Amex Gold vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred: Which Should You Get in 2026?
Two of the most popular mid-tier rewards cards, built around different spending: the Gold pays most on food, the Preferred on travel and a lower fee.
The Amex Gold ($325/year) is the better earner if you spend a lot at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, and it comes with a menu of dining and Uber credits. The Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95/year) is cheaper, easier to break even on, and stronger on travel protections. If you eat out and shop for groceries heavily, start with the Gold. If you want one simple travel card at a low fee, start with the Preferred.
Amex Gold
- Up to 100,000 points after $8,000 in 6 months (offers vary)
- 4x at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 a year)
- 4x at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 a year)
- 3x on flights, 5x on prepaid hotels via Amex Travel
- Up to $424 a year in credits: Uber $120, dining $120, Resy $100, Dunkin’ $84
- 20+ transfer partners; first 5 additional cards free
Chase Sapphire Preferred
- 75,000 points after $5,000 in 3 months
- 5x on travel booked through Chase Travel
- 3x on dining, online groceries, select streaming and more
- 2x on other travel, 1x elsewhere
- $100 annual Chase Travel hotel credit; Global Entry/TSA credit every four years
- Primary rental car coverage and trip protections; no authorized user fee
Side-by-side
| Amex Gold | Chase Sapphire Preferred | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $325 | $95 |
| Welcome offer | Up to 100,000 pts / $8,000 / 6 months | 75,000 pts / $5,000 / 3 months |
| Dining | 4x (up to $50,000 a year) | 3x |
| Groceries | 4x at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 a year) | 3x on online groceries only |
| Flights | 3x direct or via Amex Travel | 5x via Chase Travel, 2x other travel |
| Credits | Up to $424: Uber, dining, Resy, Dunkin’ | $100 hotel credit via Chase Travel, Global Entry/TSA |
| Cash or portal value | Merchandise and gift cards under 1 cent | 1 cent in Chase Travel, up to 1.75 with Points Boost |
| Travel protections | Light | Primary rental, trip cancellation up to $10,000, trip delay, lost luggage |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None |
The earning math
Say you spend $500 a month on restaurants and $600 a month on U.S. supermarkets, about $13,200 a year. On the Gold that is 52,800 Membership Rewards points. On the Preferred the same restaurant spend earns 3x, about 18,000 points, and in-store supermarket spend earns only 1x, so you land near 25,000 points. The Gold earns roughly twice as many points on this spending, and the gap is worth more than the $230 fee difference once points are valued at around a cent or better.
If your spending is mostly travel and bills, the picture flips. The Preferred’s 5x on Chase Travel and its low fee mean it is much easier to come out ahead.
Credits: how much you will really use
The Gold’s $424 of credits is only worth the face value if you would already spend that money at those merchants, and several need enrollment or monthly activation. Counting only credits you will use, a realistic number might be half. The Preferred’s $100 hotel credit is simple if you book a hotel through Chase Travel once a year, which brings the effective annual fee close to zero.
Redeeming points
Both cards earn flexible points with airline and hotel partners. Amex has more transfer partners, while Chase offers a guaranteed 1 cent in its travel portal and up to 1.75 cents with Points Boost on eligible bookings. U.S. airline transfers from Amex may carry a small federal excise tax. If you never transfer points, the Chase portal floor is a real advantage.
Bottom line
- You spend heavily on dining and groceries
- You will use the Uber, dining and Resy credits
- You want more transfer partners
- You want a low-fee travel card
- You book through Chase Travel or hotels with the $100 credit
- You value travel insurance and a simple setup