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Amex Gold vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred: Two of the best travel cards for everyday rewards

Kendall Little
·Senior Writer, Credit Cards
8 min read
Amex disclosure

They might be two of the most lucrative travel credit cards available today, but there’s a clear divide between the American Express? Gold Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred? Card.

If you’re looking for great rewards on both travel and your regular spending — along with a ton of redemption value — these cards are probably already at the top of your list. Before you apply, here’s everything you need to know about both the Amex Gold and Chase Sapphire Preferred, and how to decide which one is best for your travel goals.

  • Annual fee
    $325
  • Welcome offer
    Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards? points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases in the first 6 months, plus 20% back on restaurant spending worldwide (up to $100 in statement credits) for new cardmembers through November 6, 2024
  • Card type(s)
    Travel, Rewards
  • Ongoing Purchases APR
    See Pay Over Time APR
  • Recommended credit score
    Excellent/Good
  • Rewards rate
    • 4x Membership Rewards Points at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x)
    • 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x)
    • 3x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com
    • 2x Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com
    • 1x Membership Rewards points on all other eligible purchases
  • Benefits
    • NEW: Five Guys is now eligible for $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits each month when you pay with your American Express Gold Card at Five Guys, Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, and Wine.com (enrollment required)
    • NEW: Up to $100 in annual statement credits ($50 semi-annually) when you use your American Express Gold Card on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants on the Resy app or Resy.com
    • NEW: Up to $84 per year ($7/month) in statement credits after using your American Express Gold Card to pay at more than 9,000 Dunkin’? locations nationwide

The Amex Gold is a great choice for both frequent and occasional travelers who want to maximize everyday spending to save on future travel.

Why we like it: With the highest rewards on dining and at supermarkets, you can easily rack up rewards at home — then cash them in for your next flight or vacation.

We also like the annual savings you’ll get to offset the annual fee. These include up to $120 in annual Uber Cash ($10 per month) when you connect your card to your Uber account, and up to $120 in annual dining statement credits ($10 per month, with enrollment) for spending at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and now Five Guys.

New benefits include:

  • Earn up to $100 in annual statement credits ($50 semi-annually) when you use your American Express Gold Card on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants on the Resy app or Resy.com

  • Earn up to $84 per year ($7/month) in statement credits after using your American Express Gold Card to pay at more than 9,000 Dunkin’? locations nationwide

Check out all the new Amex Gold card features and benefits

  • Annual credits: With up to $240 back in Uber Cash and annual dining statement credits each year, you can recoup a large part of the Amex Gold card’s annual fee before even accounting for rewards. Of course, these credits only add value if they give you money back on things you would have bought anyway. If you don’t typically use Uber for ridesharing or purchase from any of the eligible dining options, you may not get the full annual potential.

  • Transfer partners: One of the best ways to use your Amex points is by transferring them to a transfer partner loyalty program. Amex has more than 20 travel partners, including Air Canada Aeroplan, Delta SkyMiles, Emirates Skywards, Marriott Bonvoy, and Hilton Honors.

  • High annual fee: Though it offers a lot in return, there’s no getting around the fact that Amex Gold has a steep annual fee. At $325 per year (see rates and fees), you’ll absolutely want to do the math on your spending and travel before you apply to make sure you’re getting enough out of your rewards and benefits to justify the cost.

  • Getting the most from your redemptions: Unlike some other rewards programs, different Membership Rewards redemption options carry different values. If you want to make the most of your Amex Gold points, you’ll generally want to use them to book flights through Amex Travel or transfer to partners. While there are other ways to get the full 1 cent per point value, many other travel redemptions (including hotels, rental cars, and vacation packages through Amex Travel) typically redeem at a lower rate.

  • Annual fee
    $95
  • Welcome offer
    Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months (that's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel?)
  • Card type(s)
    Travel
  • Ongoing Purchases APR
    21.49% - 28.49% Variable
  • Recommended credit score
    Excellent/Good
  • Rewards rate
    • 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel
    • 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries
    • 2x points on all other travel purchases
    • 1x points on all other purchases
  • Benefits
    • Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel
    • Earn up to $50 in annual statement credits for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel
    • On every account anniversary, earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year

The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers solid rewards in a number of categories.

Why we like it: Yes, it offers rewards in multiple categories, but we we like Chase Sapphire Preferred's redemptions even more. If you choose to redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel, you can get a 25% boost on the value, making each point effectively worth 1.25 cents. If you have 100,000 points to redeem, for example, you can get up to $1,250 toward your next Chase Travel booking.

You’ll also get up to $50 in statement credits annually for hotels you book through Chase Travel and an annual points bonus on your account anniversary, totaling 10% of your total purchase value over the prior year — and it all comes at a $95 annual fee.

  • High-value redemptions: The Chase Sapphire Preferred’s 25% redemption boost when you use points to book travel through Chase Travel is one of the card’s biggest benefits — and makes the rewards points among the most valuable you’ll find. If you don’t mind booking travel through the issuer’s portal, this can be a great way to get the most out of every point you earn.

  • Transfer partners: Like Amex, Chase has a long list of travel transfer partners you can redeem your points with. They include British Airways Executive Club, Flying Blue Air France KLM, JetBlue TrueBlue, United MileagePlus, Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt, and more.

  • Lack of annual credits/benefits: While you will get up to $50 back in statement credits when you book hotel stays through Chase Travel, it’s tough to match Amex Gold’s high-value credits. Compare your own spending before you apply to make sure you’ll get enough rewards value to offset the annual fee.

  • Not the highest rewards rates: This card can help you earn big rewards if your spending falls in line with rewards categories. But it does lag a bit behind the 4x rates offered by Amex Gold, as well as the wider-reaching rewards categories you’ll find on some other travel cards. Still, there’s plenty of opportunities to earn great rewards with the Sapphire Preferred.

The Amex Gold everyday rewards categories and high-value annual credits make it one of the most rewarding travel credit cards available today — even with a higher annual fee.

To start, the 4x rewards rate on both dining at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets (up to the annual limit) is one of the highest you’ll find among any rewards card. On top of that, the Uber Cash and dining statement credits can help you earn back nearly the entire annual fee each year. Even when you’re not traveling, these can be useful for maintaining your card’s annual value.

But when you also factor in travel rewards and credits, you can potentially far exceed the cost. This includes 3x points on airfare spending through Amex Travel or the airline, and a $100 credit towards eligible charges with every booking of two nights or more with the Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com (eligible charges vary by property).

One thing you should think about before getting the American Express Gold Card is how you’ll redeem your rewards. You’ll get the best Membership Rewards program redemptions when you use them to book flights through Amex Travel. There are some other high-value redemptions, but hotel and rental car redemptions, for example, generally get 0.7 cents per point value compared to a full 1 cent per point for flights.

Read more: Is the Amex Gold Card still worth it? See what's changed

We think nearly anyone who wants major travel value for a relatively low annual fee could benefit from Chase Sapphire Preferred.

The 25% boost on redemptions may just be the best reason to choose this card, as long as you don’t mind booking your travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. And at just $95 per year, it’s not difficult to earn back the annual fee amount in rewards value even if you only travel a few times per year.

Depending on how much you spend, you can also get a significant boost with the 10% bonus on every account anniversary. For example, say you charge an average of $1,200 per month to your card, or $14,400 per year. That would make your 10% bonus worth 1,440 additional Ultimate Rewards points — on top of what you’ve already earned for the year. While that’s not a huge amount of points in itself, the amount adds up year after year.

For most cardholders, there’s little reason to open both the American Express Gold Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. They have relatively similar reward structures, and neither offers extra benefits like lounge access, elite status, or other huge annual discounts that could justify the extra cost of owning both.

Instead, consider which of these cards makes the most sense for how you spend. Take groceries, for example — for many Americans, it’s one of the most consistently high monthly expenses. If you don’t already have a grocery rewards card but you do spend a lot of money at your local supermarket, the Amex Gold offers one of the highest rates among any rewards credit card today. But maybe you already have a card for grocery rewards, or you prefer your groceries through an online service. Then, you’ll probably get much more value from the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

How you travel can also be a big deciding factor between these cards — including which travel brands you prefer. If you always fly with Delta and you’re a Hilton Honors member, you’ll probably benefit more from Amex’s travel partners. But if, instead, you live near a United Airlines hub and World of Hyatt is your choice loyalty program, you’ll want access to the Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners.

With either of these cards — or any other travel rewards credit card — it’s most important to keep track of your spending and make sure you don’t overspend only to earn rewards or take advantage of benefits. These cards carry very high APRs that can lead to lasting debt balances if you can’t pay in full.

Depending on what exactly you’re looking for in a new travel card, here are a few more we like:

  • Annual fee
    $95
  • Welcome offer
    Enjoy a $250 Capital One Travel credit, plus earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
  • Card type(s)
    Travel
  • Purchase APR
    19.99% - 29.99% variable
  • Recommended credit score
    Good, Excellent
  • Rewards rate
    • 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
    • 2x miles on all other purchases
  • Benefits
    • Receive up to a $100 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fees
    • Receive a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and early check-in at eligible hotels
    • Access Hertz's Five Star membership tier, offering free upgrades, a wider selection of vehicles, and more

Why we like it: Capital One Venture is another travel credit card with great rewards potential. It has an annual fee and a generous welcome bonus. Ongoing rewards are simple: Earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars you book through Capital One Travel and 2x miles on all other purchases.

Capital One Venture card redemptions are easy, too. You can use your miles to book future travel through Capital One Travel or put them toward any travel purchases charged to your card. Capital One also has a list of 18 airline and hotel partners you can transfer your miles to, often at a 1:1 ratio.

  • Annual fee
    $695
  • Welcome offer
    Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards? points after spending $8,000 in the first 6 months
  • Card type(s)
    Travel
  • Ongoing Purchases APR
    See Pay Over Time APR
  • Recommended credit score
    Excellent/Good
  • Rewards rate
    • 5x points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 per year)
    • 5x points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel
    • 1x points on all other purchases
  • Benefits
    • Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel (requires a minimum two-night stay)
    • Get up to $199 back per calendar year on your CLEAR Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your card (CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues)
    • Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the U.S. annually (you must have the latest version of the Uber App downloaded and your eligible American Express Platinum Card must be a method of payment in your Uber account; Amex benefit may only be used in United States)

Why we like it: If the above cards lack the added benefits you want for a premium experience every time you travel, the Platinum Card from Amex may be more your speed. It does carry a whopping annual fee (see rates and fees), though frequent travelers may earn that back with the long list of benefits and credits. 

  • Annual fee
    $0
  • Welcome offer
    Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back
  • Card type(s)
    Cash-Back
  • Introductory Purchases APR
    0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months
  • Ongoing Purchases APR
    20.49% - 29.24% Variable
  • Introductory Balance Transfer APR
    0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months
  • Ongoing Balance Transfer APR
    20.49% - 29.24% Variable
  • Recommended credit score
    Excellent/Good
  • Rewards rate
    • Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel?
    • 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants (includes takeout and eligible delivery service)
    • 1.5% on all other purchases
  • Benefits
    • You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts
    • Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more
    • 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers (20.49% - 29.24% variable APR after that).

Why we like it: Chase Freedom Unlimited is a cash-back credit card, but it earns rewards that you can redeem for travel through Chase Travel (in addition to cash back). There’s no annual fee with this card, and it has a generous introductory APR on new purchases and balance transfers.

These are all the Chase Freedom Unlimited rewards categories: 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on dining, 3% cash back at drugstores, and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. But for the first year, you’ll get even more. This card’s welcome offer increases your rewards earned by 1.5% across all categories, up to $20,000 spent in the first year. Instead of 3% on dining, for example, you can get 4.5% back during this period. If you’re able to max out the $20,000 cap, that’s up to $300 in extra rewards.

This article was edited by Rebecca McCracken

Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to the author(s) and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.