The American Express® Gold Card offers several travel-related benefits, including elevated Membership Rewards® points on eligible flights and prepaid hotel stays, benefits through The Hotel Collection and complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. The Card also has no foreign transaction fees.
For an overview of the Gold Card's rewards, credits and other features, see: American Express Gold Card Benefits, Rewards & Perks.
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The American Express Gold Card earns 3X Membership Rewards points per dollar on eligible flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App or purchased directly from airlines.
For people who regularly purchase airline tickets, this can make the Gold Card useful for earning additional Membership Rewards points from travel spending.
Gold Cardmembers can earn 5X Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
The elevated earning rate can provide additional value for travelers who regularly book eligible prepaid hotel stays through American Express.
The Gold Card also earns 2X Membership Rewards points on eligible prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
Eligible cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com can also earn 2X Membership Rewards points.
The Gold Card provides access to The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel. When you book two or more consecutive nights at an eligible property, you can receive a $100 credit toward qualifying charges.
The Hotel Collection includes participating upscale properties around the world. Eligible charges and other terms vary by property.
Gold Cardmembers can receive complimentary Hertz Five Star Status after completing the required enrollment and registration.
Hertz Five Star Status can provide benefits such as skipping the counter at select locations, an additional driver at no additional cost when applicable requirements are met, and potential vehicle upgrades, subject to availability and the applicable Hertz terms.
The American Express Gold Card does not charge foreign transaction fees on eligible purchases made outside the United States.
This can be useful when traveling internationally because purchases made abroad are not subject to an additional foreign transaction fee from American Express.
The Gold Card can provide meaningful value for travelers who want to earn Membership Rewards points on flights, prepaid hotels and other eligible travel purchases. The Hotel Collection and Hertz Five Star Status provide additional travel-related benefits.
However, the Gold Card is not simply a travel card. Much of its value also comes from its strong restaurant and U.S. supermarket rewards and its collection of statement credits.
The American Express Gold Card offers several travel benefits, including 3X Membership Rewards points on eligible flights, 5X points on eligible prepaid hotel stays and additional rewards on qualifying car rentals and cruises booked through American Express.
The Hotel Collection, Hertz Five Star Status and lack of foreign transaction fees add additional value for eligible travelers. How valuable these benefits are will depend on how frequently you travel and how you use the Card.
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A FICO® Score is a proprietary credit score created by the Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO). About 90% of top U.S. lenders use it to make lending decisions.
FICO® Score Ranges:
FICO categorizes scores as Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, and Exceptional.
A credit score is a three-digit number (300–850) predicting your creditworthiness. Lenders use it to evaluate risk and determine rates and terms for credit.
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The card offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Gettingacreditcard.com may receive compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). Gettingacreditcard.com does not include all card companies or all card offers available in the marketplace.