by Andrew Kunesh, Senior Reporter, Cards & Loyalty
I’ve shared in past newsletters that the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is my go-to travel rewards card, thanks to its low annual fee, high earning rates and variety of transfer partners.
To start, this card has a higher annual fee of $250 (see rates and fees), and there’s a reason for that — including up to $120 in both annual dining credits and annual Uber Cash, neither of which the CSP can boast.
It also offers a $100 hotel experience credit when you use it to book two nights or more at a participating hotel through the Amex Travel portal, along with various shopping and travel protections.
Both cards are currently offering a 60,000-point welcome bonus, but you must spend $6,000 in the first six months with the Amex Gold versus $4,000 in the first three months of account opening with the CSP. Based on TPG’s current valuations, the Amex Gold welcome bonus is worth $1,200, while the CSP’s is worth $1,230.
When comparing these cards side by side, you can see that, despite having a lower welcome-bonus value, the Amex Gold’s higher annual fee is perhaps justified by its perks.
With an earning rate of 4 points per dollar on dining at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), the Amex Gold is ranked as “the best card for the well-traveled foodie” by TPG.
While foodies may be convinced, here’s more reading to help you decide:
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