American Express Gold Card

American Express Gold Rewards Card Review

All credit and charge cards from American Express come with great benefits and rewards programs. The American Express Gold card is no exception and works as a great travel card. To qualify for this card you must have excellent credit. This card is a charge card not a credit card as charges must be paid in full each month.

Features

American Express^® Gold card is a travel card with a rewards program. There is no spending limit and no interest as you are required to pay your balance in full each month. Like all the cards from American Express you gain access to 24/7 customer service, and the whole slew of services that come with being an American Express cardholder including fraud protection, purchase protection, extended warranty, return protection, identity theft protection, and financial tools.

Financial tools

American Express allows you to manage your account and see your spending patterns with the use of reports that can be downloaded into Quicken or Microsoft Money. You can also manage your account right from your mobile phone. If you wish to use your American Express Gold card to pay your service bills such as your cable, phone, and Internet bills just contact the service providers and they will set that up for you.

Fees

The annual fee associated with this card is $125 which is waved for the first year of membership. Don’t apply for this card if you don’t have the ability to pay off your balance each month. If you miss a payment or you are late with a payment the company charges you a $35.00 fee or 2.99% of the balances whichever is greater. There is also a foreign transaction fee of 2.7% for each transaction.

Rewards program

American Express Gold card membership earns you rewards on every purchase you make using the card. For most purchases you earn one point for every dollar spent. You also can earn up to ten points per dollar if you purchase merchandise at the company’s ‘Earn Hub’ with select retailers. There are no limits with this rewards program and the points never expire. If you spend $1,000 in the first three months of membership you can earn 10,000 points valued at $100.00. Points can be redeemed for travel purchases, shopping, dining and entertainment.

Travel benefits

Membership with the Gold card allows you to book travel arrangements using the goldcarddestinations.com website where you will find special travel offers on hotels and resorts. You also receive a $75 dining credit when you book your travel through the Gold Card Hotel Program. Those members who sign up for the Preferred Rewards program can earn a $100 credit each year when booking vacations with the card. Points earned through the rewards program can be used for flights on any airline and there are no blackout dates. Reward points can also be used for car rentals, hotels, cruises and vacations if booked online with the American Express Travel site. If you wish you can transfer your earned points to eligible frequent flyer or hotel programs.

Access to events

American Express card membership allows you exclusive access to advance tickets for concerts, shows, and sporting events. As a card member you will receive emails about upcoming events with presale access to tickets. There is even Event Ticket Protection plan in case you are unable to attend an event for which you bought tickets.