Both cards offer outstanding travel credit cards with competitive earning rates and solid benefits, but which one is right for you? Chase Sapphire Preferred boasts an enticing initial bonus, comprehensive benefits package, and flexible point redemption options, making it a top pick among airline miles transfer partners, but read the following article before making your final decision.
1. Rewards
Both American Express Gold Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred offer valuable rewards, but there are a few key differences between them that you should know about. Each offers different rates of rewards, earnings, annual fees, and perks – which one is best for you?
Both cards offer flexible points that can be redeemed for cash, traveling, and other options; however, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card stands out by offering more value when redeeming points – such as using them through their travel portal to book airfare, hotels, or rental cars with a 25%-point redemption bonus.
American Express Gold Cards also provide dining credits, but any that are unused each month are lost, while Chase Sapphire Preferred cards keep any unspent credits as future traveling costs savings.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card provides an even better welcome offer, giving you up to 50,000 bonus points after using up to $4,000 within the first three months when you opened an account – perfect for fueling traveling dreams!
American Express Gold Cards provide additional perks worth taking into consideration. First and foremost, they do not impose foreign transaction fees, making this card ideal for travelers hoping to avoid incurring extra charges abroad. Each year there is also a $100 airline credit available as another benefit of owning one of these cards.
2. Travel
Both cards (www.thepointcalculator.com/amex-gold-vs-chase-sapphire-preferred) offer excellent dining and traveling rewards, with Amex Gold emphasizing restaurant purchases while Sapphire Preferred puts more of an emphasis on airline and hotel loyalty programs, transfer partners, and travel insurance benefits. Both cards also have no foreign transaction fees – although Chase may be preferable for those planning extensive spending abroad.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card provides a larger signup bonus and superior point redemption value when booking award flights through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal, thanks to a 25% redemption bonus on points redeemed through this portal. Its many perks include primary rental car coverage, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, global assist hotline support, baggage insurance as well as free membership of ShopRunner (with enrollment required).
As for dining, the Sapphire Preferred card earns 4X Ultimate Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants (eligible delivery and takeout orders, select streaming services, and online grocery store purchases outside wholesale clubs, Walmart, and Target), while Amex Gold earns 5X Membership Rewards points when booked through American Express Travel while two times on everything else.
3. Convenience
Both cards earn valuable rewards points through top rewards programs and offer travel benefits; the choice between them comes down to how and why you redeem those points and which features are most essential for you.
Chase Sapphire Preferred (which you can read about here) provides many additional perks that can add great value to your travel experiences. This card provides trip cancellation/interruption benefits, primary rental car coverage, and auto purchase protection – in addition to earning two points per dollar on travel purchases made through Chase Travel Portal as well as three points per dollar on dining and streaming services purchases.
Amex Gold cardholders can enjoy similar perks to those available with premium airport lounges access cards, such as hotel credits and airport lounge access. In addition, Amex Gold offers useful insurance like trip delay/loss coverage, baggage insurance, and purchase protection; plus, it has an excellent bonus category that can boost earnings further.
No card is suitable for people planning to carry a balance or pay interest, as both offer high regular APRs. The Sapphire Preferred card charges an annual fee of $95 while Amex Gold requires payment of $175 annually.
4. Value
At the core, these cards offer different values depending on how you spend and redeem rewards. Both offer valuable points if you’re still comparing Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold for various things. These points accumulate in top travel and dining rewards programs, but their value will depend on your redemption strategy. Of the two cards available, Chase Sapphire Preferred may offer greater overall travel value due to its broader bonus categories and perks that help maximize spending power.
The American Express Gold card provides more valuable dining rewards when used for dining purchases at restaurants, as well as offering other perks like free DoorDash DashPass membership and a $25 monthly credit for restaurant purchases but lacks travel insurance like its Chase Sapphire Preferred counterpart.
Both cards feature high annual fees, though the Amex Gold card has slightly cheaper annual costs at $250 compared to Chase Sapphire Preferred’s $95 annual cost. Of course, when considering which card best meets your needs it is important to remember all its benefits as this could make your decision much simpler. Important to remember when considering either option is that the Amex Gold card is a charge card and requires full repayment every month, while Chase Sapphire Preferred allows you to carry a balance and pay interest as needed.
