Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold: Which card is better?
If you’re debating between the American Express® Gold Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the Amex Gold card comes out ahead if you consider the number of statement credits available.
However, the Amex Gold card also has an annual fee of $250, so it’s only worth it if you buy from Uber, Grubhub, Goldbelly and other Amex partners.
If you want access to premium travel benefits without paying such a high fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred for $95 per year may be a better match for you.
To help you decide which of these travel rewards cards is right for you, we’ll take a look at each of these Chase and Amex cards by category.
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold
| Category |
Winner |
| Welcome Bonus |
Amex Gold |
| Rewards |
Amex Gold |
| Other Card Benefits |
Amex Gold |
| Rates and Fees |
Tie |
| Eligibility |
Tie |
Why should I get the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?
You should get the Chase Sapphire Preferred if you meet at least one of the following criteria:
- You don’t mind making travel arrangements through Chase Travel℠ to qualify for 5X back on eligible purchases.
- You’re a budget-conscious consumer who’d rather pay $95 per year instead of $250 per year to maintain an account.
- You won’t use enough of the Amex perks to justify the $250 annual fee.
Why should I get the American Express Gold Card?
You should get the American Express Gold Card if you know you’ll spend enough to earn back the $250 annual fee each year. It’s fairly easy to earn at least $250 in benefits, as the Amex Gold comes with up to $240 per year worth of dining and Uber credits. If you earn both, you’ll have to earn just $10 worth of other benefits to break even.
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold: Welcome bonus
Winner in this category: Amex Gold
The Chase Sapphire Preferred comes with a welcome bonus of 60,000 points if you spend $4,000 within your first three months of card membership. In contrast, the Amex Gold lets you earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points if you spend $6,000 within six months of opening an account.
Amex Gold has a slight edge here since you have to spend an average of $1,000 per month to earn the bonus. Since Chase only gives you three months to qualify, you’d have to spend a little over $1,333 per month to reach the spending threshold.
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold: Rewards
Winner in this category: Amex Gold
When comparing the Amex Gold Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred, the Gold Card comes out ahead in terms of earning and redeeming rewards.
However, the best fit for your needs depends on how much you spend in each category. In some circumstances, the Chase Sapphire Preferred outperforms the Gold Card from American Express.
Which is better for earning rewards?
In terms of earning rewards, the right card for you depends on how you spend your money. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred gives you 5 points per dollar spent on eligible travel purchases made through Chase Travel℠. If you don’t book through Chase Travel℠, you get 2 points per dollar spent on travel purchases.
In contrast, the Amex Gold gives you 3X Membership Rewards Points on all flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel. If you don’t mind booking through Chase Travel℠, the Sapphire Preferred is the better bet. Otherwise, you may want to get the Gold Card.
The Amex Gold is slightly better if you’re more interested in earning points on grocery and dining purchases. It gives you 4X Membership Rewards Points on all eligible dining purchases and 4X on up to $25,000 per year worth of purchases at eligible U.S. supermarkets. Chase Sapphire Preferred gives you 3X on eligible online grocery purchases and 3X on dining.
Which is better for redeeming rewards?
Both rewards credit cards give you multiple redemption options, but the Amex Gold gives you more flexibility, making it the winner in this category. If you get the Sapphire Preferred, the best way to redeem your points is to use Chase Travel℠ to pay for travel purchases.
You can also purchase gift cards, redeem your points at participating partner websites or transfer your points to an airline or hotel loyalty program. Chase has 11 partner airlines and three partner hotel brands.
The Amex Gold gives you the following redemption options:
- Pay with Points at checkout when you use PayPal or one of 14 additional participating merchants.
- Redeem your points for a statement credit equivalent to one or more of your previous purchases.
- Use your points to buy gift cards.
- Book Reward Travel or upgrade your existing travel arrangements.
- Use the Membership Rewards portal to shop with participating partners.
- Transfer your points to a participating airline or hotel loyalty program.
American Express has 13 partner airlines and three partner hotel brands.
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold: Benefits
Winner in this category: Amex Gold
If you’re comparing Amex Gold vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred in terms of non-travel benefits, the Amex Gold wins again.
Dining credits
In terms of dining credits, Amex Gold offers much more than the Sapphire Preferred.
It comes with the following benefits:
-
Uber Cash: The Amex Gold gives you up to $10 in Uber Cash each month when you use your card to pay for Uber rides or Uber Eats orders. You can use Uber Cash to order takeout, increasing the total value of your dining benefits.
-
Dining credit: If you use the Amex Gold at Wine.com, Goldbelly, Grubhub, Milk Bar, The Cheesecake Factory or select Shake Shack locations, you’ll earn up to $10 per month in dining credits. Enrollment required.
Chase comes with a 1-year DashPass subscription, which entitles you to reduced service fees and $0 delivery fees on eligible DoorDash orders. However, it doesn’t offer any statement credits based on your dining purchases.
Travel insurance
The Amex Gold and Chase Sapphire Preferred both offer comprehensive travel insurance.
The Sapphire Preferred card comes with the following Chase Sapphire travel insurance benefits:
- Trip cancellation and interruption coverage
- Auto rental collision damage waiver
- Trip delay reimbursement
- Travel and emergency assistance
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Baggage delay insurance
- Travel accident coverage
Amex Gold gives you access to baggage insurance, car rental loss and damage insurance, trip cancellation/interruption coverage, trip delay insurance and travel assistance benefits.*
Therefore, these are two of the best credit cards available if you’re looking for extra travel protection.
*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
Special offers
Both Chase and American Express give cardholders access to special offers, but Amex has a much bigger list of partners.
With the Sapphire Preferred, you get 5X points on eligible Peloton purchases, a six-month subscription to Instacart+, up to $15 in Instacart statement credits per quarter until July 2024 and 5X total points on Lyft rides completed through March 2025.
If you get the Amex Gold, American Express will display current offers in your online account. These offers change regularly, so pay close attention to the expiration dates. If you add an offer to your card and redeem it before it expires, you’ll earn cash back or extra rewards. Amex has offers available from Hello Fresh, Office Depot, Bose, Stitch Fix and more.
Hotel credits
With the Amex Gold Card, you can get a $100 experience credit when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel (2-night minimum stay required, Experience credit varies by property).
The Chase Sapphire Preferred allows you to earn up to $50 in statement credits per year for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel℠.
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold: Rates and fees
Winner in this category: It’s a tie!
When comparing these cards based on their rates and fees, the right choice depends on how you plan to use your account.
American Express doesn’t charge an authorized user fee unless you add more than five users to your account. Therefore, if you plan to add your spouse and three children as authorized users, your cost per card comes out to $50 per year ($250 annual fee divided by five cards).
Chase charges $75 per authorized user. Even though it has a lower annual fee, it may cost you more to share your account with multiple people. For example, if you want to share with a spouse and three children, that’s an extra $300 in authorized user fees.
Both cards have the same cash advance fees, foreign transaction fees ($0) and cash advance APRs. Their regular APRs are also comparable. However, Chase allows you to do balance transfers, but Amex doesn’t.
Therefore, there’s no clear winner here. If you plan to add multiple users, the Amex Gold is a better choice. However, if you’re looking for a balance transfer card or the card with the lowest annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a good fit.
Rates and Fees for Chase Sapphire Preferred and Amex Gold (see Gold rates and fees)
| Fee |
Amex Gold |
Chase Sapphire Preferred |
| Annual Fee |
$250 |
$0 for the first year; $95 for each additional year |
| Authorized User Fee |
$0 for up to five authorized users |
$75 |
| Balance Transfer APR |
N/A - Balance transfers not allowed |
21.49% to 28.49% variable |
| Balance Transfer Fee |
N/A - Balance transfers not allowed |
$5 or 5% of the transfer amount, whichever is greater |
| Cash Advance APR |
29.99% variable |
29.99% variable |
| Cash Advance Fee |
$10 or 5% of the advance, whichever is greater |
$10 or 5% of the advance, whichever is greater |
| Foreign Transaction Fees |
$0 |
$0 |
| Introductory APR |
N/A |
N/A |
| Regular APR |
21.24% to 29.24% variable |
21.49% to 28.49% variable |
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold: Eligibility
Winner in this category: It’s a tie!
Chase and American Express have similar eligibility requirements for these cards. You need to have a credit score in the good or excellent range. A good FICO® score ranges from 670 to 739, so you should have at least a 670 before you apply for either card.
Note that your credit score isn’t the only factor used to determine if you qualify. For example, you may have a FICO score of 810, but you’re not likely to be approved if you don’t have a steady source of income.
Chase also has an unofficial policy known as the 5/24 rule. If you’ve opened five or more personal credit cards in 24 months, Chase may deny your Sapphire Preferred application even if you have perfect credit and plenty of income. Therefore, the Amex Gold may be a better fit if you’ve opened several credit cards within the past 2 years.
Should I get the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Amex Gold?
The bottom line is that the right card for you depends on your spending habits. If you want to maximize your travel benefits without paying a high fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is probably your best bet. The Amex Gold is a better fit if you want to maximize your partner benefits.
You also need to think about how you plan to use your account. If you want to share with several people, the Amex Gold is better than the Sapphire Preferred, as there’s no fee for up to five authorized users. In contrast, Chase charges $75 for each authorized user.
If you’re willing to book travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal, then the Sapphire Preferred has a slight edge over the Amex Gold. You’ll earn 5X back on eligible travel purchases instead of 3X on flights.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
