American Express Gold Rewards vs. American Express Cobalt

See how your selected cards differ in estimated value, costs and conditions.

Using example spending assumptions

$2,000/month CAD · Travel benefits assumed usable · Same profile for every card

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Selected cards

American Express Gold Rewards

American Express

Membership Rewards

Annual Fee: $250.00
First Year Bonus Value: $600.00
Net Annual Rewards: $31.00Illustrative monetary estimate ready. Example: $2,000/month. Separate from a personalized estimate.
First Year Value: $631.00

Comparison example at $2,000/month. A personalized estimate is not available for this card and profile. Review the value basis and conditions.

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Sources & terms

Last verified: October 10, 2026. Confirm current terms with the issuer.Official issuer source

American Express Cobalt

American Express

Membership Rewards

Annual Fee: $191.88
First Year Bonus Value: $150.00
Net Annual Rewards: $236.00Illustrative monetary estimate ready. Example: $2,000/month. Separate from a personalized estimate.
First Year Value: $386.00

Comparison example at $2,000/month. A personalized estimate is not available for this card and profile. Review the value basis and conditions.

View card

Sources & terms

Last verified: October 10, 2026. Confirm current terms with the issuer.Official issuer source

American Express Gold Rewards$250.00 annual fee

American Express Cobalt$191.88 annual fee

Show differences only

On this comparison

At a glance

At a glance for the selected cards, in selected order.
Fact	American Express Gold Rewards	American Express Cobalt
Regular annual feeValues differ	$250	$191.88
Rewards program	Membership Rewards	Membership Rewards
Purchase APR	21.99%	21.99%

Value

Based on typical spending of $2,000/month, after annual fees. Net annual rewards exclude welcome bonuses.

Value for the selected cards, in selected order.
Fact	American Express Gold Rewards	American Express Cobalt
First-year valueValues differ	$631	$386
Net annual rewardsValues differ	$31	$236
Your input	Needs your input	Needs your input
First-year bonus valueValues differ	$600	$150
Welcome offerValues differ	Up to 60,000 Membership Rewards points	Up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points

Complete estimates

Shared inputs update only cards that use the same existing assumption. Card-specific qualifications remain separate.

Edit calculation assumptions

American Express Gold Rewards — annual assumptions also apply to the other annual estimates

Annual estimate assumptions for American Express Gold Rewards

Ongoing rewards use one complete reward/reset cycle with an even spending mix. Year 1, when available, uses the separate offer qualifications below; this does not estimate year-to-date or remaining allowance. Blank means unknown; enter 0 for none. Each amount is part of its parent spending.

Monthly limits reset separately in each calendar month or statement cycle, as specified in the earning rules. Unused allowances do not roll over. This estimate uses the same entered spending in each cycle.

Points redemption method

This explicitly sets this card’s allocations to $0; your category spending still earns the reviewed base rate.

Confirmed eligible grocery purchases · CAD/monthEligible posted net consumer purchases only; fees, interest, advances, cash equivalents and returned purchases excluded. Merchant primary business and Amex classification control eligibility; wholesale/general-merchandise/alcohol retailers and unidentifiable third-party purchases receive base. Canadian gas/grocery/drugstore/food/transit and listed directly billed streaming require confirmed eligibility. Portal bonus requires Amex Travel itself as merchant for hotel/car booking, excludes The Hotel Collection. Allocate each purchase exactly once; portal scopes include all applicable base travel points. FX fees, travel credits, lounge/insurance payouts and referral bonuses excluded. Transaction rounding and return chronology are not reproduced. Parent: $500/month; remaining: $500/month.Confirmed eligible gas purchases · CAD/monthEligible posted net consumer purchases only; fees, interest, advances, cash equivalents and returned purchases excluded. Merchant primary business and Amex classification control eligibility; wholesale/general-merchandise/alcohol retailers and unidentifiable third-party purchases receive base. Canadian gas/grocery/drugstore/food/transit and listed directly billed streaming require confirmed eligibility. Portal bonus requires Amex Travel itself as merchant for hotel/car booking, excludes The Hotel Collection. Allocate each purchase exactly once; portal scopes include all applicable base travel points. FX fees, travel credits, lounge/insurance payouts and referral bonuses excluded. Transaction rounding and return chronology are not reproduced. Parent: $150/month; remaining: $150/month.Confirmed eligible drugstore purchases · CAD/monthEligible posted net consumer purchases only; fees, interest, advances, cash equivalents and returned purchases excluded. Merchant primary business and Amex classification control eligibility; wholesale/general-merchandise/alcohol retailers and unidentifiable third-party purchases receive base. Canadian gas/grocery/drugstore/food/transit and listed directly billed streaming require confirmed eligibility. Portal bonus requires Amex Travel itself as merchant for hotel/car booking, excludes The Hotel Collection. Allocate each purchase exactly once; portal scopes include all applicable base travel points. FX fees, travel credits, lounge/insurance payouts and referral bonuses excluded. Transaction rounding and return chronology are not reproduced. Parent: $40/month; remaining: $40/month.Confirmed eligible travel purchases · CAD/monthEligible posted net consumer purchases only; fees, interest, advances, cash equivalents and returned purchases excluded. Merchant primary business and Amex classification control eligibility; wholesale/general-merchandise/alcohol retailers and unidentifiable third-party purchases receive base. Canadian gas/grocery/drugstore/food/transit and listed directly billed streaming require confirmed eligibility. Portal bonus requires Amex Travel itself as merchant for hotel/car booking, excludes The Hotel Collection. Allocate each purchase exactly once; portal scopes include all applicable base travel points. FX fees, travel credits, lounge/insurance payouts and referral bonuses excluded. Transaction rounding and return chronology are not reproduced. Parent: $100/month; remaining: $100/month.Eligible Amex Travel hotel/car bookings, excluding Hotel Collection · CAD/monthEligible posted net consumer purchases only; fees, interest, advances, cash equivalents and returned purchases excluded. Merchant primary business and Amex classification control eligibility; wholesale/general-merchandise/alcohol retailers and unidentifiable third-party purchases receive base. Canadian gas/grocery/drugstore/food/transit and listed directly billed streaming require confirmed eligibility. Portal bonus requires Amex Travel itself as merchant for hotel/car booking, excludes The Hotel Collection. Allocate each purchase exactly once; portal scopes include all applicable base travel points. FX fees, travel credits, lounge/insurance payouts and referral bonuses excluded. Transaction rounding and return chronology are not reproduced. Parent: $100/month; remaining: $100/month.My spending mix is assumed even throughout the full reward cycleThis profile represents all purchases for this candidate account, including relevant additional cardholders

American Express Cobalt

Annual estimate assumptions for American Express Cobalt

Points redemption method

This explicitly sets this card’s allocations to $0; your category spending still earns the reviewed base rate.

Confirmed eligible grocery purchases · CAD/monthEligible posted net consumer purchases only; fees, interest, advances, cash equivalents and returned purchases excluded. Merchant primary business and Amex classification control eligibility; wholesale/general-merchandise/alcohol retailers and unidentifiable third-party purchases receive base. Canadian gas/grocery/drugstore/food/transit and listed directly billed streaming require confirmed eligibility. Portal bonus requires Amex Travel itself as merchant for hotel/car booking, excludes The Hotel Collection. Allocate each purchase exactly once; portal scopes include all applicable base travel points. FX fees, travel credits, lounge/insurance payouts and referral bonuses excluded. Transaction rounding and return chronology are not reproduced. Parent: $500/month; remaining: $500/month.Confirmed eligible dining purchases · CAD/monthEligible posted net consumer purchases only; fees, interest, advances, cash equivalents and returned purchases excluded. Merchant primary business and Amex classification control eligibility; wholesale/general-merchandise/alcohol retailers and unidentifiable third-party purchases receive base. Canadian gas/grocery/drugstore/food/transit and listed directly billed streaming require confirmed eligibility. Portal bonus requires Amex Travel itself as merchant for hotel/car booking, excludes The Hotel Collection. Allocate each purchase exactly once; portal scopes include all applicable base travel points. FX fees, travel credits, lounge/insurance payouts and referral bonuses excluded. Transaction rounding and return chronology are not reproduced. Parent: $200/month; remaining: $200/month.Confirmed eligible streaming purchases · CAD/monthEligible posted net consumer purchases only; fees, interest, advances, cash equivalents and returned purchases excluded. Merchant primary business and Amex classification control eligibility; wholesale/general-merchandise/alcohol retailers and unidentifiable third-party purchases receive base. Canadian gas/grocery/drugstore/food/transit and listed directly billed streaming require confirmed eligibility. Portal bonus requires Amex Travel itself as merchant for hotel/car booking, excludes The Hotel Collection. Allocate each purchase exactly once; portal scopes include all applicable base travel points. FX fees, travel credits, lounge/insurance payouts and referral bonuses excluded. Transaction rounding and return chronology are not reproduced. Parent: $200/month; remaining: $200/month.Confirmed eligible gas purchases · CAD/monthEligible posted net consumer purchases only; fees, interest, advances, cash equivalents and returned purchases excluded. Merchant primary business and Amex classification control eligibility; wholesale/general-merchandise/alcohol retailers and unidentifiable third-party purchases receive base. Canadian gas/grocery/drugstore/food/transit and listed directly billed streaming require confirmed eligibility. Portal bonus requires Amex Travel itself as merchant for hotel/car booking, excludes The Hotel Collection. Allocate each purchase exactly once; portal scopes include all applicable base travel points. FX fees, travel credits, lounge/insurance payouts and referral bonuses excluded. Transaction rounding and return chronology are not reproduced. Parent: $150/month; remaining: $150/month.Confirmed eligible transit purchases · CAD/monthEligible posted net consumer purchases only; fees, interest, advances, cash equivalents and returned purchases excluded. Merchant primary business and Amex classification control eligibility; wholesale/general-merchandise/alcohol retailers and unidentifiable third-party purchases receive base. Canadian gas/grocery/drugstore/food/transit and listed directly billed streaming require confirmed eligibility. Portal bonus requires Amex Travel itself as merchant for hotel/car booking, excludes The Hotel Collection. Allocate each purchase exactly once; portal scopes include all applicable base travel points. FX fees, travel credits, lounge/insurance payouts and referral bonuses excluded. Transaction rounding and return chronology are not reproduced. Parent: $80/month; remaining: $80/month.Eligible Amex Travel hotel/car bookings, excluding Hotel Collection · CAD/monthEligible posted net consumer purchases only; fees, interest, advances, cash equivalents and returned purchases excluded. Merchant primary business and Amex classification control eligibility; wholesale/general-merchandise/alcohol retailers and unidentifiable third-party purchases receive base. Canadian gas/grocery/drugstore/food/transit and listed directly billed streaming require confirmed eligibility. Portal bonus requires Amex Travel itself as merchant for hotel/car booking, excludes The Hotel Collection. Allocate each purchase exactly once; portal scopes include all applicable base travel points. FX fees, travel credits, lounge/insurance payouts and referral bonuses excluded. Transaction rounding and return chronology are not reproduced. Parent: $100/month; remaining: $100/month.

Needs your input. Unknown answers remain unknown; update the relevant fields above.

Rewards

Rewards for the selected cards, in selected order.
Fact	American Express Gold Rewards	American Express Cobalt
How you earnValues differ	2 points per $1 on eligible travel and Canadian gas, groceries and drugstores 1 point per $1 on other purchases	5 points per $1 on eligible Canadian food and drink 3 points per $1 on eligible streaming 2 points per $1 on eligible Canadian gas, transit and rideshare 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
Base / other eligible purchases	1 Membership Rewards points per dollar	1 Membership Rewards points per dollar
Reward conditions	View reward conditions 2 points per $1 on eligible travel and Canadian gas, groceries and drugstores; 1 on other purchases. Eligible purchase scopes, shared limits, qualifying channels or thresholds affect earning. First additional Gold Rewards card has no annual fee; subsequent additional cards are $50 each. Eligible posted net consumer purchases only; fees, interest, advances, cash equivalents and returned purchases excluded. Merchant primary business and Amex classification control eligibility; wholesale/general-merchandise/alcohol retailers and unidentifiable third-party purchases receive base. Canadian gas/grocery/drugstore/food/transit and listed directly billed streaming require confirmed eligibility. Portal bonus requires Amex Travel itself as merchant for hotel/car booking, excludes The Hotel Collection. Allocate each purchase exactly once; portal scopes include all applicable base travel points. FX fees, travel credits, lounge/insurance payouts and referral bonuses excluded. Transaction rounding and return chronology are not reproduced. Complete card reward details	View reward conditions 5 points per $1 on eligible Canadian food and drink; 3 on eligible streaming; 2 on eligible Canadian gas, transit and rideshare; 1 elsewhere. Eligible purchase scopes, shared limits, qualifying channels or thresholds affect earning. Eligible food and drink share a $2,500 calendar-month spending cap; then 1 point per $1. Streaming must be billed directly by an eligible Canadian provider. Travel does not qualify for the gas/transit 2-point rate. Non-Quebec fee is $15.99 monthly; Quebec fee is $191.88 annually. Eligible posted net consumer purchases only; fees, interest, advances, cash equivalents and returned purchases excluded. Merchant primary business and Amex classification control eligibility; wholesale/general-merchandise/alcohol retailers and unidentifiable third-party purchases receive base. Canadian gas/grocery/drugstore/food/transit and listed directly billed streaming require confirmed eligibility. Portal bonus requires Amex Travel itself as merchant for hotel/car booking, excludes The Hotel Collection. Allocate each purchase exactly once; portal scopes include all applicable base travel points. FX fees, travel credits, lounge/insurance payouts and referral bonuses excluded. Transaction rounding and return chronology are not reproduced. Complete card reward details

Fees

Fees for the selected cards, in selected order.
Fact	American Express Gold Rewards	American Express Cobalt
Regular annual feeValues differ	$250	$191.88
Supplementary-card feeValues differ	$50	$0
Purchase APR	21.99%	21.99%
Cash advance APR	21.99%	21.99%

Insurance & benefits

Insurance & benefits for the selected cards, in selected order.
Fact	American Express Gold Rewards	American Express Cobalt
InsuranceValues differ	Emergency medical insurance15 days, up to $5,000,000 Trip cancellation insurance$1500 Trip interruption / delay insurance$1500 Flight / baggage delay insurance$500 Hotel burglary insurance$500 Lost / stolen baggage insurance$500 Rental car theft / damage insuranceVehicles up to $85,000 Extended warranty$10,000 Purchase protection$1,000	Emergency medical insurance15 days, up to $5,000,000 Purchase protection$1,000 Mobile device insurance$1,000 Flight delay insurance$500 Missed connection insurance$500 Baggage delay insurance$500 Hotel burglary insurance$500 Lost or stolen baggage insurance$500 Common carrier travel accident insurance$250,000 Rental car theft / damage insuranceVehicles under $85,000 Extended warranty$10,000
Other benefits	$100 annual travel credit and airport lounge accessIncluded	—

Sources

Sources for the selected cards, in selected order.
Fact	American Express Gold Rewards	American Express Cobalt
Last verified	Last verified: October 10, 2026	Last verified: October 10, 2026
Official sources	Official issuer product page (opens new tab)	Official issuer product page (opens new tab)

Approval likelihood, interest expense and actual redemption transactions are not modeled. Verify current issuer terms before applying. WalletReturn methodology

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Figures are estimates in CAD and rounded for display; rounded contributions may not sum exactly to totals. Ongoing value excludes welcome bonuses, one-time benefits and rebates. Interest expense is not deducted. Benefits depend on your profile and issuer terms.