Amex Gold vs. Blue Cash Preferred: One's better for travel, dining out while the other offers cash back

CNBC

5 days ago

Both the American Express® Gold Card and the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express are top Amex cards, but with different strengths. The Amex Gold excels at bringing you travel and dining value, while the lower-annual-fee Blue Cash Preferred (see rates and fees) offers cash back that you can use to pay your monthly bill.
Below, we compare the two cards' fees, welcome bonuses, rewards, redemption options and benefits so you can know which is best for your wallet — or perhaps there's room for both.
On the American Express site
On the American Express site
The Amex Gold Card offers over $400 in statement credits every year.
Good to Excellent670–850
See Pay Over Time APR
$325
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points
See rates and fees, terms apply. Read our American Express® Gold Card review.
The American Express Gold Card is great for earning valuable Membership Rewards® points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets.None
On the American Express site
On the American Express site
Good to Excellent670–850
20.24%-29.24% Variable
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Earn a $250 statement credit
See rates and fees, terms apply. Read our Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express review.
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a low-fee card with generous cash-back rewards and useful ongoing benefits, such as a monthly Disney Bundle credit. (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars
Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability.Credit Saint offers three packages for credit repair services and a 90-day money-back guarantee for services. It has received an A rating and is accredited by the Better Business Bureau.The Credit People's Credit Report Repair service is relatively affordable compared to other programs in the space. Even the most basic package (the standard package) includes unlimited challenges to all three credit bureaus. Upgrading to the premium package includes escalated disputes and monthly credit score reports and score refreshes.
The Amex Gold charges a $325 annual fee (see rates and fees). The Blue Cash Preferred offers a $0 annual fee for the first year, then $95 each year after (see rates and fees).
While the Gold Card carries a higher annual fee, it also comes with over $500 in annual value to offset it. If you don't want to worry about a high annual fee, regardless, though, the Blue Cash Preferred's $95 (see rates and fees) is easier to swallow — plus, you're off the hook the first year.
With the Amex Gold, you could receive up to 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your card in the first six months. You'll find out just how many points you're eligible for after being approved for (and before accepting) the Amex Gold.
The Blue Cash Preferred offers new cardholders a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months.
While you won't know exactly how many points you can earn as a welcome bonus until after you apply and get approved for the Amex Gold, a maximum amount of 100,000 points can certainly go a long way. With Membership Rewards points valued at approximately 2 cents each, the welcome bonus is worth around $2,000 in value. The Blue Cash Preferred's spending threshold ($3,000) is half the Amex Gold's ($6,000) in the same amount of time (first six months), but $250 is much lower than what you could likely earn with the Gold. If you'd naturally spend $6,000 within six months anyways, without spending above your means, then the Gold's welcome offer is excellent value.
One of the biggest differences between the Amex Gold and Blue Cash Preferred is the type of rewards they earn. The Amex Gold earns points in the form of Membership Rewards, while the Blue Cash Preferred earns cash back in the form of Reward Dollars. Membership Rewards points can be more lucrative as you have the option to transfer them to one of Amex's 20 travel partners; Reward Dollars can only be redeemed for statement credits (that go toward paying off your credit card bill) or on Amazon purchases.
The one rewards category the cards share is at U.S. supermarkets, with the Blue Cash Preferred earning 6% back, but only to a max of $6,000 per year, compared to the Amex Gold earning 4X on the first $25,000 each year. The Amex Gold is going to be a better option for those who like going to restaurants, as it earns 4X points at restaurants worldwide on the first $50,000 annually.
The Blue Cash Preferred rewards cardholders in everyday categories they likely spend in often, such as supermarkets, gas, transit and streaming subscriptions. But for those who travel or dine out frequently, there's no doubt the Amex Gold is a better fit, as it lets you earn points on flights, hotels and restaurants. It's also hard to beat being able to redeem rewards multiple ways versus just simply as a statement credit or on Amazon — more on that below.
The Amex Gold's Membership Rewards points are very flexible in their redemption options. While they can be redeemed for gift cards, statement credits or even while shopping with participating brands, you're almost always going to get the most value transferring them to one of Amex's travel partners.
The Blue Cash Preferred's Reward Dollars are more restrictive and can only be used for statement credits and when shopping at Amazon.com. For those who prefer a simpler credit card rewards program, this card is a great option.
The Amex Gold comes with a long list of benefits focused on restaurants and travel. The Blue Cash Preferred offers only a handful of perks, which is to be expected with a significantly lower annual fee.
Choosing the Amex Gold means having access to over $500 in value each year from the following perks:
Since the Blue Cash Preferred has a much lower annual fee, it's typical that it'd come with fewer credits:If you travel and dine out often, the Amex Gold lets you maximize that spending and the card's benefits that you'll likely take advantage of will offset the $325 annual fee. Plus, you'll earn at supermarkets.
If you prefer less of a premium credit card and more of an everyday one that gives you cash back on things like gas, groceries and streaming, the Blue Cash Preferred with its low $95 annual fee ($0 the first year) is a winner. You don't have to worry about figuring out how to best redeem your cash back and can simply just apply it to paying off your monthly bill.
The Amex Gold typically requires having good to excellent credit, or a score ranging from 670 to 850.
No, you can't upgrade the Blue Cash Preferred to the Amex Gold as they aren't in the same family of cards. You can apply for each card separately and own both should you be approved.
The Amex Gold has no preset spending limit; instead, the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment and credit history.
Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox. Sign up here.
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card comparison is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.