In the rewards game, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and Amex Gold card are solid credit card accounts to have. Both give you points for eligible purchases like for travel, shopping, and dining.

Both offer generous welcome bonus incentives of 60,000 points after you spend $4000 within the first three months of account opening.

Both also have valuable transfer partners so you can redeem points for hotel stays and flights. The only problem is which credit card do you choose?

We’re taking a look at the Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Preferred question and detailing the points per dollar, annual fee, how best to redeem points, benefits, and transfer partners of each credit card.

Then you can decide which credit card–Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Amex Gold–deserves a place of honor in your wallet based on your personal spending habits.

Whichever card you choose, make sure you have an acceptable credit score before applying.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

The annual fee for this card is a relatively low $95 and it still offers the super robust Chase Ultimate Rewards program as well as other perks.

You’ll likely be approved for a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card if you have a minimum credit score of 640.

But other factors like employment, credit history, and annual income are also considered in the application process.

One of the great things about Chase Ultimate Rewards is you can transfer the Ultimate Rewards points to Chase partners at a 1 for 1 ratio.

Cardholders can earn rewards quickly in a variety of spending categories.

Travel protection is available too, although we are partial to World Nomads for their comprehensive travel insurance products.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred doesn’t offer an intro APR or a balance transfer fee, however.

And the best rewards for travel are for bookings made through Chase rather than direct.

Still, the perks are real:

• 60,000 bonus points as a welcome bonus for spending $4,000 within the first three months of the Chase Sapphire Preferred account opening, which is worth $750 through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
• 25% in increased value when travel–hotels, flights, cruises, and car rentals–is booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards. That’s how the 60,000 bonus points are $750.
• 5X points per dollar on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
• 3x on dining (including delivery and takeout), online grocery shopping (Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs not included), and on select streaming services.
• 2x on travel booked elsewhere.
• $50 Chase Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit annually.
• DashPass, DoorDash’s subscription service, for unlimited deliveries for free and other reduced service fees.
• Pay Yourself Back program where your points have 25% more value when applied as statement credits.
• $60 credit for eligible Peloton Digital Membership or All-Access pass for workouts on the Peloton app. No fitness equipment is required.
• Purchase protection and extended warranty protection.
• No foreign transaction fee

To maximize the rewards, consider pairing the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card with another Chase Ultimate Rewards Card to cover all the gaps and have the ability to pool your Chase Sapphire Preferred points.

Watch the annual fees, though, to make sure it’s worth the added expense.

As a cardholder, you’ll also get 10% in bonus points awarded upon your anniversary.

And if travel isn’t in your foreseeable future, you have the option to turn your points into gift cards at a 1 cent per point.

As for travel purchases, basically any way you move around the world counts. So, besides flights, you can earn points for traveling by bus, train, limo, and taxi.

Chase’s transfer partners are:

• United MileagePlus
• Southwest Rapid Rewards 
• Air France–KLM Flying Blue
• British Airways
• Iberia
• Aer Lingus
• Emirates
• JetBlue
• Singapore Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• World of Hyatt
• Marriott Bonvoy
• IHG Rewards

Tolls, ferries, and parking and garage fees will also earn you Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Your Chase Sapphire Preferred Card protects your travel purchases too.

You may be eligible for reimbursement in case of cancellation, interruption, or delay. If your baggage is delayed, you may be covered for toiletries and clothing.

And don’t worry about purchasing additional rental car insurance.

If you use your Chase Sapphire Preferred Card as payment for your rental car, you’ll have collision and theft coverage.

For other eligible purchases, enjoy purchase protection again damage or theft for 120 days and extend the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by one year.

Redeeming points earned through eligible purchases on your Chase Sapphire Preferred Cards is really easy too.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is best for those looking for a low annual fee but still want multiple ways to collect points.

There are other Chase cards that have better rewards programs, but the Chase Sapphire Preferred is easy to use without wading through complicated terms and conditions.

Amex Gold Card

Since 1966, people have relied on the American Express Gold Card for traveling and everyday purchases. To this day, its considered the premier rewards gold card.

It also comes in your choice of gold or rose gold metal. That’s so metal.

American Express also sends member exclusive offers saving you money at partipating retailers when you use your card for purchases.

You’ll need higher credit scores at a minimum FICO score of 670 which means your credit history is good or excellent.

The Amex Gold Card doesn’t have a set spending limit either.

The amount you can spend flexes with your payment, purchase and history. You’ll be required to pay certain balances on time too.

The credit card also doesn’t offer a balance transfer fee because transfers of balances from another card, presumably to pay them off at a lower interest rate, aren’t allowed.

The annual fee for Amex Gold Cards is a heftier $250, but in exchange, you get one of the highest earnings rate available.

Membership Rewards points earned on your American Express Gold Card can be transferred to a long list of travel partners and you can have up to five users without having to pay an additional annual fee for them.

However there are no airport lounge benefits with this card. It’s also difficult to carry a balance if you needed to and the APR is high.

But here are the other perks:

• New cardmembers can earn 60,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $4,000 is spent on eligible purchases in the first six months of the American Express Gold Card account opening.
• Choice between a metal Gold Card or a metal Rose Gold Card.
• Get 3 points per dollar on flights purchased with the airline directly or through the Amex travel site.
• Get 4 points per dollar at restaurants and U.S. grocery stores, including online grocery purchases, up to $25,000 each calendar year, then earn 1x.
• 1x on other purchases.
• Receive a $10 dining credit each month when you use your Gold Card at Seamless, Grubhub, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, The Cheesecake Factory, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations. After enrollment, this perk amounts to $120 per year.
• Receive a $10 Uber Cash credit monthly when you add your Gold Card to your Uber account for Uber rides and Uber Eats orders for an annual Uber Cash total of $120.
• Free ShopRunner membership for free two-day shipping from a list of over 100 retailers including Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale’s.
• Refunds on purchases returned within 90-days in the case that the merchant refuses up to $300 and capped at $1000 per year.
• No foreign transaction fees.

Like Chase Sapphire Preferred, the American Express Gold Card is easy to use with straightforward ways to collect and redeem rewards points.

Plus the 4 Amex Membership Rewards points for restaurants, groceries, and online grocery purchases is pretty sweet.

You’d have to weigh that against the annual fee of $250, but it may be worth it.

And if you have five authorized users, you can hook up your whole family and rack up those points. The points are incredibly flexible to use too.

Determine how much your points are worth with their points value calculator.

Transfer your Amex points to a couple of dozen airlines that are on the Amex transfer partner list.

The list includes Delta SkyTeam, British Airways and Iberia Avios Oneworld, and Air Canada Aeroplan Star Alliance.

Other American Express transfer partners are:

• Asia Miles
• Delta SkyMiles
• Emirates Skywards
• Etihad Guest
• Finnair Plus
• Flying Blue
• Iberia Plus
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Quantas Frequent Flyer
• SAS EuroBonus
• Singapore KrisFlyer

Most of the time, the value of each reward point is 1:1. Then American Express often offers transfer bonuses, so your points are worth even more.

If you prefer, you can turn points in for gift cards for retailers, travel companies, and restaurants. For this, the value will end up between 0.5 cent and 1 cent per point.

There are some retailers that will also take your points and one of those is Amazon where you can purchase travel gear like this portable charger for your next trip.

Just to make things as easy as possible, American Express allows you to book flights through their travel page at 1 cent for each point.

Often, you’ll even earn points on these flights because the airlines consider them “cash” purchases.

You won’t find any blackout dates either and your points never expire for as long as you have the account.

Other travel benefits include access to the Global Assist Hotline 24-hours and 7-days a week for medical, legal, and financial coordination services.

If you book two consecutive hotel nights through American Express Travel, you’ll see a $100 credit to use at the property on dining, spa, and resort activities.

Get upgraded upon check-in, based on availability. If your bags are lost or stolen, you may be eligible for reimbursement with American Express Baggage Insurance.

You may also qualify for insurance of car rental loss and damage when you pay with your American Express and decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver.

The American Express Gold Card is good for people who plan to pay their entire balance each month and can justify the high annual fee with the rewards structure.

The Differences Between Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Preferred

The biggest difference between what’s offered by the two credit card companies is in the annual fee which for Chase Sapphire Preferred is $95 and for American Express Gold is $250.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card has a variable APR rate between 16.99% and 23.99%. The Amex Gold has a variable APR rate between 15.99% and 22.99%. 

The APR is something to consider when weighing one annual fee against the other.

In rewards:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred offers 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
• 3 points per dollar on dining, online grocery shopping, and on select streaming services.
• 2x on other travel purchases.

And…

• American Express Gold Card offers 4x Membership Rewards points for dining in U.S. restaurants, enrollment required.
• 4 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (capped at $25,000 each calendar year, then 1x).
• 3x on airfare booked directly with airlines and through the American Express Travel website.
• 1x points on other purchases.

In credits:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred offers $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit.
• American Express Gold Card offers $120 annual dining credit–or $10 per month–at select restaurants and $120 annual Uber credit–or $10 per month.

Redeeming:

• Chase Ultimate Rewards offers 13 transfer partners including World of Hyatt, IHG Rewards Club, Marriott Bonvoy, Southwest, United Airlines, and JetBlue. Cardholders get a 25% bonus when they redeem their points through the travel portal.
• American Express Membersip Rewards offers 19 transfer partners, including Delta, British Airways, Avianca, Etihad, Emirates, Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, and Radisson.

Welcome Bonus Chase Sapphire Preferred vs American Express Gold Card: Both cards offer 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months.

However, Chase Sapphire Preferred points are worth more when they are redeemed through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal.

Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Preferred: The Similarities

Here’s where both Chase Sapphire Preferred and Amex Gold perform the same:

• Account opening bonus of 60,000 membership rewards points
• Purchase protection
• Extends U.S. manufacturers’ warranties
• Neither one charges a foreign transaction fee
• Baggage and trip delay insurance
• Auto collision damage waivers for auto rentals (insurance is primary for Chase Sapphire Preferred and secondary for the American Express Gold Card)
• Emergency and travel assistance

Where is Chase Sapphire Preferred Better?

Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders will enjoy:

• The lower annual fee of $95
• Pay Yourself Back program
• $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit
• 1:1 transfer value when booking travel rewards
• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance, zero liability protection

Where is American Express Gold Card Better?

Amex Gold members will enjoy:

• $10 in Uber Cash monthly for a total of $120 per year to use on rides or Uber Eats when you add your Amex Gold to your account (enrollment required)
• $10 credit monthly for a total of $120 per year when you use your Amex Gold Card for orders from Grubhub, Boxed, Seamless and other places.
• $100 to use for spa treatments, dining credit, and other resort activities when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel.
• Amex offers for exclusive discounts at participating retailers when you use your credit card for purchases.
• Free ShopRunner membership to receive two-day shipping at no additional charge for online purchases at select major stores.
• Early access to pre-sales of tickets, special seating, and member-only events, concerts, and shows

Who Should Get Chase Sapphire Preferred

The annual fee of $95 is hard to beat, especially if you don’t think you would use the Uber and dining credits the American Express Gold Card offers.

But consider your own spending habits.

Chase Sapphire is also good for people who aren’t avid travellers because of the Pay Yourself Back program that allows cardholders other ways besides travel to redeem their points at the same high conversion rate.

The value of points redeemed through Pay Yourself Back can be up to 1.5 cents for Airbnb and Away, dining at restaurants, through takeout, and by delivery services, and donating to select charities.

Even though the categories seem limited, this program shouldn’t be overlooked.

If you had 15,000 points you could redeem on an eligible purchase (Airbnb and Away, dining at restaurants, through takeout, and by delivery services, or donating to select charities), instead of being valued at $150, they would now have a value of $225.

That’s the same as if you had redeemed them for travel through Ultimate Rewards. It’s also much better than if you opt for “Cash Back.”

Who Should Get Amex Gold

Opt for the Amex Gold card if you can justify the much higher annual fee of $250. This may be easier than you think.

Amex Gold rewards you for using your card at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets ($25,000 annually, then 1X points afterward).

You also get Uber Cash and food delivery credit if you like to use these types of services.

Bottom line, if you love to travel, Amex Gold is your card. Particularly for the hotel credits and extensive list of travel partners with frequent bonus periods.

See Related

• Free Travel Rewards and Credit Card Spreadsheet Template
• Best Credit Cards for Travel Perks Ranked
• Best Credit Cards for Overseas Travel