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The American Express® Gold Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) are two top-tier travel rewards cards, each offering unique benefits tailored to different spending habits. As someone who's written about these cards for years, I'd recommend either to those who are looking for strong perks and earning rates.
While both cards are strong contenders, understanding their differences is crucial in selecting the one that aligns with your rewards goals and lifestyle. Keep reading to learn which is right for you.
Key differences between the Amex Gold Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred
4.00/5
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. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5
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. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
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. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
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. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
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)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
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)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Welcome Offer:
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.
60,000 Membership Rewards® Points
Welcome Offer:
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
60,000 bonus points
Rewards Program:
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 per calendar year in purchases), 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:
19.99% - 28.24% Variable
Annual Fee:
$325
Annual Fee:
$95
Highlights:
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.
Highlights:
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.
• Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.
• Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
• Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
• Trip delay insurance underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
• Extended warranty, baggage insurance plan, car rental loss & damage insurance, and purchase protection warranty underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
At Motley Fool Money, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates and 0% intro APR offers, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and purchase protections.
Our highest-rated credit cards have:
High value through rewards or 0% intro APR offers
Attainable welcome bonuses that make up for any annual fees
Low annual fees or a balance transfer fee of 3%
Top perks such as purchase and travel protections, no foreign transaction fees, travel credits, and status upgrades
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best credit card recommendations. Our aim is to maintain a balanced best-of list featuring top-scoring credit cards from reputable brands. 'Best for' category selections on this page are determined by our editors, and a single card may be recognized in multiple categories.
Ordering within lists is influenced by advertiser compensation, including featured placements at the top of a given list, but our product recommendations are NEVER influenced by advertisers. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates credit cards.
At Motley Fool Money, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates and 0% intro APR offers, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and purchase protections.
Our highest-rated credit cards have:
High value through rewards or 0% intro APR offers
Attainable welcome bonuses that make up for any annual fees
Low annual fees or a balance transfer fee of 3%
Top perks such as purchase and travel protections, no foreign transaction fees, travel credits, and status upgrades
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best credit card recommendations. Our aim is to maintain a balanced best-of list featuring top-scoring credit cards from reputable brands. 'Best for' category selections on this page are determined by our editors, and a single card may be recognized in multiple categories.
Ordering within lists is influenced by advertiser compensation, including featured placements at the top of a given list, but our product recommendations are NEVER influenced by advertisers. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates credit cards.
While the Amex Gold Card's $325 annual fee (see rates and fees) is higher, it offers $120 in annual dining credits and $120 in Uber Cash, which can help offset the cost if utilized fully. Terms apply; enrollment may be required.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred's $95 annual fee is more modest, and it includes a $50 annual hotel credit through Chase Travel℠, providing solid value with less upfront cost.
The Amex Gold Card also offers 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per year); and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X), plus 3X Membership Rewards® Points on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. Terms apply. The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3X on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries, and 2X on all other travel.
The welcome bonus each card offers is similar. With the Amex Gold Card: 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. Terms apply. Meanwhile, $5,000 in spending in the first 3 months gets you 60,000 bonus points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Same amount of points awarded, but a little lower spending requirement and half the time to complete the minimum spend.
Dining and grocery rewards: Amex Gold Card wins out
The Amex Gold Card stands out with 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per year); and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X), making it ideal for food enthusiasts and families. Terms apply.
In contrast, the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries, which may appeal to those who prefer online shopping.
Overall, the Amex Gold Card is the better choice if dining and grocery spending make up a big part of your budget.
Annual fee and credits: Chase Sapphire Preferred has a lower net cost
The Amex Gold Card's $325 annual fee is steep, but you can offset much of it with up to $120 in dining credits and $120 in Uber Cash each year. Terms apply; enrollment may be required. If you take advantage of both, you're effectively looking at an $85 annual cost each year.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred, meanwhile, has a $95 annual fee and includes a $50 annual hotel credit through Chase Travel℠, meaning you're looking at an annual cost of $45.
The Amex Gold Card is still a great choice if you plan to make up the difference in annual fees with restaurant and supermarket spending. If you're worried about upfront cost, though, go with the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Point redemptions: Chase Sapphire Preferred offers simple value
Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders benefit from a 25% point value boost when redeeming for travel through Chase Travel℠, effectively making each point worth $0.0125.
Amex Gold Card points, on the other hand, vary in value -- generally up to $0.01 per point when booking travel through AmexTravel.com and more when you transfer to travel partners. Terms apply.
If you're not well versed in the world of points and miles -- or, like me, you just don't want to worry about transfer partners -- you'll be better off with the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Final verdict: Amex Gold Card vs. Sapphire Preferred
The Amex Gold Card is great if your spending heavily revolves around dining and groceries, and you can take full advantage of the dining and Uber credits. Its higher rewards rates in these categories can outweigh the higher annual fee for the right user.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred, on the other hand, provides versatile travel rewards with a lower annual fee, plus broad bonus categories and enhanced point value when booking travel through Chase. It's a well-rounded choice for travelers and those with diverse spending habits.
Choose the Amex Gold Card if:
You're a big traveler or foodie who can maximize dining and Uber credits.
Yes, many individuals hold both cards to maximize rewards across different spending categories.
Both the Amex Gold Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred cards have no foreign transaction fees, making them suitable for international travel.
Both cards offer travel protections, but the Chase Sapphire Preferred is known for its comprehensive travel insurance benefits, including trip cancellation/interruption insurance and primary rental car insurance.
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