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Choosing a new credit card can be quite challenging under normal circumstances, and with how rapidly the world has recently changed, the process has been made even more difficult. Since the pandemic started, habits have drastically changed, including spending habits, which complicates the process of choosing the right credit card.
The CardName and the CardName are two great options to use during the pandemic and beyond. Both offer excellent ongoing point-earning potential, and reward new cardholders who meet certain spend requirements after opening an account, generously. Specifically, both cards earn bonus rewards at U.S. supermarkets, a spending category that has grown substantially since March. American Express is a CardRatings advertiser.
While these two cards do share many similarities including earning tiered cash back on U.S. supermarket purchases, as you compare the two side by side there are some notable differences between them to consider. One thing in particular to keep in mind is that unlike a traditional credit card, the Gold card allows you to carry a balance for certain charges, but not all. We break down the details below.
Annual fees
When deciding on a new card, the annual fee can be a large factor in determining which card is right for you. Both the CardName and the CardName’s annual fees are noteworthy in their differences. The Blue Cash Preferred® card has a AnnualFees
(See Rates and Fees) This compares to a AnnualFees annual fee (See Rates and Fees) charged by the Gold card. Both cards are packed with features that can help to justify the annual fees though. But, if your primary card evaluation criteria is based on the annual fee, the Blue Cash Preferred® card has the advantage in this area with a lower cost.
Rewards earning rates
One benefit that both of these cards share is the ability to earn tiered rewards on purchases, where purchases in certain categories earn more rewards than purchases in other categories. What separates the CardName and the CardName are the rates that the cards earn in different categories.
With the Preferred® card you have tiered-rewards earning of 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%); 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions; 3% back on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, etc.; 3% back at U.S. gas stations; and 1% cash back on other purchases. The Amex Gold earns 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent when you dine at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). This card also earns 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com, and 1X point per $1 on other purchases. The Gold card has higher point-earning potential on dining out and spending on flights booked through the Amex Travel portal, while the Blue Cash Preferred® has the advantage in higher points earned in U.S. supermarket spend, streaming subscriptions, transit purchases, and at U.S. gas stations.
Which card makes the most sense for you will ultimately come down to your spending habits. Has your grocery budget grown in recent months? Do you find yourself binging Netflix more than you care to admit? (It’s okay, us too.) Are you planning some holiday road trips? You might find that you could earn more with the Blue Cash Preferred® card. On the other hand, if you cook at home often, but order takeout just as much, and if you’re slowly working flights back into your routine, the American Express® Gold card could be the better fit for you.
New cardholder welcome bonus offer
A welcome bonus offer alone is never a good reason to apply for a new credit card, but it never hurts. Currently, both of these cards are offering excellent welcome offers to new cardholders.
The CardName offers new card members 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases with the card within the first six months of card membership. The CardName offer isn’t quite as lucrative, but remember, its annual fee is much more manageable. With that said, its bonus is still rewarding: new cardholders earn a $250 statement credit once spending $3,000 in purchases on the card within the first six months. This card also offers 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening (then RegAPR) (See Rates and Fees).
To learn more about how these cards match up, check out the table below to compare the various rewards, benefits, features, and fees associated with each.
Amex Gold vs. Blue Cash Preferred®
Annual Fee
AnnualFees
AnnualFees
New Cardholder Bonus Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first six months of card membership
Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card within the first six months.
Rewards
4X points at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., as well as 4X points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases); 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com; and 1X point on other purchases
6% cash back when you use your card at participating U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 and then 1% cash back thereafter) and on select U.S. streaming services; unlimited 3% back at U.S. gas stations and on transit purchases; and 1% back on everything else
Intro 0% APR
NA
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening then RegAPR
Foreign Transaction Fees
foreign_fee
foreign_fee in U.S. dollars
Travel Benefits
- $120 Uber Cash – add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
- Rental Car Insurance – when you use your card to pay for the entire rental and decline the collision damage waiver at the rental company counter, you can be covered for damage or theft of a rental vehicle in a covered territory.
- Dining Benefits – earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with your card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations (enrollment required).
- Hotel Credit up to $100 – book through The Hotel Collection with American Express Travel and get a $100 hotel credit when you stay at least two consecutive nights.
- Car rental loss and damage insurance
- Access to Global Assist Hotline which provides coordination and assistance services such as lost passport replacement assistance, translation services, missing luggage assistance, and emergency legal and medical referrals when traveling more than 100 miles from home.
- Baggage insurance plan up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage.
- Enrollment required for select benefits.
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance- When you use your eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver at the rental car counter, you can be covered if the car is damaged or stolen.
- Global Assist Hotline- When you travel more than 100 miles from home, you have 24/7 access to medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services, including medical and legal referrals, assistance with cash wires, passport replacement, missing luggage and more.
Purchase Protection
- Dispute resolution – if there is a fraudulent or incorrect charge on your statement, American Express will work with you to resolve the issue.
- Return Protection- With Return Protection, you may return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won’t take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. American Express may refund the full purchase price excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per card account, if you purchased it entirely with your eligible American Express Card.
Account Protection
- Fraud Protection- When you use your American Express card, you won’t be held responsible for fraudulent charges. If you see a charge that you think is fraudulent, just call us at the number on the back of your card. There’s no deductible, so you can use your card with confidence.
- Fraud Protection- When you use your American Express card, you won’t be held responsible for fraudulent charges. If you see a charge that you think is fraudulent, just call us at the number on the back of your card. There’s no deductible, so you can use your card with confidence.
For a full synopsis of each card see our CardName and CardName.
See Rates and Fees for the CardName; See Rates and Fees for the CardName
