8 ways I maximize the Amex Gold card

I’m very attached to each of my credit cards because all of them are in my wallet for a reason. They work beautifully together, but each of them can also bring a lot of value when used on its own.

Don’t say this to the other cards in my wallet, but my current favorite is the American Express®Gold Card. I consider it one of the best credit cards on the market, and the value it offers would turn my eyes into hearts if I were a cartoon character.

If you’re looking for your next rewards credit card or already have the Amex Gold, let me tell you how this card can have the potential to be unbelievably rewarding – and what I do to make it so for me.

See related: Things to do when you get the Amex Gold

I’ve earned my welcome bonus

The biggest influx of points or miles you can get from a credit card usually comes in the form of a sign-up bonus also known as a welcome bonus. The Amex Gold offers 60,000 points when you spend $4,000 in the first six months with the card. When you apply through CardMatch, you might be able to get a special offer of 75,000 points with the same spend requirement.

See related: Credit score needed for the American Express Gold Card

I was lucky to get the special 75,000 points offer, and after moving a big chunk of my spending to the card, I met the spend requirement in half the time and I received $750 worth of airfare when booking through the American Express Travel portal.

I use my Amex Gold at grocery stores

There’s a reason we call the Amex Gold the perfect card for foodies. It earns you a ton of American Express Membership Rewards whether you prefer eating out, ordering in or cooking yourself.

For example, at U.S. supermarkets, you can earn 4 points per dollar (on up to $25,000 per calendar year, 1 point per dollar thereafter). For that reason, the Gold is my go-to grocery card. I also stock up on gift cards from the stores I frequent while grocery shopping – boosting my rewards my rewards significantly.

I pay with my Amex Gold at restaurants

The Amex Gold also earns 4 points per dollar at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. I use it regularly on delivery purchases, and now that I’m fully vaccinated, I also enjoy flashing it when dining out.

By the way, I’d like to mention that flashing this piece of art of a credit card is a benefit by itself. You can now get this metal beauty in rose gold, and yes, it looks as exquisite as it sounds. I’m not a part of any elite by any means, but paying a check with this card, I sure feel like I am.

I book plane tickets with my Amex Gold

Besides rewarding you for eating out and shopping at grocery stores, the American Express Gold also earns 3 points per dollar on travel booked through the American Express Travel portal or directly with airlines. This is a decent rewards rate, so I make a point of booking airfare through the portal.

See related: 3 best credit cards for your ‘vaxication’

Here’s another hack for you if you want to earn your American Express Membership Rewards points and save on travel: If you’re flexible with your travel dates, check flights on Google first. It will show you which days the tickets to and from your destination are going to cost the least.

The Amex portal doesn’t have this feature, but it’s likely to show you many of the same tickets available through other sources. You just need to know which dates to look up for the best pricing.

I use statement credit benefits

The Amex Gold offers up to $120 in annual statement credits on eligible dining purchases ($10 per month) and up to $120 in Uber Cash each year (also $10 per month), which you can use on either U.S. based Uber Eats or Uber Rides.

I use both benefits within the first week of the month – more often within the first two days. And let me tell you, I love feeling less guilty about spending money on food delivery!

The two credit benefits come up to $240 in total annual value. This means that the Amex Gold, with its $250 annual fee, almost pays for itself all while feeding you.

I stay on top of special offers

I regularly update our article on credit card limited-time promotions and special offers, and Amex is an issuer that always has something awesome going on. I was in obé online fitness classes for free because of my Amex Gold (offer no longer available).

Some offers can be just a little something, others can offer some serious value, but it always pays off to keep an eye on them.

I refer my friends to the Amex Gold

When I love a credit card product, you can be sure I’ll tell everyone I meet about how much I love it and why. Sometimes, people listen to me with a polite smile and a glassy look in their eyes, probably thinking what an insufferable nerd I am. Other times, they get excited and apply for the card using my link and earning me a referral bonus.

The latter happened to me a few months ago. I was so excited about the Amex Gold, I got my friend excited too. She applied, got approved and got me 30,000 points for referring her.

Spread the love, my friends.

I redeem my Amex rewards for travel

Finally, my favorite part: using the rewards.

The Amex Gold is a travel credit card, which means you get the best value if you use your rewards for travel. In case of Amex, it’s by booking your airfare through the Amex portal – or by transferring to any of Amex’s transfer partners, many of whom offer an even higher redemption value. The issuer provides other redemption options, but your point value will go down on non-travel redemptions.

All in all, I’ve earned around 130,000 points since I got the card in February 2021. I booked a flight to Russia to see my family in August for around 77,000 points and booked a hotel for my Washington state trip in July for about 37,000 points. Traveling purely on points? I could get used to this.

Bottom line

With the Amex Gold, you can rack up rewards quickly, especially if you know how to maximize this card’s potential. I love this card and I love recommending it. You may also snag a nice offer on CardMatch – it pulls offers based on your credit profile for free and without impact to your credit.