American Express Gold vs. American Express Platinum
Humphrey YangCredit Card ReviewsJune 24, 2024To go Gold or to go Platinum, that is the question.
Both the Amex Gold and Amex Platinum cards are well known players in the premium card space, but which one is right for you? To find out let’s pit these cards against each other category by category.
Fees and Rates
| Amex Gold | Amex Platinum |
| $250 Annual Fee | $695 Annual Fee |
| Interest Rate: 21.24%-29.24% for Pay over time and 29.99% for cash advances | Interest Rate: 21.24%-29.24% for Pay over time and 29.99% for cash advances |
| Reward Rate: 1x-4x points | Reward Rate: 1-5x Points |
The first, and notable difference, between the Amex Gold and the Amex Platinum is the annual fee. The platinum’s $695 fee is almost triple that of the Amex Gold Card. We’ll get into the ways we can cover the fees for both cards, but keep the difference in price in mind as we continue. You may find that the price is quickly justified, or you may find yourself wondering how you're going to use the card enough to make it worth it.
Another point to take note of here is the similar range in member reward possibilities with the Amex Platinum having a slight edge. Let’s dive into how you can maximize those reward points with each of the cards.
Edge: Amex Gold
Rewards
| Amex Gold | Amex Platinum |
| 4x Points on DIning worldwide and on take out and delivery in the US | 5x Points with flights booked directly through airlines or through the Amex travel website up to $500,000/ calendar year |
| 4x points on shopping at supermarkets in the US up to $25,000/year | 5x points on prepaid hotels booked through the AMex travel website |
| 3x points on travel booked directly through airlines or Amex travel | 1x points on all other eligible purchases |
| 1x points on all other eligible purchases |
As you can see, the Amex gold offers a little more versatility in building up some rewards points. The Amex Gold can serve as a more useful everyday card with its dining and shopping perks, while the Amex Platinum is all in on travel as a source for more rewards. When looking to maximize your points with the GOld card, however, note that “supermarkets” excludes superstores, convenience stores, warehouse clubs, and meal-kit delivery services. Additionally, eligible supermarkets have to be in the US in order to qualify for the 4x rewards. Nevertheless, the Amex Gold card still has more potential as an everyday credit card than its Platinum counterpart and offers a not too shabby 3x points on travel as well.
Edge: Amex Gold
Travel Perks and Credits
| Amex Gold | Amex Platinum |
| 3x points on travel booked directly through airlines or Amex travel | 5x Points with flights booked directly through airlines or through the Amex travel website up to $500,000/ calendar year |
$100 credit at The Hotel Collection properties when staying two or more nights two nights
| $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay |
Access to American Express® Preferred Access which allows for the purchase tickets for premium seats and special events
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| No foreign Transaction Fees | No foreign Transaction Fees
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| The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. Complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries. | |
| $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card® | |
| $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. | |
| Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 year period for TSA PreCheck® application fee for a 5-year plan only (through a TSA PreCheck® official enrollment provider), when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost |
The mismatch in travel rewards between these cards is pretty clear. This is where we can really start to make the $695 annual fee for the Amex Platinum worthwhile. Not only do we get a nice 5x points on flights and hotels, but we have up to $400 in credits for a selected airline and stays at properties from Fine+Resorts ® and The Hotel collection. We also have up to $289 credits to help make travel easier with Clear ® Plus, TSA precheck, and/or Global Entry. On top of that, access to luxury lounges in numerous airports across the US and worldwide (through Priority Pass complimentary membership) are a nice perk and good value. Of course, some of these credits may be less valuable depending on your lifestyle and travel style. For example, hotels eligible for that $200 credit are going to be more expensive overall and paying anything for TSA precheck or Clear ® Plus if you fly very infrequently may still be costing you unnecessarily. Looking at how much you travel and how you do so is key when evaluating how well the Amex Platinum will work for you.
Edge: Platinum
Dining and Shopping
| Amex Gold | Amex Platinum |
Dining credit Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. | |
Uber Credit Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you’ll automatically get $10 in Uber Cash each month for UberEats orders or Uber rides in the U.S (and 4x points on UberEats Orders). | Uber Credit Enjoy up to a $200 yearly Uber credit ($15 a month and $20 in December) for use on rides or Uber eats when you pay with your Amex Platinum. Your Amex Platinum also gives you Uber VIP status which matches when available to match you with top drivers. |
| 4x rewards on shopping at US supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year) and on dining at US and international restaurants and US food orders from eligible food delivery services. | |
Saks Fifth Avenue Credit $100 statement credits ($50 January-June and $50 July-December) for purchases made at Saks FIfth Avenue stores or website with your Amex Platinum | |
Walmart+ Rebate Receive up to a $12.95 rebate on a monthly membership for Walmart+ | |
Global Dining Access by Resy Global Dining Access by Resy gives you special access to sought-after restaurants across the globe when you add your Card to your Resy profile. Access to Exclusive reservations, premium dining experiences, Priority Notify, and more, all from Resy.com or the Resy iOS app |
Both cards offer some solid shopping and dining perks, so picking between the two will come down to your preferences and habits. The dining credit and 4 x rewards of the Amex Gold card are more flexible for more consistent use, especially if you shop at US supermarkets and eat at some of the partner dining locations listed above. The credits and perks for the Amex Platinum card, on the other hand, are a little less flexible for daily use with the exception of the Walmart+ rebate if you are a Walmart shopper.
In general, it is a good practice to consider whether the credits and benefits offered by these cards are something you already use or realistically see yourself using in the future when deciding what card is right for you. For example, the Uber credits for both cards do not roll over month to month, so you will lose them if they are not used before the month ends. This means that if you are not already using Uber consistently, forcing yourself to take rides to use your credit is not going to do you much good.
Edge: Amex Gold
Additional Benefits
| Amex Gold | Amex Platinum |
$240 Digital Entertainment credit Get up to $20 in statement credits each month after you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at participating partners such as Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, and more. | |
Cell phone damage with cell phone protection Coverage goes up to $800 per claim, or $1,600 (two claims) per 12-month period. Each approved claim carries a $50 deductible. Terms apply.
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Fitness Credits $300 Equinox credit for membership or Equinox+ (If you sign up for Equinox+ you also get a $300 credit for a SoulCycle at home bike) | |
| 24 hour concierge service for emergencies or assistance with reservations or booking services anywhere in the world |
Here we see some of the added value of the Amex Platinum with additional benefits like the now very popular cell phone protection, Equinox credits, and digital entertainment credits. If you take these alongside some of the travel credits and shopping credits we outlined earlier, it is easy to see how you can cover and exceed that $695 fee. Nevertheless, it is still important to look at how helpful these extra perks are for you. For example, an Equinox credit is useless if you do not live near an Equinox or have no interest in becoming a member there. There are also cards with a far lower annual fee that offer cell phone protection if that is a desirable perk for you.
Edge: Amex Platinum
Final Score:
Gold: 3
Platinum: 2
Take Home Message:
The Amex Gold and Amex Platinum offer premium benefits and perks to their holders, and either or both can be useful additions to your wallet. The Amex Gold is more versatile as an everyday card with more ways to earn rewards outside of travel with credits tailored to consistent purchases like dining and grocery shopping. The Amex Platinum is a more travel heavy card with the bulk of its credits and reward earning potential locked in flights, hotels, and elevating your travel experience. The Amex Platinum card comes with an array of additional credits and benefits that can help you save on entertainment, shopping, and fitness. Many of these credits, however, are tailored to those who enjoy more luxury in their life and can be limited by the availability of certain partners. Additionally, the Amex Gold has an annual fee $445 less than the Amex Platinum, making it easier to make up that fee over the year. All in all, the Amex Gold will likely be more useful for a broader range of cardholders, while the Amex Platinum can be a powerful tool for those looking to get the most of their travel and add a little extra luxury to their lives.
