Best Premium Card

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card Review

Overview

The American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card is a great option for people seeking travel and entertainment rewards. The robust Membership Rewards Program lets you earn one point for every dollar you spend (and bonus points at many merchants), and you can redeem points for great rewards, travel or exchange them for frequent flyer miles at over 21 airlines. You can earn unlimited points and your points will never expire.

This card also gives you access to great customer service from American Express and exclusive Gold Card Events--preferred seating, VIP packages and ticket presales to many sports, music, Broadway and other entertainment acts.

Please remember that the Preferred Rewards Gold Card is a charge card, not a credit card, so you need to pay your balance in full each month. Apply now for the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card.

Main Features

10,000 Membership Rewards points after first purchase (redeemable for a $100 gift certificate)
Built in Membership Rewards Program
- Redeem points for great items or experiences or use them for flights on up to 20 different airlines (1 point = 1 mile)
Access to Gold Card Events and Preferred Seating
First year is free ($125 after)
No pre-set spending limit

Membership Rewards Program

Redeem points for exclusive entertainment, shopping, dining and travel rewards – get double points when booking travel through American Express Travel website—virtually no blackout dates and flights on almost every airline.

Benefits

Travel

Gold Card Destinations
- Exclusive vacation travel offers and packages
- Past destinations have included Portugal, Las Vegas, Central Europe and Croatia and Slovenia
- Past entertainment excursions have include Tribeca Film Festival, Wicked shows in New York, Elton John in Las Vegas and US Open Golf packages
- US Open Golf Details (in San Diego)
  - $2,699 per couple for 3 nights
  - 2 tickets to US Open Championship at Torrey Pines and access to AmEx hospitality tent
  - 3 nights stay at Hotel Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina
American Express Travel Website
Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
Roadside Assistance Anywhere
Global Assist Hotline
Travel accident insurance and baggage insurance
American Express Traveler's Cheques
Emergency Check Cashing - at over 2,200 American Express Travel locations worldwide
Special deals on International cell phone rental

Entertainment

Gold Card Events and Entertainment Access

This program gives you access to some of the best seats for theatre, concerts, sports and family events and the opportunity to purcahse tickets to select events before they go on sale to the general public. You can stay informed of new offers by subscribing to the weekly Gold Card Events email newsletter. Past early-on-sales have included:

Eric Clapton
Celine Dion
Aerosmith
Christina Aguilera
Tom Petty
The US Open (Golf and Tennis Championships) and PGA Championship

Other Gold Card Events have included:

Reserved lower level tickets for Cardmembers to Knicks, Rangers, Lakers, Wizards and Boston Celtics games
Broadway - special offers, behind-the-scenes news and more for Cardmembers at Yahoo! Broadway

Other entertainment benefits include:

Ticket Savings Center - discount tickets to select shows in various markets available on Ticketmaster
Event Ticket Protection Plan - purchase tickets with your card and if you can’t go to the even due to medical emergency, AmEx will reimburse you

Shopping

Return Protection
Buyer's Assurance Plan - extends product warranties
Purcahse Protection
Bonus Points Mall - earn double points virtually all the time from 175 retailers and 15 travel partners
Fraud protection - you aren't responsible for fraudulent purchases or unauthorized charges

Other Benefits

Year-end summary
Free shipping and handling with select merchants
Online bill payment
Extended Payment option - pay for larger purchases ($200 or more) over time
Automatic bill payments

What We Like

Great Membership Rewards Program, customer service, Gold Card Events and entertainment benefits. First year is fee-free.

We We Don't Like

The entertainment benefits aren't quite on the same level as the American Express Platinum Card. But they are still head and shoulders above most other premium cards.

Best Premium Card's Opinion

If you don't mind paying the annual fee ($125 after the first year), there are few cards that offer better rewards and entertainment benefits than the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card. Apply Now.