Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Reserve: Which Should You Get?

The Amex Gold and Chase Sapphire Reserve are two of the most popular premium rewards cards in the US, and they are the cards people agonize over most. Both excel at dining and travel, both earn flexible transferable points, and both have loyal followings. But they serve different types of spenders. Here is how to decide which one belongs in your wallet.

Side-by-Side Comparison

The Amex Gold

The Amex Gold costs $325/year and earns 4x Membership Rewards at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000/year) and US supermarkets (up to $25,000/year), plus 3x on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. It includes a $120 dining credit ($10/month at select restaurants including Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, and more).

Effective annual fee: $325 minus $120 dining credit = $205/year, assuming you use the dining credits naturally. The $120 a year in Uber Cash and up to $100 at Resy restaurants bring it lower if you would spend there anyway.

Where the Amex Gold Wins

• Groceries: 4x MR at supermarkets is unmatched among premium cards. The Sapphire Reserve earns only 1x on groceries.
• Dining rate: Both earn top rates on dining, but 4x beats 3x at any valuation: at 2 cpp it is 8% versus 6%. Redeemed through Chase Travel at 1 cent per point, the Reserve's 3x is worth just 3%.
• Lower cost: At $205 net annual fee, the Gold costs well under half the Reserve's $495 net.
• Transfer partners: MR has access to ANA, Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic -- some of the best international premium cabin redemptions available. Chase UR also transfers to Singapore and Virgin Atlantic, but not to ANA, whose round-trip premium cabin awards are one of the best sweet spots in points.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve

The Sapphire Reserve costs $795/year and earns 8x Ultimate Rewards on purchases through Chase Travel, 4x on flights and hotels booked directly, 3x on dining, and 1x on everything else. It includes a $300 annual travel credit (automatically applied to any travel purchase), Priority Pass lounge access, primary rental car insurance, and a suite of travel protections.

Effective annual fee: $795 minus $300 travel credit = $495/year, assuming you spend at least $300 on travel annually (most people do).

Where the Sapphire Reserve Wins

• Travel benefits: Priority Pass lounge access, primary rental car insurance, comprehensive trip delay/cancellation coverage, and a $300 travel credit. The Amex Gold has no lounge access or travel credit, and thinner coverage: trip delay and baggage insurance and secondary car rental loss and damage coverage, but no trip cancellation insurance or primary rental coverage.
• Travel earning: 8x on travel booked through Chase Travel and 4x on flights and hotels booked directly, versus the Gold's 3x on flights only. (Other travel, such as Uber, tolls and parking, now earns 1x on the Reserve.)
• Portal value: UR points are worth 1 cent through Chase Travel, but Reserve cardholders get Points Boost offers worth up to 2 cents per point on select hotels and flights -- a simple option when you do not want to research transfer partners. MR points through the Amex portal are worth only about 1 cpp.
• Hyatt access: The Reserve's UR points still transfer to Hyatt at 1:1 (since October 1, 2026, the Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred transfer at 4:3, so 1,000 points become 750), and Hyatt award nights often work out to 2 cents or more per point. Amex MR cannot transfer to Hyatt.
• Network acceptance: Visa is accepted virtually everywhere. Amex acceptance, while much improved, still has gaps at smaller merchants and internationally.

Who Should Get Which?

Get the Amex Gold if:

• You spend heavily on groceries ($300+/month at supermarkets).
• You want to minimize annual fees while maximizing earning rates.
• You are interested in international premium cabin redemptions through ANA, Singapore, or Aeroplan.
• You already have lounge access through another card or do not fly enough to use it.
• Dining is your largest spending category.

Get the Sapphire Reserve if:

• You travel frequently and value lounge access, trip insurance, and rental car coverage.
• You prefer booking through a portal (Chase Travel, where Points Boost offers are worth up to 2 cpp on select bookings).
• You want to transfer to Hyatt for hotel stays.
• You need broad Visa acceptance for international travel.
• Hotel and total travel spending outweighs your grocery spending.

The Verdict

If you can only pick one, let your spending decide. Calculate your monthly grocery, dining, and travel spend, then run the numbers. For most people who cook at home regularly, the Amex Gold wins on pure earning power. For frequent travelers who want a premium safety net and simple redemptions, the Sapphire Reserve is the better choice. But the ideal setup -- as always in the churning world -- is to build a wallet where each card handles the categories it does best.