The American Express Gold Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred are two of the most popular mid-tier rewards cards on the market. Both earn transferable points, both target foodies and travelers, and both charge under $350 per year. But they play very different games.
Here's how they compare on the things that actually matter.
Annual Fee
The Sapphire Preferred charges $95/year. Straightforward, no credits to manage.
The Amex Gold charges $325/year, but comes with up to $240 in annual credits — $120 in dining credits (via Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, and select others) and $120 in Uber Cash ($10/month). If you use those credits, the effective fee drops to around $85/year. If you don't, you're paying full price.
Edge: Amex Gold if you'll use the credits. Chase Sapphire Preferred if you want simplicity.
Rewards Rates
This is where the cards diverge the most.
| Category | Amex Gold | Chase Sapphire Preferred | |---|---|---| | Dining | 4X | 3X | | Groceries | 4X (U.S., up to $25K/yr) | 3X (online groceries only) | | Flights | 3X | 2X (5X via Chase Travel) | | Streaming | 1X | 3X | | Everything else | 1X | 1X |
The Amex Gold wins on dining and groceries — the two categories where most people spend the most. 4X vs 3X adds up fast. If you spend $500/month on dining and $600/month on groceries, that's an extra 1,200 points per month with the Amex Gold.
The Sapphire Preferred fights back with 3X on streaming and 5X on travel booked through Chase's portal. If you book a lot of flights and hotels through Chase Travel, that 5X rate is hard to beat.
Edge: Amex Gold for food-heavy spenders. Chase Sapphire Preferred for travelers who book through Chase.
Transfer Partners
Both cards earn transferable points, which is the whole reason to get a mid-tier card instead of a flat-rate cash back card.
Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to 14+ partners including United, Southwest, Hyatt, British Airways, and Air Canada. The sweet spot is Hyatt — Chase points transfer 1:1 and Hyatt has some of the best award redemption values in the game.
Amex Membership Rewards transfers to 20+ partners including Delta, ANA, Singapore Airlines, Hilton, and Marriott. The sweet spot is ANA — you can book business class to Japan for 75K-88K points, which is absurd value.
Both ecosystems are strong. Chase is better for domestic travel (Hyatt, United, Southwest). Amex is better for international premium cabin flights (ANA, Singapore, Cathay Pacific via Asia Miles).
Edge: Tie. Depends on where you travel.
Credits and Perks
Amex Gold:
- $120/year dining credit ($10/month at select restaurants)
- $120/year Uber Cash ($10/month, $20 in December)
- $84/year Dunkin' credit ($7/month)
- $100/year Resy credit ($50 twice a year at select Resy restaurants)
- Dining reservations via Resy with special access
- No foreign transaction fees
Chase Sapphire Preferred:
- $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- 10% anniversary points bonus (earn 1,000 bonus points for every $10,000 spent the previous year)
- DoorDash DashPass included
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
- Primary auto rental coverage (CDW)
- Purchase protection and extended warranty
- No foreign transaction fees
The Amex Gold loads you up with statement credits that require attention to use. The Sapphire Preferred gives you less upfront value but stronger travel protections. That primary auto rental coverage alone can save you $15-25/day when renting a car.
Edge: Amex Gold on raw credit value. Chase Sapphire Preferred on travel protections.
Signup Bonus
The Sapphire Preferred currently offers 75,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $5,000 in 3 months. At the standard 1.25 cents/point redemption through Chase Travel, that's worth about $937.
The Amex Gold has a targeted offer of up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 in 6 months. At a conservative 1.5 cents/point via transfers, that's about $1,500 in value — but the 100K offer isn't always available. The standard public offer is typically 60,000-80,000 points.
Edge: Amex Gold if you can get the 100K targeted offer. Chase Sapphire Preferred for the consistent, widely available bonus.
Who Should Get Which Card
Get the Amex Gold if:
- Dining and groceries are your top spending categories
- You'll actually use the monthly credits (Uber, dining, Dunkin')
- You want the highest earning rate on food spending
- You fly international and want access to ANA, Singapore, etc.
Get the Chase Sapphire Preferred if:
- You want a lower, simpler annual fee
- You value travel protections (rental car coverage, trip insurance)
- You book travel through Chase's portal for 5X points
- You stay at Hyatt properties or fly United/Southwest
- You want to pair it with Freedom Unlimited or Freedom Flex for a no-fee earning duo
The Verdict
For most people who eat out regularly and buy groceries, the Amex Gold earns more points. The 4X rate on dining and groceries is unmatched, and the credits bring the effective annual fee below the Sapphire Preferred's $95.
But the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the better system. Pair it with a Freedom Unlimited (1.5X on everything, no fee) and you've got a two-card setup that earns strong rewards across all spending. Chase's travel protections are also meaningfully better.
If you can only pick one: the Amex Gold earns more on food. The Sapphire Preferred is more versatile and lower-maintenance. Neither is a bad choice.