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When you’re just getting started with points and miles, two cards tend to rise to the top: the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees) and the American Express® Gold Card. Both are mid-tier favorites that offer great rewards without the high annual fees of premium cards.
But while they often compete for a spot in your wallet, they shine in different ways. One is better for travelers. The other is a powerhouse for food lovers. So which one makes more sense for you — or is there a reason to consider both?
Let’s break down the key differences, from earning rates to transfer partners to the latest welcome offers.
Page Contents
Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold: Welcome Offer
Both the Sapphire Preferred and the Amex Gold have valuable welcome offers. However, one is currently significantly more valuable than the other.
The Sapphire Preferred is offering 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Meanwhile, the Amex Gold offers 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases in the first 6 months.
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
(Terms apply)
- 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per 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 travel booked on amextravel.com
- 1X on other eligible purchases
Not all points are equally valuable. But, in this case, Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Amex Membership Rewards are pretty equivalent. In recent redemptions, AwardWallet users have averaged the following redemption rates:
- Amex Membership Rewards: 1.95¢
- Chase Ultimate Rewards: 1.94¢
Transferring your points to partners is generally the best way to get the most value out of your points, and both Chase and American Express have a wide array of transfer partners.
If you prefer to book travel via travel portals, Sapphire Preferred Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed for 1.25 cents apiece on the Chase Travel℠ Portal, while Amex Gold Membership Rewards points are redeemable for 1 cent apiece on the American Express Travel® Portal.
Winner: Sapphire Preferred, as the card is currently offering new applicants 60,000 bonus points.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 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.
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold: Annual Fee
- Sapphire Preferred: $95
- Amex Gold: $325 (Rates & Fees)
Those annual fees may seem vastly different, but the Amex Gold‘s annual fee is offset by the benefits of holding the card. It's also worth noting that both cards do not charge for adding authorized users (unless you have more than five authorized users).
- Sapphire Preferred: No fee for authorized users.
- Amex Gold: No fee for up to five authorized users. If you have six or more authorized users, it will cost $35 per authorized user (Rates & Fees).
Because we cover benefits in a separate section, the winner of this section is only judged by the annual fee. In this case, the winner is the cheaper option.
Winner: Sapphire Preferred for a lower annual fee.
Sapphire Preferred vs Amex Gold: Earning Categories
The Sapphire Preferred has the following earning rates:
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
The Amex Gold has the following earning rates:
- 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per 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 travel booked on amextravel.com
- 1X on other eligible purchases
Note that these cards do have some overlap. If you typically use online grocery delivery services, eat at restaurants, and book flights directly with airlines, you can earn more than one point per dollar on the Sapphire Preferred and Amex Gold.
As for a recommendation as to which card is better, it depends. If you spend a lot of money on groceries and dining, the Amex Gold is the better way to go. Whether you buy groceries at U.S. supermarkets or via online delivery, you will earn 4X points (on up to $25,000 annually). All restaurant purchases worldwide earn 4X too (on the first $50,000 spent annually).
However, if you spend a lot of money on travel, the Sapphire Preferred is better, since you can earn 5X on travel purchased through the Chase Travel Portal and 2X on other travel purchases.
Winner: It's a tie.
Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold: Key Benefits
Transfer partners
Both cards have a solid number of transfer partners. While some airlines are partnered with both Chase and American Express, the two programs generally have their own unique partners.
Currently, Chase partners with 14 loyalty programs — 11 airlines and three hotels. American Express has 21 transfer partners, including 18 airlines and three hotels.
That sounds like a clear win for Amex, but Chase uniquely partners with three key programs: United MileagePlus, World of Hyatt, and Southwest Rapid Rewards.
Travel and dining credits
The Sapphire Preferred has a $50 annual credit for hotel purchases made through the Chase Travel Portal.
The Amex Gold has a monthly $10 dining credit that can be used at places including Grubhub, Five Guys, Goldbelly, Wine.com and The Cheesecake Factory. Additionally, the Amex Gold has a monthly $10 Uber credit that can be used both for rideshares and for Uber Eats. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Amex Disclosure: To receive $10 monthly credits (up to $120 per year) in Uber Cash, you must add the American Express® Gold Card to your Uber account and select it as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction.
Plus, Amex Gold recently added up to $184 in new dining statement credits:
- $100 Resy credit: Broken into $50 usable from January through June and $50 usable July through December.
- $84 Dunkin' credit: $7 per month.
- Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Additionally, the Amex Gold has access to Amex Travel's The Hotel Collection (not Fine Hotels + Resorts®, which is exclusive to The Platinum Card® from American Express). Bookings in The Hotel Collection get a $100 hotel property credit for stays that are at least two nights.
Winner: The Amex Gold is the clear winner thanks to its monthly (and semi-annual) food and transportation credits.
Partner program benefits
Sapphire Preferred cardholders currently can have a DoorDash DashPass membership for one year, as long as they enroll by December 31, 2027. Chase also has a partnership with Peloton, and Sapphire Preferred cardholders can earn bonus points on Peloton purchases. Cardholders can also take advantage of bonus earnings on Lyft rides as well.
The Amex Gold just has the partner program benefits listed in the section above.
Winner: Slight edge to the Sapphire Preferred.
Insurance protections
The Sapphire Preferred outshines the Amex Gold when it comes to insurance protections for travel. The Sapphire Preferred offers many protections, including:
- Trip cancelation and interruption insurance
- Maximum coverage: Up to $10,000 per person for each covered trip ($20,000 per trip, $40,000 maximum per year)
- Baggage delay insurance
- $100 per day if a bag delay is more than 6 hours, maximum of $500
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Maximum coverage: Up to $3,000 per passenger
- Extended warranty coverage
- Auto rental collision damage waiver (rental car insurance)
- Maximum coverage: up to $60,000, except for certain expensive/exotic vehicles.
The Amex Gold only offers lost luggage reimbursement (maximum $1,250 per passenger), reimbursement for trip delays rather than insurance, and secondary rental car insurance.
Winner: The Sapphire Preferred offers much more comprehensive insurance protections.
Bottom Line
While we'd love to declare a winner, the best choice for you depends on how you spend your money.
Go with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card if you prioritize travel protections, book through the Chase portal, or want a lower annual fee with broad travel earning. Plus, its 60,000-point bonus is the icing on the cake.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 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.
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Choose the American Express® Gold Card if you spend heavily on groceries and dining and can easily take advantage of the monthly credits. After all, no other card allows you to earn 4X on most grocery purchases and dining.
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That's up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made at restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per 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 travel booked on amextravel.com
- 1X on other eligible purchases
And if you’re deep into the points and miles game? It might be worth holding both. That way, you’ll earn strong rewards across multiple categories — and build a flexible stash of points with two of the best transferable currencies out there.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), and American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
