The American Express® Gold Card is one of the top credit cards on the market thanks to its high return per $1 spent on restaurant and U.S. supermarket purchases.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best overall rewards credit cards and offers a great return across several categories.
Both cards are considered to be top options for each of their respective rewards programs.
Rewards Rates
As part of the Chase-Lyft Partnership, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card also earns 5X points on Lyft purchases until March 2025.
Do note that you will not earn 5X points on hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit. Once the credit is exhausted, you'll then earn 5X on hotel purchases through the portal.
Current Intro Bonus
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months.
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Key Cardholder Benefits
- $120 in annual Uber Cash, split up into $10 per month.
- $120 in annual Dining credit, split up into $10 per month good at select retailers. Enrollment required.
- Access to The Hotel Collection. Book 2-night minimum stays for a $100 hotel credit and room upgrade upon arrival (when available).
- Complimentary ShopRunner membership for 2-day shipping and free returns at 100+ stores. Enrollment required.
- Receive a 25% boost to point value when you redeem your points through Chase Ultimate Rewards (1.25 cents per point).
- Receive a $50 hotel credit every cardmember anniversary that can be used towards hotel stays booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel portal.
- Every cardmember anniversary you'll receive 10% bonus points based on how much you spent on the card the prior cardmember year. This bonus does not include the category bonus multipliers.
Rewards Value
| Redemption Option | Average Value (in cents) |
|---|---|
| Point transfers to airline and hotel partners | 0.6 - 2 |
| Booking flights through American Express Travel | 1 |
| Booking other travel through American Express Travel | 0.7 |
| Paying with points at checkout | 0.7 |
| Using points for card charges (statement credit) | 0.6 |
| Redeeming points for gift cards | 0.5 - 1 |
Membership Rewards points earned with the American Express Gold Card can easily be redeemed for 1 cent each towards airfare booked through American Express Travel. You can obtain higher values transferring points to AMEX's airline and hotel partners.
| Redemption Option | Average Value (in cents) |
|---|---|
| Point transfers to airline and hotel partners | 0.6 - 2.1 |
| Booking travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards using the Chase Sapphire Preferred | 1.25 |
| Pay Yourself Back using the Chase Sapphire Preferred | 1.25 |
| Redeeming points for cash back | 1 |
| Redeeming points for gift cards | 1 |
| Using points for Amazon.com purchases | 0.8 |
Ultimate Rewards points earned with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card can be redeemed for 1.25 cents towards travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Points can also be transferred to Chase's airline and hotel partners to obtain higher value.
Transfer Partners
Annual Fees
The American Express Gold Card has an annual fee of $250. Additional users can be added at a cost of $0 for the first five cards, then $35 per card for the sixth card onward.
If you can make use of the $240 in annual credits the American Express Gold Card offers, you'll be able to offset the majority of the fee. On top of that, the 4X earning rates offers an exceptional return if you plan on transferring points to AMEX's airline and hotel partners.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card has an annual fee of $95 which is a steal. The bonus points you receive annually, the $50 hotel credit, and the boost to point value via Chase Ultimate Rewards will offer exceptional value even if you only spend on this card moderately throughout the year.
Card Value Calculator
Calculate how many points you can earn with the Chase Sapphire Preferred and AMEX Gold Card side by side based on your spend. You'll also be able to calculate the average cash value of the points earned, the transfer of points to partners, and the cash value of each card.
