4X Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on U.S. Supermarkets* (up to $25,000 a year; 1X thereafter)
At restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 a year; 1X thereafter)
Booked directly with the airline or via AmexTravel.com
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
💳 This card earns American Express Membership Rewards points. American Express often runs transfer bonuses where you can get even more points when you transfer to airline or hotel partners at designated times. Transfer bonuses are awesome. Get 20%, 30%, 40% or more bonus miles when you transfer points at the right times. But they are easy to miss!
You can see all past Transfer Bonuses from American Express Membership Rewards here.
Even better? Get notified when a new transfer bonus comes out and again before it ends (either or both, your choice). Sign up for free alerts right here. 🔔
The American Express Gold Card (and the Rose Gold version of the Amex Gold Card) is one of my favorite credit cards on the market.
While many cards have more bonus categories or more features, the simplicity of a card that earns 4X American Express Membership Rewards points on both dining (up to $50,000 annually; 1X thereafter) and at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 annually; 1X thereafter), given how much of my monthly spend is in one of these two categories, makes it an easy top-of-wallet choice. 3X on airfare is also nice.

It helps that I have no problem at all using the included credits, living in a major metropolitan area. In fact, I’ve generally used both of the included credits at GrubHub and Uber Eats by the fifth of each month! The Resy credits are also easy to use if you live in a major metro area (although admittedly not as easy if you don’t!). And the $7 Dunkin’ credits come in handy if you live in a Dunkin’ heavy area (which we do).
While I wouldn’t make it my only credit card, it definitely complements other cards nicely. If you already have the American Express Platinum Card, for example, you’d be better off using the Platinum card for its many benefits and 5X on airfare (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), but using your Amex Gold Card for your groceries and restaurant expenses.
Keep in mind that all of your American Express Membership Rewards points accrue to one master account. As long as you have at least one card open that earns Membership Rewards points, your points will never expire.
This includes no-annual fee cards like the Blue Business Plus.
The Amex Gold is also featured in our 5 Best Credit Cards for Groceries / Supermarkets.
Rates and Fees for the American Express® Gold Card
Only on purchases made through Chase Travel (SM); 1X otherwise
Only on purchases made through Chase Travel (SM); 1X otherwise
Only on purchases made through Chase Travel (SM); 1X otherwise
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
This card is designed for heavy Instacart uses. Much like the Amazon credit card only makes sense if you spend a ton at Amazon, the Instacart credit card only makes sense if you already spend a ton at Instacart as the 5% back will add up – and it’s a no annual fee credit card.
If you are looking for a powerful card for all supermarket purchases, you’d be much better off with one of our top credit cards for supermarkets like the American Express Gold Card, which earns 4X Membership Rewards at supermarkets, up to $25,000 a year (earn 1X thereafter).
But if you are loyal to Instacart, this card is worth considering.
It is a World Elite Mastercard, so it does come with some additional benefits as well.
Additional Benefits include:
Overall, if you are a huge Instacart user, this card is worth it for the 5% back on all your purchases. But if you aren’t, you might find a better card for your spend in our Famous Card Explorer.