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Amex Gold and Sapphire Preferred, ranked

American Express Gold Card, Chase Sapphire Preferred — every spend category, ranked by what each card actually returns.

Best card by category Card terms as of Sep 14

Everything else

  1. Gold Card 1.6% 1x base rate
  2. Sapphire Preferred 1.5% 1x base rate

Dining

  1. Gold Card 6.4% 4x, capped
  2. Sapphire Preferred 4.5% 3x

Groceries

  1. Gold Card 6.4% 4x, capped
  2. Sapphire Preferred 1.5% 1x base rate

Gas

  1. Sapphire Preferred 4.5% 3x
  2. Gold Card 1.6% 1x base rate

Travel

  1. Sapphire Preferred · Chase Travel 7.5% 5x
  2. Gold Card 1.6% 1x base rate
  3. Sapphire Preferred 1.5% 1x base rate

Streaming

  1. Sapphire Preferred 4.5% 3x
  2. Gold Card 1.6% 1x base rate

Online grocery

  1. Gold Card 6.4% 4x, capped
  2. Sapphire Preferred 4.5% 3x

Flights

  1. Sapphire Preferred · Chase Travel 7.5% 5x
  2. Gold Card 4.8% 3x
  3. Gold Card · American Express Travel 4.8% 3x
  4. Sapphire Preferred 3.0% 2x

Hotels

  1. Gold Card · American Express Travel 8.0% 5x
  2. Sapphire Preferred · Chase Travel 7.5% 5x
  3. Sapphire Preferred 3.0% 2x
  4. Gold Card 1.6% 1x base rate

Car rental

  1. Sapphire Preferred · Chase Travel 7.5% 5x
  2. Gold Card · American Express Travel 3.2% 2x
  3. Gold Card 1.6% 1x base rate
  4. Sapphire Preferred 1.5% 1x base rate

Cruises

  1. Sapphire Preferred · Chase Travel 7.5% 5x
  2. Gold Card · American Express Travel 3.2% 2x
  3. Gold Card 1.6% 1x base rate
  4. Sapphire Preferred 1.5% 1x base rate

What the numbers are doing

Gold Card's 4x on dining runs out: it applies to the first $50,000 of dining spend a year, and everything past that earns 1x.

The table is earn rate only — annual fees are not netted out of it. These cards charge Gold Card $325 and Sapphire Preferred $95 a year, so a thin lead in one category may not cover the difference.

Where they differ: Gold Card takes everything else, dining, groceries and online grocery, plus 1 more; Sapphire Preferred takes gas, travel, streaming and flights, plus 2 more.

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