American Express Gold Card vs Chase Sapphire Preferred
On an illustrative household's spending, American Express Gold Card comes out about $110 a year ahead once both annual fees are paid.
The short version
- Over a year: Gold Card nets $828 and Sapphire Preferred nets $719, after fees of $325 a year and $95 a year.
- Where it flips: Below about $1,493 a month of spending, Sapphire Preferred comes out ahead; above it, Gold Card does.
- Category by category: Gold Card earns more on 4, Sapphire Preferred on 9 — the table below. Pick by where most of your money goes.
- What they pay in: Gold Card earns Amex Membership Rewards (2.00¢ each) and Sapphire Preferred earns Chase Ultimate Rewards (2.00¢ each) — which is why everything here is in dollars.
Priced on a household spending $2,205 a month on a card — the assumption, in full. Credits, perks and welcome offers are not priced; each card's page lists them.
Where each one earns more
| Spending on | Gold Card per $100 |
Sapphire Preferred per $100 | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries | $8.00 4x |
$2.00 base rate |
Gold Card |
| Restaurants & Bars | $8.00 4x |
$6.00 3x |
Gold Card |
| Gas Stations | $2.00 base rate |
$6.00 3x |
Sapphire Preferred |
| Flights | $6.00 3x |
$4.00 2x |
Gold Card |
| Hotels | $2.00 base rate |
$4.00 2x |
Sapphire Preferred |
| Streaming | $2.00 base rate |
$6.00 3x |
Sapphire Preferred |
| Food Delivery | $8.00 4x |
$6.00 3x |
Gold Card |
| Rideshare & Taxis | $2.00 base rate |
$4.00 2x |
Sapphire Preferred |
| Public Transit | $2.00 base rate |
$4.00 2x |
Sapphire Preferred |
| EV Charging | $2.00 base rate |
$6.00 3x |
Sapphire Preferred |
| Parking & Tolls | $2.00 base rate |
$4.00 2x |
Sapphire Preferred |
| Car Rental | $2.00 base rate |
$4.00 2x |
Sapphire Preferred |
| Vacation Rentals | $2.00 base rate |
$4.00 2x |
Sapphire Preferred |
Only categories where the two differ and at least one pays a bonus, plus everything else. No rotating or chosen categories are switched on, and a rate that needs the issuer's travel portal is not counted.
Side by side
| Gold Card | Sapphire Preferred | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | American Express | Chase |
| Annual fee | $325 a year | $95 a year |
| Foreign transaction fee | none | none |
| Earns | Amex Membership Rewards | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
| A year, before the fee | $1,153 | $814 |
| A year, after the fee | $828 | $719 |
| Rates checked | 2026-08 | 2026-08 |
Protections one has and the other does not
| Benefit | Gold Card | Sapphire Preferred |
|---|---|---|
| Rental car — primary cover | — | Yes |
| Rental car — secondary cover | Yes | — |
| Baggage | Yes | — |
| Global Entry / TSA PreCheck | — | Yes |
From each issuer's benefit summary (Gold Card: 2026-09; Sapphire Preferred: 2026-09). Summaries leave out exclusions — read the full guide to benefits before relying on one.
Each card on its own
- American Express Gold Card — every rate, where it ranks, what the issuer lists besides rewards
- Chase Sapphire Preferred — every rate, where it ranks, what the issuer lists besides rewards
- Every travel card, ranked
- Which card adds the most to your own wallet
Carry both? Use the right one.
Cardful picks between them at every checkout, store by store.