How to compare Amex Gold and Platinum card benefits

How do the annual fees and earn rates compare?

All fees and rates below are the U.S. versions of the two cards as of 18 October 2026. [2] [3]

Neither card has a preset spending limit; Amex says it may still assign a specific limit to an account based on factors such as credit score, past due payments or high balances on revolving accounts. [2] [3] Both cards charge no foreign transaction fees. [2] [3]

The Membership Rewards programme sets the floor under both cards: Card Members earn one point for every dollar of spend on an eligible purchase made with an enrolled card, and the category rates are additional points earned on top of that. [7] Eligible purchases exclude cash advances and cash equivalents including gift cards, person-to-person transactions, balance transfers, traveller's cheques, prepaid card purchases or reloads, fees and interest charges. [7]

Which statement credits does each card pay?

The Platinum Card's credits are the larger set, and most of them are paid in instalments across the year. [2]

• Up to $600 a year in hotel credit, paid as up to $300 semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through Amex Travel; The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay. [2]
• Up to $200 in Uber Cash, paid as $15 a month plus a $20 bonus in December. [2]
• Up to $120 a year after buying an auto-renewing Uber One membership with the card. [2]
• Up to $200 a year on incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, charged by one selected qualifying airline. [2]
• Up to $219 a year for a CLEAR+ membership, and up to $400 a year in Resy credits paid as up to $100 a quarter, with enrolment required. [2]
• Up to $300 a year in digital entertainment credits paid as up to $25 a month at partners including Disney+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium and YouTube TV, with enrolment required. [2]
• Up to $300 a year in lululemon credits paid as up to $75 a quarter, and up to $155 a year in Walmart+ credits paid as up to $12.95 a month. [2]

The Gold Card's credits are smaller and food-focused. [3]

• Up to $120 a year in dining credits, paid as up to $10 a month at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory and Wonder, with enrolment required. [3]
• $10 in Uber Cash a month, up to $120 a year, and up to $100 a year in Resy credits split $50 from January to June and $50 from July to December. [3]
• Up to $84 a year in Dunkin' credits, paid as up to $7 a month at U.S. Dunkin' locations, with enrolment required. [3]
• A $100 credit towards eligible charges at The Hotel Collection hotels on bookings of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. [3]

Status benefits differ as well: the Platinum Card carries Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status and Leaders Club Sterling status from The Leading Hotels of the World, while the Gold Card's listed status benefit is a complimentary upgrade to Hertz Five Star status, with enrolment required. [2] [3] Trip delay cover also differs: the Platinum version applies when a covered reason delays a round trip paid entirely with the card by more than 6 hours and reimburses up to $500 per trip, while the Gold version applies after more than 12 hours and reimburses up to $300 per trip, both limited to two claims per 12 consecutive months. [2] [3]

Does the Platinum Card include airport lounge access?

Yes. The Platinum Card includes the Global Lounge Collection, which Amex describes as more than 1,550 airport lounges as of January 2026, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 Delta Sky Club visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight, Priority Pass membership with enrolment required, and other select partner lounges. [2]

The Gold Card does not currently have lounge access benefits, and the Gold Card page directs cardholders who want lounge access to the Platinum Card or the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card. [3] These are the U.S. card pages; card ranges and benefits published for other markets are separate. [4]

What happens to Membership Rewards points when you transfer or cancel?

Both cards feed a Membership Rewards account, and Additional Card Members on Consumer Card Accounts do not have their own accounts. [7] Points do not belong to the cardholder, cannot be transferred to someone else's account and cannot be sold. [7]

To move points to an airline or hotel partner, you must first link the accounts, and the partner account must be in your name or in the name of an Additional Card Member on the account, with the Additional Card issued at least 90 days before linking. [7] In most cases you must transfer a minimum of 1,000 points and only in multiples of 1,000; transfers typically take 48 hours, cannot be reversed, and the partner programme's rules then apply. [7] Amex charges an excise tax offset fee on points sent to a U.S. airline frequent flyer programme, and transferred points cannot be converted back into Membership Rewards points. [7] Both card pages describe transfers to 20 airline and hotel travel partners. [2] [3] The full rules for transferring points to partner programmes sit in the programme terms.

Points are earned only if the minimum amount due is paid on time; if it is not, points from that billing period are withheld until the balance is paid, and can then be requested within 12 months for a $35 fee per billing period and per Card Account. [7]

Limits and exceptions

• Cancelling or unenrolling your last linked product means immediately losing all points in the Rewards Account, though if Amex cancels a Card Account for inactivity you get 90 days to use them; New York Card Members can keep using points in these cases for 90 days by calling the number on the card. [7]
• If the only card linked to the account is a Legacy Card, several redemption options are limited. [7] Amex may also change earn rates, redemption levels, caps and fees at any time. [7]
• Category bonuses depend on the merchant code Amex receives; additional points may not post where a merchant sells or processes transactions through a third party, or where you pay with a third-party payment account or digital wallet. [7]
• The $200 airline fee credit requires selecting one qualifying airline, and Amex relies on airlines to submit correct transaction information; qualifying airlines can change, and Amex advises calling if a credit has not appeared after eight weeks. [2]
• The Platinum hotel credit applies only to prepaid bookings made through Amex Travel, and the Gold Card's Hotel Collection credit likewise requires a booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. [2] [3]
• Fees and benefits here are the U.S. cards; American Express India, for example, publishes a different range including the Platinum Travel Credit Card, Platinum Reserve Credit Card, Membership Rewards Credit Card and SmartEarn Credit Card, and domestic Centurion Lounge access in Delhi and Mumbai for the Platinum Reserve was discontinued from 1 September 2023. [4]

Frequently asked questions

Does the Amex Gold Card have lounge access?

No. American Express states that the Gold Card does not currently have lounge access benefits, and points cardholders to the Platinum Card or the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card for that benefit. [3]

What is the annual fee for the Amex Platinum Card?

$895 for a Basic Card, $195 for each Additional Platinum Card, and no annual fee for Companion Platinum Cards. [2]

How quickly can I use the Platinum Card's hotel credit?

It is released up to $300 semi-annually, up to $600 a year, on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection stays booked through Amex Travel, and The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay. [2]

Can I transfer Amex points to an airline?

Yes, once both accounts are linked in your name or an eligible Additional Card Member's name, usually in multiples of 1,000 points, with transfers typically taking 48 hours and an excise tax offset fee on points sent to U.S. airline programmes. [7]

What happens to my points if I cancel the card?

If you cancel or unenroll your last linked product you immediately lose all points in the Rewards Account; if Amex cancels the account for inactivity you have 90 days to use them. [7]

Related pages

Glossary terms: Membership Rewards, annual fee, statement credit, and airport lounge access.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. It covers the U.S. consumer Gold Card and Platinum Card only; the American Express Green Card, the Centurion Card, business cards and cards issued outside the United States are not covered here.

1. The Platinum Card: benefits, credits and annual fee, checked 18 October 2026
2. The American Express Gold Card: benefits, credits and annual fee, checked 18 October 2026
3. American Express India credit cards, checked 18 October 2026
4. Membership Rewards Program Terms and Conditions, checked 18 October 2026