American Express Gold vs. American Express Green: Who wins?

The American Express® Gold Card and the American Express® Green Card are two of the most iconic cards offered — they’ve both been around since the 1960s.

But classic doesn’t mean outdated, as these cards have received significant makeovers in recent years, resulting in two competitive products aimed at different market segments.

The Amex Green is more focused on travel, while the Amex Gold is better suited for spending on groceries and dining.

Let’s take a deep dive into the features and benefits of these two products and see which one is the better fit for you.

The information for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Amex Gold vs. Amex Green comparison

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Amex Gold vs. Amex Green welcome offer

Both cards have a valuable welcome offer.

The Amex Gold offers 60,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of cardmembership.

And the Amex Green offers 40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first six months of cardmembership.

Using TPG’s March 2025 valuation of Membership Rewards points at 2 cents each, these welcome bonuses are worth $1,200 and $800, respectively.

Sometimes, the cards offer higher targeted welcome offers through the CardMatch Tool (offer subject to change at any time). So be sure to check this tool before applying for a card.

Note that if you’ve held either of these cards before, you’re almost certainly ineligible for a second welcome offer. Despite the revamps both cards have received in the past few years, they’re still considered the same products.

If you have or previously had the Amex Gold, you’ll likely be ineligible for the Amex Green’s welcome offer; however, if you have or have had had the Green, you should be able to get the welcome offer on the Gold.

In addition, American Express also considers other factors to determine welcome offer eligibility, though it should notify you of your status before you submit your application and face a hard inquiry.

Winner: Amex Gold. Its welcome offer gives you greater value and the requirement for $6,000 in spending within six months will be easy for most people to complete.

Amex Gold Vs. Amex Green benefits

Both cards offer travel and shopping protections as well as access to Amex Offers. And neither charges a foreign transaction fee.

A standout benefit of the Amex Green is its up to $199 annual statement credit every calendar year toward a Clear Plus membership. This is enough to fully cover the cost of one adult membership. (Enrollment is required; terms apply.)

However, the Amex Gold offers much more value to cardmembers in the form of up to $424 in statement credits every year. (Individual credits detailed in the table above.)

Winner: Amex Gold. It offers more benefits than the Amex Green.

Earning points with the Amex Gold vs. Amex Green

The Amex Green offers:

• 3 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide
• 3 points per dollar on eligible travel and transit
• 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases

The Amex Gold offers:

• 4 points per dollar for dining at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
• 4 points per dollar on groceries at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 spent per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
• 3 points per dollar on airfare purchased directly with the airline or through amextravel.com
• 2 points per dollar on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel booked through amextravel.com
• 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases

The Gold earns 33% more points for dining at restaurants worldwide than the Amex Green. You’ll also earn bonus points on groceries at U.S. supermarkets with the Gold, while the same purchases with the Green will only net you 1 point per dollar.

Although they both offer 3 points per dollar on select travel purchases, the Amex Green offers bonus points on a wider range of travel-related purchases.

Winner: Amex Gold. It earns more points on dining and groceries, although the Green is better for travel.

Redeeming points with the Amex Gold vs. Amex Green

Your redemption options are exactly the same with both cards, which include redeeming points for:

Using any method aside from transferring your points to transfer partners will cause you to fall short of TPG’s March 2025 Membership Reward valuation of 2 cents per point.

Winner: Tie

Related: Everything you need to know about Amex Travel

Transferring points with the Amex Gold vs. Amex Green

You’ll access the same 18 airline and three hotel transfer partners with both cards.

With most programs, you can convert your points at a 1:1 ratio. Key programs include Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

TPG credit cards writer Chris Nelson frequently transfers Membership Rewards points to SkyMiles whenever Delta runs award flash sales. He recently transferred just 8,000 points for a round-trip economy ticket from Seattle to Cancun.

Winner: Tie

Related: American Express Membership Rewards transfer partners

Should I get the Amex Gold or the Amex Green?

The ability to earn bonus points dining at restaurants and on groceries at U.S. supermarkets makes the Amex Gold a better fit for most people. However, if you spend a lot on travel and commuting, the Amex Green is the way to go.

How to switch from the Amex Green to the Amex Gold

Since these two cards exist in the same ecosystem and card family, swapping between them is possible. However, you will miss out on the welcome offer if you do this.

To convert your Amex Green to the Amex Gold (or vice versa), call the number on the back of your card or use American Express’s online customer chat function.

We recommend waiting at least one year from the date your account was opened before requesting a product change.

Related: The ultimate guide to credit card upgrades

Bottom line

Although the Amex Green has much to offer, its more upscale sibling — the Amex Gold — is a better fit for most.

Using the Amex Gold to earn more points at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets will work out better for most people than earning more on travel purchases with the Amex Green.

Still, the Amex Green is a solid option with a lower annual fee, useful Clear Plus credit and broad bonus categories.

To learn more, check out our full reviews of the Amex Green and Amex Gold.

Apply here: Amex Gold

Learn more: Amex Green

For rates and fees of the Amex Gold, please click here.