Mastercard^® Gold Card Review – The Ultimate Premium Credit Card for Elites

Overview

If you are looking for a credit card that is more than just amassing points, you should consider Mastercard^® Gold Card™, a premium credit card with unmatched benefits and luxury perks. Plated with 24-karat gold, the Mastercard^® Gold Card™ is a very stylish metal credit card. It is a symbol of elite status. It comes with a steep annual fee, but it offers exclusive value that caters to successful business owners and professionals, such as 24/7 concierge services, rich rewards, and all-around exceptional benefits.

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Mastercard^® Gold Card™

• Ideal for those seeking a premium travel card that doubles as an everyday workhorse, paired with elevated service beyond the ordinary. Leave behind the hassle of juggling various cards and monthly statements, while finding peace of mind with protection benefits that exceeds standard credit cards.
• Flat-rate redemption value of 2% for cash back or 2% value for airfare redemption with no airline or seat restrictions and no blackout dates. Earn one point for every dollar spent. Straightforward redemption without needing a high-maintenance reward strategy. No foreign transaction fees, no earning caps, no rotating categories, and no need to chase down transfer partners to escape very low point values.
• Annual Airline Credit-up to $200 in statement credits toward flight-related purchases including airline tickets, baggage fees, upgrades and more. Just pay for airline purchases with your Mastercard Gold Card and we will automatically apply the credit to your account. That's it. No need to activate or designate an airline. The credit amount is available in full at the start of the calendar year.
• Up to a $100 application fee credit for the cost of TSA Pre✓^® or Global Entry. Also, enjoy automatic enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select with access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide with no guest or lounge limits. Includes credits at select airport restaurants for cardholder and one guest.
• 24/7 Luxury Card Concierge^®-Make requests the way you want by phone, email, SMS and chat in the app. Connect directly with a real agent and receive 24/7 assistance for tasks big and small. Requests do not require a purchase, incur no charge for making them, and do not involve department transfers.
• Exclusive Luxury Card Travel^® benefits-average value of $500 per stay (e.g., resort credits, room upgrades, free wifi, breakfast for two and more) at over 3,000 properties. Receive protection benefits like trip cancellation and interruption, auto rental car collision waiver, travel accident and baggage delay. Cell phone protection for eligible claims of up to $1,000 each year. Plus additional World Elite Mastercard^® benefits.
• Made with 24K Gold: Weighing in at an industry-leading 22g. Designed for frequent shoppers, big ticket purchases and everything in between.
• Annual Fee: $995 ($295 for each Authorized User). Terms and conditions apply.

Intro APR

0% on Balance Transfers made in the first 45 days

Intro APR Period

15 billing cycles

Annual Fee

$995 ($295 for each Authorized User added to the account)

Credit Needed

Very Good to Excellent

Card Benefits

Earn Rewards

You will earn rewards points on every purchase with your Mastercard^® Gold Card™ and your points can be redeemed for cash back worth 2% in value. You will earn one point for every one dollar spent. When you redeem points for cash back, you will receive $2 for each point. For example, if you spend $10,000 on purchases, you will earn 10,000 rewards points, redeemable for a $200 bank deposit or statement credit, which is a 2% return of the original $10,000 you spend. Cash back redemption starts at 50 points for $1. There is no limit to the total rewards points you can earn and your points do not expire as long as your account is active.

In addition to cash back redemption, you may opt to redeem points for travel, gift cards or merchandise. To redeem points for travel, such as airfare, hotel and car rentals, you may either book your travel plans online through Loyalty Edge on myluxurycard.com or call the Luxury Card Rewards at (844) 724-2500. You points can be redeemed for airfare worth 2% in value. For example, 10,000 points equates to $200 in airfare redemption. When redeeming for hotel and car rentals, your points are redeemed at a rate of 1%, for example, 10,000 points for $100. When redeeming for gift cards, redemption usually starts at 2,500 points for $25 gift cards, which is at a rate of 1%.

It is best to redeem rewards points for cash back direct deposit into a U.S. bank account or statement credit, because you receive the highest return in value. Although airfare redemption is at the same rate of 2% as cash redemption, cash rewards is always the most convenient and universal form of remuneration. For small business owners who spend thousands of dollars on purchases each month, this credit card can help racking up cash rewards quickly. For example, if you spend $20,000 per month, you will receive $400 cash back each month and $4,800 in cash rewards each year.

$200 Annual Airline Credit

You will receive statement credits of up to $200 each year when you use the card to pay for qualifying airline purchases, such as airfare, baggage fees, lounge access, and in-flight purchases (for example, drinks, refreshments and WIFI access). This is an annual benefit of $200 each calendar year (January 1st through December 31st). The transaction dates of eligible purchases will be used to determine the applicable calendar year. The travel credit will be automatically applied to your card statement. It may take up to two weeks for statement credits to be posted to your account after qualifying airline purchases are made.

$100 Global Entry Application Fee Credit

You will receive a statement credit of $100 when you use the card to pay for the application fee of Global Entry, a travel program administered by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Global Entry membership allows international travelers expedited entry upon arrival in the United States. Once approved, Global Entry members can use automated kiosks in most major U.S. airports, rather than having to go through the traditional arrival process. Global Entry membership also includes free access to the TSA Pre✓ program, which provides expedited security screening benefits for flights departing from U.S. airports. Please allow 2-3 weeks for the $100 credit to appear on your statement after you apply for Global Entry.

Global Entry can save travelers 20 to 30 minutes in most airports. Sometimes crowded lines at US customs or airport security check points may cause travelers to miss flights or connections. Global Entry membership helps travelers avoid unnecessary hassle of rescheduling flights in those stressful situations. Global Entry expires 5 years after your next birthday following the date you are approved for the membership. Depending on your approval date and date of birth, your Global Entry membership will be valid for at least 5 years, and sometimes it might be valid for almost 6 years after the approval.

Priority Pass™ Select Benefits

You will automatically receive a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership card within 7–14 business days after your Mastercard^® Gold Card™ is opened. Priority Pass Select is a prestigious membership program for travelers to visit airport VIP lounges to relax and enjoy free food, snacks, and WIFI while waiting for flights. The complimentary Priority Pass Select membership provided by Mastercard^® Gold Card™ allows you and your travel companions to enjoy unlimited visits to over 1,200 participating airport lounges worldwide. Whether you are a business traveler or an avid vacationer, having unlimited lounge access to VIP airport lounges will be a pleasant experience when you and your companions can enjoy a light meal, sip wine, and relax in comfortable chairs in an exclusive club. Your Priority Pass™ Select membership card will be automatically renewed annually if your account is in good standing.

Priority Pass sells three classes of memberships directly from its website, including Standard, Standard Plus, and Prestige. Among the three memberships, Priority Pass Prestige offers highest level of access, which grants members unlimited access to lounges and allows accompanying guests to visit lounges at a discounted fee of $32 per visit. Priority Pass Select is a fourth class of membership, specially designed for customers who receive their Priority Pass membership through premium travel credit cards. A Priority Pass™ Select membership with Mastercard^® Gold Card™ is more compelling than the Priority Pass Prestige membership, which costs $429 annually, because all your guests, including family members or friends on the same itinerary, can visit lounges for free. With the Mastercard^® Gold Card™, it is an instant savings of more than $429 in value annually.

Visit prioritypass.com for a complete list of participating lounges. The following is a list of select airports in the United States and Canada with VIP lounges participating in the Priority Pass Select network.

24/7 Luxury Card Concierge^®

Luxury Card Concierge transcends concierge services offered by other credit cards. Its comprehensive and complimentary resource is a one-of-a-kind benefit that offers immeasurable value to cardholders of Mastercard^® Gold Card™. It is available 24/7 and concierge agents can assist with any and all requests. Cardmembers can choose to communicate via phone, email or live mobile chat using Luxury Card App. Luxury Card Concierge is not limited to just making travel arrangements; concierge agents can get tickets to special events or concerts, conduct general research, book large groups, source specialty gifts and make international reservations. This service is free to use and there is no charge for booking, unlike the competition.

Here are some success stories of how cardholders used Luxury Card Concierge^®:

• Cardmember requested information on the type of shoes worn by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in the Men in Black films. Within
  24 hours, Luxury Card Concierge provided the type of shoes and a listing of local retailers that carried them.
• A Cardmember, invited to Guy Fieri’s birthday party, did not have time to get a birthday gift before flying in the day of the party. The
  Concierge was able to arrange to have a limited-batch bottle of whisky from a local distillery delivered to the Cardmember’s hotel
  room just in time to bring to the party.
• The Concierge was able to arrange a private “meet & greet” after a game with Boston Bruins player Patrice Bergeron, the
  Cardmember’s all-time favorite player.
• A Cardmember wanted to propose to his girlfriend using the JumboTron in New York City’s Times Square. He called Luxury Card
  Concierge, who was able to accommodate his request within two hours.
• A Cardmember, his wife and their 3-year-old son were moving from Kansas City to Denver. Given that their son was going to start
  school in two years, the Cardmember asked the Concierge to research the best school districts in the city, which helped them narrow
  the search for a new home.
• A Luxury Card member was devastated when he left his cash and jewelry in a hotel while in Japan for business. The Concierge
  arranged for someone to go to the hotel, pick them up, and had the valuables securely sent to the Cardmember’s home.
• A Cardmember was standing in a theme park ticket line with five little girls and wanted a way to get into the park quicker than the
  anticipated 90 minutes. He called Luxury Card Concierge, who went online and purchased tickets for the group. The Cardmember then
  moved over to the Will Call line, which was much shorter, and was able to get into the park much more quickly.

Luxury Card Hotel & Travel Program

Available exclusively to cardholders, Luxury Card’s annual Hotel & Travel Program provides both inspiration and benefits based on where affluent tourists travel and stay. Luxury Card offers competitive rates and complimentary benefits with an average total value of $500 per stay at over 3,000 properties around the world. You can enjoy amenities such as room upgrades, complimentary food and beverage, spa credits and more when you book with Luxury Card Travel.

Patented Metal Card Design

Metal credit cards continue to grow in popularity, and the Mastercard^® Gold Card™ surpasses the competition. A stainless credit card plated with 24-karat gold, the Mastercard^® Gold Card™ has a unique design that is an inspiration of distinguished class.

Fees and Introductory APR

This credit card has no foreign transaction fees, making the Mastercard^® Gold Card™ perfect for those who travel outside of the United States. There is an annual fee of $995, which makes the card exclusive to own. But with the all the above benefits, it is an excellent high-end credit card for wealthy individuals who value services and time more than just points.

As an added bonus, new members pay zero interest on qualifying balance transfers for the first 15 billing cycles which is great if you plan on transferring a high-interest balance to the card. After the introductory period ends, the go-to rate of 21.24%, 25.43% or 28.24% applies.

Required Credit Rating

The Mastercard^® Gold Card™ is for people with good or excellent credit rating. If your credit score is close to or above 700, you may be qualified for the credit card. Terms and conditions apply.

Is this the right card for you?

If you value services and like hassle-free travel benefits such as top-rated concierge services, airline credit and expedited airport access, exclusive access to airport lounges, no foreign transaction fees, the Mastercard^® Gold Card™ is the right card for you. It is one of the best travel credit cards with exclusive benefits available on the market. If you are a big spender and frequent travelers, its rich rewards and travel benefits will outweigh the cost of owning the card.

Similar Premium Credit Cards

If you are interested in the Mastercard^® Gold Card™, you may also consider a few other premium credit cards with similar benefits.

Credit Card		Bonus and Rewards	Annual Fee
	Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card	20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value. Unlimited 3X points on the things that really add up - like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases.	$0 rates & fees
	Citi Premier® Card	60,000 bonus ThankYou Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel portal through June 30, 2024. 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases	$95 rates & fees
	Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel. Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.	$95
	Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card	Receive 60,000 online bonus points - a $600 value - after you make at least $4,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. Unlimited 2 points for every $1 spent on travel and dining purchases and unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases. No limit to the points you can earn and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open. If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, you can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase. That means you could earn 2.5-3.5 points on travel and dining purchases and 1.87-2.62 points on all other purchases, for every $1 you spend.	$95
	Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card	$200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. Unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.	$0 rates & fees
	Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card	Unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open. 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases. If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, you can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase. That means instead of earning an unlimited 1.5 points for every $1, you could earn 1.87-2.62 points for every $1 you spend on purchases.	$0
	American Express® Business Gold Card	Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.* 4X Membership Rewards points on the 2 categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.	$375 (fees)
	Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases	$95
	Ink Business Cash® Credit Card	5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases 10% Business Relationship Bonus If you have the Ink Business Cash card plus a Chase Business Checking account on your first card anniversary	$0
	The Business Platinum Card® from American Express	Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. 5X Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. 1.5X points (that's an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.	$695 (fees)
	Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card	$750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business	$0
	Citi Rewards+® Card	20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com 2X ThankYou Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou Points on All Other Purchases.	$0 rates & fees
	Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card	$200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. 3% cash back in the category of your choice, automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and unlimited 1% on all other purchases. Choose 3% cash back on gas and EV charging station, online shopping/cable/internet/phone plan/streaming, dining, travel, drug store/pharmacy or home improvement/furnishing purchases. If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, you can earn 25%-75% more cash back on every purchase. That means you could earn 3.75%-5.25% cash back on purchases in your choice category.	$0
	Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express	$250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations. 3% Cash Back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). 1% Cash Back on other purchases.	$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. (fees)