Choosing between the American Express® Gold Card and card_name is not a simple task, as both offer compelling rewards programs and features.
The Amex Gold is renowned for its superior earning potential in categories like dining and U.S. Supermarkets, while the Chase Sapphire Reserve stands out with its travel perks like airport lounge access and other benefits.
This article will detail the differences between the two cards so you can make an informed decision on the best card for you.
Cards Overview
card_name
- bonus_miles_full
- $300 Annual Travel Credit
- 10x Points on Hotels and Rental Cars and 5x Points on Flights Booked Through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3x Points on Dining, Takeout, & Eligible Food Delivery
- 50% More Redemption Value
- Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $550 Annual Fee
- bonus_miles_full
- 4x Points at U.S. Supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1 point per dollar)
- 4x Points at Restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.).
- Up to $120 Uber Cash Credit (Add your Gold Card to your Uber account, and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S.)
- $120 Dining Credit (up to $10 in monthly statement credits at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, & select Shake Shacks)
- $250 Annual Fee (Rates and Fees)
Welcome Bonus
The Amex Gold currently offers the following welcome bonus:
bonus_miles_full
Earning Points
The card_name offers bonus points in the following categories:
- 10 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Travel;
- 10 points per dollar on dining purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards;
- 10 points per dollar on Lyft rides (through March 31, 2025);
- 10 points per dollar on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases (through March 2025) of $250 or more, with a maximum of 50,000 points;
- 5 points per dollar on flights purchased through Chase Travel;
- 3 points per dollar on all other travel (excluding the $300 travel credit);
- 3 points per dollar on dining purchases worldwide; and
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible spending.
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The Amex Gold earns Membership Rewards points and offers some very nice points multipliers to help you earn a lot of points:
- 4 points per dollar on dining at restaurants (including takeout and food delivery in the U.S.).
- 4 points per dollar on up to $25,000 in purchases at U.S. supermarkets per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar).
- 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly from the airline or through the Amex Travel.
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Winner:
Card Benefits
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers the following benefits:
- $300 travel credit after making a travel purchase.
- Receive 50% more value on points redeemed for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal.
- Priority Pass airport lounge access.
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit.
- Free one-year Instacart+ subscription.
- 2 complimentary years of Lyft Pink All Access when activated by Dec 31, 2024—a value of $199/year.
- Free DashPass subscription through December 31, 2024.
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance (up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip).
- Primary car rental insurance.
- Lost luggage reimbursement (up to $3,000 per passenger)
- Baggage delay insurance (up to $100 per day for five days).
- Trip delay reimbursement (up to $500 per ticket for a delay longer than 12 hours or overnight).
- Extended warranty.
- Return protection (90 days of purchase, up to $500 per item, $1,000 per year).
- 120 days purchase protection (up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year).
- Roadside assistance.
- No foreign transaction fees.
The American Express Gold Card offers the following benefits for its cardholders:
- Up to $120 annual dining statement credit: Earn up to $10 in monthly statement credits when you pay with the Amex Gold Card at participating dining partners, including Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment is required.
- Up to $120 in annual Uber Cash: Earn up to $10 in Uber Cash monthly for Uber Eats and Uber rides in the U.S. when you enroll and add the card to the Uber app.
- Up to $100 in hotel credits: Cardmembers who use their card to book a stay of two nights or more through Amex’s The Hotel Collection receive a $100 on-site credit for qualifying activities.
- Trip delay insurance ($300 for a delay of more than 12 hours)*
- Lost luggage reimbursement*
- No foreign transaction fees
- Secondary rental car insurance*
- Return protection*
- Purchase protection*
- Extended warranty
* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
*(Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/
Winner: It Depends.
For frequent travelers, the Sapphire Reserve is a better option because of its Priority Pass airport lounge access and better travel protections.
For less frequent travelers, the Amex Gold’s dining and Uber Cash credits may be more useful.
Annual Fee
The card_name has an annual fee of $550, which is higher than many other credit cards.
However, the card offers a $300 annual travel credit, effectively reducing the annual fee to $250. The airport lounge access, fee credits, and travel and purchase protections can offset the remaining annual fee.
The American Express Gold has a $250 annual fee (rates and fees), which is offset by the $240 in credits, trip and purchase protections, and extra points on dining, flights, and U.S. supermarkets.
Winner: Amex Gold.
The Amex Gold’s $250 annual fee is lower and easier offset by the $240 in fee credits.
Redeeming Points
The Chase Sapphire Reserve earns Ultimate Rewards points.
You can use your points to book flights, hotel stays, and even rent a car through Chase Travel — all at a fixed rate of 1.5 cents per point. For example, 100,000 points are equivalent to $1,500 towards travel.
This rate is higher than Chase’s other cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) at 1.25 cents per point, and the Chase Freedom Flex℠ (review) and Chase Freedom Unlimited® (review) with a redemption value of 1.0 cents per point.
You can also get even more value when you transfer to Chase’s airline and hotel transfer partners listed below:
Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
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Aer Lingus
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Air Canada Aeroplan
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British Airways
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Emirates
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Air France/KLM
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Hyatt Hotels
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Iberia
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IHG Hotels
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JetBlue
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Marriott
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Singapore
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Southwest
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United
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Virgin Atlantic
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American Express Membership Rewards is a popular rewards program that offers a variety of redemption options, including travel, merchandise, gift cards, and more.
However, to get the most value out of your rewards, it’s important to use them strategically.
One of the best ways to use Amex Membership Rewards is through transfer partners.
The program partners with over 20 airline and hotel partners, including ANA, Air Canada Aeroplan, Iberia Avios, and Avianca LifeMiles.
By transferring your points to these partners, you can often get more value per point and enjoy a wider range of redemption options.
Membership Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
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Aer Lingus Avios
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AeroMexico [1 to 1.6]
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Air Canada Aeroplan
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Air France/KLM Flying Blue
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ANA
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Avianca LifeMiles
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British Airways Avios
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Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
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Delta SkyMiles
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El Al [1,000 to 20]
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Emirates
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Etihad Guest
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Hawaiian Airlines
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Iberia Avios
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JetBlue [250 to 200]
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Qantas
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Qatar Airways
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Singapore KrisFlyer
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Virgin Atlantic
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Choice
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Marriott Bonvoy
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Hilton Honors [1 to 2]
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Winner: Tie.
The Sapphire Reserve is a better option if you want to redeem points for travel at 1.5 cents per point and Chase Ultimate Rewards offers better options for using points for hotels via World of Hyatt.
American Express Membership Rewards has higher valued airline partners like ANA and Avianca LifeMiles as transfer options.
The Verdict
Both the Amex Gold and card_name are great options to add to your wallet and could complement each other, with the Sapphire Reserve for travel benefits and the Amex Gold for restaurants and U.S. supermarkets.
If you have to pick one, I would recommend the Sapphire Reserve for frequent travelers and the Amex Gold for people who spend a lot of money at restaurants and supermarkets.
- bonus_miles_full
- 4x Points at U.S. Supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1 point per dollar)
- 4x Points at Restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.).
- Up to $120 Uber Cash Credit (Add your Gold Card to your Uber account, and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S.)
- $120 Dining Credit (up to $10 in monthly statement credits at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, & select Shake Shacks)
- $250 Annual Fee (Rates and Fees)
card_name
- bonus_miles_full
- $300 Annual Travel Credit
- 10x Points on Hotels and Rental Cars and 5x Points on Flights Booked Through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3x Points on Dining, Takeout, & Eligible Food Delivery
- 50% More Redemption Value
- Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $550 Annual Fee
