Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
Annual fees: American Express Gold Card $325/yr, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card $95/yr. Strongest bonus categories: American Express Gold Card on hotels, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card on travel.
Card data as of September 27, 2026.
Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
| Category | American Express Gold Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card |
|---|---|---|
| Dining | 4X | 3X |
| Grocery Stores | 4X |
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card wins in 5 of 6 categories. The American Express Gold Card leads in 1. 3 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Hotels
Depends: via issuer travel portal
American Express Gold Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Flights
American Express Gold Card earns 3X vs 1X
Dining
Depends: up to $50,000/yr
American Express Gold Card earns 4X when conditions are met; Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X (3X without restrictions)
Grocery Stores
Depends: up to $25,000/yr
American Express Gold Card earns 4X when conditions are met; Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X (3X without restrictions)
Travel
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 5X vs 1X
5X via Chase Travel portal
Gas Stations
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 1X
Electric Vehicle Charging
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 1X
Both scenarios favor the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Published annual fees: American Express Gold Card $325/yr, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card $95/yr — a $230 difference before welcome offers and credits.
| 3X |
| Electric Vehicle Charging | 1X | 3X |
| Flights | 3X | 1X |
| Gas Stations | 1X | 3X |
| Streaming | 1X | 3X |
| Vacation Rentals | 1X | 3X |
| Travel | 1X | 2X |
| Everything Else | 1X | 1X |
Network
Key Benefits
Pros
Cons
Vacation Rentals
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 1X
Streaming
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 1X
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Both scenarios favor the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | American Express Gold Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $180 Credits (our usable estimate): $212 − Annual fee ($325) Ongoing: $67 Year one: $67 | Rewards: $410 Credits (our usable estimate): $109 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $424 Year one: $1,774 | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $720 Credits (our usable estimate): $212 − Annual fee ($325) Ongoing: $607 Year one: $607 | Rewards: $1,642 Credits (our usable estimate): $109 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $1,656 Year one: $3,006 | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card |
The American Express Gold Card costs $325/yr — that's $230 more than the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card ($95/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $230 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
The American Express Gold Card includes dining credits. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $230 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $230 fee gap means the American Express Gold Card needs roughly $230 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on hotels and dining and everyday spend.
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
