In 2025, the American Express® Gold Card concentrates value in daily food spending while attaching dining credits that can offset the annual fee.
Headline accelerators earn 4X at restaurants worldwide, up to 50,000 dollars per calendar year, and 4X at U.S. supermarkets, up to 25,000 dollars, then earn 1X afterward.
Flight purchases earn 3X when bought directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com, while prepaid hotels and other eligible travel through AmexTravel.com earn 2X. The U.S. annual fee is 325 dollars, and selected benefits require enrollment.
What the Gold Card Offers Now
Across dining-first budgets, Gold delivers elevated earn rates plus stackable statement credits tied to food platforms and rides.
Official materials confirm 4X at restaurants worldwide, 4X at U.S. supermarkets within stated caps, 3X on flights booked direct or via AmexTravel.com, and 2X on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel booked on AmexTravel.com.
Because variants outside the U.S. differ, residents in Spain and other markets should review local pricing and benefits before applying. Spain’s Gold products illustrate materially different fee structures and perks, underscoring the need to check regional terms.
How the 4X categories and caps work
Caps matter because earning steps down to 1X after thresholds. Merchant category coding drives the accelerator, so superstores, warehouse clubs, and many convenience stores do not qualify as supermarkets.
Restaurant purchases usually qualify worldwide; however, a venue inside a hotel may post under the hotel’s merchant category, which can block 4X.
Earn rates and caps at a glance:
| Category | Earn rate | Annual cap | Notes |
| Restaurants worldwide, plus U.S. takeout and delivery | 4X | 50,000 USD | 1X after cap; must code as restaurant |
| U.S. supermarkets | 4X | 25,000 USD | Superstores and warehouse clubs excluded |
| Flights bought direct or on AmexTravel.com | 3X | — | Applies to airline tickets |
| Prepaid hotels and eligible travel via AmexTravel.com | 2X | — | Prepaid bookings only |
Rates, caps, and coding rules are drawn from Amex benefit disclosures.
Dining and Travel Credits Explained
Consistent setup prevents missed value, since most credits follow monthly or annual clocks and do not roll over.
Dining partners cover a fixed list, Uber Cash posts to the Uber Wallet rather than the statement, and Resy credits require enrollment through the benefits dashboard. Dunkin’ credits run seven dollars per month in the U.S., capped at 84 dollars yearly, once enrolled.
Credits snapshot and requirements:
| Credit | Value | Frequency | Key requirements |
| Dining Credit | 10 USD | Monthly | Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Five Guys; enrollment required |
| Resy dining credit | 100 USD | Annual | Pay at U.S. Resy restaurants or eligible Resy purchases; enrollment required |
| Dunkin’ Credit | 7 USD | Monthly | U.S. Dunkin’ only; 84 USD yearly cap; enrollment required |
| Uber Cash benefit | 10 USD | Monthly | Loads to Uber Wallet after adding card and selecting an Amex card at checkout |
Redemption Strategy: Where Points Go Furthest
American Express Membership Rewards typically deliver higher value when transferred to airline or hotel partners during favorable pricing or transfer bonuses.
Consider partner transfers for premium-cabin awards or high-cash-rate hotels, while verifying cash fares versus award pricing prior to moving points since transfers are usually irreversible.
For frictionless trips, Pay With Points through AmexTravel.com trades peak value for simplicity and immediate confirmation.
Monthly Routine that Maximizes Value
Set calendar nudges near the first of each month to use the Dining Credit, trigger Uber Cash, and capture the Dunkin’ Credit.
Route everyday dining to Gold until approaching the 50,000 dollar restaurant cap, then divert to a backup card to avoid 1X earnings for the rest of the year.
Keep grocery runs at merchants that code as U.S. supermarkets to preserve 4X and exclude warehouse clubs or superstores that do not qualify. Slot one or two prepaid two-night Hotel Collection stays when the on-property credit will offset planned dining or spa charges.
Advanced stacking and Amex Offers
Account dashboards periodically surface Amex Offers that can layer additional statement credits or bonus points on top of category earnings.
Prepaid travel booked through AmexTravel.com can be combined with Pay With Points for simplicity, although expected redemption value should be weighed against potential partner-transfer value.
Payment Flexibility and Spending Power
Gold operates without a preset spending limit, so available purchasing power adapts based on account profile and history.
For repayment flexibility, Pay Over Time allows eligible charges to revolve up to a Pay Over Time limit with interest, while Amex Plan It splits qualifying purchases into equal monthly installments for a fixed fee.
Rewards accrue on eligible purchases under these features, yet installment costs should be considered against the value of points earned.
Drawbacks and Practical Workarounds
International acceptance can vary by merchant and market; therefore, a no-foreign-transaction-fee Visa or Mastercard backup helps travelers.
Lounge access is not included on Gold, so frequent lounge users often pair a lounge-access product for trips where that matters.
Category caps introduce a year-end management task; spend alerts or budget trackers can prevent surprise 1X accruals. None of these constraints erodes core value when restaurant and grocery spending meaningfully dominate monthly budgets.
Quick Enrollment Checklist
Enroll all dining benefits in the Benefits dashboard before first use to avoid missed credits. Add the card in the Uber app and confirm an Amex card is selected so Uber Cash loads monthly.
Track progress toward the 50,000-dollar restaurant and 25,000-dollar supermarket caps using spend alerts.
Use hotel stays of two nights or more in The Hotel Collection when an on-property credit will meaningfully reduce costs.
Conclusion
Across 2025, Gold remains a high-utility dining and grocery card when paired with disciplined monthly routines.
The combination of 4X at restaurants and 4X at U.S. supermarkets, layered with the Dining Credit, Resy dining credit, Dunkin’ Credit, and Uber Cash, can realistically offset the $325 annual fee under typical household spending patterns.
Keep categories clean using merchant coding rules, enroll benefits on day one, and favor partner transfers when chasing the strongest Membership Rewards outcomes.
