Key takeaways

  • The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card both earn valuable American Express Membership Rewards, but their benefits are tailored to suit different lifestyles.
  • The Gold card is ideal for foodies, offering various dining credits and boosted earnings rates on purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets.
  • The Amex Platinum card offers more travel-related perks, including airport lounge access, elite status with several travel brands and an even higher rate of rewards on select travel purchases.
  • You’ll also enjoy a larger welcome bonus and more annual credits with the Amex Platinum, but it comes with a significantly higher annual fee than the Amex Gold card.

If you’re passionate about travel rewards, then high-end travel credit cards like the American Express® Gold Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express are probably on your radar.

However, as you compare the American Express Gold versus the Platinum, you may find that one of these cards provides better rewards for your lifestyle. The Amex Gold is perfect for foodies, offering 4X points at U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery) and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in supermarket purchases per year, then 1X points).

By contrast, the American Express Platinum should appeal to heavy travelers — especially those who fly regularly and can take advantage of 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel (up to $500,000 spent each calendar year). You’ll also receive 5X points on prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel.

While the two options are similar in many ways, the Amex Gold will cost you $445 less each year in annual fees. Plus, you’ll also get access to a broader range of bonus categories.

The Platinum Card from American Express, on the other hand, offers a long list of travel perks and generous rewards on qualifying flights and hotel purchases. So, which travel credit card offers a better value for your money? Let’s find out.

Main details

Cards American Express Gold Card The Platinum Card from American Express
Welcome bonus offer 60,000-point welcome bonus after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months of card membership 80,000-point welcome bonus after spending $8,000 in the first 6 months
Rewards rate
  • Earn 4X points at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
  • 4X points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, then 1X)
  • 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or via American Express Travel
  • 1X points on everything else
  • 5X points on up to $500,000 spent per calendar year on directly-booked airfare as well as flights booked through American Express Travel
  • 5X points on prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel
  • 2X points on prepaid car rentals through American Express Travel
  • 1X points on everything else
Intro APR None; 21.24% – 29.24% variable APR (for Pay Over Time) None; 21.24% – 29.24% variable APR (for Pay Over Time)
Bonus credits Up to $340 Up to $1,709
Annual fee $250 $695

American Express Gold vs. Platinum highlights

Both of these rewards cards let you earn points in the valuable American Express Membership Rewards program, yet their unique earning rates and cardholder perks set them apart. The following benefit comparisons can help you figure out whether the American Express Gold Card or Platinum Card from American Express is better for your wallet.

Which card earns more?

Deciding whether the Amex Gold or Platinum is better for your situation largely comes down to regular spending habits. Let’s compare the potential rewards you might earn in a month with the Amex Gold Card versus Platinum.

American Express Gold vs. Platinum spending example

Say you use your American Express Gold Card and spend $200 dining out and another $500 on groceries. You’ll earn a cash back rate of 4X points for every dollar in these categories, which comes out to 2,800 points. Now, say you spend another $600 on non-category purchases, such as gas, shopping and your cellphone bill. At 1X points per dollar spent, you’ll earn another 600 points for a total of 3,400 points.

In this example, your rewards come from everyday consumer purchases and are worth an average of $34 when redeemed through the Amex travel portal or $68 with the right high-value transfer partner, according to our latest points and miles valuations.

Using the same purchases and dollar amounts, here’s what your earnings might look like if you used the American Express Platinum for these expenditures. You’ll earn 1X points for every dollar you spend at restaurants, so the $200 you spend dining out will deliver 200 points. Similarly, the $500 you spend on groceries and the $600 towards non-category spending also yield 1X points per dollar. That means you’ll earn 1,300 points, or $13 when redeemed through the Amex travel portal.

But what happens if we throw a $400 round-trip airline purchase into both scenarios? With the Amex Gold card, you’ll earn 3X points if you book your flight directly with the airline or via American Express Travel. That means you’ll earn 1,200 points, or $12 if you redeem for a 1 cent:1 point rate.

By contrast, the Amex Platinum card earns 5X points when you book directly with the airline or through American Express Travel. So, your ticket purchase will yield 2,000 points, or $20 when redeemed through the Amex travel portal. Adding the flight to the examples above, the Amex Gold earns $46 you can redeem through the Amex portal (or $92 with the right transfer partner) while the Amex Platinum card earns $33 when redeemed through the Amex travel portal (or $66 with the right high-value transfer partner).

The American Express Gold card earns more rewards when used for everyday spending, while the American Express Platinum card packs a bigger punch when you use it for travel purchases. Keep in mind that both of these cards earn valuable Membership Rewards points, and Amex allows you to combine points earned on different cards. As such, you may decide it’s worthwhile to stash both of these rewards credit cards in your wallet rather than choosing between them.

Why should you get the Amex Gold?

The Amex Gold Card may be worth it as it offers an exceptional rewards rate in everyday categories, allowing you to build points quickly even if you’re not a frequent traveler. This card is ideal for foodies and those with big grocery and dining budgets as a result, but there are other reasons to consider signing up.

Additional benefits

The Amex Gold Card comes with useful benefits like dining credits and a free ShopRunner membership that gets you free two-day shipping at participating stores. If you book a hotel through The Hotel Collection, you can also enjoy free room upgrades and up to $100 in hotel experience credits. As a cardholder, you’ll also receive secondary auto rental coverage and baggage protection with coverage provided for up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage.

Redemption options

Like the Amex Platinum card, the American Express Gold card earns Membership Rewards points. You can transfer your points to any American Express airline or hotel partner.

Alternatively, you can redeem points to book travel arrangements through American Express Travel. You can also use points for statement credits, gift cards, charitable donations or to shop through American Express partner retailers.

Recommended credit score

You’ll need good to excellent credit to qualify, which typically means having a FICO credit score between 670 and 850.

Why should you get the Amex Platinum?

If you travel often and want to be as comfortable as possible, the Platinum Card is the better choice. This travel card’s range of luxury benefits is so extensive that you can expect red-carpet treatment wherever you go. Meanwhile, the rewards rate for flights and hotels is outstanding, too.

Additional benefits

With access to airport lounges, hotel benefits like room upgrades and daily breakfasts, credits for Uber rides, personalized travel assistance, rental car insurance and purchase protections, the Platinum Card’s list of perks seems endless.

Also, keep in mind that this card has more travel insurance and protections overall. When you use your card to pay for a trip, you’ll qualify for trip delay insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage insurance and car rental insurance coverage.

Redemption options

Since both the Amex Platinum and Amex Gold earn Membership Rewards points, the redemption options are the same. You can use your points for the following rewards:

  • Statement credits
  • Travel bookings
  • Points transfers to American Express airline and hotel partners
  • Gift cards
  • Shopping with retailers such as Amazon or at the online Amex shopping mall
  • Charitable donations

Recommended credit score

You’ll need good to excellent credit to qualify, which typically means having a FICO score between 670 and 850. Generally, the higher your credit score, the better your odds of approval and snagging more attractive terms.

The bottom line

Is the Amex Gold or Platinum better for you? That depends. Choosing between the American Express Gold Card and Platinum Card from American Express will likely be determined by which card’s benefits align better with your spending and lifestyle.

If you love a VIP experience and globe trot regularly, then the Amex Platinum is a fantastic option. But if you’re not overly fussed about luxury travel or only travel a few times each year, the Amex Gold offers better value and more rewards-earning opportunities.

If you can’t decide between these two American Express credit cards, you can also consider getting both. With both the Amex Platinum and Amex Gold in your wallet, you can have access to the top travel perks on the market along with enough bonus categories to let you rack up as many American Express Membership Rewards points as possible.

Many consumers even sign up for an Amex cash back card, like The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, in order to earn optimal rewards with what is known as the Amex trifecta. No matter what you decide, there’s an American Express card (or combination of cards) to suit your needs.

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