American Express Gold Card vs Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
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 November 13, 2026.
American Express Gold CardAmerican Express · $325/yr
Chase Sapphire Preferred CardChase · $95/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- American Express Gold Card$325Chase Sapphire Preferred Card$95Lowest
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- American Express Gold CardAs high as 100,000 points — offers varyChase Sapphire Preferred Card75,000 points
- Rewards
- American Express Gold CardAmerican Express Membership RewardsChase Sapphire Preferred CardChase Ultimate Rewards
- Foreign transaction fee
- American Express Gold CardNoneChase Sapphire Preferred CardNone
- Network
- American Express Gold CardAmerican ExpressChase Sapphire Preferred CardVisa Signature
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Dining
- American Express Gold Card4xHighestChase Sapphire Preferred Card3x
- Grocery Stores
- American Express Gold Card4xHighestChase Sapphire Preferred Card3x
- Electric Vehicle Charging
- American Express Gold Card1xChase Sapphire Preferred Card3xHighest
- Flights
- American Express Gold Card3xHighestChase Sapphire Preferred Card1x
- Gas Stations
- American Express Gold Card1xChase Sapphire Preferred Card3xHighest
- Streaming
- American Express Gold Card1xChase Sapphire Preferred Card3xHighest
- Vacation Rentals
- American Express Gold Card1xChase Sapphire Preferred Card3xHighest
- Travel
- American Express Gold Card1xChase Sapphire Preferred Card2xHighest
- Everything else
- American Express Gold Card1xChase Sapphire Preferred Card1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- American Express Gold Card—Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS credit · $120 every 4 years
- $100 hotel credit
- Rideshare & transit
- American Express Gold Card
- $120 Uber Cash · $10 monthly
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card— - Dining & delivery
- American Express Gold Card
- $100 Resy credit · $50 every 6 months
- $120 dining credit · $10 monthly
- $84 Dunkin' credit · $7 monthly
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card— - Entertainment & streaming
- American Express Gold Card—Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- A year of Apple TV, valued at $180 · $180 one-time
Perks & access— means none on record
- Hotel status & programs
- American Express Gold Card
- $100 property credit at 1,400+ upscale hotels worldwide
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card— - Other perks
- American Express Gold Card
- Amex Offers
- Early access to concerts and events
- 24/7 global travel assistance
- American Express Preferred Access
- Events with Amex & Presale Tickets
- No foreign transaction fees on international purchases
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card- Complimentary DashPass after activation
- Up to $10 monthly on a non-restaurant DoorDash order
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- American Express Gold Card
- Trip Delay Insurance up to $300
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card- Travel Accident Insurance up to $500,000
- $10,000 Trip Cancellation Insurance per person
- $500 Trip Delay Reimbursement per traveler
- Baggage
- American Express Gold Card
- Baggage Insurance Plan up to $1,750
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card- $500 Baggage Delay Insurance ($100 per day)
- $3,000 Lost Luggage Reimbursement per traveler
- Rental car
- American Express Gold Card
- Secondary rental car insurance for damage and theft
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card- Auto Rental Coverage
- Purchase & returns
- American Express Gold Card
- Purchase Protection up to $10,000 per item for 90 days
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card- 120-day Purchase Protection up to $500 per item
- Extended warranty
- American Express Gold Card
- Extended Warranty up to one additional year · up to $10,000
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card- Extended Warranty Protection adds 1 extra year
- Other protections
- American Express Gold Card
- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
- Dispute Resolution and Fraud Protection
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card- Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
Pros & cons
- Pros
- American Express Gold Card
- 4X points on dining worldwide - industry leading
- 4X at U.S. supermarkets up to $25k/year
- $424 in annual credits (face value) cover the $325 fee if you use at least $325 of them
- No foreign transaction fees
- Transfer to 20 airline and hotel partners
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card- 75,000 point welcome bonus after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months
- $95 annual fee partly offset by a $100 Chase Travel hotel credit each account anniversary year
- Transfers to 14 airline and hotel partners, 13 at 1:1 and Hyatt at 4:3
- 5X on Chase Travel, 3X dining, streaming, online groceries
- Trip cancellation, delay, and lost luggage insurance included
- Cons
- American Express Gold Card
- $325 annual fee with no waived first year
- 4X grocery excludes Costco, Walmart, Target
- No lounge access included
- Limited non-food spending categories
- Amex acceptance less universal than Visa/MC
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card- $95 annual fee vs $0 Freedom cards
- No lounge access included
- 5/24 rule restricts applicants with 5+ cards in 24 months
- No 0% intro APR offer
Expert Analysis
The American Express Gold Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred Card are two of the most popular cards in their category, and choosing between them comes down to which rewards structure better matches your spending. Both deliver strong value, but in meaningfully different ways.
The American Express Gold Card's strongest category is Dining at 4X, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card leads with 3X on Dining. Overall, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card wins in more bonus categories (4 vs 3) — so the better choice depends on where you spend the most.
At $95/yr vs $325/yr, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is the more accessible option. The American Express Gold Card needs to deliver at least $230 in annual value through its premium benefits to justify the gap.
Key Differences
- American Express Gold Card earns 4X on Dining vs 3X for the other
- American Express Gold Card earns 4X on Grocery Stores vs 1X for the other
- American Express Gold Card earns 3X on Flights vs 1X for the other
- The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card costs $95/yr vs $325/yr — a $230 annual gap
- Different networks: American Express Gold Card is AMEX, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is VISA
Spending Scenarios
Which card wins in real-world spending situations?
$400/month on dining
American Express Gold CardAmerican Express Gold Card earns 4X vs 3X. Over a year, that's 19,200 vs 14,400 points — a 4,800-point advantage.
$600/month on grocery stores
American Express Gold CardAmerican Express Gold Card earns 4X vs 1X. Over a year, that's 28,800 vs 7,200 points — a 21,600-point advantage.
$50/month on streaming
Chase Sapphire Preferred CardChase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 1X. Over a year, that's 1,800 vs 600 points — a 1,200-point advantage.
$200/month on online groceries
Chase Sapphire Preferred CardChase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 1X. Over a year, that's 7,200 vs 2,400 points — a 4,800-point advantage.
Mixed everyday spending, 2 trips/year
Chase Sapphire Preferred CardWithout heavy spending in the American Express Gold Card's premium categories, the $230 fee difference is hard to recover. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card delivers better overall value for moderate spenders.
Who Should Get Which?
Get the American Express Gold Card if:
The American Express Gold Card is ideal for cardholders who prioritize spending heavily on dining and grocery stores. At $325/yr, it delivers solid return on the annual fee investment for its target audience.
Get the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card if:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is ideal for cardholders who prioritize spending heavily on streaming and online groceries and keeping annual costs low. At $95/yr, it delivers solid return on the annual fee investment for its target audience.
Upgrade & Downgrade Path
These cards are from different issuers, so switching between them requires a new application. Many rewards enthusiasts hold both to maximize earn rates across different spending categories — the annual fee total may be worth it if you're actively using both cards' bonus categories.
Consider which card's rewards ecosystem better fits your redemption goals. Transferable points programs offer more flexibility for travel redemptions.
Category-by-Category Winner
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card wins in 5 of 5 categories. The American Express Gold Card leads in 0. 4 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Flights
Depends: via Chase Travel portal - the Chase Travel travel rate restated per bookable subcategory, as Capital One and Citi portal rates are recorded
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 5X when conditions are met; American Express Gold Card earns 3X (3X without restrictions)
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 (1X without restrictions)
Travel
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 5X vs 1X
5X via Chase Travel portal
Car Rentals
Depends: via Chase Travel portal - the Chase Travel travel rate restated per bookable subcategory, as Capital One and Citi portal rates are recorded
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 5X when conditions are met; American Express Gold Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Gas Stations
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 1X
Electric Vehicle Charging
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 1X
Vacation Rentals
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 1X
Streaming
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 1X
Year One vs Ongoing Value
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: $346 Credits (our usable estimate): $75 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $326 Year one: $1,784 | 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: $1,382 Credits (our usable estimate): $75 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $1,362 Year one: $2,820 | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
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.
The Bottom Line
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the American Express Gold Card worth the higher annual fee?
- The American Express Gold Card costs $325/yr vs $95/yr for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $230 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the American Express Gold Card also lists dining credits).
- Which card earns more rewards, the American Express Gold Card or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?
- Both cards earn 1X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- What benefits does the American Express Gold Card have that the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card doesn't?
- The American Express Gold Card offers dining credits. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card focuses more on earn rates than premium perks.
- Should I get the American Express Gold Card or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card has a lower $95/yr fee; the American Express Gold Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $325/yr.
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published November 13, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.