Both the American Express® Gold Card and Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express are two popular cards for their ability to earn great rewards.
The Amex Gold is a great card for earning points at restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and flights booked directly with airlines. Cardholders can also enjoy up to $424 in annual credits and nice travel and purchase protections.
The Blue Cash Preferred is designed to maximize cash back on common household expenses. If you spend heavily on groceries, streaming services, transit or gas, you’ll find the card’s bonus categories and earning rates hard to beat.
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 Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.
Overview: Amex Gold vs. Blue Cash Preferred
- Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- 6% Cash Back at U.S. Supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year; 1% thereafter) and on Select U.S. Streaming
- 3% Cash Back on Transit, Ridesharing, Parking, and at U.S. Gas Stations
- $0 Intro Annual Fee for the First Year, then $95 (rates & fees).
Welcome Bonuses
Amex Gold:
The Amex Gold currently offers the following welcome bonus: You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. 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. You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer on the American Express Gold card if you have or have had:
Welcome Bonus Eligibility
Blue Cash Preferred:
The Blue Cash Preferred currently offers the following welcome bonus: Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
Earning Rewards
Amex Gold:
The Amex Gold earns Membership Rewards points and offers some very nice points multipliers to help you earn a lot of points:
Blue Cash Preferred:
The Blue Cash Preferred earns cash back at the following rates: Cash back is received as Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits or at Amazon.com checkout.
Winner:
The Amex Gold wins because 4x points are worth more than 6% cash back, and you will most likely spend a lot more at restaurants (Amex Gold) than on U.S. streaming (Blue Cash Preferred).
Card Benefits and Perks
Amex Gold:
The American Express Gold card offers the following benefits for its cardholders: $120 Dining 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, and Five Guys. Enrollment is required. $120 in Uber Cash: Get up to $10 monthly Uber Cash for U.S. Uber Eats orders and rides when you add your American Express Gold Card as a payment method. Your Uber Cash can be redeemed using any American Express card. $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $50 semi-annually in statement credits after you pay with the Amex Gold to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. Enrollment is required. $84 Dunkin’ Credit: You can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Up to $100 in Hotel Credits: Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. Eligible charges vary by property. No Foreign Transaction Fees (rates & fees): The Amex Gold’s lack of foreign transaction fees makes it an ideal choice for international purchases, especially considering you can earn 4 points per dollar at global restaurants (on the first $50,000 spent per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar). Trip Delay Insurance: When your trip is significantly delayed due to covered reasons like equipment failures or severe weather, this protection reimburses you for reasonable expenses including lodging, meals, toiletries, and medication. The coverage activates when you pay for travel with your card and extends to family members on the same itinerary, though you’ll need to seek reimbursement from the travel carrier first.* Baggage Insurance Plan covers your baggage if it is lost, damaged, or stolen and you purchase your ticket with this card.* Secondary Rental Car Insurance: This card provides backup protection for rental car damage or theft when you charge the full rental to your card.* Extended Warranty Protection: When you purchase items with your credit card, you’ll get an extra year of warranty coverage on eligible items that have original manufacturer warranties of up to five years. This valuable perk means you can protect expensive electronics and appliances that come with longer manufacturer warranties without paying extra for store protection plans* Return Protection allows cardholders to receive a refund for purchased items within a certain timeframe for items that merchants may not accept for return.* ShopRunner Membership: As a cardholder, you’ll enjoy a complimentary ShopRunner membership, which provides free 2-day shipping and free returns at over 100 participating online retailers. This benefit can help frequent online shoppers save on shipping costs and streamline the return process. Amex Offers: As an American Express cardholder, you can access Amex Offers. These targeted, limited-time promotions provide discounts or bonus points on purchases with select merchants. Offers are added to your card, and you’ll receive either a percentage or dollar amount back as a statement credit when you meet the offer terms. While offers vary and may not always align with your spending habits, this perk can be valuable when an offer matches your preferences. * Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Travel and Purchase Benefits
Blue Cash Preferred:
The Blue Cash Preferred offers the following benefits and perks: Intro APR: 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, it will be a reg_apr,reg_apr_type APR. Subscription Credit: Get up to a $10 monthly statement credit after using your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred® Card for a subscription purchase, including a bundle subscription purchase, at disneyplus.com, Hulu.com, or Plus.espn.com U.S. websites. Subject to auto-renewal. Amex Offers: As an American Express cardholder, you can access Amex Offers. These targeted, limited-time promotions provide discounts or bonus points on purchases with select merchants. Offers are added to your card, and you’ll receive either a percentage or dollar amount back as a statement credit when you meet the offer terms. While offers vary and may not always align with your spending habits, this perk can be valuable when an offer matches your preferences. Secondary Rental Car Insurance: This card provides backup protection for rental car damage or theft when you charge the full rental to your card.* Extended Warranty Protection: When you purchase items with your credit card, you’ll get an extra year of warranty coverage on eligible items that have original manufacturer warranties of up to five years. This valuable perk means you can protect expensive electronics and appliances that come with longer manufacturer warranties without paying extra for store protection plans* 90-Day Purchase Protection: Your new purchases are covered against damage and theft for 90 days when you use your card. This protection helps safeguard your eligible items right from the moment you buy them.* Return Protection allows cardholders to receive a refund for purchased items within a certain timeframe for items that merchants may not accept for return.* * Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Winner:
The Amex Gold offers better benefits overall with its statement credits and better travel protections.
Value of the Annual Fees
Amex Gold:
The American Express Gold has a $325 annual fee (rates and fees), which is offset by up to $424 in annual credits, trip and purchase protections, and extra points on dining, flights, and U.S. supermarkets.
Blue Cash Preferred:
The Blue Cash Preferred Card has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then a $95 annual fee after that (rates & fees). You can offset this cost through the card’s generous cash back rewards and statement credits. Authorized user cards are available at no additional cost. These additional cardholders can earn cash back on their purchases, helping you rack up rewards even faster.
Winner:
It depends on whether you can take advantage of the statement credits for Uber and Dining (Amex Gold) versus the Disney Bundle credit (Blue Cash Preferred). If you can use the Amex Gold’s credits each month, then the Amex Gold is the winner.
Redeeming Rewards
Amex Gold:
American Express Membership Rewards points are a versatile and valuable currency for travelers. The program offers numerous redemption options, with transfers to airline partners being the most lucrative way to use your points. Amex partners with 18 airlines and 3 hotel chains, allowing you to access a wide range of travel possibilities. Some of the best redemptions include booking business class flights to Europe through Air France-KLM Flying Blue for as low as 50,000 miles one-way. Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club offers excellent value for Delta One flights to Europe at 50,000 points, significantly less than booking directly through Delta. For those planning a trip to Asia, transferring to ANA Mileage Club can yield incredible value. Round-trip business class flights from the West Coast to Tokyo can be booked for just 90,000 miles. Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer is another great option, especially for their renowned long-haul flights like New York to Singapore. Domestic travelers can benefit from transferring to British Airways Executive Club for short-haul American and Alaska Airlines flights, with awards starting at just 8,250 Avios for distances up to 650 miles. While transferring to airline partners typically offers the best value, Amex also allows direct redemptions for flights through their travel portal. However, this option generally provides lower value at 1 cent per point. To maximize your Membership Rewards, focus on high-value airline transfers for premium cabin international flights. With strategic planning, you can unlock extraordinary travel experiences and significant savings on your next adventure.
Membership Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
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|---|---|
Aer Lingus Avios
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AeroMexico [1 to 1.6]
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Air Canada Aeroplan
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Air France/KLM Flying Blue
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ANA
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Avianca LifeMiles
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British Airways Avios
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Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
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Delta SkyMiles
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El Al [1,000 to 20]
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Emirates
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Etihad Guest
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Hawaiian Airlines
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Iberia Avios
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JetBlue [250 to 200]
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Qantas
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Qatar Airways
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Singapore KrisFlyer
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Virgin Atlantic
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Choice
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Marriott Bonvoy
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Hilton Honors [1 to 2]
|
Blue Cash Preferred:
The Amex Blue Cash Everyday Preferred offers a straightforward approach to redeeming rewards. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. This simple system allows you to easily apply your earnings to your account balance or make purchases on Amazon, giving you flexibility in how you use your rewards. With no minimum redemption amount, you can use your cash back whenever you want, making it an ideal choice for those who prefer straightforward rewards over complex point systems.
Winner:
The Amex Gold provides more aspirational options for rewards with the ability to transfer to airline and hotel partners, allowing you to save money or travel in style on your next vacation.
The Verdict
I am a big fan of the Amex Gold, and it is my go-to card for dining and supermarkets. The statement credits do take some work each month, but if you can handle that, the annual fee is almost completely offset.
The Blue Cash Preferred is still a good option if you want to earn cash back rewards over travel rewards and can take advantage of the Disney Bundle credit.
Which card are you going to choose?
- Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- 6% Cash Back at U.S. Supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year; 1% thereafter) and on Select U.S. Streaming
- 3% Cash Back on Transit, Ridesharing, Parking, and at U.S. Gas Stations
- $0 Intro Annual Fee for the First Year, then $95 (rates & fees).
