Chase Sapphire Most popular vs. Amex Gold: Which mid-tier favourite is best for you?

For a lot of, the $500-plus annual charges that include ultra-premium journey playing cards such because the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and costs) and The Platinum Card® from American Categorical (see charges and costs) aren’t justifiable. If you happen to aren’t touring repeatedly and using the complete lineup of perks and credit, it is probably not price including these playing cards to your pockets.

Nevertheless, each Chase and Amex have glorious mid-tier playing cards: the Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card (see charges and costs) and the American Categorical® Gold Card.

Whereas each of those playing cards act as sister playing cards to their luxurious counterparts, there are lots of variations between them. On this showdown, we’re strolling via a side-by-side comparability of those playing cards that can assist you decide which is best for you — or whether or not each deserve spots in your pockets.

The Sapphire Most popular provides a compelling limited-time welcome bonus. New candidates can earn 100,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

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Primarily based on TPG’s April 2025 valuations, Final Rewards factors are price 2.05 cents every, making this bonus price $2,050. That is the highest-ever welcome supply we have now seen on this card.

New Amex Gold cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus factors after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases inside the first six months of cardmembership. Primarily based on TPG’s April 2025 valuations, this supply is price $1,200.

Plus, you possibly can be focused for a better welcome supply on the Amex Gold via the CardMatch device (provides are topic to vary at any time and never everybody will obtain the identical supply).

Winner: Sapphire Most popular. The present welcome supply is price greater than the Amex Gold’s.

Associated: The most effective bank card welcome bonuses

In change for a $95 annual charge, the Sapphire Most popular provides some strong perks, together with a $50 annual resort credit score for bookings via Chase Journey, a ten% factors bonus in your cardholder anniversary and a complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership (activate by Dec. 31, 2027).

Different advantages embody protections like rental automobile insurance coverage, journey delay and cancellation insurance coverage and baggage delay insurance coverage. These are an awesome security web when you journey, however they do not do a lot to boost your day-to-day life when all the things goes in accordance with plan.

For greater than double the Sapphire Most popular’s annual charge ($325 vs. $95), the Amex Gold provides a number of glorious perks (enrollment is required for choose advantages; phrases apply):

• As much as $120 in Uber Money per calendar 12 months: Obtain as much as $10 in Uber Money every month, legitimate on Uber rides and Uber Eats orders within the U.S. Your Amex Gold have to be added as a fee methodology, and you’ll redeem with any Amex card
• As much as $120 in eating credit every calendar 12 months: Obtain as much as $10 a month in assertion credit for purchases together with your Amex Gold at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Manufacturing facility, Goldbelly, Wine.com and 5 Guys.
• As much as $100 in assertion credit for purchases made at Resy eating places per calendar 12 months: Obtain as much as $50 in assertion credit biannually for eligible Resy purchases and eating at U.S. Resy eating places; simply pay together with your card to obtain the credit score. No reservation is required.
• As much as $84 in assertion credit for Dunkin’ Donuts purchases: Obtain as much as $7 monthly in assertion credit for purchases made at U.S. Dunkin’ Donuts.
• Enrollment is required; phrases apply.

Amex Gold cardmembers additionally obtain journey and buy protections. Phrases apply.

Winner: Amex Gold. The Amex Gold’s assertion credit are valued at $424, greater than the cardboard’s annual charge. That is much more worth than you will get from the Sapphire Most popular every year.

Associated: Why you will wish to pay the Chase Sapphire Most popular’s $95 annual charge

The Sapphire Most popular provides helpful bonus classes. The actual spotlight is not simply the classes themselves however how broadly they’re outlined. With this card, you will earn on the following charges:

• 5 factors per greenback on journey booked via Chase Journey (excluding resort reservations that qualify for the $50 credit score)
  5 factors per greenback on Lyft (via Sept. 2027)
  5 factors per greenback on Peloton gear and accent purchases of $150 or extra (via Dec. 2027, with a restrict of 25,000 bonus factors)
• 3 factors per greenback on eating, choose streaming providers and on-line grocery shops (excluding Walmart, Goal and wholesale golf equipment)
• 2 factors per greenback on different journey, together with resorts, airfare, rental automobiles, taxis and parking meters
• 1 level per greenback on all the things else

These are strong charges on a variety of purchases.

Nonetheless, the Amex Gold could shine brighter relating to its incomes construction:

• 4 factors per greenback on eating at eating places worldwide (as much as $50,000 every calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback)
• 4 factors per greenback at U.S. supermarkets (as much as $25,000 per calendar 12 months; then 1 level per greenback)
• 3 factors per greenback on airfare bought immediately from the airline or via amextravel.com
• 2 factors per greenback on pay as you go resorts and different eligible purchases booked via amextravel.com
• 1 level per greenback on different eligible purchases

Regardless of the spending cap, incomes 4 factors per greenback at eating places worldwide and U.S. supermarkets is an 8% return on each purchases, in accordance with TPG’s April 2025 valuations. That makes it one of many greatest playing cards for eating at eating places and U.S. grocery procuring.

Winner: Amex Gold. Its increased incomes charges on eating worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets, in addition to on flights booked immediately with an airline, give it the higher hand.

Associated: Why the Amex Gold is the proper ‘in-between’ bank card

The Sapphire Most popular earns Final Rewards factors which you could redeem for journey via Chase Journey or for different objects corresponding to reward playing cards and assertion credit.

You may get a 25% bonus when redeeming factors for journey via Chase Journey. However you will get essentially the most worth by transferring your factors to considered one of Chase’s 14 beneficial resort and airline switch companions.

The Amex Gold earns equally beneficial Membership Rewards factors, which you’ll be able to redeem for journey immediately via AmexTravel.com or for reward playing cards and assertion credit.

Once more, you will get the perfect worth out of your factors by transferring them to considered one of Amex’s 21 resort and airline companions.

Winner: Tie. Each playing cards earn transferable rewards and offer you a variety of beneficial redemption choices.

TPG’s April 2025 valuations peg Chase Final Rewards at 2.05 cents every and Amex Membership factors at 2 cents every, however your journey habits would possibly make one forex higher than the opposite for you.

For instance, in the event you reside in a Delta hub, you would possibly get extra worth out of transferring your Membership Rewards factors to Delta SkyMiles, whereas those that have a coveted Southwest Companion Move can get some unbelievable worth by transferring Chase Final Rewards factors to Southwest Fast Rewards.

TPG contributing editor Matt Moffitt makes use of his Sapphire Most popular usually to switch factors to British Airways Government Membership to benefit from candy spots on American Airways flights.

In the meantime, TPG bank cards editor Olivia Mittak transfers the Membership Rewards factors she earns on her Amex Gold to Air Canada Aeroplan and Delta SkyMiles.

Winner: Tie. Each playing cards switch to numerous companions, all with their respective redemption choices and candy spots.

Associated: Why transferable factors are price greater than different rewards

If you happen to spend most of your funds on groceries within the U.S. or eating and may make the most of its month-to-month credit, the Amex Gold is probably going your winner. Nevertheless, the Sapphire Most popular is a greater match in the event you choose Final Rewards factors and wish to earn bonus factors on normal journey bills. Nonetheless, keep in mind that it would not must be a “this or that” determination; there’s room for each of those playing cards in a well-developed factors technique.

The Sapphire Most popular and Amex Gold are two of essentially the most beneficial mid-tier playing cards available on the market. Each can present glorious worth in the correct fingers, and the query of 1 card versus one other largely relies on the way you derive worth out of your bank cards.

Nevertheless, they’re considered one of our high card pairings, so it could be price having each in your pockets.

To be taught extra, learn our full evaluations of the Chase Sapphire Most popular and Amex Gold.

Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Most popular
Apply right here: American Categorical Gold

For charges and costs of the Amex Platinum, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Gold, click on right here.