Is the American Express® Gold Card better than the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card?

The American Express® Gold Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card both provide solid value to their customers. However, the card that is best for you is determined by your needs and where you spend your money. If you regularly spend on dining out or grocery shopping, the Amex Gold Card is for you. However, if you travel frequently, the Chase Sapphire card is a better choice for you.

Can you get the American Express® Gold Card if you have Chase Sapphire Reserve Card?

Yes, even if you already have the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, you may apply for the Amex Gold card.

Can you transfer points from the American Express® Gold Card to the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card?

No. However, both issuers have some crossover of transfer partners.

Can you switch from the American Express® Gold Card to the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card?

Yes, you can. However, to be approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, you must be under the 5/24 rule, which means you have been approved for five or more credit cards in the last 24 months.

What’s harder to get, the American Express® Gold Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card?

Both cards require good to excellent credit.

How much do you have to spend for the American Express® Gold Card vs the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card to get the welcome bonus?

For the American Express Gold card, you must spend $4,000 in your first six months to earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points. While for Chase, you need to spend $4,000 in three months to receive 50,000 bonus points worth up to $750 when redeemed through Chase’s portal for travel.

American Express® Gold Card vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card: Which Is Best for You?

The American Express® Gold Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card are both excellent rewards credit cards, each with their own distinct advantages. The American Express® Gold Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve Card both offer welcome bonuses, generous rewards, and travel perks that make them worthy candidates for your wallet.

So how do you choose between these two cards in terms of which is best? MoneyGeek compares them side-by-side to help you decide which card would be better suited to your needs.

The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired.

Both the American Express® Gold Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card offer similar benefits such as no foreign transaction fees, valuable travel rewards programs, and large welcome offers.

The primary difference between the two travel rewards credit cards is their annual fee: the American Express® Gold Card has a $250 annual fee, while the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card has a $550 annual fee. So before determining which card is best for you, consider what is affordable for you.

OUR COMPARISON AT A GLANCE

Comparison Overview
American Express® Gold Card at a Glance
Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card at a Glance
Comparison Summary
Which Card Should You Get?

Comparison Overview: American Express® Gold Card vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card

American Express® Gold Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card
Has Annual Fee
Has Balance Transfer Offer
Has APR Offer
Cash Back Rewards
Travel Rewards
Hotel Benefits
Airline Benefits
Has Rewarding Welcome Offer
Has Foreign Transaction Fee
Recommended Credit
Good–Excellent
Excellent

American Express® Gold Card At a Glance

If you spend more money on dining out and grocery shopping than anything else, then a card that earns rewards points for these categories would likely be a good fit. The American Express® Gold Card offers 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 in purchases per year and 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.

When you add your Gold Card to your Uber account, you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month, for a total of up to $120 every year and up to $120 in annual dining credit to cover restaurant charges ($10 per month) at Seamless, Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory and other participating restaurants.

American Express® Gold Card
Best rewards card for frequent fliers and diners
- 1–4 Points per $1Rewards Rate
- See Pay Over Time APR*APR
- $250Annual Fee
- Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit
Pros
Top-tier rewards on dining and groceries
Great annual bonus credits
Transfer points to multiple airline partners
No foreign transaction fees

Cons
High annual fee
Limited premium travel perks
No rewards on hotel stays or car rentals
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1 point per dollar)
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® points on other eligible purchases
Redemption options include transferring points to American Express travel partners, statement credits, purchases with select merchants, eligible car rentals through American Express Travel, or gift cards
Up to $120 in annual Uber Cash for U.S. rides and eats orders ($10 per month, no rollovers)
Up to $120 dining credit (enrollment required) for eligible purchases at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations.
Up to $100 credit to spend on eligible dining, spa and resort activities with The Hotel Collection
Annual fee of $250 (see rates and fees)
No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)
Choose between the classic Amex Gold or Rose Gold Amex card designs
Travel benefits like car rental insurance, baggage insurance, travel and emergency assistance and travel discounts
Consumer protections like extended warranty, purchase protection and auto purchase discount (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)
Entertainment perks like presale event tickets, preferred event seating and dining and entertainment discounts
Terms Apply
Terms, rates and fees apply
Compare this credit card with other top-rated rewards cards.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card At a Glance

If you spend a lot of money on travel and want a credit card rewards program that gets you the most value for your money, the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card is a solid choice. If you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months, you will get 50,000 bonus points (worth $750 toward travel when redeemed via Chase Ultimate Rewards).

Each account anniversary year, you will automatically get up to $300 in travel credits.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card
Best for premium travel with flexible redemption points
- 1–10 Points per $1Rewards Rate
- 22.24% – 29.24% VariableAPR
- $550Annual Fee
- ExcellentRecommended Credit
Pros
Exceptional point rewards for dining and travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards
Boosted redemption value for travel
Substantial signup bonus
Exclusive luxury perks for travelers
Travel and purchase protection
Annual travel credit

Cons
High annual fee
No introductory APR period
High variable APR
10X points on Chase Dining purchases, hotel stays and car rentals booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards (after
10X points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)
5X points on air travel through Ultimate Rewards (after earning your $300 travel credit)
3X points on general travel and restaurant purchases
1X points on all other spending
All travel rewards rates apply only after earning the $300 travel credit each year
Redeem points for travel, cash back, gift cards or merchandise
Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months
50% bonus on travel rewards redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards
No expiration dates, points limits or blackout dates
$300 annual travel credit
Up to $100 credit for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee
Airport lounge access through Priority Pass Select membership
Complimentary Lyft Pink membership (if activated using your card by Dec 31, 2024)
Complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership (if activated using your card by March 2025)
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance, emergency evacuation and transportation coverage and primary rental car insurance
Terms, rates and fees apply
Compare this credit card with other top-rated cards from our partners.

Comparison Summary

If you’re looking to choose between these two popular credit cards, take a look at our comparison summary below.

Card Detail	Comparison Summary
Membership Rewards Points vs. Ultimate Rewards Points	Every dollar spent on either of the highlighted cards is rewarded with points, and each offers a bonus earning category that awards extra points per dollar. The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card earns Ultimate Rewards, while the Amex Gold Card earns Membership Rewards. The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card offers 10x points on hotels, car rentals, and Chase dining booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 5x points on airfare booked through Chase's travel portal, 3x points on travel worldwide after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually, 3x points at restaurants including delivery and takeout and 1x points on all other eligible purchases. The Amex Gold offers 4x points per dollar spent at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets with a limit of $25,000 in purchases calendar year at supermarkets, 3x points on airfare purchased directly from the airline or on AmexTravel.com and 1x points on all other eligible purchases. Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve Card
Welcome Bonus	The American Express® Gold Card welcome offer is 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in six months. The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card welcome offer is 50,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in your first three months; those points are worth $750 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Winner: American Express® Gold Card
Annual Fee	The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card has a $550 annual fee, while the American Express® Gold Card has a $250 annual fee. Winner: American Express® Gold Card
Points Redemption	The rewards on both cards can be redeemed for travel, gift cards, and shopping. In addition, each issuer has specific hotel and airline partners that you can transfer your earned rewards to. Also, each issuer has their own travel booking platform. Winner: Tie

Which Card Should You Get?

Before you choose between the American Express® Gold Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, make sure to consider what’s important to you as a credit card user, including rewards and benefits.

Who Should Consider the American Express® Gold Card?

The American Express® Gold Card is ideal for individuals who spend regularly on dining or grocery shopping.

If you spend regularly on dining out and grocery shopping, the American Express® Gold Card earns 4X points per dollar spent on those two categories—and 1X point per dollar on all other purchases.
When you use the Gold Card to pay at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Boxed, and certain Shake Shack locations, you may earn up to $10 in monthly statement credits. This might result in an annual savings of up to $120.
≫ More: Read Our Full Review

Who Should Consider the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card?

The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card is best for anyone who wants extra points in travel rewards, or who values an annual travel credit and luxurious perks like airport lounge access.

Each account anniversary year, you will automatically get up to $300 in travel credits.
You can take advantage of the card's added value of 50% for points redeemed for travel via Chase Ultimate Rewards.
≫ More: Read Our Full Review

EXPERT OPINION

These cards are quite different, but if you travel a few times per year, the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card definitely makes sense as you can make the $550 annual fee essentially $250 with the $300 travel credit. However, if you’re more of a ‘foodie’ than a traveler, the American Express® Gold Card is a solid choice for its rewards at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets.

Other Helpful Decision-Making FAQs

It's not always easy to decide on a travel credit card. To help you better grasp the differences between the American Express® Gold Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, MoneyGeek has answered some frequently asked questions.

Still Not Sure About These Cards? Consider These Options

Individuals who are travel-savvy, value rewards, and want to earn points on their spending might consider the American Express® Gold Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card. However, if you want to receive cash back, consider getting a cash back reward credit card.

Learn more about credit cards in general

sources

Chase Bank. "Chase Sapphire Reserve Card." Accessed January 5, 2022.
American Express. "American Express® Gold Card." Accessed January 5, 2022.

*Rates, fees or bonuses may vary or include specific stipulations. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting/last updated date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. We recommend visiting the card issuer’s website for the most up-to-date information available.
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