Whether you’re a rewards card beginner or an established points and miles expert, there could be room in your setup for two fantastic cards: the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) and the American Express® Gold Card.

But if you can only pick one, it can be hard to decide.

The Sapphire Preferred is a great way to earn valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points for a modest annual fee, while the Amex Gold is a favorite for foodies thanks to its bonus rewards on dining and groceries and valuable statement credits.

Limited-time offer on the Chase Sapphire Preferred: Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Which is best for your wallet? There are multiple differences between these two popular options, so let’s compare them to see which is right for you — or whether both deserve your attention.

Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold comparison

*Enrollment is required for these benefits.

Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold welcome offer

The Sapphire Preferred offers a compelling welcome bonus. New applicants can earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Based on TPG’s July 2026 valuations, Ultimate Rewards points are worth 2.05 cents each, making this bonus worth $2,050.

With the Amex Gold, you can find out if you are eligible for as high as 100,000 points after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases in your first six months of card membership. (Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.)

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This offer is worth up to $2,000, based on TPG’s July 2026 valuations.

Winner: Sapphire Preferred. It’s only worth $50 more according to our valuations, but it requires much less spending.

Related: The best credit card welcome bonuses

Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold benefits

The Sapphire Preferred offers solid perks for its $95 annual fee. These include a $100 annual hotel credit for bookings through Chase Travel and a complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership (activate by Dec. 31, 2027).

The card also includes a credit of up to $120 every four years toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus, as well as one year of complimentary Apple TV access (activate by Dec. 31).

Other benefits include travel protections such as rental car insurance, trip delay and cancellation insurance and baggage delay insurance. Hopefully, you’ll never need them, but they can provide significant value when your travel doesn’t go as planned.

For more than triple the Sapphire Preferred’s annual fee ($325 vs. $95), the Amex Gold offers several excellent perks (enrollment is required for select benefits):

• Up to $120 in Uber Cash per calendar year: Receive up to $10 in Uber Cash each month, valid on Uber rides and Uber Eats orders in the U.S. (Your Amex Gold must be added as a payment method, and you can redeem with any Amex card.)
• Up to $120 in dining credits each calendar year: Receive up to $10 a month in statement credits for purchases with your Amex Gold at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Buffalo Wild Wings, Wonder and Five Guys.
• Up to $100 in statement credits for purchases made at Resy restaurants per calendar year: Receive up to $50 in statement credits semiannually for eligible Resy purchases and dining at U.S. Resy restaurants; just pay with your card to receive the credit. No reservation is required.
• Up to $84 in statement credits for Dunkin’ Donuts purchases: Receive up to $7 per month in statement credits for purchases made at U.S. Dunkin’ Donuts.

These statement credits total up to $424 annually. If you’ll naturally use them, they more than offset the card’s annual fee. If not, their real-world value is much lower.

The Amex Gold’s annual fee is $230 higher than the Sapphire Preferred’s. If you’ll naturally use more than $230 in annual statement credits, that higher fee is easy to justify. Otherwise, the Sapphire Preferred likely offers better overall value.

Winner: Amex Gold. It’s easier to offset the annual fee if you naturally use the statement credits.

Related: Why you’ll want to pay the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s $95 annual fee

Earning points on the Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold

The Sapphire Preferred offers useful bonus categories that are broadly defined. These include:

• 5 points per dollar spent on travel booked through Chase Travel (excluding hotel reservations that qualify for the $100 credit)
• 5 points per dollar spent on Lyft (through Sept. 30, 2027)
• 5 points per dollar spent on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $150 or more (through Dec. 31, 2027, with a limit of 25,000 bonus points)
• 3 points per dollar spent on dining, select streaming services, gas, EV charging, select vacation homes and online grocery stores (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
• 2 points per dollar spent on other travel
• 1 point per dollar spent on everything else

If you regularly maximize bonus categories, these offer plenty of opportunities to earn additional points.

However, the Amex Gold shines when it comes to earning rates:

• 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App
• 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent)
• 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent)
• 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or booked on amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App
• 2 points per dollar spent on car rentals booked through amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App
• 2 points per dollar spent on cruises and other eligible travel booked through amextravel.com
• 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases

Before reaching the spending caps, earning 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets is an 8% return on both purchases, according to TPG’s valuations. That makes it one of the best cards for dining at restaurants worldwide and grocery shopping within the U.S.

Winner: Amex Gold. Its higher earning rates on dining worldwide, at U.S. supermarkets and on flights booked directly with an airline give it the upper hand.

Related: Why the Amex Gold is the perfect ‘in-between’ credit card

Redeeming points on the Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold

Both cards earn highly valuable transferable rewards.The Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards points, which you can redeem through Chase Travel, transfer to one of Chase’s 14 hotel and airline partners, or use for gift cards and statement credits. With the Points Boost feature, you’ll get up to 1.75 cents per point on select Chase Travel bookings, but transferring points to travel partners typically provides the greatest value.

Similarly, the Amex Gold earns Membership Rewards points, which you can redeem through AmexTravel.com, transfer to one of Amex’s 19 hotel and airline partners, or use for gift cards and statement credits. While travel partner transfers generally provide the best value, statement credits and gift cards often return less than 1 cent per point.

Point value by redemption method

Winner: Tie. Both cards earn transferable rewards and give you a wide range of valuable redemption options.

Transferring points on the Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold

TPG values Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 2.05 cents each and Amex Membership Rewards points at 2 cents each, though the better program depends on your travel habits.

For example, if you live in a Delta hub, you might get more value by transferring Membership Rewards points to Delta SkyMiles. Meanwhile, if you have a Southwest Companion Pass, you can unlock excellent value by transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest Rapid Rewards.

TPG credit cards writer Augusta Stone often transfers her Sapphire Preferred points to World of Hyatt, one of the most valuable hotel loyalty programs.

Meanwhile, TPG credit cards editor Olivia Mittak has transferred her Membership Rewards points to partners, including Air Canada Aeroplan and Delta SkyMiles.

Winner: Tie. Both cards transfer to various partners, each with its own redemption options and sweet spots.

Related: Why transferable points are worth more than other rewards

Should I get the Sapphire Preferred or Amex Gold?

The right card depends largely on where your money goes each month. Here’s which card fits four common spending patterns:

Travel a few times a year and want to keep costs low

If you travel a few times a year but don’t want to juggle multiple monthly credits or pay a high annual fee, the Sapphire Preferred is likely the better fit. Its travel protections, valuable bonus categories and $95 annual fee make it an excellent all-around travel card.

Spend at least $500 a month on dining and groceries

If you regularly spend several hundred dollars each month dining out and shopping at U.S. supermarkets, the Amex Gold will usually provide the greatest long-term value thanks to its 4-points-per-dollar earning rates and statement credits.

Spend more on travel than groceries

If much of your spending goes toward gas, EV charging, streaming services, vacation rentals and general travel rather than supermarkets, the Sapphire Preferred’s bonus categories are broader and easier to maximize.

You’ll use at least $230 in Amex Gold credits each year

If you already use Uber, dine at Resy restaurants, visit Dunkin’ and order from eligible dining partners, the Amex Gold’s statement credits can more than offset its higher annual fee, making it the stronger long-term choice.

Related: How to choose the best credit card for you

Bottom line

Both the Sapphire Preferred and the Amex Gold earn valuable transferable rewards in popular spending categories and offer strong benefits.

While these cards complement each other well, most readers will be better off starting with the Sapphire Preferred thanks to its lower annual fee and Chase’s 5/24 rule. You can always add the Amex Gold later if its dining rewards and statement credits fit your spending habits.

To learn more, read our full reviews of the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Amex Gold.

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred

Apply here: American Express Gold Card

For rates and fees of the Amex Gold, click here.