Is the American Express Gold Card worth it?
$325 annual fee with $240 in dining + Uber credits and 4x on dining/groceries. Easy to break even on dining alone.
Annual fee
$325
Auto-offsets
$424
$424 credits · $0 auto-perks
Net cost
+$99Pays you to hold
Annual credits & free nights
- redeem
$120 Dining Credit
$120
$10/month at Grubhub, Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Five Guys
- redeem
$120 Uber Cash
$120
$10/month for Uber Eats/rides in US
- redeem
$100 Resy Credit
$100
$50 semi-annually at US Resy restaurants
- redeem
$84 Dunkin' Credit
$84
$7/month at US Dunkin' locations
Earning rates
| Category | Multiplier | Effective return |
|---|---|---|
| diningUp to $50K/yr | 4x | 8.00% |
| groceriesUS supermarkets, up to $25K/yr | 4x | 8.00% |
| airlinesBooked directly with airlines | 3x | 6.00% |
| hotelsVia Amex Travel | 2x | 4.00% |
| other | 1x | 2.00% |
The honest answer
Auto-offsets exceed the annual fee — the American Express Gold Card pays you to hold it before you swipe once. Almost always a hold.
Run it through Card CoachCard Coach
Plan your next card move.
Coach reasons through 7 issuer rules — Chase 5/24, Amex once-per-lifetime, Citi 8/65/95 — to suggest your next application without burning eligibility.
Ask CoachGet started
Add your cards in 30 seconds.
Connect via Plaid or pick from 90+ cards. Once added, every search shows which card earns most for that specific booking.
Add cards