Calling all foodies out there! American Express has the credit card for you: the Gold Card! Why is it the best card for foodies?
Well, you earn 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants, including takeout and food delivery services…so you literally earn points for snacking. Now that’s something I can do!
Unlike typical credit cards, the American Express® Gold Card allows you to carry a balance for certain charges, but not all.
If you frequently dine out, the AMEX Gold Card is one of the most rewarding credit cards on the market!
In-N-Out (AKA Paradise)
Welcome Bonus
I always compare the bonuses available with the minimum amount you have to spend is in order to get it, when looking at new cards.
With the Amex Gold, new cardholders can get 60,000 Membership Rewards points if they spend $4,000 in the first 6 months of the account opening.
That bonus is estimated to be worth around $1,200!
*See Rates and Fees here.
How to Earn Points
So, here’s where being a foodie truly pays off—you earn 4X Membership Rewards points on dining, which includes takeout, delivery, and even Uber Eats. You can also earn 4X Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets.
You can also earn 3x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com, and then 1X points on everything else.
Since you earn 4X points on dining, this is especially strong! So you earn points toward your next trip while eating…meaning snack on, folks.
How to Redeem Points
To get the best value from your points, most of the time you’ll want to transfer them to a travel partner through AMEX’s travel portal.
You’ve got quite the list of options—with 18 airlines and three hotels: Choice Hotels, Hilton, and Marriott.
However, you can also use points to cover a variety of charges on your account, apply them to Uber rides, get goodies on Amazon, and more.
Bonus Benefits
While the point system for the Gold Card from American Express is what initially drew me to it, there are quite a number of other benefits that you can, well, benefit from!
Annual Dining Credit: You get up to $120 dining credits per year—which come at $10 monthly statement credits when you use your Gold Card at participating restaurants. Make sure to enroll via the Amex website to snag this perk!
Uber Cash: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
Baggage Insurance: Cross your fingers this doesn’t happen, but if your suitcase is lost, stolen, or damaged and you paid for the ticket with your Amex Gold, you can get up to $1,250 in coverage for your carry-on, and up to $500 for checked luggage.
The Hotel Collection: Staying someplace sweet? If you book through Amex Hotel Collection (and stay at least two consecutive nights), you’ll earn 2x points! You’ll also receive a $100 credit toward dining, the spa, and other fun activities at the resort. (I really like this!!)
Essentially, if you can make sure to take advantage of those dining and airline credits, you’ll almost offset the annual fee. Which, if you think about the other perks you can get, it seems like a steal to me.
Oh, and there are no foreign transaction fees—which is a biggie for me!
Annual Fee
The annual fee for the American Express Gold Card is $250, which seems to be mid-range when compared to other travel reward credit cards. See Rates and Fees here.
Overall
I know that travel reward credit cards can be kind of confusing, but the Gold Card from American Express is a good place to start! As the annual fee is moderate, it balances out with the credits and perks, and the ability to earn 4x points on dining around the world and on groceries in the U.S.
Completely lost when it comes to earning points and miles? Don’t you fret!
Check out The Beginner’s Guide to Earning Points and Miles!
*See Rates and Fees for the American Express Gold Card.
thank you for sharing this information. it is very good. and it is very helpful for me.
So glad you found it helpful! 🙂