Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Preferred
Both cards live in the mid-tier travel + dining category, but they earn very differently. The Amex Gold ($325 AF) leans into grocery + dining 4x with a coupon-book; the Sapphire Preferred ($95 AF) is the leaner traveler's transfer-partner workhorse.
American Express Gold
Households that spend $3,000+/yr at U.S. supermarkets AND $3,000+/yr at restaurants. The 4x at both, transferable to MR partners at our 1.4 cpp benchmark, is industry-leading for dining + grocery combined.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Mid-frequency travelers (4-8 trips/yr) who want Ultimate Rewards transfer-partner access without the Sapphire Reserve's $795 AF. The 1:1 transfer to Hyatt + United at our 1.5 cpp benchmark is where the real value lives.
Pick American Express Gold if
Households spending $3,000+ at U.S. supermarkets AND $3,000+ at dining who'll capture 70%+ of the $120 dining + $120 Uber credits
At full capture, the 4x grocery + 4x dining + credits absorb the AF entirely. The math only works if both spend categories and credit utilization land.
Pick Chase Sapphire Preferred if
Travelers who want a $95 AF + transfer-partner depth without coupon-book friction
No category caps to game, no monthly credits to remember, 1.25 cpp portal floor + 1.5+ cpp via transfers. The simplest mid-tier travel card.
Skip both if
Single-person households with low grocery spend. Neither card returns more than a $0-AF flat-rate 2% cashback card unless you have a real travel use case OR a $250+/mo grocery + dining stack.
Head-to-head
| Dimension | American Express Gold | Chase Sapphire Preferred |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $325 — high; only breaks even at strong category + credit capture | $95 — easy to justify with 4-6 trips/yr |
| Grocery earning | 4x at U.S. supermarkets (capped $25k/yr) | 1x |
| Dining earning | 4x worldwide | 3x worldwide |
| Coupon-book friction | High — Grubhub, Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Uber monthly | None |
| Transfer-partner depth | Strong (Amex MR — ANA, ALL, British Airways, Delta) | Strongest (Chase UR — Hyatt, United, Air Canada, BA, Iberia) |
Reviewed by the ClearValue Editorial Team · Last updated 6/29/2026. ClearValue Cards may earn a commission when readers take the quiz and match through links on this site. See disclosure.