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American Express has a reputation for premium products and above-and-beyond customer service, and Amex membership is generally pretty rewarding. Just how rewarding depends on which card–or cards–you carry. Two of the most popular American Express cards are also two of the most premium.

These are:

1. American Express® Gold Card and
2. The Platinum Card® from American Express

These cards are often compared, with Gold being the next step above Platinum.

So what are the differences between the Amex Platinum and Gold cards?

These two premium metal credit cards are not as alike as you might think. Keep reading to find out more about the similarities and differences between Amex Gold and Platinum and decide which one is right for you.

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Differences

To help you understand how these two credit cards really compare, we’ve put together a table outlining the differences.

Note that the American Express Gold and American Express Rose Gold cards are equal in every way and differ only in color.

	Amex Gold	Amex Platinum
💸 Fees	– $250 annual fee – $10 or 5% for cash advances – $40 late or returned payment – No fee for adding more cards to your Gold account	– $695 annual fee – $10 or 5% for cash advances – $40 late or returned payment – $175 for each additional card you add to your Platinum account (up to 3 permitted)
✅ Credit Score	670-700 minimum	690-700 minimum
Income Level 💰	Estimated to be at least $50,000 per individual. Not disclosed by American Express.	Estimated to be between $50,000 and $100,000 annually per individual. Not disclosed by American Express.
💳 Credits (terms apply)	$120 dining credit – up to $10 statement credit per month when you use your Gold card at: – The Cheesecake Factory, – Ruth’s Chris Steak House, – Grubhub, Seamless, – Boxed, and – select Shake Shack locations. – Up to $120 Uber Cash annually when you use your Gold card to pay for rides and UberEats orders, with $10 Uber Cash credit every month. – Also earn 4 points per dollar on Uber rides and UberEats purchases.	Total value: >$1,400 – Up to $200 Uber Cash when you use your Platinum card to pay for rides and UberEats orders, with $15 Uber Cash credit every month plus an additional $20 bonus in December. – $300 Equinox Credit – $25 per month toward your luxury fitness membership when you pay for Equinox All Access, Destination, or E by Equinox using your Platinum card. – $240 digital entertainment credit – up to $20 per month on partner subscriptions including Peacock, the New York Times, Sirius XM, and Audible. – $179 CLEAR credit per year when you pay for membership with your Platinum card (annual price is $179). – $200 airline fee credit per year when you charge incidental fees to your Platinum card. – $100 Saks credit per year (up to $50 every six months) when you make Saks Fifth Avenue purchases with your Platinum card.
⭐️ Points (terms apply)	– 4 points per dollar at US restaurants. – 4 points per dollar at US supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year). – 3 points per dollar on flights booked direct or on amextravel.com. – 1 point per dollar on everything else.	– 5 points per dollar on flights booked direct or through American Express Travel and hotels paid for in full in advance of stay (up to $500,000 per calendar year). – 5 points per dollar on hotels included in the Hotel Collection and paid in full prior to stay – 1 point per dollar on everything else.
💲 Welcome Bonus (terms apply)	– 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 within six months of signing up as a new Platinum card member.	– 100,000 bonus points when you spend $6,000 or more within six months of signing up as a new Platinum card member.
📈 Rates	– 16.74% – 23.74% for Pay Over Time – 25.99% for Cash Advances – 29.99% penalty APR	– 16.74% – 23.74% for Pay Over Time – 25.99% for Cash Advances – 29.99% penalty APR

As you can see, most of the differences come in when you’re looking at points and perks. The majority of Platinum perks are related to travel–such as 5x points on flights and airline fee credits–and this card offers a number of generous bonuses and credits. If you were to use every single Platinum benefit available to you, you would receive about $1,419 in value.

Gold offers a variety of perks from dining benefits to purchase protection. This card doesn’t give you as many statement credits, but the points earning categories are ideal for everyday use when traveling, shopping, or paying bills. And that’s not to say that the Amex Gold card isn’t also good for travel–members receive annual Hotel Collection credits and 3 points per dollar on flights, and all American Express premium cardholders receive personalized travel services at no cost.

As for similarities, these cards charge the same interest rates and fees except for the annual membership premium and cost for adding additional cards.

You may be able to get the annual fee waived for either of these cards if you are an active-duty U.S. military member if you get in touch with customer support.

Which Is Better?

The better choice for you depends on your bottom line. Are you looking to save money on travel specifically or do you think you’d get more use out of a general card with several perks categories?

If you’re looking for a card with travel perks, then the Amex Platinum card is going to be the better option. Because the majority of additional benefits that come with this card are for travel, members can save more if they travel or fly a lot, but this card does cost considerably more than the Gold card. Unless you are offered the invitation-only Amex Black card, the Platinum card is the most elite card you can get.

If you travel a lot, you will probably find the American Express Platinum card to be more rewarding. It offers a number of travel perks including up to 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels as well as hotel and Uber credits, but you might not necessarily need or even use all of this enough to make the steep annual fee worth it. If you don’t travel a lot and you’re just looking for a great card for everyday use, the American Express Gold card is for you.

We also recommend the Gold or Rose Gold card if you want a less expensive option but you still want the benefits of being an American Express member. This card could also be better for you if you don’t think you’d qualify for Platinum, as it is easier for most applicants to qualify for than the Platinum card.

With that said, neither card is easy to get. Although income requirements are not provided for either card, applicants who do not have stable incomes will not be considered, and you may need excellent credit if your income isn’t great or a high income if your credit is lacking.

Or maybe neither card sounds quite right. American Express has many credit cards in its product suite, so you can explore these for more options. For example, with an annual fee of $150, the Amex Green card is a more affordable option that rewards you three points per dollar on restaurants and travel.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, these are both all-around good credit cards if you’re in the market for a premium metal card. Which one is right for you depends on what annual fee you’re willing to pay, what benefits you’re looking for, and how you’re going to use your card. If you take advantage of all perks offered with an American Express Gold or American Express Platinum card, you can get your money’s worth from the annual fee pretty easily and start saving.