The American Express® Gold Card is a card we can't live without.
It earns 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; 1 point per dollar after) and dining at restaurants and 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly or through Amex Travel.
The card also comes with up to $10 in monthly dining credits on eligible purchases at participating restaurants and up to $120 in annual Uber Cash credits (which can be used for Uber or Uber Eats) for U.S. customers. The card must be added to Uber account to receive the Uber Cash benefit, and enrollment is required for select benefits.
But even though it's a great card on its own, it also pairs well with other rewards cards to build a more well-rounded card strategy.
Today, we're reviewing a few cards that pair well with the Amex Gold.
Supercharge your Membership Rewards balance
The first cards you should consider pairing with the Amex Gold are other Membership Rewards points-earning cards. Amex allows you to pool your points into one Membership Rewards account, meaning you can earn across multiple cards and cash in for one fantastic redemption.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Welcome bonus: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
Annual fee: $695 (see rates and fees)
Rewards rate: Earn 5 points per dollar on airfare purchased directly from the airline or through Amex Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel.
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
If you are a frequent traveler looking to upgrade your experiences, the Amex Platinum could be a great choice to add to your wallet alongside the Amex Gold. You'll earn more on eligible airfare and hotels and get a stellar lineup of travel perks, including lounge access, elite status with both Marriott and Hilton and hundreds of dollars in assorted statement credits. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
For more details, check out our full Amex Platinum review.
Apply here: Amex Platinum Card
Amex cash back options
There are plenty of good reasons to have a cash-back card in your wallet. Cash-back is the ultimate flexible rewards currency, and these options will help you earn bonus cash back in categories the Amex Gold misses.
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Welcome bonus: Earn $200 back after you spend $2,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
Annual fee: $0 (see rates and fees)
Rewards rate: Earn 3% cash back at on groceries at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%), U.S. online shopping (on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%) and at U.S. gas stations (on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%) and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
The Blue Cash Everyday is a great option for frequent online shoppers as this card earns elevated cash back on websites that generally don't fall into bonus categories. The cash back this card earns can be redeemed as a statement credit.
For more details, check out our full review of the Blue Cash Everyday card.
Apply here: Amex Blue Cash Everyday
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Welcome bonus: Earn a statement credit for $250 after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months of card membership.
Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee, $95 after (see rates and fees)
Rewards rate: Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%) and select streaming services, 3% cash back on transit and U.S. gas stations and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
The Blue Cash Preferred often flies under the radar, but it's a solid cash back card, especially for grocery shopping and gas purchases. The cash back you earn with this card comes as reward dollars that can be applied as a statement credit.
For more details, check out our full review of the Blue Cash Preferred card.
Apply here: Amex Blue Cash Preferred
Rack up points or miles with an Amex travel partner
If you are loyal to one of the hotels or airlines that are a Membership Rewards transfer partner, like Delta SkyMiles or Hilton Honors, a cobranded card could be a great way to supplement your earning potential.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months.
Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (see rates and fees)
Rewards rate: Earn 2 points per dollar on eligible Delta, restaurant and U.S. supermarket purchases and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Those who live near a Delta hub or regularly fly with the airline might be interested in a Delta cobranded credit card that helps you earn bonus miles on flights and gives you some nice airline benefits. Delta is one of Amex's transfer partners, which makes using your Amex Gold to supplement your Delta earnings for redemptions easy.
The Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex is a great choice for casual flyers and those who don't want to add a high annual fee to their wallet. Still, Delta's other credit cards are also excellent choices for those who want help to hit elite status with the airline.
For more details, check out our full review of the Delta SkyMiles Gold.
Apply here: Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex Card
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 155,000 Hilton Honors points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the card within the first six months of card membership. Offer ends April 17.
Annual fee: $150 annual fee (see rates and fees)
Rewards rate: Earn 12 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels; 6 points per dollar spent at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations; 4 points per dollar on U.S. online retail purchases; and 3 points per dollar spent on other eligible purchases.
If you are loyal to Hilton Hotels when you travel, having a Hilton credit card in your wallet may be a good idea. The card comes with complimentary Gold status (though you can earn Diamond status when you spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your card in a calendar year), a free night award after spending $15,000 each calendar year and more. Enrollment required for select benefits.
It's a solid card to pair with your Amex Gold because it earns in one of the categories the Amex Gold misses — like Hilton hotel stays, online shopping and gas stations— and you can transfer Membership Rewards to Hilton Honors to help you top off your Hilton account for redemptions.
For more details, check out our full review of the Hilton Honors Surpass.
Apply here: Hilton Honors Surpass Credit Card
Stock up on other types of points
Of course, there is also value in having cards that earn entirely different currencies in your wallet to maximize your redemption options across the board. Here are some options to diversify the points and miles you're earning.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Annual fee: $95
Rewards rate: Earn 3 points per dollar on dining purchases and 2 points per dollar on a generous definition of travel purchases. Earn 5 points per dollar on Lyft through March 2025 and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
At face value, you may wonder why the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a good card to pair with the Amex Gold, considering it earns 2 points per dollar on travel and 3 points on dining — two categories that overlap with the Amex Gold. But Chase defines travel broadly, which makes this card a great choice for travel spending that isn't flights booked directly through the airline or Amex Travel. Chase is also more generous than Amex in defining 'dining,' which includes most bars.
And when it comes to earning diversified points, Amex and Chase both offer the most valuable flexible rewards currencies on the market. They also both come with a unique set of redemption options, so it makes sense to have both in your wallet.
For more details, check out our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Sign-up bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Annual fee: $95 (see rates and fees)
Rewards rate: Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on every purchase and 5 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel.
If you want a catch-all card for your non-bonus spending, it doesn't get much better than the Capital One Venture. You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, making it a great choice for purchases that don't earn bonus rewards on your Amex Gold.
When it comes time to redeem your miles, you can choose a simple fixed-value redemption option for broader travel purchases or transfer your miles to any of Capital One's 15-plus hotel and airline partners.
For more details, check out our full review of the Capital One Venture Card.
Apply here: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Bottom line
The Amex Gold is a solid card on its own — but it's even better as part of a complementary card pair. Choose from any of the options listed here or a different card that works well with your lifestyle and spending habits, like
And if you haven't added the Amex Gold to your wallet yet, now is a great time to apply and earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first six months of card membership.
Apply here: American Express Gold Card
For rates and fees of the Amex Blue Cash Everyday, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Blue Cash Preferred, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Gold card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Surpass card, click here.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
