Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold: Which card...

For a lot of, the $600-plus annual charges that include ultra-premium travel cards such because the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) and The Platinum Card® from American Express (see rates and fees) aren’t justifiable. In the event you aren’t touring repeatedly and using the total lineup of perks and credit, it will not be value including these playing cards to your pockets.

Nevertheless, each Chase and Amex have wonderful mid-tier cards: the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) and the American Express® Gold Card.

Whereas each of those merchandise act as sister playing cards to their luxurious counterparts, there are a lot of variations between them. On this showdown, we’re strolling by means of a side-by-side comparability of those playing cards that can assist you decide which is best for you — or whether or not both deserve spots in your wallet.

The Sapphire Preferred affords a compelling welcome bonus. New candidates can earn 75,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Each day E-newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Each day publication

Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants

By signing up, you’ll obtain newsletters and promotional content material and conform to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the info practices in our Privacy Policy. You might unsubscribe at any time.

Primarily based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations, Final Rewards factors are value 2.05 cents every, making this bonus value $1,538.

THE POINTS GUY

With the Amex Gold, you’ll find out if you’re eligible for as excessive as 100,000 factors after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases in your first six months of card membership. Welcome affords differ and also you will not be eligible for a suggestion. This supply is value as much as $2,000, based mostly on TPG’s July 2025 valuations.

Winner: Amex Gold. It is welcome supply might doubtlessly be greater.

Associated: The best credit card welcome bonuses

In change for a $95 annual charge, the Sapphire Preferred affords some strong perks, together with a $50 annual hotel credit for bookings by means of Chase Journey, a ten% factors bonus in your cardholder anniversary and a complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership (activate by Dec. 31, 2027).

Different advantages embrace protections like rental car insurance, trip delay and cancellation insurance and baggage delay insurance coverage. These are a terrific security internet whilst you journey, however they do not do a lot to reinforce your day-to-day life when all the things goes in response to plan.

For greater than triple the Sapphire Most well-liked’s annual charge ($325 vs. $95), the Amex Gold affords a number of wonderful perks (enrollment is required for choose advantages; phrases apply):

• Up to $120 in Uber Cash per calendar yr: Obtain as much as $10 in Uber Money every month, legitimate on Uber rides and Uber Eats orders within the U.S. Your Amex Gold should be added as a fee methodology, and you may redeem with any Amex card.
• As much as $120 in dining credits every calendar yr: Obtain as much as $10 a month in assertion credit for purchases along with your Amex Gold at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Manufacturing facility, Goldbelly, Wine.com and 5 Guys.
• As much as $100 in assertion credit for purchases made at Resy restaurants per calendar yr: Obtain as much as $50 in assertion credit biannually for eligible Resy purchases and eating at U.S. Resy eating places; simply pay along with your card to obtain the credit score. No reservation is required.
• As much as $84 in assertion credit for Dunkin’ Donuts purchases: Obtain as much as $7 per thirty days in assertion credit for purchases made at U.S. Dunkin’ Donuts.

Enrollment is required; phrases apply.

Amex Gold cardmembers additionally obtain journey and buy protections.

Winner: Amex Gold. The Amex Gold’s assertion credit are valued greater than the cardboard’s annual charge. That is much more worth than you will get from the Sapphire Most well-liked every year.

Associated: Why you’ll want to pay the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s $95 annual fee

The Sapphire Preferred affords helpful bonus classes. The true spotlight is not simply the classes themselves however how broadly they’re outlined. With this card, you will earn:

• 5 factors per greenback spent on journey booked by means of Chase Journey (excluding resort reservations that qualify for the $50 credit score)
• 5 factors per greenback spent on Lyft (by means of Sept. 2027)
• 5 factors per greenback spent on Peloton tools and accent purchases of $150 or extra (by means of Dec. 2027, with a restrict of 25,000 bonus factors)
• 3 factors per greenback spent on dining, choose streaming services and online grocery stores (excluding Walmart, Goal and wholesale golf equipment)
• 2 factors per greenback spent on different journey, together with inns, airfare, rental automobiles, taxis and parking meters
• 1 level per greenback spent on all the things else

These are strong charges on a variety of purchases.

Nonetheless, the Amex Gold might shine brighter relating to its incomes construction:

• 4 factors per greenback spent on eating at eating places worldwide (as much as $50,000 every calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback)
• 4 factors per greenback spent at U.S. supermarkets (as much as $25,000 per calendar yr; then 1 level per greenback)
• 3 factors per greenback spent on airfare bought straight from the airline or by means of amextravel.com
• 2 factors per greenback spent on pay as you go inns and different eligible purchases booked by means of amextravel.com
• 1 level per greenback spent on different eligible purchases

Regardless of the spending cap, incomes 4 factors per greenback at eating places worldwide and U.S. supermarkets is an 8% return on each purchases, in response to TPG’s July 2025 valuations. That makes it one of many best cards for dining at eating places worldwide and grocery buying throughout the U.S.

Winner: Amex Gold. Its greater incomes charges on eating worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets, in addition to on flights booked straight with an airline, give it the higher hand.

Associated: Why the Amex Gold is the perfect ‘in-between’ credit card

The Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards factors that you may redeem for journey by means of Chase Journey or for different objects akin to present playing cards and assertion credit.

You may rise up to 1.75 cents per level for some journey booked by means of Chase Travel (relying on the precise redemption) with the Points Boost feature. However you will get probably the most worth by transferring your factors to considered one of Chase’s resort and airline transfer partners.

The Amex Gold earns equally useful Membership Rewards factors, which you’ll redeem for journey straight by means of AmexTravel.com or for present playing cards and assertion credit; nevertheless, all at lackluster charges, with some even being lower than 1 cent per level.

Once more, you will get one of the best worth out of your factors by transferring them to considered one of Amex’s 20 hotel and airline partners.

Winner: Tie. Each playing cards earn transferable rewards and provide you with a variety of useful redemption choices.

TPG’s April 2025 valuations peg Chase Final Rewards at 2.05 cents every and Amex Membership factors at 2 cents every, however your journey habits may make one foreign money higher than the opposite for you.

For instance, in case you stay in a Delta hub, you may get extra worth out of transferring your Membership Rewards factors to Delta SkyMiles, whereas those that have a coveted Southwest Companion Pass can get some unimaginable worth by transferring Chase Final Rewards factors to Southwest Speedy Rewards.

TPG contributing editor Matt Moffitt makes use of his Sapphire Preferred typically to switch factors to British Airways Club to make the most of sweet spots on American Airlines flights.

In the meantime, TPG bank cards editor Olivia Mittak transfers the Membership Rewards factors she earns on her Amex Gold to Air Canada Aeroplan and Delta SkyMiles.

Winner: Tie. Each playing cards switch to numerous companions, all with their respective redemption choices and candy spots.

Associated: Why transferable points are worth more than other rewards

In the event you spend most of your price range on groceries within the U.S. or eating and might make the most of its month-to-month credit, the Amex Gold is probably going a greater match for you.

Nevertheless, the Sapphire Preferred is a greater match in case you want Final Rewards factors and need to earn bonus factors on basic journey bills. Nonetheless, do not forget that it does not must be a “this or that” choice; there’s room for each of those playing cards in a well-developed factors technique.

The Sapphire Preferred and Amex Gold are two of probably the most useful mid-tier playing cards available on the market. Each can present wonderful worth in the correct palms, and the query of 1 card versus one other largely will depend on the way you derive worth out of your bank cards.

Nevertheless, they’re one of our top card pairings, so it may be value having each in your pockets.

To be taught extra, learn our full opinions of the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Amex Gold.

Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Preferred
Apply right here: Amex Gold

For charges and charges of the Amex Platinum, click on here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Gold, click on here.