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Cards · Most askedUpdated Jul 18, 2026 · fees, bonuses, earn rates

Amex GoldvsAmex Platinum

One card earns big on dining and groceries; the other opens airport lounges and stacks travel credits. Here is the head to head on fees, bonuses, earning, and perks, and who each card actually fits.

The verdict, in 12 words

Gold for most people. Platinum if you fly enough to use lounges.

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Amex Gold

value/yr score

Amex Platinum

value/yr score

// American Express

Amex Gold

Annual fee

$325/yr

Welcome

Up to 100,000 MR pts

Score

87/100

Earn rates

Dining (worldwide, to $50k/yr)4×
U.S. supermarkets (to $25k/yr)4×
Prepaid hotels (Amex Travel)5×
Flights (direct or Amex Travel)3×
Everything else1×

Pros

· Top-tier 4x dining and U.S. grocery earning
· 5x on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel
· Lower annual fee than Platinum in this premium pair

Cons

· No lounge access
· Thinner travel protections than Platinum
· Credits are category-specific

→ Read the full Amex Gold review

// American Express

Amex Platinum

Annual fee

$895/yr

Welcome

Up to 175,000 MR pts

Score

74/100

Earn rates

Flights (direct or Amex Travel)5×
Prepaid hotels (Amex Travel)5×
Everything else1×

Pros

· Centurion and Priority Pass lounge access
· 5x on flights and prepaid hotels
· Deep travel and lifestyle credits

Cons

· $895 annual fee
· Weak earning outside travel
· Credits take effort to use fully

→ Read the full Amex Platinum review

Round by round

Six rounds. Best of math.

Round

Amex Gold

Amex Platinum

Win

Welcome bonus

Up to 100,000 pts

Published top offer; amount varies by eligibility and terms.

Up to 175,000 pts

Larger published top offer, higher fee; also eligibility-dependent.

Platinum

Annual fee

$325/yr

$570 less than Platinum, every year.

$895/yr

$570 more than Gold, every year.

Gold

Earn rates

4× dining + groceries; 5× prepaid hotels

Everyday earn with caps; Amex Travel hotels at 5×.

5× flights + prepaid hotels

Flight edge when booked directly or through Amex Travel.

Gold

Lounge access

None

Centurion + Priority Pass

The most differentiating Platinum perk.

Platinum

Travel protections

Trip delay, baggage, rental car

Solid mid-tier suite versus Platinum's broader coverage.

Broader premium suite

Stronger limits and wider coverage than Gold.

Platinum

Best fit

Most people

Lower fee, everyday earning.

Frequent flyers

Enough travel to use the lounges and credits.

Gold

Final tally

Amex Gold · 3

Amex Platinum · 3

tied

Platinum wins the travel-perk rounds, but Gold wins on fee and everyday earning. Unless you fly enough to use the lounges and travel credits, the $570 fee gap points to Gold.

The fine print

Credits, in plain English.

Amex Gold

$325/yr

Uber Cash (monthly, U.S.)
Dining credit (select partners)
Resy dining credit
Dunkin' credit

Amex Platinum

$895/yr

Hotel credit (Fine Hotels + Resorts)
Airline fee credit
Uber Cash (monthly)
CLEAR Plus credit
Digital and lifestyle credits

Tiny print, gathered & translated by AI

Welcome offers are eligibility-dependent published tops, not fixed guarantees. Card credits are statement credits after eligible purchases, not coupons: you pay first and are reimbursed, and some credits reset monthly and expire if unused. Verify current fees, bonuses, and credit terms on each card's detail page before applying.

In real life

Who should get which.

Get Gold ifmost readers

· You spend heavily on dining and U.S. groceries.
· You don't fly often enough to use lounges.
· You want one sturdy everyday points card.
· You'd rather not manage a stack of travel credits.

Get Platinum iffrequent flyers

· You fly often and would use the lounges.
· You book flights and hotels through Amex.
· You'll actually use the travel and lifestyle credits.
· The $895 fee still nets out for how you travel.

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Last updated 2026-07-18. Rewardopedia compares cards using publicly-listed terms. We may earn a commission if you apply through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes our ratings.