Amex Gold vs. Amex Green: A popular product against an underrated choice

3 weeks ago 9

The American Express® Gold Card and the American Express® Green Card are two of the most iconic cards offered — the Amex Green alone has been around for over 50 years.

But classic doesn't mean outdated, as these cards have received dramatic makeovers in recent years, resulting in two competitive products aimed at different market segments. The Amex Green is more focused on travel, while the Amex Gold is better suited for everyday spending on groceries and eating out.

Let's take a deep dive into the features and benefits of these two products and see which one might be the better fit for you.

The information for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Amex Gold vs. Amex Green comparison

Benefit detailAmerican Express Green CardAmerican Express Gold Card

Annual fee	$150	$325 (see rates and fees)
Welcome bonus	Earn 40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.	Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership, plus 20% back on restaurant purchases in the first six months (up to $100 back). Offer ends Nov. 6
Earning categories	3 points per dollar on select travel and transit 3 points per dollar at restaurants 1 point per dollar on all other purchases	4 points per dollar on groceries at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 spent per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar) 4 points per dollar dining at restaurants worldwide on up to $50,000 spent per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar) 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.com 2 points per dollar on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked through amextravel.com 1 point per dollar on all other purchases
Travel benefits	Up to $199 annual credit every calendar year for Clear Plus membership. Enrollment is required; terms apply Up to $100 annual LoungeBuddy credit each calendar year. Enrollment is required; terms apply Car rental loss and damage insurance* Baggage insurance Trip delay insurance* Terms apply	Up to $120 in Uber Cash per calendar year (up to $10 monthly credits) for U.S. services. You must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible American Express Gold Card must be a method of payment in your Uber account. Up to $100 experience credit for your stay of at least two nights at The Hotel Collection each calendar year Car rental loss and damage insurance* Baggage insurance Trip delay insurance* Terms apply
Additional benefits	Purchase protection Extended warranty protection No foreign transaction fees	Up to $100 statement credit per calendar year for purchases at U.S. Resy-affiliated restaurants (up to $50 semi-annually). Enrollment is required; terms apply Up to $84 statement credit each calendar year for purchases at U.S. Dunkin' Donuts (up to $7 per month). Enrollment is required; terms apply Up to $120 annual dining credit at select restaurants (up to $10 per month) per calendar year. Enrollment is required; terms apply Purchase protection Extended warranty protection No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)

*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

**Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

***Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

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Amex Gold vs. Amex Green welcome offer

Both cards have an attractive welcome offer.

The Amex Green offers 40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first six months of card membership.

On the other hand, the Amex Gold offers 60,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership, plus 20% back in statement credits on restaurant purchases in the first six months (up to $100 back).

Using TPG's August 2024 valuation of Membership Rewards points at 2 cents each, these point bonuses are worth $800 and up to $1,300, respectively.

Sometimes, the cards offer higher targeted welcome offers through the CardMatch Tool (offer subject to change at any time), so be sure to check this tool before applying for a card.

Note that if you've held either of these cards before, you're almost certainly ineligible for a second welcome offer. Despite the revamps both cards have received in the past few years, they're still considered the same products.

If you have or previously had the Amex Gold, you may not be eligible for the Amex Green's welcome offer. In addition, American Express also considers other factors to determine welcome offer eligibility, though it should notify you of your status before you submit your application and face a hard inquiry.

Winner: The Amex Gold comes out ahead here since its welcome offer gives you greater value. The requirement for $6,000 in spending within six months is easy for most people to complete.

Amex Gold Vs. Amex Green benefits

A standout benefit of the Amex Green is its up to $199 annual statement credit every calendar year toward a Clear Plus membership, which is enough to fully cover the cost of one adult membership. The Amex Green Card also offers an annual up to $100 LoungeBuddy credit each calendar year, which can be applied to the admission fee for hundreds of lounges worldwide.

This could be somewhat valuable to those who don't already have a Priority Pass Select benefit from a different card. Terms apply, and enrollment is required.

The Amex Gold offers up to $120 in Uber Cash every calendar year. With this benefit, you'll receive up to $10 monthly in Uber Cash credit, which can be used on Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S.

The Amex Gold also offers up to $10 monthly statement credits (up to $120 every calendar year) at select establishments, including The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com and Five Guys. If none of those appeal to you, you can apply that credit to delivery or takeout orders from Grubhub. Terms apply. Enrollment is required.

You'll also receive up to $100 every calendar year (up to $50 semi-annually) in statement credits for purchases at U.S. Resy-affiliated restaurants. To redeem this statement credit, simply dine and pay at a restaurant that uses Resy with your Amex Gold, no reservation required.

Additionally, you'll get up to $84 each calendar year (up to $7 monthly) in statement credits for purchases at U.S. Dunkin' Donuts (enrollment required).

Both cards offer car rental loss and damage coverage (secondary coverage)*, baggage insurance** and trip delay protection.*** However, the Amex Gold also provides access to benefits and discounts when booking accommodations through The Hotel Collection (minimum two-night stay required). Terms apply.

You'll also notice that both cards offer purchase protection^ and extended warranty benefits^ — an important card feature to have for many purchases (especially those that can break easily).

Winner: Amex Gold. It offers more benefits than the Amex Green.

**Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

^Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

Earning with the Amex Gold vs. Amex Green

The Amex Green offers 3 points per dollar on eligible travel — including transit purchases such as taxis and ride-hailing services. You'll also earn 3 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

The Amex Gold offers 4 points per dollar for dining at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) and on groceries at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 spent per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).

You'll also earn 3 points per dollar on airfare purchased directly with the airline or through amextravel.com and 2 points per dollar on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel booked through amextravel.com. For all other purchases, you'll earn 1 point per dollar.

When you compare these rates, the Amex Gold offers you 33% more points for dining at restaurants than the Amex Green. You'll also earn bonus points on groceries at U.S. supermarkets with the Gold, while the same purchases with the Green will only net you 1 point per dollar.

Although they both offer 3 points per dollar on select travel purchases, the Amex Green offers bonus points on a wider range of travel-related purchases. This means anything coded as "travel" on your monthly statement will receive the bonus points.

For Amex Gold, you'll earn 3 points per dollar on a limited number of airline-specific purchases, including airfare purchased directly from the airline or through Amex Travel.

You'll also receive 2 points per dollar on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked through amextravel.com.

Winner: Amex Gold. This card offers earnings that suit most people's spending habits; despite the spending caps, it's hard to beat the usefulness of earning 4 points per dollar dining and on groceries at U.S. supermarkets (up to $50,000 each calendar year on dining, then 1 point per dollar and up to $25,000 each calendar year at U.S. supermarkets, then 1 point per dollar). Plus, it's unlikely most cardmembers will hit the yearly spending cap for dining.

Redeeming points with the Amex Gold vs. Amex Green

Both the Amex Green and Amex Gold enjoy access to American Express's 21 transfer partners. Using transfer partners, you'll get the most value from your Membership Rewards points.

You can also choose to redeem your points for gift cards, Amazon purchases, shopping with Membership Rewards, travel bookings made through Amex or to cover eligible charges.

Using any method aside from transferring your points to transfer partners will cause you to fall short of TPG's August 2024 Membership Reward valuation of 2 cents per point.

Winner: Tie. Since both cards have access to the same redemption options, there's no clear winner here.

Transferring points with the Amex Gold vs. Amex Green

The Amex Green and Amex Gold share the same transfer partners. Cardmembers can access some of the best loyalty programs available as transfer partners, including Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Avianca LifeMiles, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Air Canada Aeroplan. You'll usually be able to transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio.

TPG credit cards writer Chris Nelson frequently transfers Membership Rewards points to Delta whenever Delta runs award flash sales. He recently transferred just 8,000 points for a round-trip economy ticket from Seattle to Cancun.

Winner: Tie. The Amex Gold and Amex Green have access to the same transfer partners, meaning there's no winner here.

Should I get the Amex Gold or the Amex Green?

The Amex Gold's ability to earn bonus points dining at restaurants and on groceries at U.S. supermarkets, despite their respective spending limits, makes it a great fit for the average spender. Still, if you're a frequent commuter or find it hard to justify the Amex Gold's $325 annual fee, I recommend considering the Amex Green instead.

How to switch from the Amex Green to the Amex Gold

Since these two cards exist in the same ecosystem and card family, swapping between them is possible. If you want to switch your Amex Green to an Amex Gold, or vice versa, call the number on the back of your card or use American Express's online customer chat function.

Make sure to tell the representative which card you currently have and which you'd like to transfer to. We recommend waiting at least one year from the date your account was opened before requesting a product change. Before doing so, however, know that product changing will prevent you from earning the welcome offer on that card.

Bottom line

Although the Amex Green has much to offer, its more upscale sibling — the Amex Gold — is still a better fit for most. Using the Amex Gold to earn more at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets is likely more attractive to most people than Amex Green's bonus-earning potential on a wider range of travel purchases.

Still, the Amex Green is a solid option with a lower annual fee, useful travel credits and broad bonus categories.

To learn more, check out our full reviews of the Amex Green and Amex Gold.

Apply here: Amex Gold

For rates and fees of the Amex Gold, please click here.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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