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 Mastercard® Gold Card™ ($1199/yr) comes down to where you spend most. Mastercard Gold Card needs about $7,285 a month in gas, hotels, other travel or other purchases, counting that spending alone, to make up its $874 higher annual fee over Amex Gold Card. Below that, Amex Gold 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.
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2X points on airfare and hotels booked through LuxuryCardTravel.com, 1X on everything else; up to $700 in annual credits ($300 airline + $200 dining + $200 Ship&Play), plus a $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit every 5 years. Earns 1X points on everything else.
Perfect if: You spend enough in bonus categories to easily offset the annual fee.
Beyond the points: Up to $700 in annual statement credits ($300 airline + $200 dining + $200 Ship&Play), plus a $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit every 5 years that also covers authorized users, offsets well over half the $1,199 fee before any points are counted. Redeems at a flat 2¢/point for both cash back and airfare.
Apply Now| Feature | American Express Gold Card | Luxury Card Mastercard Gold Card |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $325 | $1199 |
| Sign-Up Bonus | 100,000 points after $8,000 spend in 6 months | None |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | 0% | 0% |
| Base Reward Rate | 1% | 1X points |
| Redemption Value | 1.0¢ per point | 2% redeemed for airfare or for cash back |
| Flights Rewards | 3% | 1X points |
| Dining Rewards | 4% (up to $50,000/yr) | 1X points |
| Groceries Rewards | 4% (up to $25,000/yr) | 1X points |
| 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%. |
None |
| Key Benefits | 4X points at restaurants worldwide, 4X on U.S. supermarkets, 3X on flights. | 2X points on airfare and hotels booked through LuxuryCardTravel.com, 1X on everything else; up to $700 in annual credits ($300 airline + $200 dining + $200 Ship&Play), plus a $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit every 5 years. |
American Express Gold Card pulls ahead for travel, dining, groceries spending.
Luxury Card Mastercard Gold Card wins on gas.
The $874/year fee difference means Luxury Card Mastercard 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 Luxury Card Mastercard Gold Card carries $820/year in credits (mostly unlocked by everyday bonus-category spending). Those only count if you’d actually use them. Worth checking against your own habits before treating them as a discount on the fee.
Rewards rates aren’t the whole story here. Lounge access, concierge service, travel protections, and statement credits can be worth more than a fraction of a percent in earn rate. See the key benefits above and weigh them against how you travel and spend.
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.