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Amex vs. Chase Cards – Which Is Best? [2021]

Amex Gold Card Rose Gold rose background
BY 
Stephen Au
- UPDATED:
  1. Credit Cards  / 
  2. Strategies & Guides

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American Express and Chase are 2 of the most prolific banks for card rewards. These institutions have literally invested billions of dollars creating products that fit the sentiments and purchasing habits of consumers and business owners alike.

And in recent years, American Express and Chase have truly accelerated the pace with which they innovate in this space. The result? Amex and Chase have both pulled ahead of the competition, outshining other banks like Citi and Capital One.

But what isn’t so obvious is which bank between Amex and Chase has the best cards. There isn’t an all-encompassing answer for this, so what we’ve done is dive deep into research to try to get a clearer picture.

In this guide, we’ll share our findings with you and nominate a winner and runner-up in the major card segments and markets. Before we do that, we’ll be comparing the 2 banks’ rewards systems (and why you might prefer 1 over the other).

We’ve got a lot of ground to cover; let’s begin!

Comparing Amex Membership Rewards & Chase Ultimate Rewards

Emirates first class
Emirates first class is a magical experience that can be booked using Chase Ultimate Rewards points or Amex Membership Rewards points. Image Credit: Stephen Au

Amex’s award-winning rewards program is called American Express Membership Rewards and the points you earn when making purchases on Amex Membership Rewards cards are called Amex Membership Rewards points.

Chase’s equally lauded rewards program is called Chase Ultimate Rewards. Similarly, the points you earn when making purchases on Chase Ultimate Rewards cards are called Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Every card from Amex and Chase has a different points-earning structure featuring different bonus categories, earnings caps, and accrual rates.

Amex Membership Rewards points and Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be used for statement credits, gift cards, travel bookings (through Amex Travel or the Chase travel portal), Amazon, merchandise, and charity.

Chase Ultimate Rewards points will generally net you better value for the above redemptions. For example, you will get:

  • Up to 1.5 cents per point on travel booked through Chase travel portal
  • 1 cent per point on statement credits, checks, or direct deposit
  • Up to 1.1 cents per point on gift cards
  • 0.8 cents per point on Amazon

To compare, Amex offers the following redemption structure:

  • Up to 1.53 cents per point (highest redemption value on flights with the 35% points rebate) on travel booked through Amex Travel
  • 0.6 cents per point on statement credits
  • 0.5 to 1 cent per point on gift cards
  • 0.7 cents per point on Amazon
  • 0.5 cents per point at Shop with Membership Rewards Points (the American Express shopping mall)
  • 1 cent per point on charity

Transfer Partnerships

We very rarely recommend using your points for any of the redemptions we just mentioned. Instead, we recommend you explore the transfer partnerships that make these points so valuable in the first place.

To be specific, Amex Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards have different transfer partners. Some transfer partners, like Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Emirates Skywards, are shared by the 2 rewards systems, while others, such as World of Hyatt (for Chase) and ANA Mileage Club (for Amex) are only partners with 1 of the points systems.

Chase maintains a consistent 1:1 transfer ratio with all partners, while Amex mostly maintains the same 1:1 transfer partnerships with a few exceptions:

Both Amex and Chase have 2 of the best transfer partnership networks out there.

To offer broad generalizations, Amex Membership Rewards has the most lucrative airline partners, which will usually enable you to redeem as few points as possible for luxury premium cabin flights.

Chase Ultimate Rewards has the single most lucrative hotel partner in World of Hyatt, plus a handful of excellent transfer partners that’ll allow you to easily redeem your points for premium cabin travel (though probably not at the lowest points cost).

When all is said and done, we value Amex Membership Rewards points at around 2.2 cents each and Chase Ultimate Rewards points at around 2 cents each.

Bottom Line: Amex Membership Rewards is slightly more valuable than Chase Ultimate Rewards, thanks to an abundance of amazing airline transfer partners like ANA Mileage Club. However, Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed for fantastic value, too, particularly with unique partners like World of Hyatt. 

Best Premium Travel Rewards Card

couple in airport with suitcases
You could be earning 2x to 3x points on your travel purchases. Image Credit: Olena Yakobchuk via Shutterstock

Getting a solid mid-tier card is the single-best way you can accelerate the rewards you earn with the least effort possible.

Both banks offer incredible premium travel rewards cards, so let’s look at our top 2 choices!

Winner: American Express® Gold Card

One of the game-changing cards out there, the Amex Gold card is probably the best card you can have if you’re a big spender in your daily life.

For a limited time, you can enjoy an exceptional welcome bonus that allows you to dip your toes in the incredible points landscape that American Express has built over the past several decades.

The Amex Gold card maintains an incredible earning structure, which is arguably the biggest benefit of holding this card:

  • 4x points per $1 at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery
  • 4x points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases; and 1x thereafter
  • 3x points per $1 on flights purchased directly with airlines or at Amex Travel
  • Terms Apply

So if you’re a big foodie, a home chef, or a jet setter, you’ll earn up to 4x points per $1. As a reminder, we value Amex Membership Rewards points at around 2.2 cents each, which means that earning 4x points is equal to an 8.8% return on spend.

The Amex Gold card also offers:

  • Up to $120 per year in dining statement credits at participating restaurants, including GrubHub, Boxed, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, and participating Shake Shack locations (enrollment is required)
  • $10 in monthly Uber Cash (up to $120 per year) to use for U.S. Uber Eats orders or U.S. Uber rides. Amex Gold card needs to be added to the Uber app to receive the Uber Cash benefit.

If you really think about it, these benefits alone could offset the annual fee of $250. But we’re not done, yet!

For travel benefits, you will get access to the American Express Hotel Collection, the lowest hotel rate guarantee on prepaid hotel stays with American Express Travel, secondary car rental coverage, baggage insurance, a complimentary ShopRunner membership, and access to the American Express Auto Purchasing Program.

Some of the other crucial perks you’ll find useful are the purchase protection, extended warranty, no preset spending limit, no foreign transaction fees, and access to Amex Offers, and, of course, access to Amex Membership Rewards.

Runner-Up: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is the best beginner travel rewards credit card there is.

One of the biggest reasons why it’s so popular is that Chase offers you a giant welcome bonus for the Sapphire Preferred; as long as you’re a new cardholder and meet the spending requirements in the first 3 months, you should see a nice bonus of points get deposited into your account.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards points in the following fashion:

  • 5x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on Lyft purchases through March 2022
  • 2x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent on travel and dining worldwide
  • 2x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent on grocery store purchases (up to $1,000 per month) until April 30, 2021
  • 1x Ultimate Rewards point per $1 everywhere else

Since we value Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents each, earning 2x points would translate to a 4% return on spend. If you take a lot of Lyft rides, you could earn a 10% return on spend!

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card also offers the following statement credits:

  • $50 grocery store statement credit within the first year of card membership
  • $60 Peloton Digital and All Access Membership statement credit (through December 31, 2021)
  • Complimentary DoorDash DashPass subscription (valued at $120 per year) for a maximum of 24 months of complimentary DashPass

This credit card also offers immense travel protections, such as primary rental car insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay insurance, lost luggage insurance, baggage delay insurance, roadside dispatch, travel and emergency assistance, and travel accident insurance.

Also, you’ll find purchase protection, extended warranty protection, zero fraud liability, no foreign transaction fees, 25% more value in statement credit redemptions via Pay Yourself Back, no fees for authorized users, and of course, access to Chase Ultimate Rewards travel partners.

The annual fee is $95.

Bottom Line: The Amex Gold card is the more rewarding option when compared to the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Being able to earn more than double the value on dining and grocery spending is a game-changer, and the Amex Gold card offers many other benefits. However, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card has a lower annual fee, better travel insurance, and the ability to earn 5x points on Lyft purchases.

Best Overall Business Card

There’s a lot of stiff competition when it comes to business cards.

American Express and Chase both push their own types of exceptional cards to use, and in this guide, we’ll show you the best overall business cards.

Whether you’re looking at paying for shipping, internet, travel, gas, or software, Amex and Chase both have you covered.

Winner: American Express® Business Gold Card

The Amex Business Gold card is the undisputed points juggernaut when it comes to high-spending business owners.

To give you a taste of the abundance of points you could be amassing by having this card, you’ll enjoy a hefty welcome bonus.

You’ll earn 4x Membership Rewards points per $1 spent for the first $150,000 in combined purchases every calendar year on the 2 categories from the following list where your business spends the most every month:

  • Airfare purchased from airlines
  • U.S. purchases for advertising in select media
  • U.S. purchases made from select technology providers of computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions
  • U.S. purchases at gas stations
  • U.S. purchases at restaurants
  • U.S. purchases for shipping

Earning 4x points is equivalent to getting 8.8% back on your spending! But one of the coolest features of this card is that you will automatically earn 4x points on the top 2 categories every month — no need to select any bonus categories because Amex takes care of that for you.

If you maxed out the $150,000 cap every year, you’d be sitting with 600,000 Amex Membership Rewards points, worth at least $13,000 by our valuations.

In addition, this card grants access to the American Express Hotel Collection, offering a $100 property credit and a room upgrade (subject to availability) on select hotel stays of at least 2 nights.

Also, other benefits include a 25% airline redemption rebate when redeeming points for first or business class airfare through Amex Travel (1.25 cents per point value).

For travel and shopping benefits, you will get baggage insurance, secondary car rental insurance, trip delay coverage, purchase protection, extended warranty, and more.

Other ancillary perks consist of access to Amex Offers and Amex Membership Rewards, no preset spending limit, access to Pay Over Time, the ability to use Vendor Pay.

The annual fee is $295. Your first employee card will have an annual fee of $50, but after that, there is no extra fee for a maximum of 99 total employee cards.

Runner-Up: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Credit CardKey Benefits & Info
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Apply Now
(at Chase's secure site)
  • Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
  • $2,000
  • Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year
  • Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases—with no limit to the amount you can earn
  • 25% more value when redeeming points through Ultimate Rewards® travel
  • Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850)
  • Annual Fee: $95

Must Reads: For more info on the Ink Business Preferred, see our guides on its benefits, 7 things to do as a new cardholder, and our full review. This is our favorite Chase business credit card.

The Ink Business Preferred card is a close runner-up to the Amex Business Gold card.

This is Chase’s flagship business credit card, and it’s become known as the king of business credit cards.

One of the biggest reasons why is because of its phenomenal welcome bonus, easily worth $2,000.

As soon as you get the credit card and start using it, you will earn 3x points on up to $150,000 in combined purchases on these 4 categories:

  • Internet, cable, and phone services
  • Shipping expenses
  • Travel
  • Ads purchased with search engines or social media sites

You’ll also earn 5x points on Lyft purchases through March 2022.

So between the 3x and 5x earning structures, you can get a return on spend of 6% to 10% in these categories.

The Ink Business Preferred card also offers up to $1,500 in value through its acclaimed cell phone insurance protection.

As long as you charge your and your employees’ cellular phone bills to this card, you’ll be eligible for up to $600 per claim ($100 deductible per claim and up to 3 claims per 12-month period) for loss or damage (including breaking or damaging your cell phone or if it’s stolen).

This credit card also comes with top-tier travel coverage, including primary rental car insurance when renting for business, trip interruption and cancellation insurance, trip delay coverage, baggage insurance, baggage delay coverage, travel accident insurance, and more.

There are also key shopping protection benefits like purchase protection, extended warranty coverage, zero liability, fraud protection, and more.

Also, if you decide to redeem your points through the Chase travel portal, your points will be worth 25% more (1.25 cents each).

The annual fee is $95, and there are no fees for employee cards and no foreign transaction fees.

» Related: The Chase Ink Business Preferred vs. Amex Business Gold Card [Detailed]

Best Ultra-Premium Travel Rewards Card

American Express Centurion Lounge Hong Kong - Tendered Bar
Enjoy access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection with our top pick. Centurion Lounge Hong Kong. Image Credit: Greg Stone

Let’s say you spared no expenses in amassing your points and had no qualms with a large annual fee, as long as it paid for itself multiple times over. Or perhaps you’re looking for the best luxury travel benefits in the world.

Whatever the case, American Express and Chase both offer ultra-premium travel rewards cards that fit this bill. We’ll walk you through the best options in detail.

Winner: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Our winner in the ultra-premium card world is the Amex Platinum card. It is the #1 card for luxury travel perks by a long shot, and the list of card benefits is literally longer than most people can even imagine.

Even with the welcome bonus alone (which could be up to 100k points), you will get over $1,500 of value. Beyond that, let’s talk about the different ways you can earn loads of bonus points.

Currently, can earn up to 10x Amex Membership Rewards points as follows:

  • 10x points per $1 on eligible purchases at U.S. gas stations and U.S. supermarkets for the first 6 months of card membership (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases)
  • 5x points per $1 spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or at Amex Travel
  • 5x points per $1 spent on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel; then, 1x points everywhere else

The Amex Platinum card comes with a handful of fantastic statement credits, too:

But the real highlights are with the travel benefits, featuring some unique perks you can’t get elsewhere. First, you have access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, which gives you the best airport lounge access of any card out there:

On top of that, you’ll get a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee reimbursement, complimentary Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, access to the famed Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection, access to the Amex International Airline Program for discounts, and rental car status (Avis, Hertz, and National).

However, some of the most important benefits for planning travel are also present in this card. These include coverages for trip interruption and cancellation, trip delay, car rentals (secondary), lost/stolen and damaged baggage, delayed baggage, and emergency evacuation insurance.

There are no foreign transaction fees, and this card comes with top-notch purchase protection, extended warranty coverage, and zero fraud liability protection.

The annual fee is $550.

Runner-Up: Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is the main ultra-premium travel rewards credit card offered by Chase, and it’s also jam-packed with value.

This credit card offers a great welcome bonus, but generally not as big as the Amex Platinum card’s bonus.

And this card comes with a rewarding earnings structure, particularly for dining:

  • 10x points per $1 spent on Lyft purchases
  • 3x points per $1 spent on all travel and dining purchases
  • 3x points per $1 spent on up to $1,000 in grocery store purchases (including eligible pick-up and delivery services) per month from November 1, 2020, to April 30, 2021
  • 1x point per $1 spent on all other purchases

The Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with a $300 annual travel credit every card anniversary year — and from June 1, 2020, through December 31, 2021, it can be used towards gas station and grocery store purchases, too.

This card offers a Priority Pass Select membership (activation required), a TSA PreCheck/Global Entry application fee credit, a complimentary Lyft Pink membership (which includes Grubhub+ and Seamless+ via Lyft Pink), a $120 Peloton Digital and All Access Membership statement credit through December 31, 2021, a DoorDash $60 statement credit and DashPass subscription, and so much more.

For hotel bookings, you can use the Chase Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection, which isn’t as good as the Fine Hotels & Resorts, but still a worthwhile option to consider. There’s also complimentary rental car elite status with National and Avis.

But one of the areas where the Chase Sapphire Reserve might shine brighter than the Amex Platinum card is the travel protections. In fact, you get complimentary primary rental car insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, lost baggage and delayed baggage coverage, roadside assistance, and much more.

The annual fee is $550.

Hot Tip: See how these cards compare head to head in our article: Chase Sapphire Reserve Card vs. Amex Platinum Card.

Best Ultra-Premium Travel Rewards Business Card

So what if you’re a big spender and also own a business through which you make a lot of purchases?

Well, you might want to consider looking into an ultra-premium travel rewards business card. Luckily, our favorite card in this category is an Amex card.

Winner: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

The Amex Business Platinum card boasts a fantastic, limited-time welcome offer, worth in excess of $1,500 by itself!

As part of the welcome offer, you can also earn 5x Amex Membership Rewards points per $1 on up to 80,000 points per category below within the first 3 months of card membership (for new card sign-ups through June 30, 2021):

  • Shipping
  • Wireless telephone services
  • Advertising in select media
  • Office supplies
  • Gas stations

Additionally, you will earn the usual 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked at Amex Travel and will enjoy the same incredible lounge access benefits courtesy of the Global Lounge Collection as you would with the Amex Platinum card.

» Related: Which Airport Lounges Can I Access With the Amex Platinum & Business Platinum?

You’ll also get up to $200 in airline fee credits every calendar year, the ability to book Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, complimentary Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, up to $200 in statement credits for Dell purchases in the U.S. (via 2 semi-annual credits of $100), a 35% rebate when using Pay with Points on airfare, and a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit, and more.

This card also enjoys a large purchase bonus, whereby you can earn 1.5x points per $1 spent on purchases of $5,000 or more (50% more points).

This card offers purchase protection, extended warranty protection, return protection, the full suite of travel insurance coverage, no preset spending limit, no foreign transaction fees, and much, much more.

The annual fee is $595.

Best No Annual Fee Credit Card

Family checks into room at Hampton by Hilton
Get rewarded up 5x points or 5% cash-back for your travel purchases without paying an annual fee. Image Credit: Hilton

So now that we’ve discussed the top travel rewards credit cards, especially those for big spenders, let’s pivot our attention to a different focus: rewards with no annual fee.

In this section, we’ll be walking you through our best choices for no annual fee credit cards.

Winner: Chase Freedom Flex℠ Credit Card

Credit CardBenefits & Info

Chase Freedom Flex℠ Credit Card

Freedom Flex℠ Credit Card
Learn More
(at Chase's secure site)

  • Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months
  • Earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
  • Earn 3% on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
  • Earn 3% on drugstore purchases
  • Earn 5% on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate
  • Earn 1% on all other purchases
  • Good to Excellent Credit Recommendation (670-850)
  • Annual Fee: $0

The Freedom Flex card is, without a doubt, our favorite personal credit card with no annual fee in this showdown.

You can earn up to 5% cash-back with this credit card, which is quite a feat for a no annual fee credit card.

Here’s what the earning structure looks like:

  • 5% cash-back per $1 spent on Lyft purchases through March 2022
  • 5% cash-back per $1 spent on quarterly rotating bonus categories on up to $1,500 in spending
  • 5% cash-back per $1 spent on purchases made through the Chase travel portal
  • 3% cash-back per $1 spent on all dining purchases, including takeout and eligible delivery services
  • 3% cash-back per $1 spent at drugstores
  • 1% cash-back per $1 spent everywhere else

This laundry list of bonus categories rocked the world of no annual fee credit cards because you can earn up to 5% cash-back on so many different types of purchases!

In fact, one of the biggest benefits is the fact that you can earn 5% cash-back on quarterly rotating bonus categories like Amazon, warehouse clubs, PayPal, gas stations, and more.

You can convert your cash-back to Ultimate Rewards points at a 1% to 1x ratio if you have an Ultimate Rewards credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Holders of the Freedom Flex card get a complimentary 3-month subscription to DoorDash DashPass, plus the ability to renew for another 9 months after that period for 50% off.

Also, you’ll find an introductory 0% APR perk, secondary car rental coverage, trip cancellation and interruption coverage, purchase protection, extended warranty protection, and cell phone protection coverage.

The cell phone protection coverage allows up to $800 per claim and $1,000 per year with up to 2 claims in a 12-month period and a $50 deductible per claim.

Runner-Up: Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card

The Freedom Unlimited card is similar to the Freedom Flex card, but it offers higher non-bonused earnings instead of rotating bonus categories.

Before we touch on the bonus categories, you’ll be pleased to know that this no annual fee card also has a great welcome bonus and 0% introductory APR offer.

But let’s drill down into the earning categories:

  • 5% cash-back on Lyft purchases through March 2022
  • 5% cash-back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
  • 3% cash-back on dining and drugstores
  • 1.5% cash-back on all other purchases

As you can see, the rotating bonus categories are absent here, and the substitute is the extra cash-back on all other purchases, which is why this card is one of the best credit cards for everyday purchases.

And if you have an Ultimate Rewards credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you can convert your 5%, 3%, or 1.5% cash-back to 5x, 3x, or 1.5x Ultimate Rewards points.

Other benefits include secondary car rental insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty, and zero liability fraud protection.

Best No Annual Fee Business Card

What if you’re looking for a no annual fee card for your business?

We’ve compiled our favorites here, too!

Winner: The Blue Business® Plus Card from American Express

The Amex Blue Business Plus card is arguably the best no annual fee business creit card you can have.

The reason why is because you can earn 2x Amex Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on everyday business transactions, up to $50,000 per calendar year. That’s equal to a 4.4% return on spend.

This is one of the only cards out there that can get you access to a transferable rewards program for no annual fee. Furthermore, the ability to earn 2x points on everyday business purchases is stellar.

If you maxed out the cap, you would end up with 100,000 points that are worth around $2,200.

As far as other benefits go, your Amex Blue Business Plus card includes free employee cards, purchase protection, extended warranty, access to Amex Offers, and the ability to redeem Membership Rewards points with travel partners.

Runner-Up: Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

The Ink Business Unlimited card is one of our favorite business credit cards with no annual fee because of the huge welcome bonus you can earn and the ability to get rewards without having to pay close attention to bonus categories.

You’ll also get an introductory 0% APR offer on top of your welcome bonus. With this card, you will earn a flat 1.5% cash-back on all your purchases without caps, equal to a 3% return on spend.

While that’s not as impressive as the 4.4% return on spend from the Amex Blue Business Plus card, this credit card has no caps on bonus earnings, while the Amex Blue Business Plus has a $50,000 cap every calendar year.

The Ink Business Unlimited card includes primary rental car coverage, purchase protection, extended warranty protection, zero liability protection, and the usual suite of travel insurance benefits like trip cancellation and interruption coverage.

Best Card for Cash-Back

couple grocery shopping
Earn big at grocery stores — up to 6% cash-back — with our winning pick. Image Credit: dotshock via Shutterstock

If you’re trying to cut back on your daily expenses, aren’t focusing on travel rewards at all, but still want to get a solid return on your spending, we’ll show you just how exactly you can do that.

When it comes to Chase and Amex, it’s very clear which bank offers the best cards for cash-back. Let’s get into our favorite picks.

Winner: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

The Blue Cash Preferred card is your best friend if you’re generally a very frugal person who avoids eating out and doesn’t need travel rewards at this moment.

You’ll love this card, starting with the generous welcome bonus. After that, you can earn:

  • 6% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets and on select U.S. streaming services (up to $6,000 per year; then 1x thereafter)
  • 3% cash-back on U.S. gas stations and transit (including rideshares, parking, etc.); 1% cash-back on all other purchases

Earning up to 6% cash-back is an incredible value proposition — there just aren’t a lot of cards that can give you cold, hard cash at a 6% rate.

The Blue Cash Preferred card comes with purchase protection, return protection, secondary car rental coverage, fraud protection, access to the 24/7 Global Assist hotline, and access to American Express Experiences.

The annual fee is $95.

Runner-Up: Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

The next-best cash-back rewards card is the Blue Cash Everyday card, which is essentially the no-annual-fee version of the Blue Cash Preferred card.

You can still get a great welcome bonus on your new card, but your cash-back rewards will be reduced compared to the Blue Cash Preferred card:

  • 3% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets
  • 2% cash-back on U.S. gas stations and select U.S. department stores
  • 1% cash-back on everything else

But a unique benefit that this card has is the introductory 0% APR benefit!

You’ll still get secondary rental car coverage, purchase protection, fraud protection, access to Global Assist, and access to American Express Experiences.

This card has no annual fee.

Hot Tip: Torn between our cash-back favorites? Decide which is best for you in our detailed comparison of the Blue Cash Everyday card vs. the Blue Cash Preferred card.

Best Business Card for Cash-Back

Our last category of business cards focuses on getting the most cash-back. Wouldn’t it be nice to get cash-back on your purchases that you can reinvest into your business?

We’ll show you the best cards to accomplish that here!

Winner: Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

The Ink Business Cash card is our best business credit card for cash-back. This credit card is currently offering a fantastic welcome bonus and a 0% introductory APR offer.

You’ll also notice that you can earn up to 5% cash-back on select bonus categories:

  • 5% cash-back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
  • 5% cash-back on Lyft purchases
  • 2% cash-back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year
  • 1% cash-back on all other purchases

In order to maximize the rewards on this credit card, you should try to max out the bonus categories.

Also, you’ll notice that there’s a cap of $25,000 for bonus categories, which is pretty low, so you’d generally want to use this credit card if your business doesn’t have big expenses.

The Ink Business Cash card’s rewards can be converted to Ultimate Rewards points so that your 5%, 2%, and 1% can become 5x, 2x, and 1x Ultimate Rewards points.

This credit card offers primary rental car coverage, travel insurance, zero liability protection, and no annual fee.

» Related: 16 Benefits and Perks of Ink Business Cash Credit Card [$1,475+ in Value]

Runner-Up: Blue Business Cash™ Card from American Express

The Amex Blue Business Cash card is a business owner’s best friend for earning cash-back.

This cash-back card is one of the best no-frills rewards systems you can get, thanks to the ability to earn 2% cash-back on all eligible purchases (up to $50,000 per calendar year), then 1%.

As a bonus, you will also get a 0% introductory APR benefit to defer interest payments and grow your business.

The coolest aspect of this card is the fact that the cash-back is automatically credited on your statement, which means you don’t have to worry about any redemptions!

This unique business card also has Expanded Buying Power, which offers you the freedom to spend past your credit limit.

This card has no annual fee, no fees for employee cards, purchase protection, extended warranty, secondary rental car coverage, and access to Amex Offers for even more cash-back.

Final Thoughts

As you can tell, Amex and Chase have lots of different cards for lots of different types of customers, whether you’re a consumer, business owner, travel fanatic, or a cash-back queen.

Regardless of which bucket you fit in, there’s bound to be a great Amex or Chase card for you.

One big lesson to learn is not to be afraid of large annual fees, because by sticking with premium or ultra-premium Amex or Chase cards, you can often come out further ahead than with a no annual fee card.

If you’re interested in more head to head comparisons, check out our post about Chase credit cards vs. Capital One credit cards.

The information regarding the Chase Freedom Flex℠ Credit Card, and Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. 

For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of theAmerican Express® Business Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, click here.

Featured Image Credit: American Express

Frequently asked questions

Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve card the best credit card?

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is a great ultra-premium credit card, but we believe that the Amex Platinum card is better, thanks to the luxury travel benefits, awesome earning categories, and much more.

Which card is better, Chase or American Express?

Both are fantastic. Although it depends on what exact needs you have, you can’t go wrong with the Amex Gold card or the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Is American Express the best card to have?

American Express has some of the world’s best cards for premium travelers, including the Amex Platinum card, the Amex Gold card, the Amex Business Platinum card, the Amex Business Gold card, the Amex Blue Business Plus card, the Blue Cash Preferred card, the Blue Cash Everyday card, and the Amex Blue Business Cash card.

Which is better --- Chase Sapphire Reserve card or Amex Platinum card?

We think the Amex Platinum card is better than the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. If you’re looking for the best card with a lower annual fee, check out the Amex Gold card or the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Stephen Au

About Stephen Au

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Stephen has been privileged to enjoy many premium cabin products and 5-star hotels. A petroleum engineer by trade, Stephen caught the travel bug in college when he traveled to Asia several times. After 2 years of continual promotions, Stephen quit his safe and secure career path in favor of entrepreneurship.
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