Amex Gold Card vs. Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card [Detailed Comparison]

American Express is a powerhouse when it comes to issuing credit and charge cards. There’s an option for every business operation, large or small, and personal cards that match any spending profile.

The 2 American Express cards we’ll compare today are cards you might use daily to purchase gas, buy groceries, or to pay for a restaurant meal. Earning rewards on purchases you’re already making is an easy way to accumulate extra value, whether it’s points, miles, or even cash-back.

And while both the American Express^® Gold Card and the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express function well as cards that earn rewards for everyday purchases, each card differs in how it delivers those rewards.

Additionally, you’ll find differences in how rewards can be redeemed and the collection of benefits that come with each card.

Let’s dive in and see how these cards compare and contrast!

Amex Gold Card vs. Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card — Overview

Before we dive into all the key details of the Amex Gold card and the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card, let’s look at a high-level overview comparing our featured cards side-by-side.

Welcome Bonuses

Credit card issuers frequently offer incentives, in the form of a welcome bonus, to apply for a specific card. These welcome bonuses are typically earned by meeting minimum spending requirements within the first few months after you’re approved for the card.

Here’s how we’d estimate the value of current welcome bonuses on the Amex Gold card and the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card:

Amex Gold Card

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 90,000 points with the Amex Gold card. The current public offer is 60,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

Membership Rewards points received as a welcome bonus can be redeemed for eligible travel with Amex Travel for 1 cent per point.

You can also use the Amex transfer partners and potentially receive more value.

Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card offers a cash-back welcome bonus in the form of a statement credit after meeting minimum spending requirements within the first 3 months after card approval.

Bottom Line: While welcome bonuses on the 2 cards can be similar in value, Membership Rewards points have the potential to be worth more because they can be transferred to airline and hotel loyalty programs to be redeemed for flights and/or hotel rooms. 

Comparing Earning Power

Both of our featured cards earn rewards on every purchase and bonus rewards on specific everyday purchase categories including U.S. supermarkets, restaurants, and gas stations.

The Amex Gold card earns Membership Rewards points while the Blue Cash Preferred card earns cash-back. Let’s look at how each card earns rewards.

The Amex Gold card has the potential to earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points (worth at least $1,000 towards eligible travel) if you maximize the 4x earning categories. The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card could earn just a maximum of $360 for $6,000 in U.S. supermarket purchases, but also rewards select U.S. streaming subscription purchases with 6% cash-back.

If you also spend a lot on travel, the Amex Gold card is a better choice with 3x earnings versus the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card at 1% cash-back on travel purchases. If you’re spending a lot on transportation, streaming services, and gas, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card may be a better choice.

Bottom Line: The card that will deliver the best earnings for you will depend on your mix of spending. If you’re spending more than $500 per month at U.S. supermarkets and spend a lot on travel, the Amex Gold card delivers better value. If you subscribe to select streaming services and spend a lot on transit or gas, consider the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card. Another consideration will be whether you prefer to earn cash-back or Membership Rewards points.

Comparing Redemption Options

While cash-back earned on the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card is certainly the most liquid form of rewards you can earn, Membership Rewards points earned on the Amex Gold card have the potential to be redeemed for greater value when transferred to travel partners.

If you’re looking for simplicity, it doesn’t get easier than redeeming cash-back in the form of a statement credit. However, the advantages of earning Membership Rewards points include the option to receive higher value by transferring points to travel partners.

When Membership Rewards points are transferred to airline frequent flyer programs, for example, they are exchanged for miles that can then be redeemed for award flights. It’s possible to receive a much higher value for your points when doing so.

Bottom Line: If you’re looking for a good cash-back card option, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card will serve that purpose effectively. However, if you’re interested in redeeming rewards for travel, the Amex Gold card provides additional redemption options that may deliver greater potential value. 

Hotel Program Benefits

Both the Amex Gold card and the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card offer cardholders the Lowest Hotel Rates Guarantee when booking on Amex Travel. If you book a prepaid hotel via Amex Travel and find the identical room at a lower price online, you’ll be refunded the difference. Terms and conditions do apply.

One caution is that when you book your hotel through Amex Travel you will not receive any hotel loyalty program benefits that might otherwise apply.

While the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card does not offer any specific additional hotel program benefits, the Amex Gold card comes with these additional benefits:

The Hotel Collection

Book a 2 night or longer stay with your Amex Gold card via Amex Travel and receive several benefits through The Hotel Collection:

• A $100 on-site credit per stay towards the purchase of on-site activities, spa services, dining, and more
• An upgraded room, based on availability
• Earn 2x points per dollar spent when paying with your card for prepaid stays via Amex Travel
• Select to pay for your stay upfront using your Membership Rewards points

Bottom Line: While the hotel program benefits that come with the Amex Gold card are better than the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card, these benefits can only provide additional value if you can take advantage of them. 

Annual Fees and Adding Additional Users

Annual Fees

The lower annual fee on the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card makes it simple to offset with earnings alone. Although the Amex Gold card charges a much higher annual fee, the higher limit on 4x earnings can result in much greater earnings.

Annual fees can change. To view current pricing, including annual fees, check out the tables at the top of this article.

Adding Additional Users

The Amex Gold card does not charge a fee for adding up to 5 additional authorized users. The annual fee for the sixth card and beyond is $35 for each additional card.

There is no charge for adding authorized users to the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card.

Statement Credits

Statement credits can provide direct economic value.

Amex Gold card

• Up to $10 in Uber Cash each month for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year
• Up to $10 per month in dining statement credits for purchases at GrubHub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations

Amex Blue Cash Preferred card

• Equinox Credit — Use your card to earn $10 in statement credits each month on membership fees for a stand-alone monthly membership to the Equinox+ app, up to $120 annually.

Travel Protection and Insurance

While neither of these cards comes with a lot of travel protection coverage, there are a few benefits that can save you money or assist you during your travels.

Both cards provide complimentary secondary car rental insurance, but for a low fee that ranges from $12.25 to $24.95, you can cover your entire rental period with Premium Car Rental Protection which provides primary car rental insurance coverage.

Bottom Line: If you’ll be using your card for worldwide travel, the Amex Gold card is the better choice as it does not charge foreign transaction fees. It also earns 4x points on restaurant purchases worldwide and offers baggage insurance. 

Shopping Benefits Provided With Both Cards

• Amex Offers — Receive special cash-back or bonus Membership Rewards points when specific purchases are made with your eligible card. You can save hundreds of dollars per year with Amex Offers. Offers are posted to your online card account periodically.
• American Express Auto Purchasing Program — Administered by TRUEcar, the auto purchasing program can save members thousands of dollars on new car purchases, plus allow you to charge at least $2,000 of the purchase price to your eligible card.
• Return Protection — Eligible purchases charged entirely on your card that are not accepted for return by the selling merchant may receive up to $300 per item, up to $1,000 per account per calendar year. Coverage is provided for 90 days from purchase.
• Entertainment Access — Gain priority access to special events such as sporting events, concerts, and food/wine events.

Additional Shopping Benefits Provided on the Amex Gold Card

• Extended Warranty — For U.S. manufacturers’ warranties of 5 years or less, an extension of 1 year will be added for eligible items. If the manufacturer’s warranty is less than 1 year in length, it will be matched.
• Purchase Protection — Coverage is provided for eligible items up to 90 days from the purchase date for damage, theft, or loss. Coverage limits are $10,000 per item, up to $50,000 maximum per account per calendar year.

Final Thoughts

The earning power for everyday purchases with the Amex Gold card is strong. The card also offers a broad selection of redemption options, statement credits, and a few extra shopping protections.

Although the annual fee on the Amex Gold card is much higher than the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card, the potential for increased earnings in 4x categories and 3x earnings on travel offsets that fee rather quickly.

If you prefer cash-back earnings, a lower annual fee, and you do not spend on travel or care about travel redemptions, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card may work well for you.

For rates and fees of the American Express^® Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express, click here.