Card comparison

Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Reserve

Membership Rewards vs Ultimate Rewards

Verified July 2026

TL;DR — quick verdict

The Amex Gold ($250) undercuts the Chase Sapphire Reserve ($795) on annual fee. Pick the Amex Gold for everyday Supermarkets spending (4x); pick the Chase Sapphire Reserve for everyday Peloton spending (10x).

At a Glance

American Express Gold Card

Annual Fee
$250
Signup Bonus
100,000 points
Network
Amex
Points Currency
Membership Rewards
Earning Rates
Us Flights 3x
Supermarkets 4x
Us Restaurants 4x
Other Purchases 1x

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Annual Fee
$795
Signup Bonus
100,000 points
Network
Visa
Points Currency
Ultimate Rewards
Earning Rates
Lyft 5x
Dining 3x
Peloton 10x
Other Purchases 1x
Chase Travel Purchases 8x
Flights And Hotels Booked Directly 4x

Category Breakdown

How they compare across key categories

Annual Fee

Amex Gold wins

Amex Gold $250 vs Chase Sapphire Reserve $795

=

Welcome Bonus

Tie

Amex Gold: 100,000 points after $8,000 in 6 months vs Chase Sapphire Reserve: 100,000 points after $6,000 in 3 months

Top Earning Rate

Chase Sapphire Reserve wins

Amex Gold: 4x on Supermarkets vs Chase Sapphire Reserve: 10x on Peloton

Perks & Credits

Chase Sapphire Reserve wins

Amex Gold: 3 listed benefits vs Chase Sapphire Reserve: 7 listed benefits

=

Transfer Partners

Tie

Amex Gold: 20+ airline and hotel partners vs Chase Sapphire Reserve: 14 airline and hotel partners

Perks & Benefits

American Express Gold

  • Dining credit ($120)
  • Resy credit ($100)
  • Disney Streaming credit ($120)

Chase Sapphire Reserve

  • Travel credit ($300)
  • The Edit hotel credit ($500)
  • Dining credit ($300)
  • StubHub/Viagogo credit ($300)
  • DoorDash credits ($300)
  • Apple subscriptions credit ($288)
  • Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit ($120)

Which Is Right for You?

Get the Amex Gold if...

  • Lower $250 annual fee
  • Earns 4x on Supermarkets
  • Earns 4x on US restaurants
  • Dining credit ($120)

Get the Chase Sapphire Reserve if...

  • Premium benefits to offset the $795 fee
  • Earns 10x on Peloton
  • Earns 8x on Chase Travel purchases
  • Travel credit ($300)

Related Resources

Amex Points Value

What are Amex points worth?

Chase Points Value

What are Chase points worth?

Search Award Flights

Find available seats

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Amex Gold or Chase Sapphire Reserve better?

The Amex Gold ($250) undercuts the Chase Sapphire Reserve ($795) on annual fee. Pick the Amex Gold for everyday Supermarkets spending (4x); pick the Chase Sapphire Reserve for everyday Peloton spending (10x). Both earn transferable rewards, so many points collectors hold one from each ecosystem.

Which has the lower annual fee, the Amex Gold or Chase Sapphire Reserve?

The Amex Gold has the lower annual fee at $250, versus $795 for the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Which card earns points faster?

The Amex Gold earns up to 4x on Supermarkets, while the Chase Sapphire Reserve earns up to 10x on Peloton.

Can I have both the Amex Gold and the Chase Sapphire Reserve?

Yes. They're issued independently, so you can hold both and earn Membership Rewards and Ultimate Rewards side by side.

Ready to use your points?

Search award flight availability across all partner airlines in one place.

Search award flights

Need More Points?

Earn bonus points with these credit card offers

Can't find availability at your current points balance? These credit cards offer generous welcome bonuses to help you book your dream flight.

The Business Platinum Card from American Express

Business · Annual fee $895

US only

200,000 points

after $20,000 in 3 months

  • Hotel credit ($600)
  • Dell credit ($1150)
  • Adobe credit ($250)
Learn more & apply

American Express Business Gold Card

Business · Annual fee $375

US only

200,000 points

after $15,000 in 3 months

  • ChatGPT Business Statement Credit ($300)
  • FedEx, Grubhub and Office Supply Statement Credit ($240)
  • Walmart+ Statement Credit ($155)
Learn more & apply

The Platinum Card from American Express

Personal · Annual fee $895

US only

175,000 points

after $12,000 in 6 months

  • Hotel credit ($600)
  • Digital entertainment credit ($300)
  • Uber Cash and One credit ($320)
Learn more & apply

American Express Gold Card

Personal · Annual fee $250

US only

100,000 points

after $8,000 in 6 months

  • Dining credit ($120)
  • Resy credit ($100)
  • Disney Streaming credit ($120)
Learn more & apply

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Personal · Annual fee $95

100,000 points

after $5,000 in 3 months

  • Chase Travel hotel credit ($100)
  • Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit ($120)
  • DoorDash DashPass ($120)
Learn more & apply

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Personal · Annual fee $795

100,000 points

after $6,000 in 3 months

  • Travel credit ($300)
  • The Edit hotel credit ($500)
  • Dining credit ($300)
Learn more & apply

Credit card approval subject to eligibility. Terms and conditions apply. American Express cards shown are available to US residents only.