Paying your card balance in full keeps interest and debt at bay, but choosing to pay over time can afford financial flexibility when paying off major purchases.
Spending isn’t static. Our lives – and the economy – are constantly changing. Frustratingly, a necessary purchase may come along when money’s tight. And even when money isn’t tight, sometimes it’s better to have the flexibility to pay off expenses over time.
Fortunately, credit cards don’t need to be paid off in full every month. You can carry a balance at the expense of interest charges. However, that’s not the case for traditional charge cards, where the balance must be paid in full each month.
Some cards, including the American Express® Platinum Card, the American Express® Gold Card, and the American Express® Green Card, offer flexible payment options that provide Card Members with more control. Thanks to the easy-to-use American Express Pay Over Time feature, Card Members can decide if and when to carry a balance with interest, up to their Pay Over Time Limit, rather than paying in full each month.
This article explores how responsibly carrying a balance can provide you with the financial flexibility to confidently make major purchases. We’ll also take a closer look at how Pay Over Time works, what the Pay Over Time Limit is, and what makes this feature different from a traditional credit card.
The American Express Gold Card is one of the most popular premium rewards credit cards. With lucrative rewards on dining groceries and travel, it’s easy to see why. But a common question that comes up is – can I carry a balance on the Amex Gold Card?
The short answer is yes you can carry a balance on the Amex Gold Card. But there are some important details you need to understand first.
How the Amex Gold Card Works
The Amex Gold Card is a charge card, not a traditional credit card. What does this mean?
With a traditional credit card, you have a preset spending limit. As long as you stay under the limit, you can carry a balance from month to month and just make the minimum payment.
The Amex Gold Card works differently. It has no preset spending limit. Instead, your spending capacity adapts based on factors like your spending patterns, payment history, credit record, and financial resources known to American Express.
So while you can technically carry a balance on the Amex Gold Card, you don’t have a guaranteed spending limit like with a regular credit card.
Using Pay Over Time to Carry a Balance
The way to carry a balance on the Amex Gold Card is by using the Pay Over Time feature.
Pay Over Time allows you to carry a balance with interest, instead of paying your statement balance in full each month. Any charges you put into Pay Over Time won’t be due immediately – they’ll become a balance you can pay down over time.
Here’s how it works:
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You’re automatically enrolled in Pay Over Time when you get the Amex Gold Card. No need to activate anything.
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You have a Pay Over Time limit, which is the max you can carry as a Pay Over Time balance. This limit varies by customer.
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Any purchases you make over the Pay Over Time limit must still be paid in full each month.
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Pay Over Time balances accrue interest at a rate based on your creditworthiness when approved for the card. This APR will be listed on your cardmember agreement.
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You can select specific eligible purchases to put into Pay Over Time, or do nothing and eligible purchases will automatically go into Pay Over Time if you don’t pay your full statement balance.
The Plan It Feature
In addition to Pay Over Time, the Amex Gold Card has another feature called Plan It. This lets you split up purchases of $100 or more into monthly payment plans with fixed fees.
With Plan It, you get to spread out payments over several months. The fee is shown upfront, so you know exactly what the monthly payments will be.
One thing to note – Plan It balances are separate from your Pay Over Time balance. Plan It does not accrue interest, only fixed fees.
So Plan It gives you another option if you need to carry a balance on big purchases without paying interest.
Is the Amex Gold Card Right for You?
If you rarely or never carry a balance, the Amex Gold Card can make a lot of sense with its strong rewards program. Just pay each statement balance in full by the due date.
But if you tend to carry balances often, a card like the Amex Gold may not be the best option since you don’t have a guaranteed spending limit. A traditional credit card with a preset limit may work better.
Overall, the Amex Gold Card offers flexibility if you occasionally need to carry a balance. Just understand how the Pay Over Time feature works, and be sure to make more than the minimum payment each month.
Tips for Managing Your Amex Gold Card
Here are some tips to make the most of your Amex Gold Card:
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Check your Pay Over Time limit periodically in your online account. This will give you an idea of what you can charge if needed.
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Be cautious about carrying large balances for multiple months. This can impact your credit score and lead to higher interest charges.
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Consider using Plan It for big individual purchases when appropriate. The fixed fees may be less expensive than Pay Over Time interest.
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Pay more than the minimum due each month to control balances. The minimum is typically around 2% but paying more will save on interest.
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Review statements closely and report any suspicious charges promptly. Amex offers $0 fraud liability protection.
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Take advantage of Amex Offers for additional statement credits on purchases at select merchants.
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Use the Amex app to track your spending, check balances, view transactions, and more.
The Bottom Line
Yes, you can carry a balance on the Amex Gold Card using the Pay Over Time feature or Plan It payment plans. But the card has no preset spending limit. If you routinely carry balances, a traditional credit card may be a better fit. Overall, the Amex Gold Card provides flexibility to manage expenses responsibly and take advantage of rewards.
Should I Pay My Card in Full Every Month?
Common wisdom says that it’s best to pay off your credit card statement balance in full every month. By doing so, you can avoid interest charges and help stave off debt. For those who use charge cards, a full payment at the end of every statement period is required. The requirement to pay monthly statements in full is part of what defines a traditional charge card, along with having no preset spending limit.
Both credit and charge cards usually have a grace period – the time between the end of your billing cycle and your payment due date, in which interest typically won’t be charged (provided you are not carrying a balance).1 In other words, just using a credit or charge card for purchases could afford you a couple of weeks to pay them off before having to pay interest – as long as your card issuer offers a grace period and you’ve been paying your monthly statement balance in full and on time each month.
So, you should pay your card’s statement balance in full each month by the payment due date if you want to avoid interest charges. And, as long as you pay in full by the payment due date, you’ll reap the benefits of the grace period.
What About Plan It®?
Plan It is another payment flexibility option offered by Amex, but it works a bit differently than Pay Over Time. Specifically, Plan It allows eligible Card Members to split purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee so you can know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay and when. You can put up to 10 eligible transactions into one plan.
Before creating a Plan, Card Members will be presented with up to three different plan duration options, allowing them to choose the one that works best for their needs. This added flexibility can be a great way to get extra breathing room in your budget, while paying off a purchase in a concrete, predictable way – and still earning rewards the way you usually do.
A key difference between Plan It and Pay Over Time is that Plan It lets you select large purchases – like a set of new tires, or a new refrigerator – to split into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee, up to your Pay Over Time Limit, similar to a buy now, pay later arrangement. Pay Over Time, on the other hand, makes it possible to carry a balance with interest up to your Pay Over Time Limit, like a typical credit card revolving balance. This can be a useful way to finance larger balances at your own pace, rather than in fixed installments.
While it’s generally best to pay off your credit card balance in full every month to avoid paying interest, doing so isn’t always realistic. Typical credit cards let card members carry a balance with interest, which can afford needed payment flexibility. But unlike charge cards, they have credit limits – which can get in the way of milestone purchases. Thanks to the American Express Pay Over Time feature, Cards like The Platinum Card, the Amex Gold Card, and the Amex Green Card offer the best of both worlds and provide Card Members with more ways to pay their bill.
1 “What is a grace period for a credit card?,” Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
2For charges added automatically to a Pay Over Time balance at the time they post to your account, we will charge interest beginning on the date of each charge. For charges or portions of charges added automatically to a Pay Over Time balance from a Pay in Full balance on the Closing Date each month, we will charge interest beginning the day after they are added to a Pay Over Time balance. We will not charge interest on charges automatically added to your Pay Over Time balances if you pay the Account Total New Balance by the Payment Due Date each month. You must pay in full, by the Payment Due Date, any charge or portion of a charge that is not added to a Pay Over Time, Cash Advance, or Plan balance. We will begin charging interest on cash advances on the transaction date.
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Megan Doyle is a business technology writer and researcher whose work focuses on financial services and cross-cultural diversity and inclusion. All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.
Do I Have to Pay Amex Gold or Amex Platinum in Full? 
FAQ
Can you carry a balance on Amex Gold?
Pay Over Time lets you carry a balance with interest up to your Pay Over Time Limit, while Plan It lets you select large purchases to split into equal monthly …Mar 6, 2025
Is the Amex Gold Card flexible spending limit?
The American Express Gold Card operates with no preset spending limit. This means your spending capacity is not fixed and can fluctuate based on your payment history, purchase behavior, and creditworthiness.
Can you carry over a balance on Amex?
You can decide to pay your statement balance in full, the Minimum Payment Due, or any amount in between with interest. There is no time limit to how long you can carry a balance as long as you pay at least the Minimum Payment Due by the Payment Due Date each month.
What happens if you leave a balance on Amex Gold?
Pay Over Time balances carried from month to month will accrue interest at a rate assigned by American Express when you’re approved for an Amex Gold Card account. However, all charges not added to a Pay Over Time balance must be paid in full each month by the payment due date.
Can I carry a balance on an AmEx credit card?
Yes, you can carry a balance on an AMEX credit card, but not on an AMEX charge card. Charge cards include the AMEX Green, Gold, Platinum and Centurion. The entire statement amount must be paid off or you risk account closure. What is the minimum payment on Amex Gold? Average Minimum Payment Due: $110.50. Average Individual Credit Card Debt: $5,525.
Does the American Express® Gold Card carry a balance from month to month?
Note that the American Express® Gold Card may not let you carry a balance from month to month on all of your purchases, so the intention should be to pay off your statement balances in full. When applying for the American Express® Gold Card, American Express performs a hard credit inquiry to determine your creditworthiness. Amex may consider:
How does the American Express Gold Card work?
If approved, the American Express® Gold Card works like a pay-in-full card. It doesn’t allow you to carry a balance from month to month on purchases, although you may qualify for the card issuer’s Pay Over Time * feature to carry a balance and pay it down over time. What Is the American Express Gold Card Best For?
Is Amex gold a credit card?
Amex Gold is not a typical credit card, which means you must pay for most purchases in full by the due date. With a normal credit card, you have the option of paying only part of your balance by the due date and the rest over time. With Amex Gold, you can carry a balance only for certain eligible charges. How much should I spend on Amex Gold?
Does Amex gold have a spending limit?
Unlike a traditional credit card, your Gold Card has no preset spending limit. This unique feature means the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment and credit history. Is Amex Gold worth the annual fee? Is the American Express Gold Card worth the annual fee?
Does Amex accept a pay-in-full card?
Amex may consider: If approved, the American Express® Gold Card works like a pay-in-full card. It doesn’t allow you to carry a balance from month to month on purchases, although you may qualify for the card issuer’s Pay Over Time * feature to carry a balance and pay it down over time.