Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Delta Gold

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card and the Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card are two good options for travel rewards cards.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the most popular travel rewards cards because it offers nice welcome bonus and extra points on travel and dining, which can be transferred to airline and hotel partners or redeemed directly for travel at a rate of 1.25 cents per point through Chase Travel℠. The Sapphire Preferred also offers great travel and purchase protections for a card with a $95 annual fee.

The Amex Gold is a great card for earning points at restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and flights booked directly with airlines. Cardholders can also enjoy up to $424 in annual credits and nice travel and purchase protections.

This article will compare each card based on several factors to help you make an informed decision on which card is the best to add to your wallet.

Full Reviews: Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card vs Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card.

Overview: Sapphire Preferred vs Delta Gold

Welcome Bonus

Chase Sapphire Preferred:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred currently offers the following welcome bonus:

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.

Delta Gold American Express:

The Delta Gold Amex currently offers the following welcome bonus:

You may be eligible for as high as 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.

Earning Points

Chase Sapphire Preferred:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards points and offers bonus points on spending in several categories:

• 5 points per dollar on travel booked through the Chase travel portal;
• 5 points per dollar on Lyft purchases (through March 2025);
• 5 points per dollar on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $250 or more (through March 2025, with a limit of 25,000 bonus points);
• 3 points per dollar on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out;
• 3 points per dollar on online grocery store purchases (excludes Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs);
• 3 points per dollar on select streaming services;
• 2 points per dollar on all travel not booked through the Chase travel portal; and
• 1 point per dollar on all other eligible spending.

Delta Gold American Express:

The Delta Gold Amex allows cardholders to earn:

• 2 SkyMiles per dollar on purchases made with Delta;
• 2 SkyMiles per dollar on dining at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.;
• 2 SkyMiles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets; and
• 1 SkyMile per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

Winner:

Chase Sapphire Preferred, which offers more earning opportunities across various spending categories, coupled with a more lucrative rewards rate. While you won’t be earning SkyMiles, cardholders can earn 2x points for travel purchases not booked through the Chase portal.

Card Benefits

Chase Sapphire Preferred:

The  Chase Sapphire Preferred offers nice benefits, including:

Delta Gold American Express:

The Delta Gold Amex offers the following benefits for cardholders:

First Free Checked Bag: The Delta Gold Amex offers a free first checked bag free for you and up to eight companions traveling with you on your reservation on a Delta or Delta Connection flight.

Priority Boarding: You and up to eight travel companions on your reservation enjoy Priority Boarding in Group 5 when flying Delta.

Annual Delta Stays Credit: Get up to $100 back per year as a statement credit after using your Delta Gold Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com/stays.

Delta Flight Credit: Receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit after you spend $10,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year.

20% Back on In-Flight Purchases: You can get 20% back as a statement credit for eligible prepurchased meals and inflight purchases of food, alcoholic beverages and audio headsets on Delta-operated flights.

15% Award Discount: Card members save 15% anytime when using SkyMiles to book Award Travel on Delta flights.

No Foreign Transaction Fees: You'll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn't add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose.

Amex Offers: As an American Express cardholder, you can access Amex Offers. These targeted, limited-time promotions provide discounts or bonus points on purchases with select merchants. Offers are added to your card, and you'll receive either a percentage or dollar amount back as a statement credit when you meet the offer terms. While offers vary and may not always align with your spending habits, this perk can be valuable when an offer matches your preferences.

Secondary Rental Car Insurance: This card provides backup protection for rental car damage or theft when you charge the full rental to your card.*

Lost Luggage Reimbursement: Your checked luggage gets extra protection against loss, theft, or damage beyond the basic compensation offered by carriers when you pay for travel with this card.

*

Extended Warranty Protection: When you purchase items with your credit card, you'll get an extra year of warranty coverage on eligible items that have original manufacturer warranties of up to five years. This valuable perk means you can protect expensive electronics and appliances that come with longer manufacturer warranties without paying extra for store protection plans*

90-Day Purchase Protection: Your new purchases are covered against damage and theft for 90 days when you use your card. This protection helps safeguard your eligible items right from the moment you buy them.*

* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

Winner:

It depends on how much you fly Delta Air Lines. If you can take advantage of Delta’s free checked bag benefit at least a few times per year, then the Delta Gold Amex has more useful benefits.

If not, then the Sapphire Preferred has more travel and purchase protections and includes a 10% points bonus and $50 annual credit on hotel stays booked through Ultimate Rewards.

If you fly Delta Air Lines several times a year and want to check your bag,

While you’ll get some solid travel and purchase protection benefits from both cards, each card still has its own unique perks, so it’s hard to say which card is the clear winner.

If you’re a regular Delta flyer, you’ll want to take a close look at the Delta SkyMiles Gold card should be your first option. But, if you’re all about food delivery and online shopping, then the Sapphire Preferred is your best pick.

Value of the Annual Fee

Chase Sapphire Preferred:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred comes with an annual fee of $95.

While some users might be initially deterred by this cost, it’s important to consider the value and benefits that come with the card.

The rewards points, travel benefits, and purchase protections can help offset the cost of the annual fee for frequent travelers.

Delta Gold Amex:

The Delta SkyMiles Gold has $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (rates & fees).

This allows you to try out the card risk-free for the first year to see if you can offset the annual fee in subsequent years by taking advantage of the free checked bag, priority boarding, Delta Stays credit, 20% statement credit for in-flight purchases, and travel protections.

Winner:

It depends on how often you fly Delta to take advantage of the Delta Gold’s benefits on Delta. If only fly Delta a few times per year, the Chase Sapphire Preferred will likely be a better deal for you.

Redeeming Points

Chase Sapphire Preferred:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards points, one of the most flexible points currencies.

You can use your points to book flights, hotel stays, and even rent a car through Chase Travel — all at a fixed rate of 1.25 cents per point. For example, 100,000 points are equivalent to $1,250 towards travel.

You can unlock even more value than 1.25 cents per point by transferring rewards to Chase airline and hotel partners.

Delta Gold Amex:

Delta no longer publishes an award chart for its SkyMiles program. Award flights are instead priced dynamically based on many factors, including routes, travel dates, airline partners, and how far in advance you book the flight.

It is generally very difficult for people to get outsized value when using SkyMiles for business class, like many other points programs, but here’s a few of my recommended ways to redeem SkyMiles:

• Domestic economy flights starting as low as 4,500 SkyMiles.
• Booking one of Delta’s occasional flash sales.
• Flights to Canada on WestJet starting as low as 4,500 SkyMiles.
• Virgin Atlantic to London in Upper Class for 120,000 SkyMiles each way.
• Air France Business Class to Paris for 120,000 SkyMiles each way.
• LATAM Economy Class from the U.S. to South America starting at 25,000 SkyMiles each way.

Winner:

Chase Sapphire Preferred since Chase Ultimate Rewards points have a higher value when redeemed through their online travel portal. Additionally, these points are flexible and can be transferred to a variety of hotel and airline partners across different airline alliances.

The Verdict

The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Delta Gold Amex are both excellent credit card options that offer unique benefits and rewards. However, the Sapphire card is the better option in several aspects.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a more generous welcome offer, higher reward rates, and more flexible redemption options compared to the Delta Amex Gold. Additionally, the points earned on the Sapphire card can be transferred to a variety of hotel and airline partners, which gives you more flexibility and value.

While the Delta Amex Gold does offer some great benefits for Delta loyalists, it is important to note that this card may not be the best fit for everyone. It’s mainly designed for those who frequently fly with Delta and can take advantage of the airline-specific benefits.

Overall, if you’re looking for a credit card that offers great travel rewards, excellent benefits, and flexible redemption options, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a top choice.

Which card are you going to choose?