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The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) is Chase’s flagship personal card, with a steep annual fee and valuable travel and lifestyle benefits.
Meanwhile, the American Express® Gold Card is a popular mid-tier credit card, both in terms of its annual fee (see rates and fees) and relatively easy-to-use perks.
If you’re considering either of these cards, you may be stuck on the question of whether it’s worth shelling out an extra $470 each year for the Sapphire Reserve. Here’s a look at both cards side by side to help you decide.
Sapphire Reserve vs. Amex Gold comparison
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | Amex Gold | |
|---|---|---|
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$795 |
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Earn 125,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. |
Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 100,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. (Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.) |
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(Enrollment is required for select benefits.) |
*Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
**Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
***Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
****Eligible charges vary by property.
Related: Is the Amex Gold worth the annual fee?
Sapphire Reserve vs. Amex Gold welcome offer
Both cards have valuable welcome offers.
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The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
TPG’s February 2026 valuations peg Ultimate Rewards points at 2.05 cents each, making the Sapphire Reserve bonus worth $2,563.
Meanwhile, with the Amex Gold, new applicants can find out their offer and see if they are eligible to earn as high as 100,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. (Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.)
TPG’s February 2026 valuations peg Membership Rewards points at 2 cents a piece, making this welcome offer worth up to $2,000.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve. Its welcome offer is worth over 25% more.
Related: Best welcome offers of the month
Sapphire Reserve vs. Amex Gold benefits
Both of these cards charge annual fees that are impossible to brush aside. Given that, it’s important to carefully consider which card’s perks are easier for you to use.
The Sapphire Reserve features a mix of lifestyle and travel benefits, including its beloved $300 travel credit, lounge access and complimentary subscriptions to Apple Music and Apple TV (through June 22, 2027; one-time activation per service through chase.com or the Chase Mobile app required). Meanwhile, the Amex Gold focuses almost exclusively on credits for merchants like Resy† and Uber‡.
†Up to $50 in biannual statement credits for purchases at U.S. Resy-affiliated restaurants per calendar year; no reservation required.
‡In the form of Uber Cash that can be used on U.S. Uber rides and Uber Eats orders; you must add the card to your Uber account and redeem with any Amex card.
If you travel just a couple of times each year, you likely won’t get much use out of the Sapphire Reserve’s lounge access and travel credits. In that scenario, you’d be better off with the Amex Gold, since all of its statement credits are useful both at home and on vacation.
In contrast, if you travel a few times or more in a year, you’ll likely get a lot of use out of the Sapphire Reserve’s benefits. Even if you don’t find a lot of appeal in the Sapphire Reserve’s lifestyle credits, you can get positive value out of its $795 annual fee by maximizing its annual travel credit and up to $500 in The Edit credits (up to two $250 statement credits; two-night minimum stay required).
It’s also worth noting that while both cards charge no foreign transaction fees, the Amex Gold’s Dunkin’, Resy and Uber statement credits are restricted to the U.S. If you travel a lot internationally, the Amex Gold may not be very useful.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve. It offers more substantial perks, including lounge access and a flexible travel credit.
Related: Chase Sapphire Reserve statement credits: What they are and how to use them
Earning points on the Sapphire Reserve vs. Amex Gold
Both cards earn valuable flexible rewards in a variety of bonus categories.
With the Chase Sapphire Reserve you’ll earn:
- 10 points per dollar spent on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $150 or more (through Dec. 31, 2027), with a maximum of 50,000 points
- 8 points per dollar spent on purchases made through Chase Travel (including The Edit)
- 5 points per dollar spent on Lyft rides (through Sept. 30, 2027)
- 4 points per dollar spent on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3 points per dollar spent on dining worldwide
- 1 point per dollar spent on everything else
Meanwhile, with the Amex Gold you’ll earn:
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (U.S. supermarkets capped at $25,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent; restaurants capped at $50,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com
- 2 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other travel purchases made through Amex Travel
- 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
The Amex Gold is a great pick for those who spend a lot of their budget on food each month. It’s my main card for dining and U.S. supermarkets (when I’m shopping somewhere other than Walmart). Despite this being more of a lifestyle card than a travel card, the Amex Gold earns well enough on travel.
That said, the Sapphire Reserve definitely performs better in travel categories. That’s to be expected, since it’s a premium travel rewards card. Its solid dining category means foodies won’t entirely miss out on earning bonus rewards on food.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve. It has slightly more bonus categories and stronger travel categories.
Related: Which purchases count as travel with the Chase Sapphire Reserve?
Redeeming points on the Sapphire Reserve vs. Amex Gold
The Sapphire Reserve earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, while the Amex Gold earns Membership Rewards points. Both currencies can be redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, Amazon purchases and travel through their respective issuer’s portal.
We don’t usually recommend these redemption methods, since they’ll almost never net you maximum value for your rewards. Instead, consider transferring your points to one of Amex’s or Chase’s partners for higher value.
Winner: Tie. Both cards have very similar redemption options.
Related: Amex Platinum vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve
Transferring points on the Sapphire Reserve vs. Amex Gold
Both Chase and American Express offer a strong lineup of transfer partners, and you’ll find representation across all three major airline alliances (Oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance) as well as access to major hotel programs.
Chase’s partner lineup is smaller but highly curated. One standout partner is World of Hyatt, which many TPG staffers consider one of the most valuable hotel programs thanks to its award chart and outsize redemption potential.
American Express, on the other hand, offers a broader roster of airline partners and runs more frequent transfer bonuses, which can stretch your Membership Rewards points even further when timed strategically.
Both currencies can net significant value when transfer partners are used. TPG credit cards writer Stephanie Stevens recently transferred 25,000 Ultimate Rewards points to United MileagePlus to book a round-trip flight between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Dulles International Airport (IAD) during peak holiday travel.
Winner: Tie. While Amex has more transfer partners than Chase, the issuer you prefer will come down to which airlines you fly and the hotels you stay with the most.
Related: Why all travelers should earn transferable points
Should I get the Sapphire Reserve or Amex Gold?
Both cards are great options, so you can’t go wrong either way. That said, if you travel at least a few times each year, it should be easy for you to justify the Chase Sapphire Reserve. But, if you only travel a couple of times annually or expect to have to put a lot of work into justifying the Sapphire Reserve’s annual fee, I recommend the Amex Gold instead.
Related: How to choose the best credit card for you
Bottom line
The Sapphire Reserve and American Express Gold both have strong reputations in the points and miles world. The former is known for its industry-leading travel benefits and premium flair, while the latter is a great way to squeeze more value out of your day-to-day lifestyle.
If you still can’t choose between the two, why not both? I believe these two cards can be a powerful pair, especially if you plan to take advantage of both Chase’s and Amex’s unique transfer partners.
To learn more, check out our full reviews of the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Gold.
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Apply here: American Express Gold
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold card, click here.
