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The Amex Gold and Green Pair, ranked

American Express Gold Card, Classic Green Card — every spend category, ranked by what each card actually returns.

Best card by category Card terms as of Oct 29

Everything else

  1. Gold Card 2.0% 1x base rate
  2. Classic Green Card 2.0% 1x base rate

Dining

  1. Gold Card 8.0% 4x, capped
  2. Classic Green Card 6.0% 3x

Groceries

  1. Gold Card 8.0% 4x, capped
  2. Classic Green Card 2.0% 1x base rate

Flights

  1. Gold Card 6.0% 3x
  2. Classic Green Card 6.0% 3x

Flights · portal

  1. Gold Card · American Express Travel 6.0% 3x

Hotels

  1. Classic Green Card 6.0% 3x
  2. Gold Card 2.0% 1x base rate

Hotels · portal

  1. Gold Card · American Express Travel 10.0% 5x

Car rental · portal

  1. Gold Card · American Express Travel 4.0% 2x

Cruises · portal

  1. Gold Card · American Express Travel 4.0% 2x

Public transit

  1. Classic Green Card 6.0% 3x
  2. Gold Card 2.0% 1x base rate

Rideshare & taxis

  1. Classic Green Card 6.0% 3x
  2. Gold Card 2.0% 1x base rate

Tolls

  1. Classic Green Card 6.0% 3x
  2. Gold Card 2.0% 1x base rate

What the numbers are doing

Gold Card's 4x on dining runs out: it applies to the first $50,000 of dining spend a year, and everything past that earns 1x.

The table is earn rate only — annual fees are not netted out of it. These cards charge Gold Card $325 and Classic Green Card $150 a year, so a thin lead in one category may not cover the difference.

Where they differ: Gold Card takes dining and groceries; Classic Green Card takes hotels, public transit, rideshare & taxis and tolls.

pointslipEveryday
Pass content preview
CategoryBest card
Everything elseGold Card2.0%
DiningGold Card8.0%
GroceriesGold Card8.0%
FlightsGold Card6.0%
Flights · portalGold Card · American Express Travel6.0%
HotelsClassic Green Card6.0%
Hotels · portalGold Card · American Express Travel10.0%
Car rental · portalGold Card · American Express Travel4.0%
Cruises · portalGold Card · American Express Travel4.0%
Public transitClassic Green Card6.0%
Rideshare & taxisClassic Green Card6.0%
TollsClassic Green Card6.0%

Content preview. Apple Wallet controls the layout; visible categories vary by device. Categories that rank the same as Everything else are left off; every other category is in pass details.

Every category, every card

Everything else

  1. Gold Card — 2.0%
  2. Classic Green Card — 2.0%

Dining

  1. Gold Card — 8.0%
  2. Classic Green Card — 6.0%

Groceries

  1. Gold Card — 8.0%
  2. Classic Green Card — 2.0%

Flights

  1. Gold Card — 6.0%
  2. Classic Green Card — 6.0%

Flights · portal

  1. Gold Card · American Express Travel — 6.0%

Hotels

  1. Classic Green Card — 6.0%
  2. Gold Card — 2.0%

Hotels · portal

  1. Gold Card · American Express Travel — 10.0%

Car rental · portal

  1. Gold Card · American Express Travel — 4.0%

Cruises · portal

  1. Gold Card · American Express Travel — 4.0%

Public transit

  1. Classic Green Card — 6.0%
  2. Gold Card — 2.0%

Rideshare & taxis

  1. Classic Green Card — 6.0%
  2. Gold Card — 2.0%

Tolls

  1. Classic Green Card — 6.0%
  2. Gold Card — 2.0%
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