American Express Platinum Card® and American Express® Gold Card are two of Amex’s top-tier cards.
The Amex Platinum offers the most comprehensive airport lounge network available, giving you access to premium Centurion Lounges plus thousands of other lounges worldwide. You can easily offset the card’s large annual fee through generous credits for Uber, hotels, digital entertainment, Resy dining, and lifestyle brands like lululemon.
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.
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 Platinum Card® and American Express® Gold Card.
Overview: American Express Platinum vs. American Express Gold
Welcome Bonuses
Amex Platinum
The American Express Platinum currently offers the following welcome bonus:
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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.
Welcome Bonus Eligibility
You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer on the American Express Gold card if you have or have had:
- American Express Gold
- American Express Platinum Card®
- The Platinum Card from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley
- Platinum Card® from American Express for Charles Schwab
- Previous versions of the above cards.
Earning Rewards
Amex Platinum
- 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel®, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
- 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com.
- 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Amex Gold
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 worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year (then 1x points).
- 4 points per dollar U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year (then 1x points).
- 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly from the airline or booked on AmexTravel.com.
- 2 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Winner:
The Amex Gold wins this round because its spending categories, which are groceries and dining, are very common. Most people can earn rewards easier and faster with this card.
Unlike the Amex Platinum, you’d have to fly a lot to maximize earning rewards.
Card Benefits and Perks
Amex Platinum
The Amex Platinum offers the most benefits of any credit card, including the following:
Lounge Access: Eligible Card members get access to the extensive American Express Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Lufthansa lounges (when flying Lufthansa, SWISS, or Austrian) and Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta. Platinum members receive 10 Delta Sky Club visits annually per eligible card (unless you spend $75,000 in a calendar year) when traveling on same-day Delta flights.
Airline Fee Credit: You’ll receive up to $200 in statement credits annually for incidental fees charged by one qualifying airline of your choice.*
Hotel Credits: You’ll receive up to $600 in hotel credits annually with this card, split into two convenient semi-annual periods. The credit structure gives you up to $300 from January through June and another $300 from July through December.*
Uber Cash: Your card provides up to $200 annually in Uber Cash, distributed as up to $15 monthly credits, plus a bonus of up to $20 in December. These credits can be used for both Uber rides and Uber Eats orders within the United States when you add your Platinum Card as a payment method and redeem with any Amex card.*
Uber One Credit: You’ll receive up to $120 annually in statement credits after purchasing an auto-renewing Uber One membership with your card, which is separate from the existing $200 annual Uber Cash benefit.*
CLEAR Plus Credit: You can cover the cost of a CLEAR Plus Membership with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR Plus with this card.*
Digital Entertainment Credit: You’ll receive up to $25 monthly (up to $300 annually) in credits toward popular streaming services like Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Paramount+, Peacock, YouTube Premium, YouTube TV, and digital subscriptions to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. *
Resy Dining Credit: You’ll receive up to $100 quarterly (up to $400 annually) in statement credits when you use your card for eligible dining purchases at over 10,000 U.S. Resy restaurants.*
Lululemon Shopping Credit: You’ll receive up to $75 quarterly (up to $300 annually) in statement credits when you use your card for eligible purchases with Lululemon in the U.S.*
Oura Ring Credit: You’ll receive up to $200 annually in credits when you use your card to purchase an Oura Ring through ouraring.com.*
Equinox Credit: Enjoy up to $300 in annual statement credits toward Equinox gym memberships or the Equinox+ fitness app (subject to auto-renewal).*
SoulCycle Benefit: You can receive up to $300 in statement credits toward the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike (up to 15 bikes per calendar year). To qualify, you must be enrolled in an Equinox+ membership when making your purchase.*
Walmart+ Credit: Receive up to $155 in statement credits annually (up to $12.95 monthly plus applicable taxes) covering a Walmart+ membership when paying with your Platinum Card.
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck: You’ll get a $120 statement credit for Global Entry every four years or up to $85 credit for TSA PreCheck every 4.5 years.
Saks Fifth Avenue Credit: Enjoy up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue statement credits annually, divided into two $50 credits (January-June and July-December).*
Hotel Elite Status: Enjoy complimentary Gold status with both Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, and Leaders Club hotel programs.*
Car Rental Status: Enjoy complimentary elite status with multiple car rental agencies: Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle, Avis Preferred Plus, and National Emerald Club Executive.
Premium Hotel Programs: You’ll have access to exclusive Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection booking programs. These provide valuable perks like room upgrades, daily breakfast for two, guaranteed late checkout, and unique property amenities during your stays.
Travel Protections: Your Platinum Card covers trip delays over six hours (up to $500), cancellations/interruptions (up to $10,000), secondary rental car insurance when declining the rental company’s waiver, and baggage insurance for lost, damaged, or stolen items when purchasing tickets with your card.**
Shopping Protections: Your Platinum Card safeguards purchases with extended warranty coverage adding up to one year to eligible manufacturer’s warranties, protection against theft, damage, or loss for 90 days, potential reimbursement when merchants refuse returns within 90 days, and cell phone protection when you pay your monthly bill with your card.**
* Enrollment is required for select benefits.
** Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
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).
Travel and Purchase Benefits
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.
Winner:
The Amex Platinum wins this round. Its benefits and annual credits heavily outweigh those of the Gold Card. One major perk of the Platinum Card is access to various airport lounges, including premium ones like Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass Lounges, and Delta Sky Clubs.
Value of the Annual Fees
Amex Platinum
The Amex Platinum comes with a hefty annual fee of $895 (rates & fees), which can be offset if you take advantage of the numerous credits and great airport lounge access.
There is also a $195 annual fee for each additional authorized user Platinum Card, who also receive airport lounge access, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, and hotel and rental car elite status.
For example, if you had three authorized users with Amex Platinum cards, your additional fee would be $585.
Alternatively, you can add for free up to 99 Companion Cards for free, which allows you to earn points for spending on the Companion Card, but there are no perks like airport lounge access.
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.
Winner:
The right card for you depends on how effectively you can use your card’s benefits.
The Amex Platinum has a pricey annual fee, but its benefits are worth almost $2000. If you frequently travel and fully maximize those annual travel credits and free lounge access, you can easily cover triple the cost of the card’s annual fee.
On the other hand, the Amex Gold has a lower annual fee and provides annual dining and hotel credits. While not as valuable, these benefits can still cover the fee and are easier to use.
Redeeming Rewards
Both Cards
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]
|
|
|---|---|
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]
|
Should I Get the Amex Gold or Amex Platinum?
Deciding between the Amex Platinum and Amex Gold cards can be challenging because each card offers unique benefits, and your choice depends on how well they align with your lifestyle.
However, we’ve chosen the Amex Gold as the winner for two main reasons. First, it’s easier to earn rewards on the card because it has common spending categories like dining and groceries. Second, its annual credit benefits are also easy to maximize.
Even if the Amex Platinum is marketed as the premium card by Amex, most people can’t really maximize its benefits. However, if you travel frequently each year, the Platinum card can be a valuable addition to your wallet alongside the Amex Gold.
Which card are you going to choose?
