American Express has lots of great travel-related cards with partnerships, including Delta Air Lines, Hilton and Marriott, among others. But, if you’re looking for primary American Express-branded cards that can elevate the travel experience, there are two worthy contenders.

Among the many American Express travel card offers, these carry substantially different annual fees, and the benefits they provide correspond with that cost. Let’s take a look at the American Express® Gold Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express to see how they compare.

The American Express® Gold Card vs. The Platinum Card® from American Express

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While there’s a wide gap between the cards’ annual fees, there are also several key differences among the earning rates and benefits that these cards offer. Let’s get into the details between these two cards to help you decide which works best for you.

A closer look at AmEx welcome offers

Welcome bonus

Looking at the current AmEx travel card offers, The Platinum Card® from American Express takes the lead with a hefty welcome bonus: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

The cheaper American Express® Gold Card, meanwhile, has a smaller introductory offer: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

While you’ll need to spend more to meet the minimum spend requirement with The Platinum Card® from American Express, the high welcome bonus may be what makes this card worth it for you.

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Annual fee

The annual fee for The Platinum Card® from American Express is almost three times that of the American Express® Gold Card. However, at $695 versus $250, respectively, there are a lot more benefits for the extra outlay in cash.

If you take a look at The Platinum Card® from American Express statement credits alone (including the $200 airline credit, $240 digital entertainment credit, $200 Uber Cash and $400 total in statement credits with Equinox and Saks Fifth Avenue), you’ll get back more than the annual fee for holding the Platinum version of the card. Enrollment required. If you use most of the statement credits from the card, you could actually save money you otherwise might have spent.

The American Express® Gold Card is much less expensive with an annual fee of $250. It comes with $240 worth of credits to use toward dining, but not everyone may take advantage of these. This is a great card if you order food delivery and take rideshares enough to recoup almost all of the annual fee.

The real value in the American Express® Gold Card comes in the bonus points earned on certain categories like U.S. supermarkets, flights and restaurants. If you can put the bonus points you earn to good use but don’t need the extras of The Platinum Card® from American Express, this could be a good option.

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Redeeming Membership Rewards points

Both of these cards earn American Express Membership Rewards points that can be used to redeem for travel within the AmEx travel portal. One point is equal to 1 cent when redeeming for airfare, or between 0.5 and 0.7 cents when redeeming for a cruise or hotel redemption.

You can also transfer them to one of the AmEx hotel or airline partners at varying ratios depending on the program. Many airlines transfer at a 1:1 ratio, meaning that one AmEx point equals one mile in a frequent flyer program.

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Other perks that are the same

There are a few other perks that are similar across both cards:

No foreign transaction fees. If you travel frequently overseas, you won’t need to worry about being charged a foreign transaction fee when you use your card to make a purchase.

Travel insurance. While you’ll get added insurance benefits with The Platinum Card® from American Express, both cards offer protections while you travel. Trip delay, baggage and rental car insurance comes with both cards.

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Benefits unique to the American Express® Gold Card

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Rates & Fees

With a mid-level annual fee, this card is not heavy on luxurious perks, but it does have some sweet bonus categories for earning points. Travelers might miss having lounge access and a credit toward TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, but it is a solid card for plumping up your Membership Rewards balance.

Bonus points

This card will reward you with 4x points at restaurants worldwide, including delivery and takeout within the United States. If you like dining out or ordering in, this card piles on the points while you pile up your plate.

If you prefer cooking at home, you’ll still earn 4x points when shopping at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year).

Frequent travelers who book flights directly with airlines or through the AmEx travel portal will also earn 3 points per dollar spent.

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Dining and travel credits

In addition to bonus points for dining, this card comes with a $10 statement credit per month to be used toward your Uber account for Uber Eats or Uber rides. You’ll also receive a $10 monthly statement credit for orders through Grubhub or dining at eligible restaurants like The Cheesecake Factory and select Shake Shack locations when paying with the card.

If you prefer good beverages over good eats, you can choose to use the $10 monthly dining credit credit at wine.com instead.

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Benefits unique to The Platinum Card® from American Express

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Rates & Fees

The Platinum Card® from American Express comes with lots of perks that the American Express® Gold Card does not.

American Express Global Lounge Collection

With access to more than 1,400 lounges in the program, you’re sure to find some respite with drinks, snacks or other amenities when traveling through the airport. For starters, with The Centurion Lounge you’ll be able to have full meals with an open bar before your flight.

This benefit comes with Priority Pass Select membership, which gives access to affiliated lounges around the world, plus the opportunity to bring a guest with you. Enrollment required. Cardholders can also access Delta SkyClub lounges when flying Delta. Other lounges in the program include Escape Lounges, Plaza Premium lounges and more.