Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold: Which mid-tier favorite is right for you?

For many, the $500-plus annual charges that include ultra-premium journey playing cards such because the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and charges) and The Platinum Card® from American Express (see charges and charges) aren’t justifiable. If you are not touring often and using the complete lineup of perks and credit, it might not be price including these playing cards to your pockets.

However, each Chase and Amex have wonderful mid-tier playing cards: the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see charges and charges) and the American Express® Gold Card.

While each of those playing cards act as sister playing cards to their luxurious counterparts, there are lots of variations between them. In this showdown, we’re strolling by a side-by-side comparability of those playing cards that can assist you decide which is right for you — or whether or not each deserve spots in your pockets.

Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold comparability

Here’s a fast overview that compares the important thing perks on these two playing cards:

*Enrollment is required for these advantages.

**Eligibility and profit degree varies by card. Terms, situations and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for particulars. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

***Eligibility and profit degree varies by card. Terms, situations and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for particulars. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

^Eligibility and profit degree varies by card. Not all automobile varieties or leases are coated, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, situations and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for particulars. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is supplied by American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold welcome provide

The Sapphire Preferred affords a compelling limited-time welcome bonus. New candidates can earn 100,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Based on TPG’s April 2025 valuations, Ultimate Rewards factors are price 2.05 cents every, making this bonus price $2,050. This is the highest-ever welcome provide we now have seen on this card.

New Amex Gold cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus factors after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases throughout the first six months of cardmembership. Based on TPG’s April 2025 valuations, this provide is price $1,200.

Plus, you may be focused for a better welcome provide on the Amex Gold by the CardMatch instrument (affords are topic to vary at any time and never everybody will obtain the identical provide).

Winner: Sapphire Preferred. The present welcome provide is price greater than the Amex Gold’s.

Related: The greatest bank card welcome bonuses

Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold advantages

In trade for a $95 annual payment, the Sapphire Preferred affords some strong perks, together with a $50 annual lodge credit score for bookings by Chase Travel, a ten% factors bonus in your cardholder anniversary and a complimentary DoorDash SprintPass membership (activate by Dec. 31, 2027).

Other advantages embrace protections like rental automotive insurance coverage, journey delay and cancellation insurance coverage and baggage delay insurance coverage. These are a fantastic security web when you journey, however they do not do a lot to reinforce your day-to-day life when every little thing goes in keeping with plan.

For greater than double the Sapphire Preferred’s annual payment ($325 vs. $95), the Amex Gold affords a number of wonderful perks (enrollment is required for choose advantages; phrases apply):

• Up to $120 in Uber Cash per calendar yr: Receive as much as $10 in Uber Cash every month, legitimate on Uber rides and Uber Eats orders within the U.S. Your Amex Gold have to be added as a cost technique, and you may redeem with any Amex card
• Up to $120 in eating credit every calendar yr: Receive as much as $10 a month in assertion credit for purchases along with your Amex Gold at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com and Five Guys.
• Up to $100 in assertion credit for purchases made at Resy eating places per calendar yr: Receive as much as $50 in assertion credit biannually for eligible Resy purchases and eating at U.S. Resy eating places; simply pay along with your card to obtain the credit score. No reservation is required.
• Up to $84 in assertion credit for Dunkin’ Donuts purchases: Receive as much as $7 per 30 days in assertion credit for purchases made at U.S. Dunkin’ Donuts.
• Enrollment is required; phrases apply.

Amex Gold cardmembers additionally obtain journey and buy protections. Terms apply.

Winner: Amex Gold. The Amex Gold’s assertion credit are valued at $424, greater than the cardboard’s annual payment. That’s much more worth than you may get from the Sapphire Preferred annually.

Related: Why you may wish to pay the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s $95 annual payment

Earning factors on the Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold

The Sapphire Preferred affords helpful bonus classes. The actual spotlight is not simply the classes themselves however how broadly they’re outlined. With this card, you may earn on the following charges:

• 5 factors per greenback on journey booked by Chase Travel (excluding lodge reservations that qualify for the $50 credit score)
  5 factors per greenback on Lyft (by Sept. 2027)
  5 factors per greenback on Peloton gear and accent purchases of $150 or extra (by Dec. 2027, with a restrict of 25,000 bonus factors)
• 3 factors per greenback on eating, choose streaming providers and on-line grocery shops (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale golf equipment)
• 2 factors per greenback on different journey, together with accommodations, airfare, rental vehicles, taxis and parking meters
• 1 level per greenback on every little thing else

These are strong charges on a variety of purchases.

Still, the Amex Gold might shine brighter in the case of its incomes construction:

• 4 factors per greenback on eating at eating places worldwide (as much as $50,000 every calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback)
• 4 factors per greenback at U.S. supermarkets (as much as $25,000 per calendar yr; then 1 level per greenback)
• 3 factors per greenback on airfare bought instantly from the airline or by amextravel.com
• 2 factors per greenback on pay as you go accommodations and different eligible purchases booked by amextravel.com
• 1 level per greenback on different eligible purchases

Despite the spending cap, incomes 4 factors per greenback at eating places worldwide and U.S. supermarkets is an 8% return on each purchases, in keeping with TPG’s April 2025 valuations. That makes it among the best playing cards for eating at eating places and U.S. grocery procuring.

Winner: Amex Gold. Its greater incomes charges on eating worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets, in addition to on flights booked instantly with an airline, give it the higher hand.

Related: Why the Amex Gold is the proper ‘in-between’ bank card

Redeeming factors on the Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold

Both of those playing cards are comparable in that they earn a number of the most precious transferable factors currencies round.

The Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards factors that you could redeem for journey by Chase Travel or for different gadgets equivalent to reward playing cards and assertion credit.

You’ll get a 25% bonus when redeeming factors for journey by Chase Travel. But you may get probably the most worth by transferring your factors to one in every of Chase’s 14 invaluable lodge and airline switch companions.

The Amex Gold earns equally invaluable Membership Rewards factors, which you’ll be able to redeem for journey instantly by AmexTravel.com or for reward playing cards and assertion credit.

Again, you may get the very best worth out of your factors by transferring them to one in every of Amex’s 21 lodge and airline companions.

Winner: Tie. Both playing cards earn transferable rewards and provide you with a variety of invaluable redemption choices.

Transferring factors on the Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold

TPG’s April 2025 valuations peg Chase Ultimate Rewards at 2.05 cents every and Amex Membership factors at 2 cents every, however your journey habits would possibly make one forex higher than the opposite for you.

For instance, in case you dwell in a Delta hub, you would possibly get extra worth out of transferring your Membership Rewards factors to Delta SkyMiles, whereas those that have a coveted Southwest Companion Pass can get some unbelievable worth by transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards factors to Southwest Rapid Rewards.

TPG contributing editor Matt Moffitt makes use of his Sapphire Preferred typically to switch factors to British Airways Executive Club to reap the benefits of candy spots on American Airlines flights.

Meanwhile, TPG bank cards editor Olivia Mittak transfers the Membership Rewards factors she earns on her Amex Gold to Air Canada Aeroplan and Delta SkyMiles.

Winner: Tie. Both playing cards switch to varied companions, all with their respective redemption choices and candy spots.

Related: Why transferable factors are price greater than different rewards

Should I get the Sapphire Preferred or Amex Gold?

If you spend most of your finances on groceries within the U.S. or eating and might make the most of its month-to-month credit, the Amex Gold is seemingly your winner. However, the Sapphire Preferred is a greater match in case you want Ultimate Rewards factors and wish to earn bonus factors on common journey bills. Still, keep in mind that it would not must be a “this or that” determination; there’s room for each of those playing cards in a well-developed factors technique.

Bottom line

The Sapphire Preferred and Amex Gold are two of probably the most invaluable mid-tier playing cards available on the market. Both can present wonderful worth within the right arms, and the query of 1 card versus one other largely is determined by the way you derive worth out of your bank cards.

However, they’re one in every of our high card pairings, so it is perhaps price having each in your pockets.

To study extra, learn our full opinions of the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Amex Gold.

---

Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Preferred
Apply right here: American Express Gold

---

For charges and charges of the Amex Platinum, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Gold, click on right here.