Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
Annual fees: American Express Gold Card $325/yr, Birch Lane Mastercard $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: American Express Gold Card on hotels, Birch Lane Mastercard on grocery stores.
Card data as of September 27, 2026.
Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
| Category | American Express Gold Card | Birch Lane Mastercard |
|---|---|---|
| Dining | 4X | 1X |
| Grocery Stores | 4X |
Both cards win in 1 categories each — it comes down to which categories matter most to you. 3 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Hotels
Depends: via issuer travel portal
American Express Gold Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Birch Lane Mastercard earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Flights
American Express Gold Card earns 3X vs 1X
Dining
Depends: up to $50,000/yr
American Express Gold Card earns 4X when conditions are met; Birch Lane Mastercard earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Grocery Stores
Depends: up to $25,000/yr
American Express Gold Card earns 4X when conditions are met; Birch Lane Mastercard earns 3X (3X without restrictions)
Online Shopping
Birch Lane Mastercard earns 2X vs 1X
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.
Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.
Published annual fees: American Express Gold Card $325/yr, Birch Lane Mastercard $0/yr — a $325 difference before welcome offers and credits.
| 3X |
| Flights | 3X | 1X |
| Online Shopping | 1X | 2X |
| Everything Else | 1X | 1X |
Network
Key Benefits
Pros
Cons
| Scenario | American Express Gold Card | Birch Lane Mastercard | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $180 Credits (our usable estimate): $212 − Annual fee ($325) Ongoing: $67 Year one: $67 | Rewards: $156 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $156 Year one: $232 | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use | Birch Lane Mastercard |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $720 Credits (our usable estimate): $212 − Annual fee ($325) Ongoing: $607 Year one: $607 | Rewards: $624 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $624 Year one: $700 | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use |
The American Express Gold Card costs $325/yr — that's $325 more than the Birch Lane Mastercard (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $325 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
The American Express Gold Card includes dining credits. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $325 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $325 fee gap means the American Express Gold Card needs roughly $325 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on hotels and dining and everyday spend.
Get the American Express Gold Card if you:
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
