Credit card showdown: Chase Sapphire Reserve vs. Amex Gold – The Points Guy
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.
When it comes to travel rewards cards, you usually get what you pay for in terms of bonus categories and perks. This is why we usually compare cards within a single category, to try to find the best premium rewards card or the best no-annual-fee cards.
The problem is, the American Express® Gold Card doesn’t fit cleanly into any category. It straddles the line between entry-level and premium, offering high-value foodie bonus categories at a manageable annual fee. Today we’re taking a look at how it stacks up against the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, one of the all-around best cards for travel and dining.
Comparing the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Gold
Let’s start with a quick overview of some of the highlights of each card.
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | American Express® Gold Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $550. | $250 (see rates & fees). |
| Welcome offer | 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening. | Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first 6 months. (Note: You could be targeted for a higher offer through CardMatch)
This offer is subject to change at any time. |
| Bonus categories | 3 points per dollar on travel and dining.
10 points per dollar on Lyft through March 2025. 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. |
4 points per dollar at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets (U.S. supermarkets capped at $25,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).
3 points per dollar on flights booked directly from the airline or amextravel.com. 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. |
| Annual statement credits | $300 annual travel credit (that is currently more flexible than normal). |
Up to $10 monthly dining credit at the following partners: Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations (up to $120 annually). Enrollment required. Up to $10 monthly Uber credit in the form of Uber Cash that can be used on U.S. Uber rides and Uber Eats orders (up to $120 annually). |
| Other card benefits | Priority Pass Select membership.
DoorDash DashPass membership and $5 monthly DoorDash statement credits through December 2024. Lyft Pink membership. Global Entry / TSA PreCheck application fee credit. Trip cancellation/interruption insurance. Baggage loss and delay insurance (enrollment required for select benefits). |
Trip delay reimbursement.
Baggage loss or damage reimbursement. Up to a $100 property credit when booking eligible stays of two nights or more through the Amex Hotel Collection. |
Welcome offer
Both cards offer valuable welcome offers that can help fund your next big trip.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve currently offers new applicants 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Meanwhile, the Amex Gold Card offers 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership. TPG value Ultimate Rewards and Membership Rewards points equally at 2 cents apiece, making these bonuses worth $1,200 each.
However, you could potentially be targeted for 75,000 bonus Membership Rewards bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months for the Amex Gold through CardMatch (these offers are subject to change at any time). If you are targeted for this offer, the Amex Gold’s bonus beats out the Chase Sapphire Reserve because 75,000 points are worth a lucrative $1,500.
Of course, the bonus value is only one piece of the equation. You also need to make sure you’re eligible to apply for either of these cards, as both Chase and Amex have different restrictions on welcome bonus eligibility.
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Winner: The Amex Gold beats out the CSR with a higher bonus valuation.
Related: Try TPG’s CardMatch tool to see if you pre-qualify for a higher welcome offer
Bonus categories
Here’s how the two cards stack up when it comes to earning points on your purchases:
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | American Express Gold Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Earning rates | 10 points per dollar on Lyft through March 2025.
3 points per dollar on travel and dining. 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. |
4 points per dollar at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (U.S. supermarkets capped at $25,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).
3 points per dollar on flights booked directly from the airline or amextravel.com. 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. |
When the Chase Sapphire Reserve originally launched, it had two great things going for it: broadly defined bonus categories and a high points multiplier in two of the most popular spending categories. However, as the premium card landscape has continued to heat up, it’s lost some of its luster to cards such as the Amex Gold.
The Amex Gold is clearly designed to be a foodie-friendly card and that’s reflected in the bonus categories.
That 4 points per dollar on groceries (an 8% return based on TPG’s valuations) is one of the best earning rates you’ll find from any card. The Amex Gold also has an edge when it comes to dining at restaurants, as its 4 points per dollar (8% return) again edges out the 3 points per dollar (6%) on the Sapphire Reserve.
For travel, the cards tie for airfare purchases made directly with the airline, but the Sapphire Reserve is stronger for all other travel purchases. Travel bookings including hotels, group tours, rental cars, even parking meters and tolls all earn 3 points per dollar on the Sapphire Reserve versus 1 point on the Amex Gold. Similar to The Platinum Card® from American Express, the Amex Gold’s airfare bonus is incredibly limited and only applies to purchases made directly with the airline or at amextravel.com.
Winner: These cards clearly target slightly different audiences, but even before adjusting for the lower annual fee, the Amex Gold offers a higher earning potential.
Related: Which purchases count as travel with the Chase Sapphire Reserve?
Redemption options
TPG values Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Amex Membership Rewards points equally at 2 cents apiece, but the programs each have strengths and weaknesses that could cause you to pick one over the other.
The programs do have a number of high-value transfer partners in common, including Virgin Atlantic, Singapore KrisFlyer, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Emirates and British Airways.
Amex points will probably come out ahead if you’re primarily looking to fly long-haul premium cabin flights, thanks to 1:1 transfer partners such as ANA and Air Canada Aeroplan.
Chase has fewer airline transfer partners but is much better for those looking to redeem points for hotel stays, thanks to a 1:1 transfers to World of Hyatt. Hyatt points are worth more than other hotel points, so while both Chase and Amex partner with Marriott with 1:1 transfers, transfers to Hyatt can be more lucrative than most other hotel transfer partners.
Free nights at top-tier Hyatt properties such as the Park Hyatt Sydney and Park Hyatt New York cost just 35,000 points, while you’d have to use 70,000-100,000 points to book a single night at Marriott’s most expensive hotels.
Transfer partners are the best way to score an outsized value from your points, especially if you’re looking to stay at luxury hotels or fly in fancy premium cabins. However, if you value simplicity and flexibility, the Chase Sapphire Reserve offers another redemption option that might interest you.
When you redeem points for travel through the Chase portal you’ll get a 50% bonus, making your points worth 1.5 cents each.
You can use this option to book just about any airline seat that’s for sale without worrying about hunting down award space. Because these redemptions are technically cash bookings, you’ll also earn redeemable and elite qualifying miles on flights booked this way.
Winner: This category is ultimately a tie, as factors such as your travel preferences and home airport could easily push you to one program over the other.
Related: Why all travelers should earn transferable points
Card benefits
This is where we start to see the biggest differences arise, as the Chase Sapphire Reserve is a premium, luxury travel card with the perks to match. Let’s start with the most important benefit that can help offset the card’s $550 annual fee: a $300 annual travel credit. Similar to the 3 points per dollar travel bonus category, this credit is automatically applied to a wide range of travel purchases including airfare, hotels and many other options.
The Sapphire Reserve also comes with a full-fledged Priority Pass Select membership, including guesting privileges and access to Priority Pass restaurants. Cardholders get access to a premium concierge service, a Global Entry / TSA PreCheck application fee credit, a number of useful travel and baggage insurance policies and more. You’ll also enjoy an included minimum of one year of free food delivery with DoorDash DashPass (when activated by December 31, 2024) and a complimentary Lyft Pink membership through March 2025.
The Amex Gold rewards foodies with a $10 monthly dining credit valid at the following merchants: Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required. Cardholders also receive up to $120 in annual Uber Cash issued in $10 monthly increments and valid on Uber rides or Uber Eats purchases. If you max out both of these benefits, you’ll wind up with $240 in annual statement credits, almost completely erasing the card’s $250 annual fee (see rates and fees). Enrollment is required for select benefits.
The Amex Gold also offers insurance if your baggage is lost, damaged or stolen* as well as trip delay reimbursement** and up to a $100 property credit when booking stays of two nights or more through the Amex Hotel Collection.
*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
**Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Winner: It’s no surprise that the Chase Sapphire Reserve offers more perks in just about every category than the cheaper Amex Gold. Ultimately though, you’ll need to see which card’s benefits you’ll be able to use easily.
Related: How to use the Amex Gold dining credit
Which card should you get?
If you’re eligible for both of these cards, they make an all-star pairing and there’s a real case for having both in your wallet.
Diversifying your points between Chase and Amex can help you unlock higher value redemptions and these two cards complement each other very well when it comes to benefits and earning and redeeming points.
If you have to pick between one or the other, you’ll need to decide what you want out of your card. If you’re looking for the best possible earning rates or the lowest annual fee, the Amex Gold is an easy choice. If you’re looking for luxury travel benefits and you’re willing to pay more for them, the Sapphire Reserve is the way to go. You also need to think about the redemption side and spend some time deciding whether your travel goals will be better served with Ultimate Rewards or Membership Rewards points.
Related: Are premium credit cards worth the annual fee?
Bottom line
Despite not technically being a premium card, the Amex Gold gives the Chase Sapphire Reserve a run for its money in several different categories. These two cards complement each other quite well, but they also target slightly different audiences. The Amex Gold is a go-to card for all things food-related, while the Sapphire Reserve is more focused on luxury travel experiences.
For more details, check out our full reviews of the Amex Gold and the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold card, click here.
Additional reporting by Emily Thompson and Madison Blancaflor.
