Chase and American Express are titans in the world of travel credit cards. And among the many options to unlock travel perks and pile up points are the *amex gold card* and the *chase sapphire reserve*.
The Amex Gold Card is really a mid-tier card: It's not the highest annual fee card in Amex's portfolio nor the lowest. And while it's billed as a travel card, it doesn't come with nearly the amount travel perks you'll get with Amex's top-tier *amex platinum*.
Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Reserve reigns supreme as Chase's top travel card. It's essentially a souped-up version of the *chase sapphire preferred*, packed with more perks … and a much bigger price tag.
So let's put these two travel cards head to head to see how they differ, and how they're alike, to help you decide which one is best for you.
Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Reserve: Overview
| Amex Gold | Chase Sapphire Reserve | |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome Offer | bonus_miles_full | bonus_miles_full |
| Bonus Point-Earning | Earn 4x Membership Rewards on dining worldwide (up to $50,00 per year), Earn 4x at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year), Earn 3x on airfare (purchased direct or through Amex Travel), Earn 2x on prepaid hotels, rental cars, and cruises booked through Amex Travel | Earn 10x on hotels and rental cars through Chase Travel℠, Earn 3x Ultimate Rewards per dollar spent on dining and all other travel |
| Standard Point-Earning | 1x Membership Rewards per dollar | 1x Ultimate Rewards per dollar |
| Redeeming Points for Travel | Transfer to travel partners or redeem for 1 cent per point through Amex Travel | Transfer to travel partners or redeem at 1.5 cents per point through Chase Travel |
| Statement Credits | $120 dining credit, $120 Uber Cash, $100 Resy credit, $84 Dunkin' credit (terms & conditions apply to all credits) | $300 annual travel credit, up to $100 ($120 beginning Oct. 1) credit for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS |
| Lounge Access | None | Complimentary access to Chase Sapphire Lounges and Priority Pass lounges for main cardholder and two guests |
| Travel Insurance | Secondary rental car coverage, trip delay, and lost luggage coverage (terms apply) | Primary rental car coverage, trip cancellation, delay, and interruption coverage, and lost luggage reimbursement |
| Foreign Transaction Fees | None | None |
| Annual Fee | annual_fees (see rates & fees) | annual_fees |
Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Reserve: Welcome Offers
With the *amex gold card*, you can currently earn 60,000 Amex Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 in the first six months of card membership. Plus get 20% back in statement credits on restaurant purchases, up to $100. This limited time offer ends on Nov. 6, 2024.
That's a really solid offer, but you can potentially do even better by utilizing CardMatch or applying through a personal referral link instead. It seems those who have never held an American Express card previously have the best chance of getting targeted for the bigger bonuses.
With the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you'll earn a 60,000-point bonus after spending $4,000 within three months. Those points alone are worth at least $900 toward travel when you use them through Chase Travel℠ – but you can get much more value by using some of Chase's transfer partners (we will break down transfer partners in a later section).
Read our guide to some of the absolute best Chase redemptions!
Welcome Offer Winner
Comparing the welcome bonuses on the Amex Gold and Sapphire Reserve might seem pretty straight-forward – they both come with 60,000-point bonuses. But once you factor in the additional value you can get when redeeming Ultimate Rewards through the Chase Travel portal, it's not quite as clear.
Add in the fact that the current, limited-time offer on the Amex Gold includes a credit for up to $100 in restaurant spending and things get even more murky.
The value of both bonuses will depend on how you plan to use the points and for that reason, this category is simply too close to call.
Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Reserve: Earning Points
The Amex Gold Card earns 4x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent at all restaurants (up to $50,000 spent each year, then 1x) and 4x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 of spending annually, then 1x).
Additionally, the Amex Gold card will earn 3x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com and 2x points on prepaid hotel, rental car, and cruise purchases through Amex Travel. You'll earn 1x point per dollar spent on other eligible purchases.
Read more: A Full Review of the American Express Gold Card
With really useful bonus categories like dining and groceries, the Amex Gold is an excellent choice for all your day-to-day spending.
Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Reserve earns 3x points on both dining and travel. Unlike the Amex Gold Card, the Sapphire Reserves bonus on dining is uncapped making it a solid choice if you really spend big in this category. And the card's 3x point-earning on an expansive travel category is really second to none.
You will also earn 5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and rental cars booked through the Chase Travel℠ portal – and 10x points on Lyft rides through March of 2025. All other purchases earn 1x Ultimate Rewards per dollar spent.
Winner: Which Card is Best for Earning Points?
This category could really be a toss-up, depending on what you spend on most – but the Amex Gold's 4x point earning on both dining and at U.S. supermarkets is tough to compete with.
Unless your primary expenses are travel-related, the Amex Gold will yield more points for most people.
Learn more about the *amex gold*
Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Reserve: Redeeming Points for Travel
In the world of points and miles, having flexible points like those earned with either the Amex Gold or Chase Sapphire Reserve is more beneficial than being locked into a single airline or hotel partner.
That being said, these two types of points aren't created equally. From differing travel portal redemptions to transfer partners and more … it's more like comparing apples to oranges than apples to apples.
Take a look and you'll see what we mean.
Travel Portals
With the Amex Gold, booking direct with amextravel.com, each Membership Rewards point is worth 1 cent apiece. That's simple enough.
Make sure to read our post on the best ways to redeem Membership Rewards Points.
But one of the best perks on the Chase Sapphire Reserve is that you can redeem each Ultimate Reward point for 1.5 cents apiece through Chase Travel℠. This means you will get 50% more value when you redeem your points for airfare, hotels, car rentals, and more through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal.
It's one of the easiest ways to take a cheap Thrifty Traveler Premium flight alert and turn it into “free” travel. This perk alone gives the Chase Sapphire Reserve card some serious extra value.
Read our guide to some of the absolute best Chase redemptions!
Transfer Partners
While you can book directly through both American Express and Chase's travel portals, transferring points to hotel and airline partners can be a great way to get huge value out of your points.
American Express Membership Rewards can be transferred to nearly two dozen airline or hotel transfer partners.
| Program | Type | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| AeroMexico | Airline | 1:1.6 | 3-5 days |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air France/KLM | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| ANA | Airline | 1:1 | 1-2 days |
| Avianca | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| British Airways | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Cathay Pacific | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Delta | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Emirates | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Etihad | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Hawaiian | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Iberia | Airline | 1:1 | Up to 24 hours |
| JetBlue | Airline | 1.25:1 | Instant |
| Qantas | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Qatar Airways | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Singapore | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Virgin Atlantic | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
Similarly, Chase Ultimate Rewards can be transferred to 13 airline and hotel partners.
| Program | Type | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air France/KLM | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| British Airways | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Emirates | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Iberia Plus | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| JetBlue | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Singapore Air | Airline | 1:1 | 12-24 hours |
| Southwest Airlines | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| United Airlines | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Virgin Atlantic | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| World of Hyatt | Hotel | 1:1 | Instant |
| IHG | Hotel | 1:1 | 1 day |
| Marriott Rewards | Hotel | 1:1 | 2 days |
Winner: Which Card is Best for Redeeming Points for Travel?
Deciding which card's points are best for travel will largely be a personal decision and depend on how you travel.
While American Express has more transfer partners at its disposal, including some unique partners like ANA, Delta, and Etihad, the Sapphire Reserve's ace in the hole is its ability to redeem points at a rate of 1.5 cents each through Chase Travel.
Given that, the nod has to go to the Sapphire Reserve in this category.
Read more: Amex Points vs Chase Points: Which Are Best?
Learn more about the *chase sapphire reserve*.
Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Reserve: Statement Credits
Justifying either card's big annual fee is all about whether the benefits outweigh the cost. And statement credits on both the Amex Gold and Chase Sapphire Reserve go a long way to making the math work.
With the Amex Gold, you'll get a monthly dining credit of up to $10 (up to $120 annually) when you pay with the Gold Card at Five Guys, Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory®, wine.com, and Goldbelly. If you don't use the $10 credit each month, you'll lose it – it won't roll over to the next month.
On top of the $120 dining credit, you'll also get up to a $10 per month (up to $120 annually) in Uber Cash to use on U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders. Just be sure to add your Amex Gold Card to your Uber account. These credits work similarly to the dining credits: You'll get $10 to use each and every month, and you'll lose any remaining balance at the end of the month.
But that's not all, the Amex Gold Card underwent a major refresh earlier this summer and now includes a semi-annual up to $50 statement credit (up to $100 annually) for purchases at U.S. restaurants found on Resy. Finally, you'll get up to $7 per month ($84 per year) in credit for purchases with coffee chain, Dunkin'.
Add it all up and that's over $400 in credits for a card that only costs $325 per year. If you're able to get full value out of those credits, which is easier said than done, it's more than enough to cover the card's annual fee outright.
Read more: Tricks to Use (& Not Lose) Your Amex Statement Credits
Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with an annual $300 travel credit. And unlike the statement credits you get with the Amex Gold, this one couldn't be any simpler to use.
All you need to do is make (nearly) any travel purchase, from flights to hotels to rental cars, and even parking fees, and up to $300 in statement credits will kick-in automatically. This credit renews each and every year after you pay your annual fee.
The Sapphire Reserve also offers up to $100 in credit to cover the cost of Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Nexus every four years. Membership in any of those programs is good for five years so you should be all set with a single card.
Winner: Which Card Offers More Statement Credits?
On paper, the Amex Gold gives cardholders more value with its laundry list of monthly and semi-annual statement credits. But they almost all require jumping through some sort of hoops to use, making it hard to truly get face-value out of them.
On the other hand, the $300 statement credit on the Sapphire Reserve couldn't be easier to use. Let's be honest, if you're not already planning to spend $300 per year on travel, neither one of these cards is right for you. That means that most people should value this credit at the full $300 amount.
Deciding which card is best for credits really boils down to whether or not you're willing to play Amex's games or if you prefer the simplicity that Chase offers. Either way, we're scoring this one a draw.
Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Reserve: Lounge Access
Some of the categories in this side-by-side comparison are too close to call, but this isn't one of them. If you're looking to get into airport lounges, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is the card for you. End of discussion.
That's because the American Express Gold Card doesn't comes with any level of airport lounge access.
The Sapphire Reserve, on the other hand, comes with a complimentary Priority Pass Lounge membership. This is the gateway for you (and up to two guests) to hang out in thousands of airport lounges all over the world.
Additionally, Sapphire Reserve cardholders will also get access to Chase's growing-list of branded Sapphire Lounges. The first of those Chase-branded lounges opened in Hong Kong back in 2022, while the bank's first U.S. lounge in Boston is just over a year old.
Already this year, Chase has opened new lounges in three different major, U.S. airports: Washington D.C.-Dulles (IAD), New York City (JFK), and perhaps its most impressive space of all, New York City-LaGuardia (LGA).
Chase has plans for six additional locations including Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), San Diego (SAN), and more.
Sapphire Reserve cardholders will get unlimited complimentary access to the Sapphire Lounges. They will also have the ability to bring up to two guests with them on each visit free of charge. Authorized users on the Reserve (which costs an extra $75 a year per card) will also get their own access and guests, too.
One small hitch: It's not the Reserve that gets you in but the Priority Pass membership you get from your Reserve card that gets you access. Just be sure to activate that account and you should be set.
Winner: Which Card Has Better Airport Lounge Access?
If lounge access is a priority, this should be an easy choice. The complimentary drinks, food, and oasis from the airport gates can easily be worth the additional annual fee you will pay on the Reserve card.
Learn more about the *chase sapphire reserve*.
Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Reserve: Travel Protections
This one's a doozy.
Between coverage for lost and delayed baggage, medical insurance, and getting reimbursed if your flight gets delayed, there's a lot to unpack. We've devoted a whole post to breaking down the best credit cards for these different policies. But if we have to declare an outright winner, it's got to be the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
It starts with offering up to $100 a day if your baggage is delayed by six hours or more. Its trip delay and cancellation coverage are second-to-none, reimbursing you for associated expenses of any delay of six hours or more – so long as you pay for your flight with the card. The Chase Sapphire Reserve also has some great car rental coverage. And it offers some hefty coverage for some injuries during a trip that was paid at least in part with the card – including medical evacuation.
American Express upped the ante in 2020 with the Gold Card and other top cards by adding some trip delay and interruption coverage – long a weak spot for the bank. Unfortunately, it requires roundtrip bookings to be put on the card for this coverage to kick in – a quirk you won't find with the Sapphire Reserve.
Likewise, the Amex Gold card's car rental coverage is secondary, not nearly as good – nor is its lost baggage policy.
Winner: Which Card Has the Best Travel Protections?
If it wasn't clear from the outset, the Chase Sapphire Reserve offers unbeatable travel insurance. Even with some enhancements to the coverage offered by the Amex Gold, it just can't compete with all the insurance offered by Chase.
Learn more about the *chase sapphire reserve*.
Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Reserve: Annual Fee
The annual fee on the American Express Gold card is $325 (see rates & fees), which is not waived in the first year of card membership. We've crunched the numbers and come to the conclusion it can easily be worth that annual fee, but it's still a relatively large upfront cost.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve, meanwhile, has a much steeper annual fee of $550. Even with an easy-to-use $300 annual travel credit, it's still a much steeper fee.
Winner: Which Card's Annual Fee is Best?
Neither card is cheap, yet it's fairly easy to do the math and come out ahead with either card when you take all their benefits into consideration. Still, there's no question that the Amex Gold card wins this category with a lower upfront cost.
Learn more about the *amex gold*
Bottom Line
By the numbers, the Chase Sapphire Reserve wins three categories, the American Express Gold Card wins two categories, and two ended in a draw.
That makes the Sapphire Reserve the winner then … right? Not so fast.
Every traveler can (and should) weigh these categoires differently. You should pick the card that checks the most boxes for you. Of course, there's nothing stopping you from holding both cards … so long as you can make the annual fee math work in your favor.
At the end of the day, these cards complement each other well. And diversifying your points and miles balances is always a good idea!
Learn more about the *amex gold*
Learn more about the *chase sapphire reserve*.