Our illustration in the card’s colours, not its design
American Express credit card
American Express The American Express® Gold Card
$325 a year. Purchase APR 19.74–28.74%, variable. No foreign transaction fees.
Checked Nov 1, 2026Updated
- Annual fee
- Receipt · Annual feeChecked Nov 1, 2026
Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF
“Annual Fee $325”
- Purchase APR · variable
- Receipt · Purchase APRChecked Nov 1, 2026
Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF
“Prime Rate + 12.74% to Prime Rate + 21.74%”
- Prime rate, in effect since Sep 17, 2026
- 7.00%
- Card margin
- +12.74–21.74%
- APR today
- 19.74–28.74%
- Foreign transactions
- Receipt · Foreign transactionsChecked Nov 1, 2026
Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF
“Foreign Transaction: None.”
Select an underlined figure to see where it comes from.
In dollars
What it’s worth
Yearly value in dollars: rewards and credits minus the annual fee, for three ways of spending. First year includes any welcome bonus.
| Spending | Value against the fee | First year | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender | −$165 | −$165 | |
| Typical spender | $50 | $50 | |
| Heavy spender | $395 | $395 |
The spending each assumes, and what isn’t counted
- Light spender: groceries $300, dining $100, gas $100, everything else $500 a month
- Typical spender: groceries $600, dining $300, gas $200, travel $150, everything else $1,250 a month
- Heavy spender: groceries $900, dining $600, gas $300, travel $600, airfare $300, hotels $300, everything else $2,500 a month
Assumed: not counted: 2x Cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com; points valued at 0.6¢, the program's statement credit for eligible charges value; not counted: 3x Flights booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App or purchased directly from airlines; not counted: 5x Prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
−$165a year
The same in the first year and after.
Rewards and credits$160
−$165 after the fee−$325 annual fee
The spending this assumes
A month: groceries $300, dining $100, gas $100, everything else $500. Assumed: not counted: 2x Cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com; points valued at 0.6¢, the program's statement credit for eligible charges value.
$50a year
The same in the first year and after.
Rewards and credits$375
You keep $50−$325 annual fee
The spending this assumes
A month: groceries $600, dining $300, gas $200, travel $150, everything else $1,250. Assumed: not counted: 2x Cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com; points valued at 0.6¢, the program's statement credit for eligible charges value.
$395a year
The same in the first year and after.
Rewards and credits$720
You keep $395−$325 annual fee
The spending this assumes
A month: groceries $900, dining $600, gas $300, travel $600, airfare $300, hotels $300, everything else $2,500. Assumed: not counted: 2x Cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com; not counted: 3x Flights booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App or purchased directly from airlines; not counted: 5x Prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App; points valued at 0.6¢, the program's statement credit for eligible charges value.
Use your own spending
Estimates from the published terms above, as checked Nov 1, 2026; not advice. How we value cards
Against the market
How it compares
Worth more to a typical spender than about 60% of the 732 cards we track.
Other points cards with fees over $300
- PalladiumBilt · $495 a year+$165 a year
- Atmos Rewards Summit Visa InfiniteBank of America · $395 a year−$75 a year
- Hilton Honors American Express AspireAmerican Express · $550 a year−$80 a year
Against this card, for our typical spender’s value (rewards and credits minus fees, after the first year).
Shares rounded to 5 points. Fees and APRs as stated; value for our typical spender. Method
Membership Rewards
How you earn
- 5×
- Prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App
- 4×
- Restaurants worldwideU.S. supermarkets
- 3×
- Flights booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App or purchased directly from airlines
- 2×
- Prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel AppCruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com
- 1×
- Everything else
Points per dollar.
Benefits
- Uber Cash: $10 monthly
- Dunkin' Credit: $7 monthly
- Dining Credit: $10 monthly
- Resy Credit: $100 annual
- Complimentary upgrade to Hertz Five Star® Status; enrollment required.
All 11 benefits
- The Hotel Collection provides a $100 credit toward eligible charges at participating upscale hotels when booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™; a two-night minimum stay is required.
- The Card has no preset spending limit, although a specific spending limit may be assigned in certain instances.
- Membership Rewards® points may be used with Pay with Points for flights and prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
- Send & Split® allows eligible users to send money and split purchases with Venmo or PayPal users; enrollment required.
- Additional Cards may be added for anyone age 13 or older, and the Basic Card Member earns Membership Rewards® points for their purchases.
- Rental car
Every figure with its receipt
Rates and fees
| Annual fee | Receipt · Annual feeChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “Annual Fee $325” |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | Receipt · Purchase APRChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “Prime Rate + 12.74% to Prime Rate + 21.74%”
|
| Cash advance APR | Receipt · Cash advance APRChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “Prime Rate + 21.99%”
|
| Cash advance fee | Receipt · Cash advance feeChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “Transaction Fees Cash Advance: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.” |
| Penalty APR | Receipt · Penalty APRChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “Prime Rate + 26.74%”
|
| Late payment | Receipt · Late paymentChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “Late Payment: Up to $40.” |
| Returned payment | Receipt · Returned paymentChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “Returned Payment: Up to $40.” |
| Foreign transactions | Receipt · Foreign transactionsChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “Foreign Transaction: None.” |
| Grace period | Receipt · Grace periodChecked Nov 1, 2026 Cardmember agreement · Filed with the CFPB · PDF “Account Re-ope ning: $25 if your Account is cancelled, you ask us to re-open it, and we do so.” |
Before you apply
- What the application asks: your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number (or ITIN), income and housing payment. By law the issuer must consider your ability to pay (Regulation Z, 1026.51).
- Your credit report: applying usually means a hard inquiry, which can lower your score slightly for a while. Some issuers let you check whether you’re pre-approved first without one. How credit reports work (CFPB)
Questions
- What is the annual fee?
- $325 · Filed with the CFPB · PDF, since Sep 29, 2026
- Does it charge a foreign transaction fee?
- No. · Filed with the CFPB · PDF, since Sep 29, 2026
- What is the purchase APR?
- 19.74–28.74% APR · Filed with the CFPB · PDF, since Sep 29, 2026