Quick facts
Time
9-minute read
Cost
$325 (Amex Gold) or $95 (Sapphire Preferred) a year
Potential value
a welcome bonus on either card, plus up to $424 a year in Gold credits or a $100 Chase Travel hotel credit
Best for
anyone choosing between the two most popular mid-tier points cards
TL;DR
- The American Express Gold Card costs $325 a year and earns 4X at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 a year) and 4X at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 a year). Its four recurring credits add up to $424 a year if you use every one.
- The Chase Sapphire Preferred costs $95 a year, earns 3x on dining, gas stations, EV charging, top streaming, and online grocery, and currently offers 75,000 bonus points after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.
- The fee gap is $230 a year. The Gold only wins if you spend heavily at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets and you’ll actually use most of its monthly credits.
- Pick the Sapphire Preferred if you want one simple travel card, spend a good amount on gas, or don’t want to track monthly credits.
- Pick the Amex Gold if groceries and dining are your two biggest budget lines and you already use Uber, Grubhub, Resy, or Dunkin’.
- Many people end up with both, since the categories barely overlap. More on that below.
Every card fact below was checked October 27, 2026 on Chase’s Sapphire Preferred page and American Express’s Gold Card page. If we couldn’t confirm a detail on an official issuer page that day, we left it out or say so.
Side by side
| Amex Gold | Sapphire Preferred | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $325 | $95 |
| Public welcome offer | Varies by applicant; shown on Amex’s card page | 75,000 points after $5,000 in 3 months |
| Restaurants | 4X worldwide, on up to $50,000 a year | 3x, including takeout and eligible delivery |
| Groceries | 4X at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 a year | 3x on online grocery (excludes Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs); 1x in store |
| Gas stations and EV charging | 1X | 3x |
| Top streaming services | 1X | 3x |
| Flights | 3X booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel | 2x (other travel); 5x through Chase Travel |
| Hotels | 5X on prepaid hotels through Amex Travel | 2x (other travel); 5x through Chase Travel |
| Everything else | 1X | 1x |
| Yearly credits | $120 dining, $120 Uber Cash, $100 Resy, $84 Dunkin’ | Up to $100 for hotels booked through Chase Travel |
| Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit | Not listed | Up to $120 every four years |
| Lounge access | None | None |
| Foreign transaction fees | None | None |
| Points currency | Amex Membership Rewards (20 airline and hotel partners, per Amex) | Chase Ultimate Rewards (14 airline and hotel partners on Chase’s page) |
Categories have definitions and exclusions in each issuer’s terms, so read them before you count on a 3x or 4X.
The welcome offers
Sapphire Preferred: Chase’s public offer on October 27, 2026 is 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Chase says the card is unavailable if you have it open now, and the bonus may not be available if you previously held the card or got its new cardmember bonus.
Amex Gold: Amex shows the Gold welcome offer on its card page, and the amount can vary by applicant and over time. We couldn’t confirm a single public number from Amex’s site on October 27, 2026, so we’re not printing one. Open the Gold Card page to see the offer you’re shown. Amex says you can find out whether you’re approved with no impact to your credit score, and your score may be affected only if you accept the card. Read the offer terms on the application page too, since Amex limits the bonus for people who have held certain related cards.
To compare these with every other current offer, see Best Credit Card Welcome Bonuses.
Earning: where each card wins
The Gold wins at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets. 4X beats 3x at restaurants, and the gap is much bigger at the grocery store. The Sapphire Preferred’s 3x only applies to online grocery, so a regular in-store supermarket run earns 1x on the Chase card and 4X on the Gold.
The Sapphire Preferred wins on gas, streaming, and simplicity. It earns 3x at gas stations, on EV charging, and on top streaming services, where the Gold earns 1X. It also earns 2x on travel purchases outside Chase Travel.
Travel is close. The Gold earns 3X on flights booked directly with airlines and 5X on prepaid hotels through Amex Travel. The Sapphire Preferred earns 5x on anything booked through Chase Travel and 2x on other travel. If you like booking direct to keep hotel loyalty perks, the Gold’s 3X on direct flights is the more useful of the two.
A worked example
Illustrative numbers only. Say a household spends this much in a year:
- $9,600 at restaurants ($800 a month)
- $8,400 at U.S. supermarkets, in store ($700 a month)
- $2,400 at gas stations ($200 a month)
| Amex Gold | Sapphire Preferred | |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 38,400 points (4X) | 28,800 points (3x) |
| Supermarkets in store | 33,600 points (4X) | 8,400 points (1x) |
| Gas | 2,400 points (1X) | 7,200 points (3x) |
| Total points | 74,400 | 44,400 |
| Value at our estimate | About $893 (1.2 cents each) | About $666 (1.5 cents each) |
| Minus the annual fee | About $568 | About $571 |
That’s nearly a tie before credits. Our points valuations put Chase Ultimate Rewards at 1.5 cents and Amex Membership Rewards at 1.2 cents, which is why the Gold’s extra 30,000 points don’t pull further ahead. The tiebreaker is credits. If this household uses even two of the Gold’s four credits, the Gold comes out ahead. If they’d ignore the credits, or they shop for groceries online, the Sapphire Preferred is the better card.
Change the numbers to match your own budget. The points value calculator can help you test a real redemption before you trust any estimate.
Credits: $424 on the Gold, $100 on the Preferred
The Gold’s credits, as listed on Amex’s card page:
| Credit | How it works | Max per year |
|---|---|---|
| Dining credit | Up to $10 back each month at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. Enrollment required | $120 |
| Uber Cash | $10 each month after you add the Gold to your Uber account, for U.S. Uber rides and orders when you pay with an Amex card | $120 |
| Resy credit | Up to $50 from January through June and up to $50 from July through December at qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants. Enrollment required | $100 |
| Dunkin’ credit | Up to $7 back each month at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required | $84 |
Amex also lists The Hotel Collection: book two nights or more through AmexTravel.com and get a $100 credit toward eligible charges at participating hotels.
The Sapphire Preferred’s main credit is simpler: up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel. Chase notes that the first $100 of those hotel purchases each year doesn’t earn points. Chase also lists a complimentary DashPass membership when activated by December 31, 2029, a year of Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026, and a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit of up to $120 every four years.
Watch Out
The Gold’s monthly credits don’t roll over. Miss a month of Uber Cash or the dining credit and that $10 is gone. Count only the credits you’d use without changing your habits.
Transfer partners
Both cards earn flexible points you can move to airline and hotel programs, which is where the best value usually is. Chase’s page lists 10 airline partners (including United, Southwest, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, British Airways, and Singapore KrisFlyer) and 4 hotel partners (IHG, Marriott, World of Hyatt, and Wyndham). Amex says Membership Rewards points transfer to 20 airline and hotel partners.
The short version: Chase is the only one of the two that transfers to World of Hyatt, and Hyatt is one of the best hotel uses of points. Amex has more partners overall. Our credit card transfer partners chart lists both programs side by side, and the hotel transfer partners chart covers the hotel options in detail.
Travel and purchase protections
The Sapphire Preferred has the stronger travel coverage, which matters if you prepay a lot of trips. From each issuer’s card page:
| Amex Gold | Sapphire Preferred | |
|---|---|---|
| Trip delay | Delay of more than 12 hours on a round trip paid entirely with the card, up to $300 per trip, 2 claims per 12 months | Delay of more than 12 hours or an overnight stay, up to $500 per covered traveler |
| Trip cancellation and interruption | Not listed on the card page | Up to $10,000 per traveler, $20,000 per trip |
| Rental car coverage | Secondary; not available in Australia, Italy, or New Zealand | Primary, up to $60,000 for most vehicles with an MSRP of $125,000 or less |
| Baggage | Up to $1,250 carry-on and $500 checked, beyond the carrier’s coverage | Lost luggage up to $3,000 per traveler; baggage delay $100 a day for up to 5 days |
| Purchase protection | 90 days, up to $10,000 per purchase and $50,000 a year | 120 days, up to $500 per item |
| Extended warranty | Up to one extra year | One extra year on warranties of three years or less |
The Gold’s purchase protection limit per item is much higher. The Sapphire Preferred’s primary rental car coverage and trip cancellation coverage are the bigger travel advantages. Chase notes that for New York residents, rental coverage inside the U.S. is secondary and purchase protection lasts 90 days. Full terms are in each card’s benefits guide.
Should you get both?
The two cards cover different categories, so they pair well: the Gold on restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, the Sapphire Preferred on gas, streaming, travel, and everything the Gold earns 1X on. The catch is cost. Together they’re $420 a year in fees, and you’d be building two separate points balances. If you’re new to points, start with one, learn how to redeem it, and add the second later.
If you’re deciding which to get first, keep in mind that Chase says it may consider how many cards you’ve opened and closed when deciding bonus eligibility. Our Why start with Chase guide explains why many people get their Chase cards first.
Who should get which
Get the Sapphire Preferred if you:
- Want your first travel card. Our Sapphire Preferred review covers why it’s still a strong starter.
- Spend a meaningful amount on gas, streaming, or online grocery.
- Want Hyatt as a transfer option, or strong trip insurance and primary rental coverage.
- Don’t want to track monthly credits.
Get the Amex Gold if you:
- Spend heavily at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets. Our Amex Gold Card review has a full break-even table.
- Already use Uber or Uber Eats, Grubhub, Resy restaurants, or Dunkin’ most months.
- Have a flat-rate card for everything else, since the Gold earns 1X outside its categories.
Consider something else if you want lounge access. Neither card has it. Our Sapphire Preferred vs Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Preferred vs Capital One Venture X comparisons cover cards that do. For every option, see Best Travel Credit Cards.
FAQ
Is the Amex Gold better than the Sapphire Preferred?
For heavy restaurant and supermarket spenders who use the credits, yes. For most other people, the Sapphire Preferred is the better value because its fee is $230 lower and its 3x categories are broader.
Which card is better for groceries?
The Amex Gold, if you shop in store at U.S. supermarkets. It earns 4X on up to $25,000 a year. The Sapphire Preferred earns 3x only on online grocery, and Chase excludes Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs.
Which card is better for dining?
The Gold earns 4X at restaurants worldwide versus 3x on the Sapphire Preferred. At our valuations that’s about 4.8 cents back per dollar on the Gold and 4.5 cents on the Preferred, so the difference is smaller than it looks.
Do either of these cards have lounge access?
No. Amex says directly that the Gold doesn’t include lounge access, and the Sapphire Preferred doesn’t list it either.
Which card has the better welcome offer right now?
Chase’s public Sapphire Preferred offer on October 27, 2026 is 75,000 points after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Amex’s Gold offer varies by applicant, so check the card page for the number you’re shown.
Have Amex points too? Our Amex Membership Rewards transfer partners guide lists all 20 partners with exact ratios, the U.S. airline transfer fee, and the sweet spots worth checking first.
Bottom line
Bottom Line
The Sapphire Preferred is the better first card for most people in 2026. It costs $95, earns 3x across more everyday categories, transfers to Hyatt, and has stronger travel coverage. The Amex Gold earns more for households built around restaurants and supermarket runs, but only if you’ll use its monthly credits to offset the $325 fee. Run the worked example above with your own budget before you apply.
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The Points Quest
Points Quest is educational content only, not personalized financial advice. Fee, offer, earning, credit, protection, and partner details were checked on creditcards.chase.com and americanexpress.com on October 27, 2026 and can change at any time. Point values are Points Quest estimates, not issuer figures. Publicly linked offers may differ from targeted offers. Advertiser Disclosure