A rewards credit card can be a powerful tool to help you rack up points, take advantage of travel perks or even just earn a bit of cash back on your spending. And sometimes you can maximize your card benefits by strategically pairing certain cards together.
The right credit card pairing can help you boost your earnings by either increasing a certain type of reward or combining multiple reward types.
The American Express® Gold Card (terms apply, see rates & fees) is one of the top credit cards on the market, thanks to its high reward rates, travel perks and more. Let’s explore the perks of the Amex Gold card, what to pair with it and how to combine cards for the most benefit.
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Benefits and Drawbacks of the Amex Gold
The Amex Gold combines two favorite spending categories—food and travel—and rewards you for them. This card’s food benefits include 4 points per dollar on all restaurant and grocery purchases, as well as up to a $120 dining credit and up to a $120 Uber Cash credit, which can be used for either Uber or Uber Eats.
Its travel benefits include 3 points per dollar on flights, a $100 experience credit through The Hotel Collection, no foreign transaction fees, baggage insurance¹ and rental car insurance². Another key benefit of the Amex Gold is the ability to transfer your points. Amex’s Membership Rewards® points can be converted to any of the 18 partner airlines and three partner hotels.
However, the card also has a few downsides. First, it has a $250 annual fee, which is more expensive than many credit cards, and it doesn’t offer all the features of a premium card. It’s also not ideal as an everyday spending card since it only offers elevated rewards for food and travel.
American Express® Gold Card
Up to 4X Reward Rate
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.; Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points atRead More
Welcome Bonus
Earn 60,000 points
Annual Fee
$250
Regular APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Credit Score
Excellent/Good (700 - 749)
Foodies and travelers can leverage the American Express® Gold Card to the hilt, earning up to 4x points. The annual fee may seem intimidating, but by using the included benefits and doing some spending, it’s easy to come out ahead.
This card makes it easy to earn Membership Rewards points while doing regular grocery shopping since the card earns bonus points at supermarkets. And for the nights that cardholders don’t want to cook, they can make use of the monthly dining and Uber credits (which can be used on Uber Eats orders).
- High rewards earnings possibilities
- Points transfer option to many partners
- Add up to 5 authorized users for no additional annual fee
- Can choose from regular or rose gold versions
- No lounge benefits
- Limited options to carry a balance
- High APR for pay over time feature
- High pay over time penalty APR
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
- Get a $100 experience credit with a minimum two-night stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel. Experience credit varies by property.
- Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms Apply.
Amex Gold and Amex Platinum
If you’re an avid traveler, The Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply, see rates & fees) can be an excellent card to pair with the Amex Gold. Because these cards are both in the Amex ecosystem, you’re able to combine, and ultimately maximize your Membership Rewards points while getting some unique benefits with each card.
The Amex Platinum has an annual fee of $695, but if you’re able to take advantage of most or all of its perks, then that fee is more than worth it.
This card comes with some key spending rewards: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases on the card in the first 6 months of card membership. The Amex Platinum also offers other rewards related to entertainment, travel, food and retail, including:
- Up to $200 hotel credit
- $240 digital entertainment credit (up to $20 monthly)
- Up to $155 Walmart+ credit
- $200 Uber Cash (up to $15 monthly plus a bonus $20 in December)
- Up to $200 airline fee credit
- $100 in Saks statement credits (up to $50 semi-annually)
- Up to $300 Equinox credit
- $189 CLEAR® Plus credit
Enrollment is required for select benefits.
Other key travel perks include airport lounge access, access to the Fine Hotels + Resorts program, various forms of travel insurance, hotel elite status with Marriott and Hilton and more.
The Amex Platinum pairs well with the Amex Gold because of the ability to maximize your Amex Membership Rewards points. These points are some of the most valuable of any credit card program.
If you travel frequently, you can get the most value by sticking with the Membership Rewards points. Then it’s best to book your travel through Amex or transfer your points to one of Amex’s many travel partners. The best value will come from using the Amex Platinum for your flight and hotel expenses and your Amex Gold for your restaurant and grocery expenses.
Finally, between the two cards, you’ll also have access to more than $2,000 in fee credits related to dining, travel, shopping, and more.
It’s worth noting that while this card pairing can be powerful for travelers, it’s not ideal if you’re looking to maximize reward earnings on your everyday expenses.
First, these cards combined have annual fees of $945. Unless you’re able to take advantage of most card benefits, that won’t be worth it. Additionally, these cards only offer elevated spending rewards on your travel and food expenses. You’ll only earn 1 point on other day-to-day expenses.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
5X Reward Rate
Earn 5 Membership Rewards Points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and on flights booked directlyRead More
Welcome Bonus
Earn 80,000 points
Annual Fee
$695
Regular APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Credit Score
Good,Excellent (700 - 749)
The Platinum Card is destined for frequent travelers who intend to fully leverage the rich set of luxury travel benefits and Platinum Concierge service. In the right hands, the classic status card’s staggering annual fee is well justified.
Being an Amex Platinum cardholder grants access to the International Airline Program, which can save you money on first and business class seats on more than 20 airlines as well as premium economy tickets for you and up to seven traveling companions. Start your search on the Amex Travel website to find international flights departing or arriving in the U.S. on any of those premium cabins.
- High reward potential on flights and hotels booked through American Express Travel
- Multiple credits can help justify the fee
- Comprehensive airport lounge access
- Luxury travel benefits and elite status with Hilton and Marriott with enrollment
- Very high annual fee
- Maximizing the statement credits takes some work and could be impractical for many
- Reward rate outside of travel is sub-par for a premium card
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
- Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 year period for TSA PreCheck® application fee for a 5-year plan only (through a TSA PreCheck® official enrollment provider), when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
- $695 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
| Feature | American Express® Gold Card | The Platinum Card® from American Express |
|---|---|---|
|
Rewards
|
60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months of card membership
4X points at restaurants
4X points on groceries
3X points on flights
1X points on other purchases
|
80,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases on the card in the first 6 months of card membership
5X points on flights
5X points on prepaid hotels
1X points on other purchases
|
|
0% Intro APR
|
None
|
None
|
|
Annual Fee
|
$250
|
$695
|
|
Foreign Transaction Fees
|
None
|
None
|
|
Other Benefits
|
$200 hotel credit
$240 digital entertainment credit
$155 Walmart+ credit
$200 Uber cash
$200 airline fee credit
Saks statement credits
$300 Equinox credit
$189 CLEAR® Plus credit
Airport lounge access
Global dining access
Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
Fine Hotels + Resorts program
$100 experience credit through The Hotel Collection
Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
Hilton Honors Gold status
Car rental insurance²
Trip delay insurance³
Trip cancellation insurance³
|
How To Combine Credit Cards
When you’re combining multiple credit cards to make the most of your benefits, there are a couple of ways to go about it. First, you can choose multiple cards in the same ecosystem to maximize a specific type of rewards points or spending goal.
That’s exactly what you’re doing when you pair the Amex Gold and Amex Platinum. Because both are Amex cards and earn Membership Rewards points, you’re able to amplify your earnings. Additionally, because both have a travel focus—along with the food rewards on the Amex Gold—they make an excellent combo for avid travelers.
Another strategy to consider when combining credit cards is to pair products with very different benefits to get rewards in more spending categories. For example, the Amex Gold offers elevated rewards in the food and travel categories. If you want to diversify your rewards, you might choose a card that offers different spending rewards to bolster your earnings on your highest spending categories.
Anytime you’re choosing a credit card, and especially when you’re pairing multiple cards, it helps to have a goal in mind, and make sure you’re using the right card for expenses to maximize your rewards potential.
Alternative Credit Cards To Get With the Amex Gold
While the Amex Gold and Amex Platinum can be an excellent pairing for frequent travelers, it’s not right for everyone. The pairing doesn’t offer much diversification and may not be ideal for day-to-day spending. Additionally, because of the high combined annual fees, this pairing is only worth it for those who are able to really take advantage of the travel benefits.
If you aren’t sure the Amex Platinum is the right pairing for your Amex Gold, here are a few other cards to consider:
Amex Blue Cash Everyday
If you want to maximize the rewards on more of your everyday spending, consider pairing your Amex Gold with the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express (terms apply, see rates & fees).
This card is still in the Amex family, but instead of earning Membership Rewards points, you earn cash back on your purchases. You’ll earn 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and online retail purchases in the U.S. (on up to $6,000 in each category per year in purchases, then 1%), and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits or at Amazon.com checkout. If you primarily shop online and commute, this card could boost your cash back on those purchases, as well.
A major perk of pairing this card with your Amex Gold is that it has no annual fee and offers elevated rewards in a couple of categories the Amex Gold doesn’t, including a healthy 3% back on gas and online retail purchases.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
If you want to pair your Amex Gold with a travel card in a different program, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It’s Chase’s introductory travel card with a fee of $95—think of it as Chase’s version of the Amex Gold.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers some key benefits, including a $50 annual hotel credit and 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. You’ll also receive an anniversary bonus of 10% on your annual spending (award based on 1 point per dollar for all purchases).
In addition to being able to take advantage of another travel rewards program, Chase’s points can also be transferred to various travel partners. You could maximize the combination of these cards by transferring your Chase Ultimate Rewards® points and Amex Membership Rewards points to the same travel partner.
Capital One Venture Rewards
Another card to consider if you want to explore a travel card from another program is the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees), which has a fee of $95. Like the Amex Gold, this card offers increased rewards on your travel spending in the form of miles to use through Capital One Travel.
An added benefit of the Venture Rewards card is that you earn 2 miles per dollar on all purchases. For this reason, it pairs nicely with the Amex Gold, which only earns elevated rewards in certain bonus categories.
Finally, like your Amex Gold Membership Rewards points, your Capital One miles are transferable to certain travel partners, which could allow you to combine the benefits of the two programs.
Find The Best Cash Back Credit Cards Of 2024
Bottom Line
The Amex Gold is a favorite rewards card for food and travel lovers. It offers excellent spending rewards for your restaurant, grocery and travel purchases. It also has other benefits like a dining credit, Uber Cash and various travel perks.
As powerful as the Amex Gold can be, you can amplify its benefits by pairing it with another rewards card, whether that be the Amex Platinum or one of the other cards we’ve talked about. When deciding which card to pair your Amex Gold with, consider your spending habits, as well as your goal of combining multiple rewards cards. There are also several flat-rate credit cards with no annual fee, which may make an excellent partner.
To view rates and fees for American Express® Gold Card please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express please visit this page.
¹Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
²Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
³Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is credit card pairing?
Credit card pairing is a strategy of using more than one rewards card to maximize your benefits. You can pair credit cards from the same card family, such as the Amex Gold and the Amex Platinum, or cards from different card providers to take advantage of the benefits of both.
What are the two best American Express cards to have?
The two best American Express cards depend on your spending style and goals. If you love to travel and want a card to help you do that, the Amex Gold and Amex Platinum are both good options, as are Amex’s airline and hotel credit cards.
What is the best travel rewards card?
There are plenty of excellent travel cards on the market that offer rewards for your spending travel and allow you to save money on travel, either through an internal travel portal or by transferring points to an airline or hotel partner.
Amex, Chase and Capital One offer some of the best travel programs. Each offers several cards to choose from. The Amex Gold is just one example of a card that can help you reach your travel goals.
