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Best for dining & groceries

Amex Gold

SCORE7.7STRONG

4x dining and groceries, highest category earn in the comparison

BEST FORCardholders who spend heavily at restaurants and grocery stores. A household spending $1,000 per month on dining and $800 per month at US supermarkets earns 86,400 Membership Rewards per year at 4x.
Reviewed by the Clientele Research Team · Last checked 9 days ago (2026-07-15)
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Scores — click any row to see our rationale
Rewards Rate▼9.5/10

4x Membership Rewards at all restaurants worldwide with no cap and 4x at US supermarkets up to $25,000 per year, then 1x. 3x on flights booked directly with airlines or via Amex Travel. 1x on all other spending.

Welcome Bonus▼7/10

Approximately 100,000 Membership Rewards after $8,000 in 6 months (spend threshold raised from $6,000; point count held roughly flat). Worth approximately $1,600 at 1.6 cents per point via Flying Blue or $1,000 as a statement credit, but now requires a third more spend to earn.

Annual Fee Value▼8/10

$325 annual fee offset by $120 dining credit at $10 per month at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder, $120 Uber Cash at $10 per month, and a $100 hotel credit on 2+ night Amex Travel bookings. Credits total $340 but require active use of specific services.

Travel Perks▼5/10

No lounge access. No Priority Pass. Secondary rental car insurance. $100 hotel credit only on 2+ night Amex Travel bookings. No trip delay insurance.

Flexibility▼9/10

Same 21 Membership Rewards transfer partners as the Amex Platinum at identical 1:1 ratios. The Gold earns 4x on dining and groceries, then transfers to Air France, ANA, Singapore, and Delta partners.

PROS
✓4x at all restaurants worldwide with no cap and 4x at US supermarkets up to $25,000 per year. At median US household grocery spend of $9,600 per year, that's 38,400 points annually from groceries alone.
✓Same 21 Membership Rewards transfer partners as the $695 Platinum — Air France Flying Blue, ANA, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Delta SkyMiles, and British Airways Avios.
✓$120 Uber Cash at $10 per month applies to Uber Eats and Uber rides.
✓3x on flights booked directly with airlines lets you stack airline miles plus 3x Membership Rewards on the same purchase.
✓No foreign transaction fees and the restaurant 4x applies globally — dining in Europe, Japan, or Latin America all earn at the full 4x rate.
✓Purchase protection covers items bought with the card for 90 days up to $1,000 per item and extends the manufacturer warranty by 1 year.
CONS
✕Annual fee increased from $250 to $325 in October 2024 with no new credits added. The $75 increase reduces net value vs. what it offered before.
✕No lounge access. Cardholders traveling frequently will sit in the terminal while Venture X and Reserve cardholders access Priority Pass lounges.
✕$120 dining credit applies only to Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. Cardholders who don't use these merchants cannot capture the full credit.
✕Secondary rental car coverage means a claim goes through your personal auto insurer first — unlike the Sapphire Preferred and Reserve, which include primary coverage.
✕No trip cancellation or delay insurance at $325 per year.
✕1x on non-dining, non-grocery, non-flight purchases means the card works best alongside a flat-rate card for everything else.
YOU MIGHT ALSO CONSIDER
Capital One Venture X8.4

Self-funding annual fee, unlimited lounge access, 2x on everything

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Chase Sapphire Preferred8.4

Best first travel card, 14 transfer partners, primary rental coverage at $95

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Amex Platinum8.2

Most lounge access, comprehensive travel insurance, premium hotel perks

View Amex Platinum →
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