American Express offers several credit cards with varying rewards and benefits. Two popular options are the American Express® Gold Card and Amex EveryDay® Credit Card.
While both cards offer rewards for everyday spending, they have different features and benefits that may appeal to different types of cardholders.
This article will compare each card based on several factors to help you make an informed decision on which card is the best to add to your wallet.
Full Reviews: American Express® Gold Card and Amex EveryDay® Credit Card.
Overview of Each Card
Welcome Bonus
The Amex Gold currently offers the following welcome bonus:
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The Amex EveryDay® Card currently offers the following welcome bonus:
Earn 10,000 Membership Rewards® Points after Spending $2,000 in your first 6 months.
Winner: Amex Gold offers a larger welcome bonus.
Earning Rewards
The Amex Gold earns Membership Rewards points and offers some very nice points multipliers to help you earn a lot of points:
- 4 points per dollar on dining at restaurants (including takeout and food delivery in the U.S.).
- 4 points per dollar on up to $25,000 in purchases at U.S. supermarkets per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar).
- 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly from the airline or through the Amex Travel.
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
The Amex EveryDay® Card earns Membership Rewards points at the following rates:
- 2 points per dollar at U.S. Supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year, then 1x points;
- 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
You can also get a 20% points bonus each month if you use your card at least 20 times.
For example, 2x points would increase to 2.4 points per dollar and 1x points would increase to 1.2 points per dollar.
Winner: Amex Gold is a rewards-earning powerhouse in major spending categories.
Card Benefits and Perks
The American Express Gold Card offers the following benefits for its cardholders:
- Up to $120 annual dining statement credit: Earn up to $10 in monthly statement credits when you pay with the Amex Gold Card at participating dining partners, including Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment is required.
- Up to $120 in annual Uber Cash: Earn up to $10 in Uber Cash monthly for Uber Eats and Uber rides in the U.S. when you enroll and add the card to the Uber app.
- Up to $100 in hotel credits: Cardmembers who use their card to book a stay of two nights or more through Amex’s The Hotel Collection receive a $100 on-site credit for qualifying activities.
- Trip delay insurance ($300 for a delay of more than 12 hours)*
- Lost luggage reimbursement*
- No foreign transaction fees
- Secondary rental car insurance*
- Return protection*
- Purchase protection*
- Extended warranty
* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
The Amex EveryDay® Card offers the following benefits:
- Secondary rental car insurance*
- Access to Amex Offers.
- Complimentary ShopRunner membership.
* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Winner: Amex Gold since the Amex Everyday lacks any major benefits.
Value of the Annual Fees
The American Express Gold has a $250 annual fee (rates and fees), which is offset by the $240 in credits, trip and purchase protections, and extra points on dining, flights, and U.S. supermarkets.
The Amex Everyday has no annual fee.
Winner: Although the Amex Gold has a higher annual fee, it offers more value with up to $240 in statement credits and nice travel and purchase protections.
Redeeming Rewards
Both the Amex Gold and Amex Everyday earns Membership Rewards points.
American Express Membership Rewards is a popular rewards program that offers a variety of redemption options, including travel, merchandise, gift cards, and more.
However, to get the most value out of your rewards, it’s important to use them strategically.
One of the best ways to use Amex Membership Rewards is through transfer partners.
The program partners with over 20 airline and hotel partners, including ANA, Air Canada Aeroplan, Iberia Avios, and Avianca LifeMiles.
By transferring your points to these partners, you can often get more value per point and enjoy a wider range of redemption options.
Membership Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
|
|
|---|---|
Aer Lingus Avios
|
AeroMexico [1 to 1.6]
|
Air Canada Aeroplan
|
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
|
ANA
|
Avianca LifeMiles
|
British Airways Avios
|
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
|
Delta SkyMiles
|
El Al [1,000 to 20]
|
Emirates
|
Etihad Guest
|
Hawaiian Airlines
|
Iberia Avios
|
JetBlue [250 to 200]
|
Qantas
|
Qatar Airways
|
Singapore KrisFlyer
|
Virgin Atlantic
|
Choice
|
Marriott Bonvoy
|
Hilton Honors [1 to 2]
|
The Verdict
Despite the Amex Gold‘s higher annual fee, it is a better option than the Amex EveryDay® Card since it offers great rewards at U.S. Supermarkets, restaurants, and flights, in addition to statement credits and travel benefits.
Which card are you going to choose?
