American Express® Gold Card vs. The Platinum Card® from American Express

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Welcome Bonus

The American Express® Gold Card offers this bonus: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. According to American Express, 60,000 points can be worth somewhere between $300 and $600, depending on how you redeem them. The biggest bang for your buck is to use the points for travel. If you transfer your points to an airline partner, they could be worth even more.

The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. As above, 80,000 points can be worth between $480 and $800, depending on what you do with them. And unlike most card issuers, American Express gives you six months to earn either bonus. Most card issuers only give you three.

This is an easy comparison, and since the The Platinum Card® from American Express gives you a bigger bonus, call us crazy, but we're going to give it the win here.

Cash Back Rewards

American Express® Gold Card has excellent rewards on anything related to food. You get 4x points at restaurants, including take out and delivery, and 4x at grocery stores on up to $25,000 in annual purchases. In keeping with the foodie theme, you also get $120 in Uber Cash: when you add your card to your Uber account, you'll get $10 a month credited to your Amex account (you can use it for rides, too). And there's a dining credit: when you use your card to pay for GrubHub, The Cheesecake Factory, or several other companies, you can get $10 a month as a statement credit.

The Platinum Card® from American Express offers great rewards for those who love travel. You get 5x points for flights booked directly with American Express, up to $500,000 a year, and 5x points for prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. You also get a $200 hotel credit and a $200 airline fee credit. If you spend any time in airports, you will appreciate the access to Centurion Lounges or any lounge in the American Express network. The $189 Clear Credit uses fingerprint scanners or iris detection in certain airports, so you can skip most of the security line.

Speaking of security lines, there's a list of credits and benefits as long as the TSA line with the The Platinum Card® from American Express. You can also get a $155 Walmart+ credit (which covers the cost of membership), a $240 digital entertainment credit, a $300 Equinox credit, $200 in Uber Cash, and a $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit.

Here are the details for each card.

American Express® Gold Card

Rewards:

The Platinum Card® from American Express

Rewards:

This is a much closer contest. Both cards have great benefits and credits, focusing on different things. Overall, though, we give the win to the American Express® Gold Card for offering elevated rewards on everyday purchases like dining and groceries.

Rates and Fees

Neither card currently has a 0% APR offer, and neither has foreign transaction fees. There is a big difference in annual fees. The American Express® Gold Card has an annual fee of $250. The Platinum Card® from American Express has an annual fee of $695. This is an easy win for the Gold card.

Who the American Express® Gold Card is Best For

People who love to eat (and who doesn't?) will enjoy the many food benefits of the American Express® Gold Card. The cap on grocery store rewards is a generous $25,000 a year, or a little over $2,000 a month. Most people don't come close to that, so potentially all of your grocery purchases can earn 4x points, not to mention dining and takeout. You do get some travel benefits, but this card excels at food-related rewards.

Who the The Platinum Card® from American Express is Best For

The The Platinum Card® from American Express comes with a ton of travel benefits and credits. It also comes with that hefty annual fee, so you'll have to evaluate your own spending to see if it makes sense for you. If you use all, or most of the credits, it's worth it. If you often travel through airports and value a good airport lounge, it's worth it. Keep in mind that guests are no longer free, so if you have someone you travel with frequently, you will need to pay for lounge access for them.

This card is like someone handed you a thick coupon booklet. If you use the coupons, you'll come out ahead. If they sit there in the drawer, it's not worth it. American Express estimates that all the credits are worth about $1,500. That, plus the welcome bonus makes this card a good value if you travel frequently and prefer to do it in style.

Does It Make Sense to Get Both Cards?

Perhaps. As we said, these cards have different benefits and focus on different things. Many people enjoy both traveling and eating, and if you spend a lot of money on both, getting both cards could be worth it.

Approval Odds

American Express® Gold Card

The Platinum Card® from American Express

Keep in mind that American Express is traditionally thought of as a charge card, so many people do not report credit limits. Possibly because you have to pay your balance at the end of the month, American Express is willing to consider lower credit scores than many credit card issuers.