |
| Delta Airlines | El Al Israel Airlines | Emirates |
| Etihad Airways | Hawaiian Airlines | Iberia |
| JetBlue Airways | Qantas | Singapore Airlines |
| Virgin Atlantic |
Membership Rewards Hotel Partners
| Choice Privileges | Hilton Honors | Marriott Bonvoy |
Also, you have the ability to redeem your points towards statement credits, Amazon purchases, gift cards and more.
Why You Should Apply For This Card
Welcome Offer: Earn 35,000 points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 3 months. The Membership Rewards program is versatile since you can redeem your points from over 500 leading brands for travel, gift cards, statement credits, merchandise or entertainment. For example, the 35,000 points can be redeemed for up to $350 in gift cards.
$120 Annual Dining Credit: Now that this card is more focused on dining, this $120 credit can be great to use towards dining. Especially if you use the Gold Card for purchases at participating dining partners including Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Boxed and participating Shake Shack stores.
$100 Airline Fee Credit: Enjoy up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees at one selected qualifying airline.
Membership Rewards Benefits: Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points when you dine at restaurants worldwide. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
Purchase Benefits
- Purchase Protection. If you bought something within 90 days with your credit card that got lost, stolen, or accidentally damaged, American Express will pay to repair or replace it. This benefit is available for up to $1,000 per claim and $50,000 per year.
- Extended Warranty. You typically get 1 or 2 years of warranty for buying appliances or electronics from the manufacturer. Use your Premier Rewards Gold Card and get an additional year of extended warranty for the items you purchased. This benefit is available for items that have 5 years or less of warranty.
- Return Protection. Stores can simply refuse to take your returns without a receipt or find an excuse to do so. However, buy it with your Gold Rewards Card and American Express may refund the full purchase price within 90 days of purchase. This benefit is available for up to $300 per eligible item and up to $1,000 annually.
Travel Benefits
- Hotel Collection Benefits. Book at least two consecutive nights with your card at Amex Hotel Collection site. Then, get up to $75 hotel credit such as dining, spa purchases, and resort activities. Terms and limitations apply.
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance. Pay with your Gold Rewards Card and get secondary collision coverage on eligible car rentals when you pay with your Gold Card. Plus you also get the 24/7 roadside assistance.
- Luggage Insurance and Travel Accident Insurance. Get luggage insurance up to $1,250 for carry-ons and $500 for checked luggage if they get lost, stolen, or damaged (on common carrier tickets). Then, get up to $100,000 in travel accident insurance at no additional cost for all eligible common carrier travel. Both benefits are available to you as long as you paid with your Gold Rewards Card.
- Global Assist Hotline and Fast Card Replacement. American Express offers emergency assistance 24/7 for access to emergency cash, help with your passport, get a lost card replaced quickly, referrals to medical providers, and much more.
Other benefits include Roadside Assistance for up to 4X a year. It includes complimentary 24/7 towing up to 10 miles, jump starts, fuel delivery up to 2 gallons, and lock-out service anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. Get extra perks and upgrades to special events and exclusive tickets to in-demand concerts. You can also use the Membership Rewards program to transfer points to select airlines and hotels programs at a 1-to-1 basis. Some popular programs include Starwood Preferred Guess, Hilton Honors, British Airways, Virgin America, Delta Skymiles, and much more. Since this is a charge card, you must pay off the balance in full each month with no worry about paying high interest rates and fees.
Bottom Line
The American Express® Gold Card offers many benefits and features with high rewards on spending! This highly rated card from American Express is a favorite among the traveling community. Apply online now and you will get a response within minutes. Don’t forget the annual fee for this card $250, which seems high, but the benefits far outweigh this fee! See our full list of Credit Card Promotions.
Learn more about this card and its features here.
What’s The Competition?
 The The Platinum Card® from American Express offers 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases in your first 3 months. This card comes with an annual fee of $550 (See Rates & Fees), but you cardholders can enjoy Uber VIP status and free rides in the U.S. up to $15 each month, plus a bonus $20 in December. That can be up to $200 in annual Uber savings. Furthermore, you'll receive $200 Airline Fee Credit, up to $200 per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline. Plus, up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue on your Platinum Card® & receive complimentary benefits with an average total value of $550 with Fine Hotels & Resorts. In addition, you can earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel & on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com. |
 The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®! You'll earn 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide; 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. And when you redeem your points for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you'll get 25% more value! |
 The Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card offers a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening (equal to $500 in travel). Named ‘The Best Travel Card' by CNBC, 2018. You're able to earn 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Plus earn 10X miles on thousands of hotels, through January 2020; learn more at hotels.com/venture. This card does come with a $95 annual fee, however, there is a $0 intro annual fee for the first year. Enjoy no foreign transaction fees and receive up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre?®. |
 The Capital One® SavorSM Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a one-time $300 cash bonus after spending $3000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. You'll earn an unlimited 4% cash back on dining and entertainment, 2% at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases. Capital One cardholders get access to premium experiences in dining, entertainment and more. This card does carry a $95 annual fee, however, there is a $0 intro annual fee for the first year. |
In case one is moving to the US. Does anyone have personal experience with getting an Amex card in the U.S.A based on your Amex card in India? What are the steps?