Amex Gold vs Blue Cash Preferred: Which is Best?

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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 dining credits, Uber Cash, and travel benefits.

The Blue Cash Preferred is a credit card that offers 6% cash back on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases at U.S. supermarkets and select U.S. streaming services, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit, and 1% cash back on other purchases.

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 of Each Card

4x Points at Restaurants and Supermarkets
American Express® Gold Card
American Express® Gold Card
  • bonus_miles_full
  • 4x Points at U.S. Supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1 point per dollar)
  • 4x Points at Restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.).
  • Up to $120 Uber Cash Credit (Add your Gold Card to your Uber account, and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S.)
  • $120 Dining Credit (up to $10 in monthly statement credits at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, & select Shake Shacks)
  • $250 Annual Fee (Rates and Fees)
Learn More Our Review
American Express is a Deals Points advertiser. Terms Apply; Enrollment is Required for Some Benefits

6% Cash Back at U.S. Supermarkets and on U.S. Streaming
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
  • bonus_miles_full
  • 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).
Learn More Our Review
American Express is a Deals Points Advertiser; Terms Apply

Welcome Bonus

The Amex Gold currently offers the following welcome bonus:

bonus_miles_full

The Blue Cash Preferred currently offers the following welcome bonus:

bonus_miles_full

Earning Rewards

The Amex Gold earns Membership Rewards points and offers some very nice points multipliers to help you earn a lot of points:

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.

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

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 Blue Cash Preferred offers the following benefits and perks: 

  • 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. Variable APRs will not exceed 29.99%.
  • Get up to $120 in statement credits annually when you pay for an Equinox+ membership at equinoxplus.com with your Blue Cash Preferred® Card. That’s $10 in statement credits each month. Enrollment is required.
  • $7 back as a statement credit each month (up to $84 annually) after spending $12.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription to the Disney Bundle, which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Enrollment is required.
  • Secondary rental car insurance.*
  • Extended warranty.*
  • Purchase protection.*
  • Return protection.*

* 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

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 Blue Cash Preferred has an annual fee of $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 thereafter (rates & fees).

This allows you to try out the card without committing to a large annual fee.

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

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.

American Express Logo Membership Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
Aer Lingus Aer Lingus Avios AEROMEXICO LOGO AeroMexico [1 to 1.6]
Air Canada Air Canada Aeroplan Air France Air France/KLM Flying Blue
ANA ANA Avianca Avianca LifeMiles
British Airways British Airways Avios Cathay Pacific Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
Delta Air Lines Delta SkyMiles El Al El Al [1,000 to 20]
Emirates logo Emirates Etihad Etihad Guest
Hawaiian Airlines logo Hawaiian Airlines Iberia logo Iberia Avios
JetBlue JetBlue [250 to 200] Qantas Logo Qantas
Qatar Airways logo Qatar Airways Singapore Airlines Singapore KrisFlyer
Virgin Atlantic logo Virgin Atlantic Choice Logo Choice
Marriott Hotels Marriott Bonvoy Hilton Hotels Hilton Honors [1 to 2]

The Blue Cash Preferred earns cash back rewards, which are received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.

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?

4x Points at Restaurants and Supermarkets
American Express® Gold Card
American Express® Gold Card
  • bonus_miles_full
  • 4x Points at U.S. Supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1 point per dollar)
  • 4x Points at Restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.).
  • Up to $120 Uber Cash Credit (Add your Gold Card to your Uber account, and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S.)
  • $120 Dining Credit (up to $10 in monthly statement credits at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, & select Shake Shacks)
  • $250 Annual Fee (Rates and Fees)
Learn More Our Review
American Express is a Deals Points advertiser. Terms Apply; Enrollment is Required for Some Benefits

6% Cash Back at U.S. Supermarkets and on U.S. Streaming
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
  • bonus_miles_full
  • 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).
Learn More Our Review
American Express is a Deals Points Advertiser; Terms Apply

Andy Medearis

Andy Medearis

Andy is the founder of Deals Points and he is also an attorney. He loves to travel the world using miles and points. Have a comment or question? Please send me an email at [email protected].
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