Each family of Amex cards has its own set of levels. And in relation to the travel rewards cards that earn Membership Rewards points, the pecking order is the Centurion card, Amex Platinum card, Amex Gold card, and Amex Green card.
As the Amex Green card has the lowest annual fee of the three cards, it doesn't come with as many statement credit opportunities.
American Express cards can only be downgraded to the same type of card, based on what kind of rewards you can get and whether it requires you to pay the full balance each month or not. For Amex Gold card, the only lower-tier option is the Amex Green card.
The Platinum Card®.
Platinum shines for avid travelers, with 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel on up to $500,000 a year in purchases, and 5X points on hotels booked and paid in advance through Amex Travel.
The Platinum card has more benefits, but it's annual $695 fee is higher than the Gold card's $250 fee.
Due to the Credit CARD Act of 2009, credit issuers are not able to increase the annual fee of a cardmember if their account is less than 1 year old. So if you haven't had your Amex Gold card open for at least a year, you will not be eligible to upgrade it to the Amex Platinum card.
If you have a Consumer or Business Green, Gold or Platinum Card, your Card does not have a credit limit. Instead, your Card has no preset spending limit unless you have been previously notified otherwise.
When you downgrade a credit card, however, your credit is not affected. Card issuers only let you downgrade to credit cards in the same product line. However, it's not always obvious which credit cards qualify. If you're not sure, the best option is to contact the card issuer.
Downgrading Your Amex Platinum Card
It's recommended that your Amex Platinum card is at least 1 year old before you can downgrade your card to the American Express® Gold Card or the American Express® Green Card.
Centurion® Card from American Express
Why it's one of the hardest credit cards to get: The hardest credit card to get is the American Express Centurion Card. Known simply as the “Black Card,” you need an invitation to get Amex Centurion.
Is American Express Gold Card a good card? The Gold Card is considered a top-tier rewards card for those who are able to spend strategically and get more value out of this card than they pay in the annual fee.
Centurion® Card from American Express
Why It's One of the Most Exclusive Credit Cards: The most exclusive, prestigious credit card is without a doubt the American Express Centurion Card, otherwise known as the Amex Black Card.
Yes, it is hard to get the American Express® Gold Card because you will need good or excellent credit for approval. Unless your credit score is 700 or higher and you have a lot of income, it will be very hard for you to get approved for the Amex Gold card.
The Amex Gold card wins this matchup with higher rewards rates in certain categories, a sizeable initial bonus offer, and valuable annual credits. Amex Green card comes with its share of travel-related statement credits, and its initial bonus is easier to earn.
More specifically, most American Express cards, including the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express card, are easier to get if you have at least good credit and you meet all other requirements for approval.
One of the downsides of cancelling American Express Preferred Rewards Gold or The Platinum Card is that you are required to empty out your Membership Rewards points account. If you don't, your points will be lost.
If you cancel your Amex Gold card, you will receive a refund on the card's $250 annual fee only if you make your request within 30 days from when the most recent annual fee was charged. You'll also immediately forfeit any unredeemed Membership Rewards points, unless you have another active Amex card.
In the past, we've seen Amex take Membership Rewards balances into the negative when clawing back welcome offers that had already been spent. The terms are clear that you might face other disciplinary action, including the closure of your other Amex accounts. Simply put, this is not worth the risk.
Because your Card is a Charge Card, rather than a Credit Card, you pay your balance in full each month. As a Charge Card, you'll have the financial flexibility of no pre-set spending limit on purchases, which provides you the opportunity to maximize your Membership Rewards points earned.
What is the American Express Gold Card limit? The Amex Gold card has no preset spending limit, which means the spending power is determined on a month-to-month basis, depending on the cardholder's previous spending habits, income, payment history and other factors.
As a result, the Amex Gold Card doesn't have a credit utilization rate on credit reports like many rewards credit cards. But, cardholders will need to pay their balance in full each month to keep their account in good standing and potentially improve their credit score.
The Amex Gold card does not offer any complimentary airport lounge access. Bottom Line: If you value worldwide lounge access, the Amex Platinum card is a clear winner as the Amex Gold card does not offer any form of airport lounge access.
For most American Express Accounts you can only apply for the same additional Card as your primary Card Account. For example, if you hold The Gold Card, you can only apply for the Gold additional Card. For Platinum Cardmembers, you can add one complimentary Platinum additional Card and up to 4 more for a fee.
AMERICAN EXPRESS® GOLD CARD
An elegant contactless metal Card designed for you, issued in US for International residents*. Relax and enjoy in the more than 1,300 Priority Pass™ lounges worldwide.