Independent and ad-free for now: we have no issuer or affiliate deals yet. Advertiser disclosure · Not financial advice.
Home / All cards / American Express

American Express® Gold Card

Amex Membership Rewards Offer varies by applicant
Welcome bonus · as high as
100,000 points
≈ $1,850 at 1.85¢ per point
after $8,000 spend in 6 months
Annual fee$325 
Value per point~1.85¢median of 6 published valuations
First-year value*$2,840easy credits counted · $2,840 with none
Year 2+ value*$990each year after the first, after the fee · $990 with no credits
$325 fee vs $424 in stated credits a yearFace value. You’d use $0 by our default → yearly cost after year 1 $325 ↓
Worth ~1.85¢/pt, median of 6 published valuations

Range 1.3–2.2¢. No published value from Bankrate. Checked 2026-10-23. How we use these

See the offer on American Express’s site ↗ Run your own numbers

Data checked by Chris Manns · Last updated October 23, 2026

Source: American Express card page · checked October 23, 2026. *Value uses our sample profile ($31,100/yr spend, no favorite airline or hotel) and the community value of 1.85¢ per point (median of published valuations) — see method.

Credits & perks

Annual fee$325
vs
Stated credits a year$424face value, as American Express states it
Face value isn’t real value. A $25-a-month credit for something you’d never buy is worth $0 to you, and most credits are use-it-or-lose-it by month, quarter or half-year. Tick only what you’d spend on anyway.

Which would you actually use?

Our assumption: the boxes ticked to start are the “easy” credits: broad, flexible or automatic (general travel credits, airline-fee credits on any airline, Global Entry/TSA, anniversary free nights). Niche or single-merchant credits start unticked. Your choices are saved in this browser and also used by the calculator.

Your net cost$325Yearly cost after year 1: annual fee − credits you’ll use ($0)
Year 2+ value*$990each year after the first, after the annual fee, with your ticks
First-year value*$2,840bonus + earning + credits − fee

Counts each ticked credit at 100% of face value. Global Entry/TSA counts as a quarter a year. Free nights use our point values. *At our sample profile; how credits are counted.

Perks with no stated $ value

Lounges, status, bags and similar. We don’t put a number on these unless the issuer does.

  • travel The Hotel Collection: $100 property credit on 2+ night bookings
  • status Hertz Five Star status (enrollment required)

Source: American Express card page and benefit terms · checked 2026-10-23.

Is the Amex Gold Card worth the $325 annual fee?

It depends on your use: how much you spend and which credits you’d genuinely use. Here is the site’s own math from American Express’s page (checked October 23, 2026) and the median of 6 published valuations (1.85¢). Year 2+ value is each year after the first, after the fee, at our sample profile ($31,100/yr spend).

Annual fee$325
Stated credits a year (face value)$424
Earning a year at our sample profile (incl. any annual bonus points)$1,315
Year 2+ value, no credits used$990
Year 2+ value, easy credits only (our default, $0)$990
Year 2+ value, every stated credit used ($424)$1,414

On this spending the earning alone covers the fee. This compares the card with having no card; a no-fee card would also earn something on the same spend. Tick the credits you’d use in Credits & perks or run your own numbers.

How it earns

  • 4x Dining & takeout up to $50,000/yr
  • 4x Groceries up to $25,000/yr
  • 5x Travel booked on the card’s own travel site
  • 3x Flights (booked with the airline)
  • 1x everything else
  • 4x at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000/yr) and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000/yr); 5x prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com; 3x flights.

Offer details

  • As high as 100,000 points after $8,000 in 6 months

Annual fee $325. Credits from the issuer page are in Credits & perks above.

Questions about the Amex Gold Card

What is the Amex Gold Card welcome bonus?

As high as 100,000 points after $8,000 in 6 months, about $1,850 at the median published point value, per American Express’s card page checked October 23, 2026. The issuer says offers vary and yours may be lower.

What is the Amex Gold Card annual fee?

$325 a year, as listed on American Express’s page on October 23, 2026.

How much are its points worth?

About 1.85¢ each: the median of 6 published valuations (range 1.3–2.2¢), checked October 23, 2026.

What credits does the Amex Gold Card include?

$424 a year in stated credits at face value, across 4 credits. By our default (only easy, flexible credits) you’d use $0, so the yearly cost after year 1 is $325.

Is the Amex Gold Card worth the $325 annual fee?

It depends on your use. On American Express’s figures (checked October 23, 2026) the fee is $325 a year against $424 a year in stated credits at face value. At our sample profile ($31,100 a year of spending) its earning (including any annual bonus points) is worth about $1,315 a year at 1.85¢ per point, so Year 2+ value is $990 if you use none of the credits, $990 with only the easy credits we count by default, and $1,414 if you’d use every stated credit in full. On this spending its earning covers the fee even before credits. These figures compare the card with having no card; a no-fee card would also earn something on the same spend.

Data notes:
  • Welcome offer is “as high as” 100,000 points; Amex says offers vary.

The math at our sample profile

Sample: Dining & takeout $4,800 · Groceries $7,200 · Gas & EV charging $2,400 · Flights (booked with the airline) $2,000 · Hotels (booked with the hotel) $1,500 · Other travel $1,200 · Everything else $12,000. Credits: our default “easy” ticks.

Welcome bonus: 100,000 points × 1.85¢$1,850
A year of earning: 71,100 points × 1.85¢$1,315
Annual fee−$325
First year / Year 2+$2,840 / $990

Use my own spending →

Verify everything on the issuer’s site before applying; offers change and may differ for you. We don’t list APRs: see the issuer’s pricing & terms. TravelCardMath earns nothing from this card today.