Gold Card vs Platinum Card: Which Is Actually Worth It?
Gold is the foodie card, Platinum is the traveler card. They serve different masters.
Gold Card
Built for the household that cooks, orders in, and sometimes goes out - which is most households.
Platinum Card
Earns 5x points on flights booked directly through Amex, redeemable for real value.
Side-by-side specs
| Gold Card | Platinum Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $325 | $695 |
| Signup bonus | 60,000 Membership Rewards after $6,000 in 6 months | 80,000 points after $8,000 in 6 months |
| APR range | 21.49–29.49% Variable (pay-over-time on eligible charges) | See terms (charge card) |
| Foreign tx fee | None | None |
| Credit target | good to excellent | excellent |
Gold Card earn rates
Platinum Card earn rates
The verdict
You eat out often and cook at home - 4x on dining and U.S. supermarkets is the best earn rate in the consumer card market.
Apply at American Express →Your spending is almost entirely on travel: flights, hotels, and the premium benefits (Centurion lounges, Fine Hotels & Resorts) justify $695.
Apply at American Express →Track what both cards actually earn you, WalletHub Premium syncs all your cards and monitors your credit daily.
Gold Card annual fee $325, APR 21.49–29.49% Variable (pay-over-time on eligible charges), signup offer 60,000 Membership Rewards after $6,000 in 6 months, terms as of 2026-05-03. Platinum Card annual fee $695, APR See terms (charge card), signup offer 80,000 points after $8,000 in 6 months, terms as of 2026-05-06. Verify current terms on the issuer's site before applying. We earn a referral fee on approved applications referred via Apply links, at no cost to you.