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I keep both of these cards in my collection, as they serve different roles. But if you're not interested in paying for both, Amex Gold vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred is a tight battle.
Thanks to more flexible credits and higher rewards rates, I have to give the win to the American Express® Gold Card. It's not a landslide victory, however, and there's definitely a case for choosing the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. I'll look at both sides below.
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American Express® Gold Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
On Chase's Secure Website. |
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Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Good/Excellent (670-850) |
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Good/Excellent (670-850) |
Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points |
Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. 60,000 bonus points |
Rewards Program: Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. 1X-4X Membership Rewards® Points |
Rewards Program: Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases |
Intro APR: Purchases: n/a Balance Transfers: n/a |
Intro APR: N/A Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
APR: See Pay Over Time APR |
Regular APR: 21.49%-28.49% Variable |
Annual Fee: $250 |
Annual Fee: N/A $95 |
Highlights:
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Highlights:
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Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
On Chase's Secure Website. |
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Show More
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You might fork over less cash for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, but you may have to try a bit harder to get that fee back. The American Express® Gold Card (see rates and fees) makes it simple to cut your effective fee to about $10 -- and that's before we talk about the rewards.
The purchase rewards definitely give the American Express® Gold Card its edge in this battle. You get 4X points per $1 in two huge purchase categories: dining and groceries (terms apply). Its Chase competitor earns just 3X points on dining, and only earns bonus rewards for online groceries.
Besides my mortgage, groceries and dining are my two largest expenses. My Amex card has a permanent place in my wallet.
Although the Chase Sapphire Preferred has generally lower rewards rates, the broader travel rewards category, plus the inclusion of a streaming category, make this a more suitable card for a one-card wallet. (That said, I'd still pair it with something like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® or another flat-rate card.)
You may also simply have a preference for the Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem over the Amex Membership Rewards program. The Ultimate Rewards program has some travel partners that Amex lacks (and vice versa), so which brands you prefer could play a role in which rewards program you want to focus on.
We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.
Offer | Our Rating | Welcome Offer | Rewards Program | APR | Learn More |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
|
20,000 ThankYou® Points Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. | Up to 2% cash back 2% cash back: 1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay |
Intro: N/A Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: 0%, 18 months Regular: 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable) |
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
|
Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year. N/A | 1% - 5% Cashback Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically. |
Intro: Purchases: 0%, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months Regular: 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR |
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
|
Up to $300 cash back 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. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. | 1.5% - 5% cash back Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases |
Intro: 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months Regular: 20.49% - 29.24% Variable |
Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited®
On Chase's Secure Website. |
With such a close fight, it can help to break things down on a categorical level. Let's see some details.
Yes, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card's $95 annual fee is less than half the $250 you pay for the American Express® Gold Card (see rates and fees). But that's not the full story. The interesting part is how much of that fee you can make up with credits.
The American Express® Gold Card has two monthly statement credits that, when maximized, cut your effective annual fee down by $240. If you already use Uber (or UberEats, in my case) and GrubHub, these credits are easy to use organically, which makes them worth more or less full value (terms apply).
The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a few credits, but the most valuable one -- the quarterly Instacart credit -- expires in July 2024. There is also the annual $50 hotel credit for Chase Travel bookings, which could cut your annual fee in half. Unfortunately, my personal (negative) Chase Travel experience soured my desire to go after that credit anymore.
Winner: Amex Gold Card
The outcome of this category varies a ton based on two factors:
For the first point, both Amex and Chase welcome offers vary based on everything from the browser you use to the time of year to whether you have a referral link. I've seen both cards offer 100,000-point welcome offers at various times, so it's a matter of luck more than anything.
As to the second point, only you can decide which rewards program better fits your travel needs. I've transferred both types of rewards with no issues, and I happily collect both currencies to this day.
Winner: Tie
Neither card has any kind of intro APR offer, so everyone loses this round.
Winner: Nobody
From a maximization standpoint, the American Express® Gold Card wins. You can earn:
Most folks probably spend a good chunk of their budget on food, and these are some of the best rates on dining and groceries I've seen.
On the other hand, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has more bonus rewards categories, giving you broader coverage. The rates are much lower for everything except Chase Travel, however:
I personally don't put much value on the rewards for Chase Travel, as I don't care for the portal. But if you like Chase Travel, this could give the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card more of an edge here.
Winner: American Express® Gold Card
For ease of use and sheer rewards volume, the American Express® Gold Card scores the victory. If you're put off by the annual fee -- or the extra steps to get it back -- or want a simpler one-card wallet strategy, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is still a great option.
Personally, I use these two credit cards together. Non-airline travel and streaming purchases go on my Chase card, and groceries and dining on my Amex. Judicious use of credits keeps my fees down, and I enjoy having access to both rewards ecosystems.
On Chase's Secure Website.
On Chase's Secure Website.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR N/A
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
21.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases
Annual Fee N/A
$95
Welcome Offer Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
60,000 bonus points
The enormous welcome bonus (worth $750), bonus travel and dining rewards, and $50 annual hotel credit alone make this card well worth the annual fee. This card’s points are valuable and easy to use, as you can redeem them at 25% more value for Chase Travel bookings, giving it less of a learning curve than other travel cards. It also has a strong list of travel protections you don't see often from such an affordable card, including primary rental car insurance, trip delay reimbursement, lost luggage reimbursement, and trip cancellation/interruption insurance. Read Full Review
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: n/a
Balance Transfers: n/a
APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Rewards Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
1X-4X Membership Rewards® Points
Annual Fee
$250
Welcome Offer Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
60,000 Membership Rewards® Points
This card has some impressive benefits, including a high earning rate and welcome offer to earn points quickly. There are also potentially valuable spending credits, including $120 in annual dining credits and $120 in annual Uber Cash. (Terms apply.) It's a lucrative card for people who spend quite a bit in its bonus categories and can use its spending credits. Read Full Review
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For rates and fees for the American Express® Gold Card, click here
The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Visa. The Motley Fool recommends Amex.