James K.Toronto, ON · Mar 2026
★★★★★
Solid mid-tier card. Insurance saved me $4,000 when I needed emergency dental in Mexico. Earn rate is meh but the benefits justify it.
Overview
The Amex Gold Rewards launched decades ago and remains a staple of the Canadian Amex lineup. $250/year — between the Cobalt ($156) and Platinum ($799) — for a balanced card that doesn't excel at any one thing but covers all the bases.
You earn 2x Membership Rewards points on travel, gas, groceries, and drugstores. 1x on everything else. The earn rates feel modest compared to Cobalt's 5x on groceries + dining, but the Gold's appeal is the premium insurance package and access to Amex Membership Rewards transfer partners at higher status tiers.
Where the Gold pulls ahead: insurance. Eight types of travel and purchase protection, including $5M emergency medical (up to 25 days), $1,500 trip cancel, $2,500 interruption, $1,000 lost baggage, $85,000 car rental CDW, and $1,000 mobile device coverage. This rivals Amex Platinum's coverage at one-third the fee.
The Gold lacks lounge access, doesn't have hotel status (no Marriott Gold), and earns less than Cobalt on categories most Canadians spend on. Today it lives in a strange middle ground — too expensive vs Cobalt for everyday households, too few perks vs Platinum for premium travellers. The card most useful as a "second Amex" for diversified earners.
Welcome bonus
★ NEW CARDHOLDER OFFER
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points
Mid-pack welcome bonus. Easier to hit than Platinum's $7,500 requirement. 60,000 points = roundtrip economy to U.S. or short-haul Europe via Aeroplan transfer.
60,000 pts
Spend $3,000 in first 3 months
≈ $600 in travel
Rewards & earn rates
Here's exactly what you earn per dollar across every category — and where this card pulls ahead of the field.
2xx
TravelFlights, hotels, car rentals, Amex Travel
2xx
Groceries + drugstoresLoblaws, Shoppers, Rexall, all major chains
2xx
GasPetro-Can, Shell, Esso
1xx
Everything elseAll other purchases
Benefits & perks
Beyond the rewards, here are the perks worth knowing about.
🛡️Emergency medical insurance
$5M emergency medical for trips up to 25 days. Among most generous in Canada.
🛫Trip cancel + interruption
$1,500 trip cancel + $2,500 trip interruption per insured person.
🚗Car rental CDW
Collision damage waiver up to $85,000 vehicle value. Decline rental agency coverage.
👜Lost baggage insurance
Up to $1,000 per insured person. Activates automatically when card-paid travel.
📱Mobile device coverage
Up to $1,000 on mobile devices paid via card. Theft + damage covered.
🛒Purchase protection + warranty
120 days against theft + damage. Doubles manufacturer warranty up to 2 years.
Fees & rates
The numbers that show up on your statement.
ANNUAL FEE$250Mid-tier Amex pricing
SUPPLEMENTARY CARDS$50 eachUp to 9 supplementary
CARD TYPECharge cardPay in full monthly
CASH ADVANCE APR21.99%Standard
FX MARKUP2.5%⚠ Not FX-free
MIN INCOME$15,000/yearLower bar than premium cards
Pros and cons
✓ PROS
- Best insurance package of any sub-$300 Canadian card
- Charge card structure prevents debt accumulation
- 2x earn on groceries, gas, drugstores, travel covers most household spend
- Membership Rewards transfer partners give business class redemption upside
- Welcome bonus relatively easy to hit ($3,000 in 3 months)
- Free supplementary cards extend benefits to family
✗ CONS
- 2x grocery earn lags Cobalt's 5x significantly
- $250 fee vs Cobalt's $156 for less rewards
- No lounge access despite "premium" feel
- 2.5% FX markup on foreign purchases
- Amex acceptance gaps require Visa/MC backup
- No hotel elite status (no Marriott Gold like Platinum)
Who it's for
★ APPLY IF
- Established Amex users adding a second card to their wallet
- Travellers who value premium insurance over earn rates
- High-spend households wanting Membership Rewards diversity
- Charge card users who prefer the no-balance discipline
- Newcomers who want a respected Amex without Platinum's fee
✗ SKIP IF
- First-time Amex users — start with Cobalt for better value
- Frequent travellers — Platinum has lounges and credits
- Foodies who eat out a lot — Cobalt's 5x dining wins
- Anyone wanting FX-free travel (use Scotia Passport)
How it compares
We pitted this card against its closest rivals.
How to apply
The eligibility checklist before you hit the application button.
MIN CREDIT SCORE725+ recommended
MIN INCOME$15,000/year personal
OTHER ELIGIBILITYCanadian resident · 18+
DECISION TIMEInstant decision · 5-7 days delivery
Editor's verdict
8.7/10
★★★★★
FINAL VERDICT
A classic, but the Cobalt makes it hard to justify today.
The Amex Gold remains a solid card with the best insurance package under $300. But the Cobalt earns 2.5x as many points on groceries for $94 less per year. Unless you specifically need the Gold's insurance breadth or want diversification within Amex, Cobalt is the answer. Consider Gold as a supplementary card alongside Cobalt or Platinum.
Apply for Amex Gold ↗User reviews
What current and former cardholders are saying. Aggregated from Trustpilot, Reddit (/r/PersonalFinanceCanada), and our own community comments.
4.2 / 5 ★
1,342 reviews
Andrea F.Calgary, AB · Feb 2026
★★★★★
Have it alongside Cobalt for Amex pts diversification. 2x on gas is the underrated perk for me — drive 100km daily.
Dan W.Vancouver, BC · Jan 2026
★★★★★
Cancelled and switched to Cobalt. Cobalt earns 2.5x more on my grocery spend for $100 less. Hard to argue with that.