Is the American Express® Gold Card better than the Platinum Card?

The card that suits you best depends on your unique situation, so it’s best to assess what you need. If you prefer a card with a lower annual fee and don’t need a lot of premium benefits, the Gold Card might be a better choice. But if you travel often and prefer more luxury benefits like airport lounge access, The Platinum Card may be better for you.

Can you get the American Express® Gold Card if you have The Platinum Card?

Yes, it’s possible to get both cards. However, if you have The Platinum Card, you can get a free additional Gold Card for an authorized user.

Can you transfer points from the American Express® Gold Card to The Platinum Card?

Both cards earn American Express Membership Rewards points, so even if you spend on both cards, all of your points will be deposited into one place.

Can you switch from the American Express® Gold Card to The Platinum Card?

It’s possible to switch from the Gold Card to The Platinum Card, just contact American Express.

What’s harder to get, the American Express® Gold Card or The Platinum Card?

It may be more difficult to get The Platinum Card since it has a much higher APR and annual fee compared to the Gold Card. Additionally, both cards are charge cards with no predetermined limit, which makes them a bit more difficult to get.

How much do you have to spend for the American Express® Gold Card vs The Platinum Card to get the welcome bonus?

With the American Express® Gold Card, you need to spend $4,000 on qualified purchases within six months to earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points. On the other hand, The Platinum Card earns 100,000 bonus reward points if you spend $6,000 within the first six months.

American Express® Gold Card vs. The Platinum Card® from American Express: Which Is Best for You?

Travelers who spend often with airlines, U.S. supermarkets and restaurants should consider these two travel credit cards. MoneyGeek compared differences between the American Express® Gold Card and The Platinum Card from American Express to help you find the best card for your needs.

Advertising & Editorial DisclosureLast Updated: 11/6/2022

Reviewed By

Brett Holzhauer

Last Updated: 11/6/2022

Both American Express cards reward cardholders generously and have no foreign transaction fees. With the American Express® Gold Card, you can earn four points for each dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants. Meanwhile, the Platinum Card offers a $200 airline fee credit each year and 5x points when you book a flight through American Express Travel or directly with the airline.

OUR COMPARISON AT A GLANCE

Comparison Overview
American Express® Gold Card at a Glance
The Platinum Card® from American Express at a Glance
Comparison Summary
Which Card Should You Get?

Comparison Overview: American Express® Gold Card vs. The Platinum Card® from American Express

American Express® Gold Card
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Has Annual Fee
Has Balance Transfer Offer
Has APR Offer
Cash Back Rewards
Travel Rewards
Hotel Benefits
Airline Benefits
Has Rewarding Welcome Offer
Has Foreign Transaction Fee
Recommended Credit
Good-Excellent
Good-Excellent

American Express® Gold Card At a Glance

The American Express® Gold Card has a welcome offer of 60,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases within your first six months of card membership. You also get a $120 dining credit and $120 for Uber each year. When you use your card to book flights through American Express or with the airlines directly, you get three reward points for each dollar.

American Express® Gold Card
Best rewards card for frequent fliers and diners
- Good-ExcellentRecommended Credit
- $250Annual Fee
- 1–4 Points per $1Rewards Rate
- 4xRewards Rate on Groceries
- 3xRewards Rate on Air Travel
Pros
Potential for very high rewards points earning rate in particular categories
Can transfer points to partners or other programs
Can hold up to five authorized users
Receive free annual dining credit
No foreign transaction fees

Cons
American Express isn’t as widely accepted as other card brands
High APR overall due to “Pay Over Time” format
High “Pay Over Time” penalties
Annual fee of $250
Earn 60,000 membership rewards points after spending $4,000 on all eligible purchases within the first six months of your account
4X membership rewards points on certain worldwide restaurants and specific U.S. supermarkets
Annual $120 dining credit and $120 Uber Cash
3X membership rewards points for flights booked directly through American Express
Disclaimer: Credit card offers are constantly changing. We work hard to stay updated with the latest information, but the offers listed on our site may no longer be available.
Terms, rates and fees apply
Compare this credit card with other top-rated rewards cards.

The Platinum Card® from American Express At a Glance

With the Platinum Card, you can earn 100,000 bonus reward points once you spend $6,000 on purchases within the first six months. You also receive $200 in airline fee credit each year.

The Platinum Card® from American Express
A great rewards card for air travel with premium benefits
- Good-ExcellentRecommended Credit
- $695Annual Fee
- 1–5 Points per $1*Rewards Rate
- 5xRewards Rate on Air Travel
- 1xRewards Rate on Gas
Pros
A spend-based welcome offer to earn bonus points
5X points on flights booked through Amex Travel and directly through airlines on up to $500,000 per year
Redeem points in different ways, including transferring them to popular airline frequent flyer/loyalty programs
Airport lounge access
$200 airline fee credit per year
Statement credits for various other services
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit
Savings on international first, business and premium economy seats through the Amex International Airline Program
Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status and Hilton Honors Gold Status
Access to perks through the Fine Hotels & Resorts Program
Premium car rental status across different car rental programs
Complimentary travel insurance
Purchase protection and extended warranty

Cons
Annual fee of $695
Penalty APR may apply in case of a late or returned payment
Earn 80,000 membership reward points by spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months
Earn 5X points on flights booked with American Express Travel or directly with airlines, on up to $500,000 per year.
Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel.
Earn 1X points on all other purchases.
Use points to pay for all or part of upcoming travel through amextravel.com.
Transfer points to partner airline frequent flyer programs such as Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Etihad Guest, Emirates Skywards and Asia Miles.
You may redeem your points to shop online, pay off purchases or get gift cards.
Get a $100 Global Entry statement credit every four years or an $85 TSA PreCheck credit every four and a half years.
Earn up to $189 in statement credits toward your CLEAR membership each year.
Earn $200 as a statement credit toward prepaid Hotel Collection or Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings per year.
Get $200 as a statement credit toward incidental airline fees for one qualifying airline per year.
Earn up to a total of $200 Uber credit per year — through $15 Uber Cash credits per month for rides or eats orders in the U.S. and a $20 bonus credit each December.
Get $25 monthly statement credits toward Equinox.
Earn up to $20 statement credits every month toward eligible digital entertainment purchases through Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM and the New York Times.
Pay no foreign transaction fees.
Get access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection at airports worldwide.
Book flights through the International Airline Program and look forward to savings on international first, business and premium economy seats on up to eight tickets per booking.
Get benefits such as complimentary breakfast and late check-out when you make prepaid hotel bookings through the Fine Hotels & Resorts Program.
Get complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status as well as Hilton Honors Gold Status.
Get Premium Car Rental Status for car rental programs such as Avis Preferred, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards and National Car Rental.
Benefit through complimentary trip delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, car rental loss and damage insurance, purchase protection and extended warranty.
Get access to Platinum Card Concierge and By Invitation Only events.
Disclaimer: Credit card offers are constantly changing. We work hard to stay updated with the latest information, but the offers listed on our site may no longer be available.
Terms, rates and fees apply
Compare this credit card with other top-rated cards from our partners.

Comparison Summary

In the table below, MoneyGeek listed differences between the American Express® Gold Card vs. The Platinum Card so you can choose which travel credit card suits your situation best.

Card Detail
Comparison Summary
Travel Coverage and Purchase Protection
The American Express® Gold Card offers baggage insurance, car rental and loss insurance in eligible territories and purchase protection.
The Platinum Card provides purchase protection and insurance for your car rental, loss and baggage. On top of that, you also get complimentary travel insurance coverage.
Winner: The Platinum Card
Welcome Bonus
You can earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points once you spend $4,000 on qualified purchases within your first six months with the American Express® Gold Card.
With The Platinum Card, you can earn 100,000 Membership Reward points when you spend $6,000 on purchases within the first six months.
Winner: The Platinum Card
Rewards
The American Express® Gold Card offers 4x Membership Rewards per dollar on specific worldwide restaurants and U.S. supermarkets. You also get $120 Uber Cash and $120 dining credit annually.
With The Platinum Card, you get automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status and Hilton Honors Gold Status, premium car rental status for various car rental programs and airport lounge access.
Winner: The Platinum Card
Annual Fee
The American Express® Gold Card has a $250 annual fee.
The Platinum Card annual fee is $695.
Winner: American Express® Gold Card

Which Card Should You Get?

The best travel credit card for you will depend on what you need. MoneyGeek listed important details that may fit what you’re looking for.

Who Should Consider the American Express® Gold Card?

Individuals who fly and dine frequently should consider the Gold Card since it has outstanding rewards points for dining, airlines and supermarkets. Unlike other cards, you can transfer your reward points to other airline and hotel loyalty programs to maximize your free travel, and even have a maximum of five authorized users with no additional annual fee.

Cardholders can earn four points for each dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets and three points per dollar if you use this card to book flights through American Express or directly with the airline.
The card can have up to five authorized users, which helps you earn points much quicker.
The card has no foreign transaction fees on purchases made outside the U.S.
≫ More: Read Our Full Review

Who Should Consider the The Platinum Card® from American Express?

The Platinum Card from American Express is a great option for frequent travelers that want luxury benefits and generous rewards. Cardholders get complimentary travel insurance, no foreign transaction fees, access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, concierge services and more.

You can transfer points to partner airlines through their frequent flier programs.
You get complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status and Hilton Honors Gold Status.
You can earn 5x points directly on airline purchases and prepaid hotels and flights booked through American Express Travel, up to $500,000 per year.

EXPERT OPINION

Both of these cards are solid options for consumers that spend generously, and want significant rewards. However, the divider between the two cards is the lifestyle of the cardholder. If you are a regular traveler, meaning more than once a quarter, you may find the Platinum Card worth it. If you travel a few times per year and enjoy eating out, the Gold Card will get the job done. While The Platinum Card is packed with benefits, the $695 annual fee is a steep ask. So if you decide the Platinum Card is your best choice, be sure to have a plan to utilize the benefits.

Other Helpful Decision-Making FAQs

MoneyGeek listed frequently asked questions about the American Express® Gold Card vs. The Platinum Card to better show the differences between both travel credit cards.

Still Not Sure About These Cards? Consider These Options

If you aren’t fully convinced by the generous benefits and features of the American Express® Gold Card and The Platinum Card, you might want to check the other travel credit cards.

View All Credit Cards

Learn more about credit cards in general

sources

American Express. "Important Information Regarding Rates, Fees, and Other Cost Information." Accessed January 7, 2022.
American Express. "Welcome to Membership Rewards!." Accessed January 7, 2022.

*Rates, fees or bonuses may vary or include specific stipulations. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting/last updated date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. We recommend visiting the card issuer’s website for the most up-to-date information available.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity.
Advertiser Disclosure: MoneyGeek has partnered with CardRatings.com and CreditCards.com for our coverage of credit card products. MoneyGeek, CardRatings and CreditCards.com may receive a commission from card issuers. To ensure thorough comparisons and reviews, MoneyGeek features products from both paid partners and unaffiliated card issuers that are not paid partners.