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The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees) and The Platinum Card® from American Express are two of the most popular rewards cards in the ultra-premium/luxury category.
While both cards come with hefty annual fees that you'll need to pay each year, both cards provide a wide array of benefits. Many people find that the total value of the benefits they receive each year from holding one of these luxury rewards cards more than offsets the annual fee, which justifies keeping the card for another year.
But, when comparing the Chase Sapphire Reserve® vs. the Amex Platinum card, it's worth understanding the differences between these two cards to determine which one might be best for you.
Today, we'll help you determine which of these heavy-hitting cards might best fit your unique spending and travel habits. In this post, we'll take a look at the welcome bonus, benefits, spending categories, and other perks.
Page Contents
- Chase Sapphire Reserve vs. Amex Platinum Welcome Bonus
- Chase Sapphire Reserve vs. Amex Platinum Annual Fee
- When To Use Amex Platinum vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Chase Sapphire Reserve Benefits vs. Amex Platinum
- Amex Reward Points vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve Point Value
- Should I Have Both the Amex Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve?
- Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve Better Than Amex Platinum?
Chase Sapphire Reserve vs. Amex Platinum Welcome Bonus
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
(Terms apply)
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®. Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
The welcome bonus for both the Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum varies over time. Therefore, it's important to make sure that you're comparing the most recent bonus. You'll also want to understand that it will be a while before you can earn a welcome bonus more than once on either of these cards. Because of this, you'll want to apply when the bonus is higher than average.
These are the current welcome offers:
- Sapphire Reserve: Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Amex Platinum: As High As 175,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Depending on your offer, you may be able to earn more points with the Amex Platinum, but you'll need to spend more to unlock the welcome bonus. However, the value of the bonus is what we're evaluating.
Winner: Amex Platinum
- You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount - all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
- More Value! With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection®, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges. * As of 07/2025.
- More Value! $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
- More Value! $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $25 in statement credits each month after you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at participating partners. Enrollment required.
- More Value! $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel® using the Platinum Card®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- New! $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: When you use the Platinum Card® to pay at U.S. Resy restaurants and to make other eligible purchases through Resy, you can get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter with the $400 Resy Credit benefit. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card®. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you, enrollment required.
- More Value! $209 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR Plus Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR Plus with the Platinum Card®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card® Account*. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
- Start your vacation sooner, and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts® through American Express Travel®, enjoy noon check-in upon arrival, when available, and guaranteed 4PM check-out.
- New! $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That's up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card®. *Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
- $100 Saks Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue or saks.com on the Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits from January through June and up to $50 in statement credits from July through December. No minimum purchase required. Enrollment required.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- $895 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®. Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
Chase Sapphire Reserve vs. Amex Platinum Annual Fee
The Sapphire Reserve has a $795 annual fee, while the annual fee on the Amex Platinum is $895 (Rates & Fees). While the two cards both charge high annual fees, the Amex Platinum charges a somewhat higher annual fee.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve
When To Use Amex Platinum vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve
One key to maximizing the value of your miles and points is to know when and where to use your card to boost your point earnings. The Sapphire Reserve offers:
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
Note that bonus earning on travel purchases happens only after the first $300 in travel purchases each year. You get a $300 annual travel credit to offset those purchases, so Chase doesn't allow you to double-dip by earning extra points on spending that was offset by the credit.
In contrast, the earning rates on the Amex Platinum include 1 point per $1 spent on purchases other than these:
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®. Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
The Sapphire Reserve seems like the clear winner for most spending patterns, especially when booking flights or hotels through the travel portal. However, when booking directly with airlines, Amex Platinum wins.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Chase Sapphire Reserve Benefits vs. Amex Platinum
Now, let's compare the Sapphire Reserve vs. Amex Platinum in terms of cardholder benefits. We'll break this down into a few different categories.
Airport lounge access
Both the Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum offer Priority Pass Select memberships, granting access to over 1,550 airport lounges worldwide. However, only Sapphire Reserve includes access to Priority Pass perks like Minute Suites, Gameway, and BeRelax Spas.
The Amex Platinum stands out for its Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion Lounges (32+ locations), Plaza Premium Lounges, Escape Lounges, and Delta Sky Clubs (limited to 10 visits per year when flying Delta same day).
Meanwhile, Chase has opened eight Sapphire Lounges, with more coming soon. Sapphire Reserve cardholders get unlimited access plus two free guests, while Amex limits guest access unless you spend $75,000 annually.
Winner: Tie. Amex Platinumoffers broader lounge access, but Sapphire Reserve provides more generous guest policies and access to its growing network of Sapphire Lounges.
Travel credits
Both the Amex Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve offer annual travel credits. The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers a $300 travel credit each year.
This credit is quite valuable since it can be used on just about anything that codes as “travel.” That means it's quite easy to redeem, and there's relatively little chance of “breakage” (where you don't use the full value of your available credit).
In addition, Sapphire Reserve cardholders now receive up to $500 per year in credits for prepaid hotel stays booked through The Edit. This new benefit, split into two $250 credits, adds extra value, especially for travelers who prefer boutique or luxury properties.
On the other hand, the Amex Platinum offers its own annual travel credits:
- A $200 annual airline incidental fee credit that can be used to pay for ancillary charges on one specific airline, including seat selection, wifi, baggage fees, or other similar charges.
- A $200 credit on select prepaid hotel bookings.
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve. The ease of using the $300 Chase travel credit and the much larger hotel credit gives it the advantage here.
Other monthly and annual credits
The Amex Platinum has long been known for its sprawling collection of lifestyle and travel credits, easily outpacing the Sapphire Reserve in this category. But with the Sapphire Reserve’s 2025 overhaul, Chase has clearly taken a page from Amex’s playbook, adding more monthly and annual credits.
Here’s what the Sapphire Reserve now includes:
- $300 annual dining credit, including access to Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables via OpenTable
- $300 annual StubHub credit for concert and event tickets
- $250 in annual value via complimentary Apple Music and Apple TV+ subscriptions
- $300 annually in monthly DoorDash promos (plus a DashPass membership worth $120 per year)
- $120 in annual Lyft in-app credits (up to $10 monthly), plus 5x points on eligible Lyft rides
- Up to $120 annually in Peloton membership credits, plus 10x points on eligible Peloton purchases
Enrollment for some credits may be required.
The Amex Platinum card, on the other hand, has its own wide array of available credits, including:
- $25 monthly (up to $300 per year) as a digital entertainment credit
- A $155 Walmart+ credit (up to $12.95 per month plus applicable taxes). Plus Ups not eligible.
- $200 in Uber Cash towards rides or Uber Eats orders in the U.S. ($15 each month, plus a $20 bonus in December) when you add your card as a payment method in your Uber account. Plus, when you use your card to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year.
- $300 annually in statement credits on a digital or club membership at Equinox
- $50 twice a year to shop at Saks Fifth Avenue
- $209 per year as a statement credit for CLEAR® Plus membership
Both cards offer a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit when you pay the application fee with your card. The Amex Platinum offers a reimbursement for TSA PreCheck once every 4.5 years or once every 4 years for Global Entry. The Sapphire Reserve makes this benefit available every four years for either program and also can reimburse your application fee for NEXUS, the cross-border program between Canada and the U.S.
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve now slightly edges out its competition.
Partner benefits
Sapphire Reserve cardholders are also eligible for:
- Access to The Edit, a luxury hotel & resort collection
- IHG One Rewards Platinum status, with the ability to unlock Diamond status with spend
- The ability to unlock Southwest A-list status with spend
- Complimentary access to Reserve Travel Designers
- Complimentary access to DashPass – a membership for both DoorDash and Caviar (activate by December 31, 2027)
Here is a look at some of the partner benefits available to Amex Platinum cardholders:
- Access to the Fine Hotels + Resorts® program and The Hotel Collection (two night minimum required for The Hotel Collection bookings)
- Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
- Hilton Honors™ Gold status
- Premium car rental status with several programs
Both cards offer:
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Trip delay reimbursement
- Extended warranty
- Purchase protection and return protection
- The Amex Platinum card offers secondary car rental coverage, while the Sapphire Reserve offers much more valuable primary car rental coverage.
However, there are benefits that they don't have in common as well:
- The Amex Platinum offers cell phone insurance
- The Sapphire Reserve offers baggage delay insurance (in addition to lost luggage coverage), travel accident insurance, and emergency medical/dental coverage
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Winner: Amex Platinum edges out the competition with a further-developed hotel collection, more elite status perks as a cardmember, and a generally better travel protection claim experience.
Amex Reward Points vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve Point Value
While it's possible to compare the amount of rewards you'll earn with both cards, it's important to note that the two cards earn different currencies: American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Thus, the card you choose may depend on the value you place on either of these currencies. Generally, both of these currencies are quite valuable, so your card choice might depend on your travel and redemption habits.
As a point of comparison, AwardWallet users have redeemed Membership Rewards points for an average of 1.59¢ and Ultimate Rewards points for an average of 1.97¢.
Winner: Tie
Related: Chase Ultimate Rewards vs. American Express Membership Rewards: Which Is Better?
Should I Have Both the Amex Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve?
Since both the Amex Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve have solid benefits, you might wonder if it makes sense to have both cards. While the exact answer will depend on your unique spending, travel, and redemption habits, it probably doesn't make sense for most people. The reason is that many card benefits overlap.
After all, if you already have a Priority Pass Select membership from the Sapphire Reserve, you won't gain additional benefits of having Priority Pass with your Amex Platinum.
In addition, if you earn 4x points for flights booked with your Sapphire Reserve, you can't also earn 5x points for booking with your Amex Platinum.
For most travelers, it makes sense to choose the premium rewards card that best aligns with your travel style. Whether you value Amex’s broader lounge network, Chase’s Sapphire Lounges and guest policy, or prefer one card’s mix of credits and travel protections over the other, focusing on those key differences can help you get the most from your card year after year.
You can read our Sapphire Reserve review and our Amex Platinum review to learn more about both cards.
Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve Better Than Amex Platinum?
The Amex Platinum and Sapphire Reserve are two premium rewards cards. Both offer an array of travel and cardmember perks and benefits while also charging annual fees of hundreds of dollars.
Yes, the annual fees are quite high. That means savvy travelers will compare the value of the benefits they receive to the cost of the annual fee to decide which of these luxury cards makes the most sense for them and which annual fee is justified year after year, based on the value obtained from holding the card.
Both cards are likely to give more value than their annual fee, at least in the first year, thanks to the welcome offers. After that, make an informed decision and cost–benefit analysis to determine what is your best path forward.
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
(Terms apply)
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®. Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), and The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
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