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Amex GoldvsAmex Platinum

One earns big on what you eat. The other gets you into airport rooms with snacks. Here's the actual math, the fine print, and the verdict — read by AI every 6 hours, sanity-checked by people.

The verdict, in 12 words
Gold for most people. Platinum if you fly enough to use lounges.
* we may earn a commission. always disclosed.
Amex Gold
86
value/yr score
Amex Platinum
79
value/yr score
// American Express
Amex Gold
Annual fee
$325/yr
Welcome
60,000 MR pts
Score
86/100
Earn rates
  • Dining (worldwide)
  • U.S. supermarkets (≤$25k)
  • Flights booked w/ Amex Travel
  • Everything else
Pros
  • · Top-tier dining + grocery earn
  • · Lowest fee in the MR family
  • · Strong everyday driver
Cons
  • · No lounge access
  • · Few travel protections
  • · Credits feel coupon-y
// American Express
Amex Platinum
Annual fee
$695/yr
Welcome
80,000 MR pts
Score
79/100
Earn rates
  • Flights (Amex or airline)
  • Prepaid hotels (Amex Travel)
  • Everything else
Pros
  • · Centurion + Priority Pass lounges
  • · Fine Hotels + Resorts perks
  • · Big welcome bonus
Cons
  • · Eye-watering fee
  • · Earn outside travel is weak
  • · Coupon-book vibes
Round by round

Six rounds. Best of math.

Round
Amex Gold
Amex Platinum
Win
R1
Welcome bonus
60,000 pts
after $6k / 6mo. ~$840 in TPG value.
80,000 pts
after $8k / 6mo. ~$1,120 — but $370 more out the door.
Platinum
R2
Earn rates
4× dining + groceries
Best dining card on the market under $400.
5× flights & prepaid hotels
Only useful if you book travel directly through Amex Travel.
Gold
R3
Annual credits (claimable)
~$324
If you eat Grubhub, Resy, Dunkin, Uber. Otherwise: $120.
~$1,400 sticker
Realistic for travelers: $400–$700.
Platinum
R4
Lounge access
None
Centurion + Priority Pass + Delta SkyClub*
*when flying Delta. Most differentiating perk.
Platinum
R5
Travel protections
Limited
Baggage insurance only.
Trip delay, cancellation, lost bag, rental CDW
Premium suite, but Chase Sapphire still does it better.
Platinum
R6
Net annual cost (math)
~$1 / yr
$325 fee minus easy credits.
~$120 / yr
$695 fee minus realistic credits + lounge value.
Gold
Final tally
Amex Gold · 2
Amex Platinum · 4
but ↓

Plat wins more rounds, but Gold wins the round that matters most for most people: net annual cost. Unless you fly often, the lounge wins are worth less than the $370 fee gap.

The fine print

Credits, in plain English.

Amex Gold
$325/yr
  • $120 Uber Cash (annual, US)
  • $120 dining credit (Grubhub, Resy)
  • $84 Dunkin' credit
  • $100 Resy credit
Amex Platinum
$695/yr
  • $200 hotel credit (FHR/THC)
  • $200 airline incidentals
  • $200 Uber Cash
  • $240 digital entertainment credit
  • $199 CLEAR credit
  • $300 Equinox credit
Tiny print, gathered & translated by AI
Both cards' credits are statement credits applied after eligible purchases — not coupons. You spend the money first, then get reimbursed. The Plat's monthly Uber and digital credits expire each month if unused. The Gold's Resy credit is split into two semi-annual chunks.
In real life

Who should get which.

Get Gold ifmost readers
  • · You spend >$500/mo on dining + groceries.
  • · You don't fly often enough to use lounges.
  • · You want a single, sturdy points engine.
  • · You like Uber Eats more than Equinox.
Get Plat iffrequent fliers
  • · You fly 10+ trips/yr through hub airports.
  • · You'd otherwise pay $469/yr for Priority Pass.
  • · You book hotels through Amex Travel anyway.
  • · You'll actually use the FHR perks.

Last reviewed 2026-05-08. Rewardopedia compares cards using publicly-listed terms. We may earn a referral if you apply through our links — always disclosed.