American Express Gold Card vs Navy Federal More Rewards American Express

The American Express Gold Card ($250/year) and the Navy Federal More Rewards American Express (no annual fee) compete on different axes. The American Express Gold Card's strongest category is 4x on Restaurants, while the Navy Federal More Rewards American Express leads with 3x on Restaurants. The American Express Gold Card costs $250 more per year, so you need at least $250 in incremental rewards to justify it over the Navy Federal More Rewards American Express. At typical spend levels this breaks even somewhere between $7,500 and $15,000 in bonus-category purchases annually. Our model scores these cards effectively even (2-2). Pick the American Express Gold Card if you spend heavily on restaurants; pick the Navy Federal More Rewards American Express if you spend heavily on restaurants.

Too close to call — pick based on your primary spending category