American Express Green Card vs Chase Sapphire Reserve
Annual fees: American Express Green Card $150/yr, Chase Sapphire Reserve $795/yr. Strongest bonus categories: American Express Green Card on travel, Chase Sapphire Reserve on travel.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
American Express Green CardAmerican Express · $150/yr
Chase Sapphire ReserveChase · $795/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- American Express Green Card$150LowestChase Sapphire Reserve$795
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- American Express Green Card40,000 pointsChase Sapphire Reserve100,000 points
- Rewards
- American Express Green CardAmerican Express Membership RewardsChase Sapphire ReserveChase Ultimate Rewards
- Foreign transaction fee
- American Express Green CardNoneChase Sapphire ReserveNone
- Network
- American Express Green CardAmerican ExpressChase Sapphire ReserveVisa Infinite
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Flights
- American Express Green Card1xChase Sapphire Reserve4xHighest
- Hotels
- American Express Green Card1xChase Sapphire Reserve4xHighest
- Dining
- American Express Green Card3xChase Sapphire Reserve3x
- Ridesharing
- American Express Green Card3xHighestChase Sapphire Reserve1x
- Transit
- American Express Green Card3xHighestChase Sapphire Reserve1x
- Travel
- American Express Green Card3xHighestChase Sapphire Reserve1x
- Everything else
- American Express Green Card1xChase Sapphire Reserve1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- American Express Green Card
- $100 LoungeBuddy credit
Chase Sapphire Reserve- $300 travel credit
- $500 hotel credit
- $250 select hotels · $250 one-time
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck · $120 every 4 years
- Rideshare & transit
- American Express Green Card—Chase Sapphire Reserve
- $10/mo Lyft credit · $10 monthly
- Dining & delivery
- American Express Green Card—Chase Sapphire Reserve
- $300 dining at 275+ restaurants
- $35/mo DoorDash + DashPass · $35 monthly
- Entertainment & streaming
- American Express Green Card—Chase Sapphire Reserve
- $300 event tickets StubHub
- $27/mo Apple TV & Music · $27 monthly
- Shopping & wellness
- American Express Green Card—Chase Sapphire Reserve
- $10/mo Peloton credits · $10 monthly
Perks & access— means none on record
- Lounges
- American Express Green Card—Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge on Star Alliance (1 guest)
- 1,300+ Priority Pass lounges with 2 free guests
- 8 Chase Sapphire Lounges with 2 free guests
- Hotel status & programs
- American Express Green Card—Chase Sapphire Reserve
- IHG Platinum Elite with 60% bonus points, no stays
- Other perks
- American Express Green Card
- Amex Offers
- Early access to concerts and events
- 24/7 global travel assistance
Chase Sapphire Reserve- $750 in credits plus elite status at $75k spend
- Dedicated Customer Support with 24/7 priority service
- No foreign transaction fees on international purchases
- Roadside Assistance with $50 reimbursement per incident
- Sapphire Reserve Experiences and Venue Benefits
- Travel and Emergency Assistance Services 24/7
Show 1 more
- Reserve Travel Designer complimentary planning service
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- American Express Green Card
- Trip delay coverage up to $300 per trip after 12 hours
Chase Sapphire Reserve- Emergency Evacuation up to $100,000 coverage
- Emergency Medical and Dental up to $2,500
- Travel Accident Insurance up to $1,000,000
- Trip cancellation insurance up to $10,000 per person
- Trip delay coverage up to $500 per ticket after 6 hours
- Baggage
- American Express Green Card
- Baggage insurance up to $1,250 for carry-on, $500 checked
Chase Sapphire Reserve- Baggage insurance up to $3,000 for lost luggage
- Rental car
- American Express Green Card
- Car rental insurance up to $50,000 for theft or damage
Chase Sapphire Reserve- Primary rental car insurance up to $75,000
- Purchase & returns
- American Express Green Card
- Purchase protection up to $1,000 per item for 90 days
- Return protection up to $300 per item within 90 days
Chase Sapphire Reserve- Purchase protection up to $10,000 per claim for 120 days
- Return protection up to $500 per item within 90 days
- Extended warranty
- American Express Green Card
- Extended warranty adds 1 year to eligible purchases · up to $10,000
Chase Sapphire Reserve- Extended warranty adds 1 year to manufacturer coverage
- Other protections
- American Express Green Card
- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
Chase Sapphire Reserve—
Pros & cons
- Pros
- American Express Green Card
- 3X on travel, transit, and dining worldwide covers most everyday spending
- CLEAR Plus statement credit helps offset the $150 annual fee for CLEAR users
- $100 LoungeBuddy credit provides flexible airport lounge access
- No foreign transaction fees for international travel
- Made from reclaimed ocean plastic (environmentally friendly)
Chase Sapphire Reserve- Up to $2,060 in annual credits and promos can more than cover the $795 fee
- Priority Pass Select with 2 guests included
- Exclusive Chase Sapphire Lounge access
- Primary rental car coverage saves $15-30/day
- Points Boost values points at up to 2 cents each on select flights and hotels through Chase Travel
- Cons
- American Express Green Card
- $150 annual fee is not waived first year
- No direct lounge network membership (LoungeBuddy is pay-per-use)
- CLEAR credit has limited value outside major airports
- Lower-tier welcome bonus compared to Gold or Platinum
- $35 authorized user fee adds up for multi-card households
Chase Sapphire Reserve- $795 annual fee is substantial commitment
- 5/24 rule restricts applicants with recent cards
- Credits require specific spending patterns to use
- $195 authorized user fee with no free users
- No 0% intro APR offer
Category-by-Category Winner
Both cards win in 2 categories each — it comes down to which categories matter most to you. 1 more category depend on booking channel or caps.
Travel
Depends: via Chase Travel portal
Chase Sapphire Reserve earns 8X when conditions are met; American Express Green Card earns 3X (3X without restrictions)
Transit
American Express Green Card earns 3X vs 1X
Ridesharing
American Express Green Card earns 3X vs 1X
Hotels
Chase Sapphire Reserve earns 4X vs 1X
Flights
Chase Sapphire Reserve earns 4X 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.
Close — depends on how much of the credits you use
| Scenario | American Express Green Card | Chase Sapphire Reserve | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $270 Credits (our usable estimate): $60 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $180 Year one: $780 | Rewards: $281 Credits (our usable estimate): $995 − Annual fee ($795) Ongoing: $481 Year one: $2,406 | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use | Chase Sapphire Reserve |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,080 Credits (our usable estimate): $60 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $990 Year one: $1,590 | Rewards: $1,123 Credits (our usable estimate): $995 − Annual fee ($795) Ongoing: $1,323 Year one: $3,248 | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use | Chase Sapphire Reserve |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve costs $795/yr — that's $645 more than the American Express Green Card ($150/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $645 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve includes travel credits, dining credits, lounge access, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $645 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $645 fee gap means the Chase Sapphire Reserve needs roughly $645 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on travel and hotels and everyday spend.
What You Give Up
Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.
Choosing American Express Green Card means losing:
- -Global Entry credit
The Bottom Line
Close — depends on how much of the credits you use
Published annual fees: American Express Green Card $150/yr, Chase Sapphire Reserve $795/yr — a $645 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve worth the higher annual fee?
- The Chase Sapphire Reserve costs $795/yr vs $150/yr for the American Express Green Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $645 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the Chase Sapphire Reserve also lists lounge access, travel credits, dining credits).
- Which card earns more rewards, the American Express Green Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve?
- 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 Green Card have that the Chase Sapphire Reserve doesn't?
- The American Express Green Card offers lounge access. The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers lounge access, travel credits, dining credits.
- Should I get the American Express Green Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the American Express Green Card has a lower $150/yr fee; the Chase Sapphire Reserve must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $795/yr.
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published October 12, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.