Upgrading from the American Express® Gold Card to American Express Platinum Card® is a straightforward process.
You can request an upgrade by either calling the number on the back of your Amex Gold card or live chatting with an agent on AmericanExpress.com.
You are required to wait at least one year from the account opening to upgrade the card.
But if you haven’t received a welcome bonus for the Amex Platinum, I recommend you sign up for the American Express Platinum Card® instead of upgrading.
You could then either keep, cancel, or downgrade the Amex Gold to the American Express® Green Card.
I think the Amex Gold and Amex Platinum combination is really powerful, so I always recommend people hold both cards to get the airport lounge access of the Amex Platinum with the great points earning of the Amex Gold.
Amex Platinum vs Amex Gold
To decide whether to upgrade from the Amex Gold to Amex Platinum, here is a comparison of the two cards:
Earning Points
Amex Platinum
Cardmembers are also eligible for targeted Amex Offers that could boost earning rates at various merchants.
Amex Gold
The Amex Gold earns Membership Rewards points and offers some very nice points multipliers to help you earn a lot of points:
Annual Fee
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.
Card Benefits
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). 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
