The American Express Gold Card is one of the leading travel rewards credit cards in Canada. While it is a step below the Platinum Card in terms of travel perks, it still offers a great sign-up bonus, that can help propel you to your dream vacation.

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The Basics 

Annual Fee: $250

Sign-up Bonus: 60,000 MR

First Year Free: No

GCR Rebate: $125

Referral Bonus: 7,500 Membership Rewards

Lounge Access: Yes

First Year Value: $700

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American Express Gold Card Sign-up Bonus 

New cardholders will earn 5,000 Membership Rewards points each month after charging $1,000 in net purchases to their card in the first 12 months. This can total 60,000 Membership Rewards in the first 12 months

If you’re currently an American Express Gold cardholder, you can earn 7,500 Membership Rewards by referring a friend or family member to any card that collects membership rewards.

Earning Rewards

The American Express Gold card has a solid earning rate for a Canadian credit card. The earn rates are as follows: 

2 Membership Rewards points for every $1 spent on eligible travel, grocery, drugstore & gas purchases 

1 Membership Reward point for every $1 spent everywhere else.

While other cards have higher earning rates for particular categories (the American Express Cobalt Card offers 5 MR per dollar spent at on food & beverage), the Gold card still offers solid value in terms of earning, especially given the value of the Membership Rewards program.

Redeeming Your Rewards

The American Express Gold Card allows you to earn Membership Rewards.

Read>>>  Your Complete Guide to Membership Rewards

Membership Rewards is one of, if not the best travel currency for Canadians. One of, if not the best reason for you to start collecting American Express Membership Rewards (MR) is that you can transfer your MR to multiple transfer partners including: 

• Air Canada/Aeroplan
• British Airways Executive Club 
• Alitalia MilleMiglia
• Asia Miles 
• Delta Airways Sky Miles
• Etihad Guest
• Marriott Bonvoy Points
• Hilton Honours Points

You can view the transfer ratios below

The best value to Canadians is to transfer the points out to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio. 

60,000 Aeroplan points can earn you multiple free flights as you can see from the table below. 

Here’s the new award chart for travel within North America:

Here’s the new award chart for travel between North America and the Atlantic region:

You can leverage your Aeroplan points to travel to almost any worldwide destination:

Read >>> Travel to Frankfurt from Canada on Points

Read >>> How to Travel to Rome from Canada on Points

Read >>> Travel to Paris from Canada on Points

Read >>> Travel to Prague from Canada on Points

Read >>> Travel to Copenhagen from Canada on Points

Here’s the new award chart for travel between North America and the Pacific region:

Here’s the new award chart for travel between North America and South America:

American Express In-House Travel Program

If you choose not to transfer your Membership Rewards to one of the transfer partners listed above, you can alternatively use those points directly within American Express’ in-house travel platform

You can apply your Membership Rewards to both domestic & international travel as outlined below

It should be noted that the value you receive by TRANSFERRING your Membership Rewards is greater than if you were to use it within the American Express travel portal 

American Express Gold Card Benefits

The American Express Gold card comes with several benefits, which can more than offset the $250 annual fee. These perks include

$100 Annual Travel Credit

The $100 can be applied towards one single booking made through American Express’ online travel agency. 

$50 Nexus Credit

Cardholders receive a $50 statement credit towards the NEXUS program. Nexus applications cost roughly $75 CAD, so this credit will cover the majority of the cost of the NEXUS application fee.

Airport Lounge Access

The American Express Gold Card doesn’t have the lounge access offered by its Platinum Counterpart, but you do have access to:

• Plaza Premium: Platinum Cardmembers have access to complimentary passes to Plaza Premium Lounges. Cardmembers can apply complimentary visits towards accompanying guest visits. After your four complimentary visits have been used, you may visit for a usage fee at the prevailing rate.

American Express Gold Cardholders also have access to Priority Pass lounges but will have to pay the daily fee to enter.

American Express Gold Card Insurance Coverage

The American Express Gold card is a mid-tier travel credit card and naturally comes with mid-tier insurance coverage. 

• Emergency Medical Travel Insurance – up to $5,000,000 (15 days of coverage)
• Car rental damage insurance 
• Trip Cancellation Insurance- up to $1,500
• Trip Interruption Insurance – up to $1,500
• Flight Delay Insurance – up to $500
• Hotel Burglary insurance – up to $500
• Baggage delay insurance – up to $500
• Lost or stolen baggage insurance – up to $500

Summary

While the $250 annual fee seems daunting initially, the 60,000 Membership Rewards will earn you potentially multiple free flights. 

Canadians will have to make a personal decision as to whether or not the $250 (minus the $100 travel credit) annual fee is worth spending after year one.