Chase Sapphire Reserve vs. Amex Platinum
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BLUEPRINT
Published 6:17 a.m. UTC Oct. 16, 2023
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In the battle between the leading premium travel cards, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® provides more flexibility while The Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply, rates & fees) offers niche luxury — but the winner is crowned based on one’s lifestyle and particular preferences.
Even with an ever-growing list of worthy travel card contenders, the main event in the ultra-premium division still remains between the Chase Sapphire Reserve card and the Amex Platinum Card. And while the heavyweights can go head-to-head, their appeal will be determined by a traveler’s personal lifestyle preferences.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve has mass appeal for its earning power, ease of travel credit usage and high minimum redemption value. For the more experienced traveler, its Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS application fee reimbursement, Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required) and the power of Chase Ultimate Rewards’® superior travel loyalty transfer partners — plus travel protections and primary rental car insurance — make it a no-brainer when entering the premium credit card space.
The Amex Platinum is a high maintenance card better suited for a niche audience who values luxury perks, both when traveling and in daily life. Also, having an understanding of loyalty programs and transfer partners will help you get the most out of this card’s long list of Membership Rewards® airline transfer partners. It has extensive airport lounge access and a CLEAR® Plus membership statement credit to make your airport experience as comfortable as possible. It also has high-end hotel statement credits, airline incidental fee statement credits (for one qualifying airline of your choice), annual Uber Cash (disbursed in monthly increments; the card must be added to your Uber account to receive this benefit) and annual Equinox statement credits (for an Equinox+ subscription, or any Equinox club memberships; subject to auto-renewal). Enrollment is required for select benefits. This card is for the frequent traveler who wants to step it up a notch.
This isn’t a match that ends in a knockout, as both cards can hold their own — but although there are clear winners in certain rounds, the overall champion is the card best suited for your individual wants and needs.
Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Amex Platinum comparison
Annual fees
The Chase Sapphire Reserve has an annual fee of $550.
The Platinum Card from Amex has an annual fee of $695.
Although the Amex Platinum has a higher annual fee than the Chase Sapphire Reserve, it also comes with way more perks. However, some of these perks have specific terms that make them difficult to take full advantage of. This makes the Chase Sapphire Reserve card’s easy-to-use $300 annual travel credit a simple way to justify the card’s already lower annual fee.
Authorized users also have their own, separate annual fee. Adding an authorized user on the Amex Platinum Card is $195 per year for each authorized user. The Chase Sapphire Reserve charges $75 per authorized user, per year.
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The Platinum Card® from American Express
Winner for annual fee: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Welcome offers
New cardholders of the Chase Sapphire Reserve can earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
New cardholders of the Platinum Card from Amex can earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership.
Welcome offers wax and wane, so be aware that Amex only allows applicants to earn a card’s welcome offer once-in-a-lifetime. Chase limits its Sapphire-branded welcome offer earnings to once every 48 months, so it’s possible to take advantage of another welcome offer with Chase in a few years.
Just keep in mind that the timing of your credit card application is important, as Chase has a 5/24 rule — that means if you’ve applied for five or more credit cards with any issuer in the last 24 months, you won’t be eligible for a Chase card.
Note: Transferring points to Chase’s and Amex’s respective travel loyalty partners can result in much higher redemption values — factors that could change the winner of this category.
Winner for welcome offer: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Rewards rates
The Chase Sapphire Reserve earns 5 points per $1 on flights and 10 points per $1 on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Travel℠ after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3 points per $1 on other travel and dining and 1 point per $1 on other purchases.
The Platinum Card from Amex earns 5 Membership Rewards® points per $1 for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year, 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and 1 point per $1 on other purchases.
The Amex Platinum earns impressive flight rewards — but offers little beyond that.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve has a wide range of bonus categories and a broadly defined travel category that includes campgrounds, tolls and parking garages. This makes every day earning with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card easier.
Winner for rewards: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Redemption options and value
Both cards have a substantive list of travel transfer partners, allowing you to redeem your rewards for more than a fixed value through loyalty reward programs.
American Express Membership Rewards points can be transferred to over 20 airline and hotel partners and Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to just below 15 airline and hotel partners. And while your personal travel preferences will determine which partners you may prefer, Chase has a clear upper hand with its World of Hyatt partnership — a program known for its generous award chart.
However, transferring points is not always possible as award space is limited, but booking directly through each issuer’s travel portal is always an option. Chase has another advantage as its points are worth 1.5 cents per point when booking travel through the Chase Travel portal, while Amex’s Membership Rewards points are worth 1 cent per point at most when redeemed through American Express Travel.
Winner for redemption options and value: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Travel benefits
It’s no surprise that both cards are stacked with travel benefits. Lounge access is a chief perk and the Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with a Priority Pass Select membership upon enrollment that includes select airport restaurants — a feature that’s not available for Amex Platinum Priority Pass Select cardholders.
However, the American Express Global Lounge Collection® provides access to The Centurion Network, Delta Sky Club (when traveling on a Delta-operated flight) and more (terms apply; subject to availability). The Global Lounge Collection easily comes out on top.
Both cards offer ways to expedite airport security. Chase offers a reimbursement for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS application fees every four years and Amex covers the cost of a CLEAR Plus membership with statement credits after you pay for the membership with your Amex Platinum Card.
Trip cancellation, interruption and delay insurance² are included with both cards. Amex also provides complimentary premium status for a number of car rental programs (enrollment required; terms apply) and Chase offers primary rental car insurance — an uncommon, money-saving perk.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with a complimentary Lyft Pink All Access membership for two years and the Amex Platinum Card provides up to $200 in annual Uber Cash, distributed in monthly increments (enrollment required; the card must be added to your Uber account to receive this benefit).
The Chase Sapphire Reserve’s annual $300 travel reimbursement credit is its shining feature for its ease of use and broadly defined category. However, you can get more value from the Amex Platinum Card’s annual up to $200 hotel statement credit on select prepaid bookings through American Express Travel and up to $200 airline incidental fee statement credit per calendar year (on one eligible airline of your choice), if you can follow the very specific terms.
American Express may still not be as widely accepted (especially abroad) as the Chase Sapphire Reserve Visa, but the card’s extensive list of benefits likely makes up for it.
Winner for travel benefits: The Platinum Card from American Express
Other benefits
Outside of travel benefits, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with a complimentary DashPass subscription with a $5 monthly DoorDash credit, Instacart+ membership for one year along with a $15 monthly statement credit and a $10 monthly Gopuff statement credit.
The Amex Platinum Card offers cell phone protection¹ up to $800, an up to $240 annual digital entertainment statement credit for eligible purchases (disbursed monthly), an up to $300 annual Equinox statement credit for an Equinox+ subscription or any Equinox club membership, an up to $100 annual Saks Fifth Avenue statement credit (issued bi-annually; terms apply) and a $155 annual statement credit for a Walmart+ membership (covers the $12.95 monthly Walmart+ cost). Enrollment is required for select benefits.
Some benefits are easier to use than others — but for those whose lifestyle overlaps with these credits, there’s a significant amount of value to be had.
Winner for other benefits: The Platinum Card from American Express
Who should choose the Chase Sapphire Reserve card?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is best for travelers who value flexibility. Its travel partners give you a lot of options when it comes to redeeming your reward points. Plus, the $300 annual travel credit can be used on a wide range of travel-related expenses which makes it easy to use.
The lounge access isn’t as good as on the Amex Platinum, but the Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required) is a respectable program and you’re likely to get plenty of use out of it. If you are already a member of Instacart+ and DashPass, then you’ll see additional value there.
If you are able to get enough benefits to cover the annual fee, then you’ll be happy with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
Who should choose the Platinum Card from American Express?
The Platinum Card from American Express is for a frequent flyer who wants to elevate their airport experience. If drinking champagne at the lounge before your flight and then cruising through security with your CLEAR Plus membership sounds perfect, then you might get a lot of value from this card. Also, this card might be for you if you already shop at Saks Fifth Avenue, have an Equinox membership and use Uber on a regular basis, as the built in discounts will help offset the high annual fee.
Which card should you get?
It’s no surprise that with all their benefits these cards are two of the most popular ultra-premium travel cards on the market. The right card for you is whichever card has the benefits you value and will use and can justify the annual fee for. And that might be one or the other, or it might even be both.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Getting approved for the Amex Platinum Card requires good to excellent credit, while the Chase Sapphire Reserve card requires both excellent credit and for the applicant to be under Chase’s 5/24 rule. But each issuer has their own criteria so there’s not a definitive way to be sure you’ll be approved for one card over the other.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is considered a premium credit card.
Yes, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is a metal card.
It could be worth it for someone who knows how to strategically pair the cards to earn maximum rewards and is able to take advantage of enough perks to offset both card’s large annual fees.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum cards waive their annual fees for active duty servicemembers and their spouses. It’s unlikely they will waive their annual fees for anyone else given the rich slate of perks the cards offer.
For rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.
¹Coverage for a Stolen or damaged Eligible Cellular Wireless Telephone is subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions and limits of liability of this benefit. The maximum liability is $800, per claim, per Eligible Card Account. Each claim is subject to a $50 deductible. Coverage is limited to two (2) claims per Eligible Card Account per 12 month period. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
²Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
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