American Express Gold Rewards Card vs MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard

Compare these two credit cards side-by-side to see which one offers better value for your spending habits.

American Express Gold Rewards Card

American Express Gold Rewards Card

Annual Fee: $250
Your Monthly Rewards: $0.00
VS
MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard

MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard

Annual Fee: $120
Your Monthly Rewards: $0.00
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Overview

When it comes to choosing the perfect credit card, you need clarity, precision, and insights you can trust. That's why Dollarwise rigorously evaluates every card across seven critical factors, ensuring you get a detailed and actionable review.

Below you'll find a table which shows you the estimated reward each card will earn, as well as the ratings we gave the cards for each category. We compared the cards based on their perks, fees, approval rate, insurance, acceptance by merchants, interest rates and the rewards you'll earn. Each score is out of a maximum of 5.

American Express Gold Rewards Card
Comparison
MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard
$0
Rewards
Annual rewards estimate
$0
0/5
Perks
Travel benefits and extras
2.3/5
0/5
Fees
How competitive the fees are
1.8/5
0/5
Approval
How easy it is to get approved
3/5
0/5
Insurance
Insurance coverage and benefits
4.3/5
0/5
Acceptance
Where you can use the card
4.8/5
0/5
Interest rates
How competitive the interest rates are
2.4/5

Details and Eligibility

Compare the basic details and eligibility requirements for each card to see which one you qualify for.

American Express Gold Rewards Card
Details
MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard
AMEX
Card type
Mastercard
AMEX
Issuer
MBNA
660
Min credit score
660
$0
Personal income
$80,000
$0
Household income
$150,000

Rewards

We estimate that spending $2,000 per month with the American Express Gold Rewards Card would earn $0 in rewards over the year and with the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard you would earn $0 in rewards.

When you spend using the American Express Gold Rewards Card you will earn points called .

When you spend using the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard you will earn points called MBNA.

We can also compare the American Express Gold Rewards Card vs MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard based on the amount earned in each spend category:

Annual rewards by spend category

American Express Gold Rewards Card
Rewards
MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard
$48
Gas
$24
$42
Bills
$210
$12
Pharmacy
$6
$120
Groceries
$300
$24
Restaurants
$120
$12
Specific Stores
$12
$24
Travel
$12
$60
Other
$60

First, let's look at the actual reward structure for each card:

Raw reward rates

American Express Gold Rewards Card
Reward structure
MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard
2 points
Gas
1 point
1 point
Bills
5 points
2 points
Pharmacy
1 point
2 points
Groceries
5 points
1 point
Restaurants
5 points
1 point
Specific Stores
1 point
2 points
Travel
1 point
1 point
Other
1 point

We can also compare the American Express Gold Rewards Card vs MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard based on the "earn rate", which shows in percentage terms how much you'll get back on your spend.

Rewards earn rate (converted to %)

American Express Gold Rewards Card
Rewards earn rate
MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard
2.0%
Gas
1.0%
1.0%
Bills
5.0%
2.0%
Pharmacy
1.0%
2.0%
Groceries
5.0%
1.0%
Restaurants
5.0%
1.0%
Specific Stores
1.0%
2.0%
Travel
1.0%
1.0%
Other
1.0%

Fees

When it comes to fees, the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard is better than the American Express Gold Rewards Card.

The MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard charges an annual fee of $120, which is $130 less than the $250 annual fee for the American Express Gold Rewards Card. So, if annual fees are important to you, then the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard is the better choice.

American Express Gold Rewards Card
Fees
MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard
$250
Annual fee
$120
$0
Extra card
$50
0%
Foreign exchange fee
2.5%

Perks

American Express Gold Rewards Card
Perks
MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard
No
Lounge Access
No
No
Priority Boarding
No
No
Priority Security
No
No
Checked Bags
No
No
Concierge Service
No
No
Elite Status Acceleration
No

Neither American Express Gold Rewards Card nor MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard provides airline-specific travel perks like lounge access, priority boarding, expedited security, or a complimentary checked bag.

Concierge Service

Neither card offers concierge service.

Elite Status Acceleration

Neither card provides elite status acceleration. If climbing loyalty tiers is important to you, you might consider other options.

Interest Rates

The MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard has better interest rates overall than the American Express Gold Rewards Card.

The American Express Gold Rewards Card charges 21.99 on your credit balance for purchases, which is different from the interest rate on the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard.

It's worth noting that the American Express Gold Rewards Card has an interest rate of N/A on any balance you transfer to this card from another credit card. That rate is higher than the 22.99 that is charged on the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard. If you expect to transfer a balance to this card then the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard might save you a lot of money.

American Express Gold Rewards Card
Interest Rates
MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard
21.99%
Purchases
19.99%
21.99%
Cash advance
24.99%
N/A
Balance transfer
22.99%

Insurance

The MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard gives you more insurance than the American Express Gold Rewards Card.

The MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard includes 6 types of insurance, whereas the American Express Gold Rewards Card only gives you 2. In comparison, the average credit card gives you 5 types of insurance. So, if insurance is important to you, then the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard is the better choice.

American Express Gold Rewards Card
Insurance
MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard
N/A
Emergency Medical
N/A
N/A
Extended Warranty
N/A
N/A
Mobile Device
N/A
N/A
Purchase Protection
N/A
N/A
Car Rental Theft/Damage
N/A
N/A
Travel Accident
N/A

Our Recommendation

Enter your monthly spending above to see personalized recommendations based on your actual usage patterns.

Related Comparisons

The American Express Gold Rewards Card is often compared against other similar cards in the market. We've also compared it against various other options to help you make the best choice.

The MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard is often compared with other premium cards in its category. We've also compared it against other cards to give you comprehensive insights.