Monthly spending. We rank on rewards minus the full annual fee, so statement credits and perks are listed separately and never counted for you.
Choosing between the American Express® Gold Card ($325/yr) and the IHG One Rewards Premier Card ($150/yr) comes down to where you spend most. Amex Gold Card needs about $975 a month in dining or groceries, counting that spending alone, to make up its $175 higher annual fee over IHG One Rewards Premier Card. Below that, IHG One Rewards Premier Card comes out ahead. Enter your monthly spending above to see which comes out ahead for you.
Strongest in dining at 4% (up to $50,000/yr). 4X points at restaurants worldwide, 4X on U.S. supermarkets, 3X on flights.
Perfect if: You spend enough in bonus categories to easily offset the annual fee.
Apply NowStrongest in flights at 5%. Up to 24x total at IHG hotels, 5x on direct flights, car rentals, dining, groceries, and gas. Earns a solid 3.0% on everything else.
Perfect if: You want a strong rewards rate with no spending caps to worry about.
Apply Now| Feature | American Express Gold Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Card |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $325 | $150 |
| Sign-Up Bonus | 100,000 points after $8,000 spend in 6 months | 180,000 points after $3,000 spend in 3 months |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | 0% | 0% |
| Base Reward Rate | 1% | 3% |
| Flights Rewards | 3% | 5% |
| Hotels Rewards | 1% | 3% |
| Other travel Rewards | 1% | 3% |
| Dining Rewards | 4% (up to $50,000/yr) | 5% |
| Groceries Rewards | 4% (up to $25,000/yr) | 5% |
| Gas Rewards | 1% | 5% |
| Rates with conditions not counted in the rows above |
5% on prepaid hotels through AmexTravel.com Earns 5% only on prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App, Amex's own booking site. Hotels booked direct earn 1%. |
10% at IHG hotels Earns 10% only on stays at IHG Hotels and Resorts. Other hotels earn 3%. 5% on car rentals Earns 5% only at car rental agencies. Rideshare, transit and other travel earn 3%. |
| Key Benefits | 4X points at restaurants worldwide, 4X on U.S. supermarkets, 3X on flights. | Up to 24x total at IHG hotels, 5x on direct flights, car rentals, dining, groceries, and gas. |
IHG One Rewards Premier Card wins on travel, dining, groceries, gas.
The $175/year fee difference means American Express Gold Card needs to earn about that much more in rewards to justify its cost.
American Express Gold Card carries $424/year in credits (mostly tied to specific merchants or bookings), while IHG One Rewards Premier Card carries $440/year in credits (mostly tied to specific merchants or bookings). Those only count if you’d actually use them. Worth checking against your own habits before treating them as a discount on the fee.
Not sure which fits your life? Enter your spending below and we’ll do the math. The calculator ranks purely on rewards minus the full annual fee, so credits and perks are yours to judge.