Do you have to get each the Amex Gold and Platinum playing cards?

We all know what you are considering: Why pay hefty annual charges on two playing cards that earn the identical sort of factors? Effectively, for us (and plenty of others), it is solely worthwhile.

Certainly, the mixed $1,000-plus price ticket on The Platinum Card® from American Categorical and American Categorical® Gold Card could be confronting. Nonetheless, the incomes charges and perks on these playing cards differ considerably.

If you wish to speed up your earnings, maximize card advantages and shield your purchases, it will probably make sense to carry each the Platinum and Gold playing cards. Listed here are 4 explanation why.

Earn two welcome bonuses

Through the first 12 months that you’ve a card, the welcome bonus is without doubt one of the most dear advantages, if not essentially the most precious. Between these two playing cards, you may earn as much as 275,000 bonus Membership Rewards factors:

• Amex Platinum: Discover out your provide and see if you’re eligible for as excessive as 175,000 bonus factors after spending $8,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. (Welcome gives differ and also you might not be eligible for a proposal.)
• Amex Gold: Discover out your provide and see if you’re eligible for as excessive as 100,000 bonus factors after spending $6,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. (Welcome gives differ and also you might not be eligible for a proposal.)

TPG’s July 2025 valuations peg American Categorical Membership Rewards factors at 2 cents apiece, which means these mixed welcome bonuses are value as much as $5,500.

There are a few utility restrictions to concentrate on:

• You will solely earn a welcome provide on every card as soon as per lifetime.
• It is best to use for the Gold first after which the Platinum; should you do it the opposite approach round, you may possible be ineligible to earn the Gold’s welcome provide.

Associated: A whole information to Amex’s one-bonus-per-lifetime restrictions

Speed up your earnings

You might earn hundreds of additional factors every year by utilizing the proper card for every buy. A common information is to make use of the:

Let’s dive into the numbers.

Utilizing the Platinum to e-book flights, you may earn 5 factors per greenback spent instantly with airways or with American Categorical Journey®*, in comparison with 3 factors per greenback on the Amex Gold.

For pay as you go accommodations booked by means of Amex Journey, Platinum is once more the way in which to go, incomes 5 factors per greenback spent as a substitute of simply 2 factors per greenback with the Amex Gold.

Then, you may need to use the Amex Gold to your grocery and eating purchases. You will earn 4 factors per greenback spent at eating places worldwide** and at U.S. supermarkets***. With the Platinum, you’d solely earn 1 level per greenback spent in these classes.

* On as much as $500,000 of those purchases yearly, then 1 level per greenback
** On as much as $50,000 in purchases per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback
*** On as much as $25,000 on purchases per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback

Associated: How you can earn over 300,000 factors in a 12 months

Maximize assertion credit

Each playing cards present annual assertion credit that may put tons of or hundreds of {dollars} again in your pocket.

The Amex Gold’s $325 annual charge (see charges and costs) is greater than offset by as much as $424 in assertion credit, that are primarily targeted on eating, together with an:

• As much as $50 biannual Resy credit score: At Resy-affiliated U.S. eating places
• As much as $10 month-to-month eating credit score: At choose retailers like 5 Guys and Grubhub
• As much as $10 month-to-month Uber Money^: For Uber rides or Uber Eats orders within the U.S.
• As much as $7 month-to-month Dunkin’ credit score: At U.S. Dunkin’ areas

Enrollment is required.

^Uber Money will solely be deposited into one Uber account whenever you add the eligible Amex card as a fee methodology and redeem with any Amex card.

In the meantime, the Amex Platinum’s excessive $695 annual charge (see charges and costs) could be greater than offset by assertion credit, so long as you maximize all of them. The bulk are travel- and lifestyle-focused, with a few of our favorites being an:

• As much as $209 annual Clear Plus credit score: To cowl your annual membership (topic to auto-renewal)
• As much as $200 annual airline charge credit score: Along with your most well-liked airline
• As much as $200 annual lodge credit score: To offset pay as you go bookings with Amex Superb Resorts + Resorts or The Resort Assortment (minimal two-night keep)
• As much as $20 month-to-month digital leisure credit score: Together with Disney+ and Peacock subscriptions
• As much as $15 month-to-month Uber Money^: For Uber rides or Uber Eats orders within the U.S.; bonus $20 in December (for a complete of $35 that month)

Enrollment is required.

Associated: American Categorical Gold vs. American Categorical Platinum: Which one is best for you?

Defend your purchases and journey

Each the American Categorical Platinum and Gold playing cards provide prolonged guarantee and buy safety advantages.

Nonetheless, the Amex Platinum card gives extra complete safety advantages, particularly for frequent vacationers, whereas the Amex Gold card supplies extra restricted protection.

The buying and journey protections that the Amex Platinum gives (however the Amex Gold would not) embrace:

• Cellphone safety
• Emergency medical transportation (if coordinated by the profit administrator)
• Journey cancellation and interruption insurance coverage*
• Journey delay insurance coverage*
• Increased protection for automobile rental loss and injury, and baggage and journey delay insurance coverage

*Eligibility and profit degree varies by card. Phrases, circumstances and limitations apply. Go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for particulars. Insurance policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance coverage Firm, an AIG Firm.

When it would not make sense

Holding each the Amex Platinum and Gold playing cards might not be cost-effective for everybody. Take into account the next:

• Lounge entry: In case you not often use airport lounges or do not spend sufficient on the Platinum to unlock visitor entry, you could not get sufficient worth from the cardboard.
• Grocery purchases: In case you primarily store at big-box retailers like Walmart or Goal, or by means of grocery supply providers that do not code as “supermarkets”, you may not earn bonus factors in these classes.
• Assertion credit: Assess whether or not you already spend on providers (like Grubhub and Uber) that you’re going to obtain assertion credit for; if not, you could find yourself spending unnecessarily to “save” cash.

Backside line

The Amex Gold card’s decrease annual charge and bonus factors on eating and groceries might go well with many customers, whereas the Platinum card’s greater charge is value it for individuals who can maximize its journey perks.

Combining each playing cards can increase your Amex factors stability, elevate your travels and offset your spending on life-style purchases.

To study extra, learn our full opinions of the Amex Platinum and Amex Gold playing cards.

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Apply right here: Amex Gold
Apply right here: Amex Platinum

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For charges and costs of the Amex Platinum Card, please click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Gold Card, please click on right here.