American Express Gold Card vs Chase Sapphire Reserve
On an illustrative household's spending, American Express Gold Card comes out about $824 a year ahead once both annual fees are paid.
The short version
- Over a year: Gold Card nets $828 and Sapphire Reserve nets $4, after fees of $325 a year and $795 a year.
- Where it flips: Gold Card stays ahead at every level of spending this looks at, from a fraction of that household's to many times it.
- Category by category: Gold Card earns more on 3, Sapphire Reserve on 3 — 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 Reserve 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 Reserve per $100 | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries | $8.00 4x |
$2.00 base rate |
Gold Card |
| Restaurants & Bars | $8.00 4x |
$6.00 3x |
Gold Card |
| Flights | $6.00 3x |
$8.00 4x |
Sapphire Reserve |
| Hotels | $2.00 base rate |
$8.00 4x |
Sapphire Reserve |
| Food Delivery | $8.00 4x |
$6.00 3x |
Gold Card |
| Vacation Rentals | $2.00 base rate |
$8.00 4x |
Sapphire Reserve |
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 Reserve | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | American Express | Chase |
| Annual fee | $325 a year | $795 a year |
| Foreign transaction fee | none | none |
| Earns | Amex Membership Rewards | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
| A year, before the fee | $1,153 | $799 |
| A year, after the fee | $828 | $4 |
| Rates checked | 2026-08 | 2026-08 |
Protections one has and the other does not
| Benefit | Gold Card | Sapphire Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Rental car — primary cover | — | Yes |
| Rental car — secondary cover | Yes | — |
| Trip delay | Yes | — |
| Baggage | Yes | — |
| Priority Pass lounges | — | Yes |
| Global Entry / TSA PreCheck | — | Yes |
| Roadside assistance | — | Yes |
| Concierge | — | Yes |
From each issuer's benefit summary (Gold Card: 2026-09; Sapphire Reserve: 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 Reserve — every rate, where it ranks, what the issuer lists besides rewards
- Every travel card, ranked
- Which card adds the most to your own wallet