American Express® Gold Card: Published Terms

What does the American Express Gold Card cost?

American Express lists a $325 annual fee for the Basic Card as of 18 October 2026, with no annual fee for up to the first five Additional Cards and $35 for each Additional Card from the sixth onward. [1] The card page also lists no foreign transaction fees. [1]

How do you earn Membership Rewards points with the Gold Card?

The card uses different rates by purchase category, with annual caps on the restaurant and U.S. supermarket categories. [1]

The Membership Rewards terms add that additional points depend on merchant category codes; a purchase may not earn additional points if the merchant's code is outside the category, if a third party sells or processes the transaction, or if a digital wallet is used. [5] Eligible purchases exclude cash advances and cash equivalents, person-to-person transactions, balance transfers, traveler's checks, prepaid cards, fees and interest, among other items. [5] American Express may remove points awarded on ineligible purchases, even if that creates a negative points balance. [5]

Which dining and delivery credits does the Gold Card publish?

The card page lists four dining and delivery benefits; the Dining Credit, Resy Credit and Dunkin' Credit require enrollment, while Uber Cash requires adding the Gold Card to an Uber account. [1]

How do Membership Rewards transfers and Pay with Points work?

The Gold Card earns Membership Rewards points, and the card page says points can be transferred to 20 airline and hotel travel partners. [1] The Membership Rewards terms dated October 2026 govern the points programme separately from the card-specific terms. [5] Transfers require a linked partner account in the member's name or an Additional Card Member's name, and an Additional Card must have been issued at least 90 days before linking. [5] In most cases the minimum transfer is 1,000 points in multiples of 1,000; transfers usually take 48 hours, cannot be reversed, and the partner programme's terms then apply. [5] Transfers to a U.S. airline frequent flyer programme carry an excise tax offset fee. [5]

Pay with Points can be used for flights and prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. [1] When used, American Express charges the Card for the purchase, deducts the points and applies a statement credit; if the points do not cover the full cost, the difference remains charged. [5] Membership Rewards points do not belong to the member and cannot be transferred to someone else's Rewards Account, sold, or passed on through a legal action such as divorce, inheritance or bankruptcy. [5]

What limits and exceptions apply?

• Earning caps apply per calendar year; after the restaurant cap, purchases earn 1X for the rest of the year, and after the U.S. supermarket cap, purchases earn 1X for the rest of the year. [1]
• Additional points depend on merchant category codes and may not post where a third party sells or processes the transaction or where a digital wallet is used. [5]
• Uber Cash is for Uber orders and rides in the U.S. when an Amex Card is selected; the Resy Credit is split into two six-month halves. [1]
• Points are lost if the last linked Product is cancelled or unenrolled; if American Express cancels a Product for reasons including death, insolvency or bankruptcy, all points in the Rewards Account are lost, subject to limited exceptions such as a one-time estate redemption and 90 days to use points after an inactivity cancellation. [5]
• American Express says the Gold Card does not currently have lounge access benefits and points to The Platinum Card and the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card for lounge access. [1]

Frequently asked questions

What is the annual fee for the American Express Gold Card?

The Basic Card annual fee is $325 as of 18 October 2026. [1] The first five Additional Cards have a $0 annual fee, and each Additional Card from the sixth onward costs $35. [1]

How many points does the Gold Card earn at restaurants and supermarkets?

It earns 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X. [1] At U.S. supermarkets it earns 4X on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X. [1]

Do the Gold Card dining credits require enrollment?

The Dining Credit, Resy Credit and Dunkin' Credit require enrollment. [1] Uber Cash requires adding the Gold Card to an Uber account. [1]

Can Gold Card points be transferred to airline and hotel programmes?

Yes, the card page says Membership Rewards points can be transferred to 20 airline and hotel travel partners. [1] The partner account must be linked, transfers are usually in 1,000-point increments, and completed transfers cannot be reversed. [5]

Does the American Express Gold Card include airport lounge access?

No, American Express says the Gold Card does not currently have lounge access benefits. [1]

Related pages

Use the rewards and frequent flyer glossary index to look up annual fees, earning categories, statement credits, points transfers and award pricing.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. This page covers the US American Express® Gold Card and the US Membership Rewards® terms; it does not cover other American Express cards, including The Platinum Card® and the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, or other rewards programmes.

1. American Express® Gold Card card page, checked 18 October 2026
2. Membership Rewards® Program Terms and Conditions, checked 18 October 2026