Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The American Express® Gold Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) are two premium rewards cards that rank among the best travel and dining cards. Both offer first-class rewards programs, generous annual statement credits and travel protections that can offset the high annual fees of $325 (see rates and fees) and $795, respectively.
Below, CNBC Select reviews these cards, so you can choose the one that provides the most benefit for you.
The American Express Gold Card is great for earning valuable Membership Rewards® points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets.
- You can earn $400+ in dining and rideshare credits every year (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)
- Exceptionally rewarding for eligible restaurant and U.S. supermarket purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
- Larger annual fee
- Credits are more complicated, you earn them monthly or semi-annually
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 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.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You'll know upfront exactly how much you'll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Foreign transaction fee
None
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a standout premium credit card with plenty of luxury perks and statement credits to justify its annual fee.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests.
- Up to $300 in annual travel credit each account anniversary year
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Top-tier travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 150,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase TravelSM, including The EditSM and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music — all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 — a value of $288 annually
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
American Express Gold Card vs Chase Sapphire Reserve
Annual fee
The Chase Sapphire Reserve charges a $795 annual fee compared to the American Express Gold Card's $325 annual fee*. Both cards have no foreign transaction fees*.
The $470 difference may sway you to choose the American Express Gold Card, but if you take advantage of all the benefits offered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve, such as Priority Pass™ Select membership airport lounge access, the difference isn't as stark.
None of the American Express Gold Card's annual statement credits are as straightforward to use as the Sapphire Reserve's travel credit, but in combination, they offer more value. If you maximize all of the offers, you can earn over $400 every year.
*See Amex Gold's rates and fees
Winner: American Express Gold.
Welcome bonus
New Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders can earn 150,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
With the American Express Gold Card, you may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Rewards
Both cards earn flexible travel rewards and offer bonus points for eligible travel and dining purchases. You'll also earn additional rewards when you book eligible travel through either card issuer's travel portal.
American Express® Gold Card vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve® rewards
| Amex Gold | Chase Sapphire Reserve | |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants worldwide | 4X points on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points | 3X points |
| U.S. Supermarkets | 4X points on the first $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points | 1X points |
| Flights booked through Chase TravelSM | N/A | 8X points* |
| Hotels and rental cars booked through Chase TravelSM | N/A | 8X points* |
| Chase Dining | N/A | 3X points |
| Flights booked directly with airlines or Amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App | 3X points | N/A |
| Prepaid hotels and other eligible travel booked on Amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App | 5X points | N/A |
| Car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. | 2X points | N/A |
| Other travel | 1X points | 1X points* |
| All other purchases | 1X points | 1X points |
*after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers more points for most travel purchases and the Amex Gold is more rewarding for grocery shopping. While the Amex Gold has a higher return at restaurants, it's only 25% more and capped at the first $50,000 in dining purchases each year (then 1X points).
Both cards have very similar rewards programs. Ultimately, it comes down to where you spend the most.
Winner: Tie.
Redemption options
Rewards earned with both cards can be redeemed in similar ways, such as travel, gift cards and merchandise.
The American Express Gold Card doesn't offer a bonus when you use the Pay with Points feature through Amex Travel. Amex points are worth one cent each for flights booked through American Express Travel, but only worth 0.6 cents each when you redeem for statement credits.
Both cards also allow you to transfer points to participating airline and hotel partners. American Express Membership Rewards offers more transfer partners, but Chase Ultimate Rewards has several strengths. It partners with more domestic airlines (United and Southwest) and the World of Hyatt program typically offers higher value than the Amex hotel partner programs.
Chase vs. Amex transfer partners
| Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners | American Express transfer partners |
|---|---|
| Aer Lingus AerClub (1:1) | Aer Lingus AerClub (1:1) |
| Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1) | Aeromexico Rewards (1:1.6) |
| British Airways Executive Club (1:1) | Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1) |
| Emirates Skywards (1:1) | Air France/KLM Flying Blue (1:1) |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue (1:1) | ANA Mileage Club (1:1) |
| Iberia Plus (1:1) | Avianca LifeMiles (1:1) |
| JetBlue TrueBlue (1:1) | British Airways Executive Club (1:1) |
| Singapore Airline KrisFlyer (1:1) | Cathay Pacific Cathy (1:1) |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards (1:1) | Delta SkyMiles(1:1) |
| United MileagePlus (1:1) | Emirates Skywards (1:1) |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (1:1) | Etihad Guest (1:1) |
| IHG One Rewards (1:1) | Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles (1:1) |
| Marriott Bonvoy (1:1) | Iberia Plus (1:1) |
| World of Hyatt (1:1) | JetBlue TrueBlue (5:4) |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer (1:1) | |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club (1:1) | |
| Singapore Airline KrisFlyer (1:1) | |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (1:1) | |
| Choice Privileges (1:1) | |
| Hilton Honors (1:2) | |
| Marriott Bonvoy (1:1) |
Transferring points typically offers the highest value redemptions for both programs, but you have more flexibility with the Sapphire Reserve. With the Sapphire Reserve, you get more value for points when you redeem for cash back or book travel through Chase Travel℠.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Benefits
Both cards offer a long list of perks. The American Express® Gold Card's benefits focus on dining and the Sapphire Reserve has more travel-related benefits.
Amex Gold Card holders can earn over $400 in value each year from these perks:
- Up to $120 in Uber Cash annually ($10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction)
- Up to $120 in annual dining credits (up to $10 in statement credits per month; enrollment required) for purchases at eligible painters, including Grubhub(including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. Enrollment required
- Up to $84 in annual Dunkin' credit (Up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations)
- Up to $100 in annual Resy credit (Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year; enrollment required)
- Baggage insurance*
- Rental car loss and damage insurance**
- Trip delay insurance***
- Purchase protection*
- Extended warranty*
Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders enjoy these added perks:
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit of up to $120 every four years
- Priority Pass™ Select airport lounge access worldwide
- Primary rental car insurance
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Baggage delay insurance
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
- Trip delay reimbursement
- Travel accident insurance
- Roadside assistance
- Return protection
- Emergency evacuation and transportation
- Emergency medical and dental benefit
- Travel and emergency assistance
- Purchase protection
- Return protection
- Extended warranty protection
The Amex Gold offers more value for dining, but the credits are more complicated to fully utilize. The credits are earned in monthly or semi-annual increments and some are only valid with specific brands. The Sapphire Reserve has an easy-to-use annual travel credit and an amazing list of travel and shopping insurance benefits.
*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
**Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
***Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Winner: Tie. Both cards offer valuable perks, so the winner depends on what benefits you want.
Which should you get?
The American Express Gold Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve are two top-rate rewards cards with benefits that can make either card worth it. Depending on how you spend your money and the type of perks you're looking for, one of these cards may be a better fit than the other.
If you spend more money on dining out, the American Express Gold Card provides rewards geared toward foodies. You can earn over $400 in yearly credits you can earn at places such as Dunkin', Resy, Five Guys and more.
American Express® Gold Card vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve® overview
| Amex Gold | Chase Sapphire Reserve | |
|---|---|---|
| Credit score requirements | Good to excellent | Excellent |
| Annual fee | $325 (see rates and fees*) | $795 |
| Rewards | 4X points at restaurants (on up to $50,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X) and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X), 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com or on the Amex Travel App, 5X points on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel booked through Amextravel.com or on the Amex Travel App, 2X points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com and 1X points on all other purchases | ⦁ 8x points on Chase Trave℠, 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct, 3x points on dining, and 1x points on all other purchases |
| Intro APR | None (see rates and fees*) | None |
| Standout benefits | Dining credits, Uber credits | Travel credit, airport lounge access, trusted traveler programs credit |
*See rates and fees
FAQs
Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve easy to get?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card typically requires an excellent score to have the best chance of approval. You also aren't eligible for the card if you currently have any version of the Sapphire card or if you've earned a welcome bonus from any version of the Sapphire card in the previous 48 months.
Is the Amex Gold a top-tier card?
The American Express® Gold Card offers excellent benefits for foodies. It's also exceptionally rewarding for dining and grocery purchases, which makes it among the best rewards cards and best cards for eating out.
What is the minimum income for the American Express Gold Card?
Amex doesn't publish an official income requirement for the American Express® Gold Card. However, you'll typically need a good to excellent credit score to qualify for the Amex Gold (scores 670 and above).
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For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
