Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
Part of American Express Membership Rewards (US) hub · American Express Global Lounge Collection hub
GUIDE
Amex Gold vs Amex Platinum: Card Terms Compared
Amex Gold vs Amex Platinum compares two consumer cards from American Express that both earn Membership Rewards® points but differ sharply in price and benefits: the American Express® Gold Card costs $325 a year for a Basic Card, while the Platinum Card® costs $895 a year and adds access to the Global Lounge Collection®. [1] [2]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- The Platinum Card® costs $895 a year for a Basic Card, against $325 for the American Express® Gold Card. [1] [2]
- The Gold Card pays 4X points at restaurants worldwide on up to $50,000 a calendar year and 4X at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 a calendar year, then 1X; the Platinum pays 5X on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 a calendar year. [1] [2]
- Only the Platinum includes airport lounge access: the Global Lounge Collection covers more than 1,550 lounges as of January 2026, while the Gold Card has no lounge access benefits. [1] [2]
- Both cards earn Membership Rewards® points, and the programme terms set transfer minimums, the excise tax offset fee on transfers to U.S. airline programmes, and what happens to points when a product is cancelled. [3] [4]
How do the annual fees and earning rates compare?
The two cards sit at different price points and are built around different spending patterns: the Gold Card rewards dining and grocery spending, while the Platinum Card rewards airfare and prepaid hotel bookings. [1] [2]
| Feature | American Express® Gold Card | Platinum Card® |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee, Basic Card | $325 [1] | $895 [2] |
| Annual fee, Additional Cards | $0 for up to the first five; $35 for each Card from the sixth [1] | $195 for each Additional Platinum Card; no fee for Companion Platinum Cards [2] |
| Restaurants | 4X worldwide on up to $50,000 a calendar year, then 1X [1] | 1X outside the bonus categories [2] |
| U.S. supermarkets | 4X on up to $25,000 a calendar year, then 1X [1] | 1X outside the bonus categories [2] |
| Flights | 3X booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App or directly with airlines [1] | 5X booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 a calendar year [2] |
| Prepaid hotels | 5X booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App [1] | 5X booked on American Express Travel [2] |
| Prepaid car rentals and cruises | 2X on prepaid car rentals through AmexTravel.com or the app, and on cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com [1] | 1X outside the bonus categories [2] |
| All other eligible purchases | 1X [1] | 1X [2] |
Which statement credits does each card pay?
Both cards pay statement credits. The Gold Card's credits include monthly dining and Uber Cash credits, while the Platinum Card's include hotel, airline, Resy and digital entertainment credits. [1] [2]
| Credit | American Express® Gold Card | Platinum Card® |
|---|---|---|
| Dining and coffee | Up to $10 a month (up to $120 a year) at Grubhub including Seamless, Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory and Wonder, plus up to $50 in each half of the calendar year (up to $100) at qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants, and up to $7 a month (up to $84) at U.S. Dunkin' locations; enrolment required [1] | Up to $100 a quarter (up to $400 a year) at qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants; enrolment required [2] |
| Rides and delivery | $10 in Uber Cash each month ($120 a year) when you add the card to your Uber account [1] | $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a $20 bonus in December (up to $200), and up to $120 a year for an auto-renewing Uber One membership [2] |
| Hotel bookings | $100 credit towards eligible charges on The Hotel Collection bookings of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com [1] | Up to $300 semi-annually (up to $600 a year) on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through Amex Travel [2] |
The Platinum Card also pays up to $200 a year for incidental fees from one selected qualifying airline, up to $219 a year for a CLEAR+ membership, and a credit for Global Entry ($120 every four years) or TSA PreCheck (up to $85). [2]
The Platinum Card also pays up to $25 a month (up to $300 a year) on eligible digital entertainment subscriptions, up to $75 a quarter (up to $300) at U.S. lululemon retail stores excluding outlets and on lululemon.com, up to $12.95 a month plus applicable taxes for a Walmart+ membership, up to $200 a calendar year for an Oura Ring bought at ouraring.com, and up to $300 for an Equinox club membership or Equinox+ subscription; enrolment required for the digital entertainment, lululemon, Oura Ring and Equinox credits. [2]
Which card gives lounge access and hotel status?
Lounge access. The Platinum Card includes the Global Lounge Collection, with more than 1,550 airport lounges as of January 2026, including 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. [1]
Hotel programmes. Both cards use The Hotel Collection, which requires a minimum two-night stay when booked through AmexTravel.com at over 1,300 hotels worldwide and comes with a $100 credit towards eligible charges. [1] [2] On the Platinum, Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings add daily breakfast for two, a room upgrade at check-in when available, guaranteed 4pm check-out and 12pm check-in when available. [2]
Elite status. The Platinum Card lists Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite status among its benefits, with upgrades to enhanced rooms at check-in when available at participating hotels booked with a Qualifying Rate, and eligibility to enroll in complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold status, whose listed benefits include space-available room upgrades at select properties, an 80% bonus on base points, a daily food and beverage credit at select U.S. brands or daily continental breakfast outside the U.S., and every fifth night free on standard reward stays. [2] The Gold Card's status benefit is a complimentary upgrade to Hertz Five Star® status, with enrolment required. [1]
What Membership Rewards rules apply to both cards?
Card Members earn one point for every dollar of spend on an eligible purchase using an enrolled card, with the higher rates for bonus categories shown in each card's terms. [4] Eligible purchases exclude, among other things, cash advances and cash equivalents including gift cards, person-to-person transactions, balance transfers, and fees or interest charges on the card account. [4] Bonus points depend on merchant category codes, so a purchase may not earn them if the merchant's code is outside the category, if a third party processes the transaction, or if the purchase is made through a mobile or digital wallet. [4]
Transfers. You must link your Rewards Account to the partner loyalty programme account first, the partner account must be held by you or an Additional Card Member on the account, and an Additional Card must have been issued at least 90 days before linking. [4] [5] In most cases transfers are a minimum of 1,000 points in multiples of 1,000, typically take 48 hours to process, and cannot be reversed. [3] Transfers to a U.S. airline frequent flyer programme carry an excise tax offset fee of $0.0006 per point, capped at $99. [3] Once points reach the partner programme, that programme's terms apply, and American Express advises checking availability and how many points are needed before completing the transfer. [3] [5]
Losing points. Points do not belong to you and cannot be transferred to someone else's Rewards Account or sold. [4] Cancelling or unenrolling your last linked product means losing all points in the Rewards Account, though if American Express cancels a card account for inactivity you have 90 days to use them. [4]
Exceptions and limits
- Caps. The Gold Card's 4X rate at restaurants applies to up to $50,000 in purchases a calendar year and its 4X rate at U.S. supermarkets to up to $25,000, with 1X afterwards; the Platinum's 5X rate on flights applies to up to $500,000 a calendar year. [1] [2]
- Enrolment and how credits are triggered. Several credits on both cards require enrolment, Uber Cash requires adding the card to an Uber account and selecting an Amex Card for the transaction, and the airline fee credit applies only to incidental fees charged by the one qualifying airline you select, with qualifying airlines subject to change. [1] [2]
- Hotel conditions. The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay, eligible charges vary by property, and room upgrades on Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings are subject to availability, with certain room categories not eligible. [1] [2]
- Insurance conditions. Trip Delay Insurance requires the round trip to be paid for entirely with the eligible card: on the Gold Card it covers delays of more than 12 hours up to $300 per trip, on the Platinum more than 6 hours up to $500 per trip, and both allow a maximum of two claims per card in 12 consecutive months. [1] [2] The Platinum also includes Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance up to $10,000 per trip and $20,000 per card in 12 consecutive months. [2] Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance on both cards is secondary cover and is not available for vehicles rented in Australia, Italy and New Zealand. [1] [2]
- New York billing addresses. Card Members with a New York billing address can continue to use points for 90 days in certain situations, such as when a product is cancelled or past due. [4]
- Scope. This comparison covers the US consumer Gold Card and Platinum Card. [1] [2]
Frequently asked questions
Does the Amex Gold Card come with airport lounge access?
No. The Gold Card does not currently have lounge access benefits. [1] The Platinum Card includes the Global Lounge Collection, with more than 1,550 lounges as of January 2026. [2]
Can you transfer Membership Rewards points from either card?
Both cards earn Membership Rewards points, and both card pages list transfers to airline and hotel travel partners. Transfers are available once the accounts are linked, in most cases from 1,000 points in multiples of 1,000, and are irreversible; the programme terms exclude Rewards Accounts whose only linked product is a Legacy Card. [1] [2] [3] [5]
Do the Gold and Platinum cards charge foreign transaction fees?
No. Both cards are described by American Express as having no foreign transaction fees. [1] [2]
Is the Platinum's airline fee credit applied automatically?
No. You select one qualifying airline and receive up to $200 a year in statement credits when that airline charges incidental fees, such as checked bags or in-flight refreshments, to your card. [2]
Do the hotel credits apply to any hotel booking?
No. The Gold Card's $100 credit applies to The Hotel Collection bookings of two nights or more made through AmexTravel.com, and the Platinum's up to $600 a year applies to prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through Amex Travel. [1] [2]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026.
- American Express Gold Card: benefits, fees and rewards, checked 18 October 2026
- American Express Platinum Card: benefits, fees and rewards, checked 18 October 2026
- Membership Rewards Program terms and conditions: transferring points to partner loyalty programs, checked 18 October 2026
- Membership Rewards Program terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026
- American Express help centre: how do I transfer Membership Rewards points?, checked 18 October 2026