Two mid tier rewards cards. Two strong points programs. One credit card slot in your wallet to fill.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Amex Gold are constantly compared because they target the same shopper, the person who wants strong rewards without paying premium card prices. Each card costs less than $400 a year, each earns flexible points, and each is widely considered a best in class option for its niche.
The right answer depends on what you spend on. This head to head walks through every meaningful difference so you can pick the card that actually fits your life, not just the one with the better marketing.
The Annual Fee Gap
The Preferred charges $95 a year. The Gold charges $325 in 2026, up from previous years.
That $230 gap is significant. The Gold makes up some of the difference through monthly credits, including $120 in Uber Cash, $120 in dining partner credits, $84 in Dunkin' credits, and $100 in Resy credits. On paper, those credits exceed the fee.
In practice, most cardholders only capture $150 to $250 of those credits because they require active enrollment and monthly use. If you forget a month, the credit is gone.
The Preferred has a much simpler structure. The $50 hotel credit applies automatically to your first Chase Travel hotel booking each year.
Rewards Rates Compared
This is where the cards diverge sharply.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
- 5x on travel booked through Chase Travel
- 3x on dining, online groceries, and select streaming
- 2x on all other travel
- 1x on everything else
Our full guide to the Chase Sapphire Preferred's benefits walks through the $50 hotel credit, primary rental car coverage, and 14 transfer partners in detail.
Amex Gold
- 4x at restaurants worldwide
- 4x at US supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, then 1x)
- 3x on flights booked direct or through Amex Travel
- 2x on prepaid hotels through Amex Travel
- 1x on everything else
For the same depth on the Gold side, our complete breakdown of the Amex Gold Card's benefits covers the $325 fee, the monthly credit stack, and how the 4x earn engine plays out across a full year of spending.
The Gold dominates everyday dining and groceries. The Preferred dominates Chase Travel bookings and offers broader 2x coverage on non Chase travel.
For a household that spends $10,000 a year on groceries and $6,000 on dining, the Gold earns 64,000 points to the Preferred's 18,000. That gap matters.
Point Value and Transfer Partners
Both cards earn transferable points, which are the most valuable currency in rewards.
Chase Ultimate Rewards
14 transfer partners. Hyatt is the standout. Other strong options include United, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways, Southwest, and Virgin Atlantic. Points are worth 1.25 cents each through Chase Travel.
Amex Membership Rewards
21 transfer partners. Best uses include Air Canada Aeroplan, ANA, Delta, Virgin Atlantic, and Hilton. Points are worth 1 cent each through Amex Travel.
For most US travelers, Chase's Hyatt partnership is the single most valuable card transfer in the industry. Amex wins on flight transfers, especially for premium cabin redemptions on partners like ANA.
Insurance and Protection
The Preferred has stronger built in insurance.
Sapphire Preferred
- Primary rental car insurance
- Trip cancellation up to $10,000 per person
- Trip delay coverage after 12 hours, up to $500
- Baggage delay coverage
- Purchase protection 120 days, $500 per claim
- Extended warranty
Amex Gold
- Secondary rental car insurance
- Trip delay coverage after 12 hours, up to $300
- Baggage insurance
- Purchase protection 90 days, $10,000 per claim
- Extended warranty
The Preferred's primary rental car coverage and stronger trip insurance give it the edge for travelers. The Gold's purchase protection has a higher per claim cap, which matters more for big ticket buys.
Approval Considerations
Both cards require good credit, but the rules differ.
The Preferred typically requires a FICO score of 690 or higher and is subject to Chase's 5/24 rule. If you have opened five or more credit cards from any issuer in the past 24 months, you will likely be denied.
The Gold typically requires a FICO score of 700 or higher. Amex does not have a strict numerical rule like 5/24, but they weigh total credit history, income, and existing relationship with the bank.
If your score is below 670, neither card is realistic yet. The Self Visa® Credit Card is one of the most common starter cards for people working toward premium rewards products like these.
The Self Visa is a secured card with a high approval rate, reports to all three bureaus, and charges $0 intro annual fee for new customers in year one, then $25 after. Most users see meaningful score growth in six to twelve months of on time payments, which often puts cards like the Sapphire Preferred or Amex Gold in reach within a year or two.
Who Each Card Is Best For
Choose the Sapphire Preferred if you
- Travel one to three times a year
- Book through Chase Travel and want the 5x rate
- Want primary rental car insurance and stronger trip protection
- Value the Hyatt transfer partner for hotel stays
- Prefer a simple, low fee structure
- Have not opened 5 cards in the past 24 months
Choose the Amex Gold if you
- Spend $1,000 plus per month combined on dining and groceries
- Use Uber and Uber Eats regularly
- Want flexibility on premium cabin flight redemptions
- Are comfortable managing monthly credits and enrollments
- Already have a few Chase cards and want to diversify ecosystems
For people who fit both profiles, holding both cards is a common strategy. The Preferred handles travel and rental cars, the Gold handles dining and grocery spending, and the points stay in separate ecosystems with separate transfer partner strengths. Both cards skew toward applicants with strong files; our roundup of the best credit cards for great credit shows the other premium options worth holding alongside the Preferred and Gold once your FICO is comfortably above 740.
A Real Spending Example
Consider a household spending $40,000 a year on cards.
- $8,000 dining
- $6,000 groceries
- $5,000 travel (mix of Chase booked and direct)
- $21,000 other
The Preferred earns about 49,000 points per year. The Gold earns about 79,000 points.
At 1.5 cents per point in transfer value, that is $735 vs $1,185. The Gold wins by $450 in raw rewards, but costs $230 more in fees. Net advantage to the Gold: $220.
The math flips if travel spending is heavier or if you do not eat out much.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Chase Sapphire Preferred or Amex Gold?
It depends on your spending. The Gold wins for households that spend heavily on dining and groceries. The Preferred wins for occasional travelers who want strong insurance and flexible point options at a lower annual fee. Most heavy spenders eventually carry both.
Can I hold both the Sapphire Preferred and Amex Gold?
Yes, and many points enthusiasts do. The cards complement each other because they cover different spending categories with different point ecosystems. Using both effectively maximizes earn rates across travel, dining, and groceries.
Does the Amex Gold or Sapphire Preferred have better insurance?
The Sapphire Preferred has stronger built in travel insurance. It offers primary rental car coverage, trip cancellation up to $10,000 per person, and longer trip delay reimbursement than the Gold. The Gold has stronger purchase protection limits.
Which card is easier to get approved for?
The Sapphire Preferred is slightly easier in terms of credit score, with most approvals around 690 plus FICO. The Gold typically requires 700 or higher. However, Chase enforces the strict 5/24 rule, while Amex is more flexible on recent card openings.
