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Amex Green Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card [Detailed Comparison]

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Key Takeaways

  • The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers 3x points on dining and online grocery and 2x points on general travel, while the American Express® Green Card offers 3x points on dining, transit, and travel.
  • The American Express® Green Card includes a $199 annual CLEAR Plus credit and a $100 annual LoungeBuddy credit.
  • The American Express® Green Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred Card are top travel rewards cards with transferable points and solid perks. Choose based on which rewards, perks, and bonus categories align best with your spending and goals.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the American Express® Green Card* are both popular picks for a starter travel rewards card. While neither offers the rewards or benefits of their respective premium versions, both are very solid cards in their own right.

Each card offers a rich rewards ecosystem, great bonus categories, and perks to help offset its annual fee and provide value to cardholders. That said, there are quite a few unique differences between the 2 cards that we’ll get into today. In this post, we’ll provide you with a full breakdown of each card to help you determine which one is right for you.

*The information regarding the American Express® Green Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Overview

Let’s start with an overview of what each card offers before diving into a deeper comparison section by section.

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Benefit or Feature

American Express® Green Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Welcome Offer

Earn 40,000 points after spending $3,000 within the first 6 months.Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Earning Potential

  • 3x points at restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.)
  • 3x points on transit (including rideshares, trains, subways, parking, and more)
  • 3x points on travel (including airfare, hotels, car rentals, and more)
  • 1x point on all other purchases
  • 5x points on Chase travel portal purchases
  • 5x points on Lyft rides (through March 31, 2025)
  • 3x points on dining, online grocery stores, and select streaming service purchases
  • 2x points on general travel purchases
  • 1x point on all other eligible purchases

Redemption Options

  • Amex transfer partners
  • AmexTravel.com bookings
  • Cash-back via statement credit
  • Gift cards
  • Shopping with select retailers
  • Chase transfer partners
  • Chase travel portal bookings (25% bonus)
  • Cash-back via statement credit
  • Pay Yourself Back
  • Gift cards
  • Shopping with select retailers

Statement Credits

  • Up to $199 annual CLEAR Plus credit 
  • Up to $100 annual LoungeBuddy credit
  • $50 annual hotel credit through the Chase travel portal

Travel Benefits

  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance*
  • Baggage Insurance Plan*
  • Trip Delay Insurance
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Primary rental car insurance
  • Trip cancellation/interruption insurance, Baggage delay insurance
  • Trip delay reimbursement
  • Travel and emergency assistance services

Shopping Benefits and Protections

  • Amex Offers (Enrollment required)
  • Purchase Protection*
  • Extended Warranty*
  • American Express Experiences
  • Chase Offers
  • Purchase protection
  • Extended warranty

Annual Fee

$150$95

Authorized User Fee

$0

$0

Bottom Line: Both cards largely offer overlapping benefits, so deciding which one is better suited for you can largely come down to which rewards ecosystem you prefer.

Welcome Bonus Offer Comparison

American Express® Green Card

American Express® Green Card
Star rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating icon
U.P. Rating 
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This card can provide a great way to accumulate Membership Rewards points on eligible travel, transit, and at restaurants.

All information about American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points.

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Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

This card can provide a great way to accumulate Membership Rewards points on eligible travel, transit, and at restaurants.
Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your American Express® Green Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
40,000 points
$880
$150
See Pay Over Time APR
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
Why We Like This Card

The American Express® Green Card is an excellent all-around travel rewards card thanks to earning 3x Membership Rewards® points on eligible travel and transit purchases and at restaurants, access to American Express transfer partners, and a reasonable annual fee.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 3x points per $1 spent at restaurants worldwide, on all eligible travel purchases, and transit purchases
  • Up to $199 per calendar year in statement credits after you pay for a CLEAR® Plus membership with the Card.
  • Up to $100 in statement credits annually when you purchase airport lounge access through LoungeBuddy with the Card.
Cons
  • $150 annual fee
  • No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status
Card Highlights
  • Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your American Express® Green Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on travel, including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, and vacation rentals.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® Points on transit purchases, including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the US.
  • $199 CLEAR Plus Credit: Receive up to $199 per calendar year in statement credits when you pay for your CLEAR Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the American Express® Green Card.
  • $100 LoungeBuddy: No airport lounge membership? No problem! Purchase lounge access through the LoungeBuddy app using the American Express® Green Card and receive up to $100 in statement credits annually.
  • Payment Flexibility: When it comes to paying your bill, you have options. You can always pay in full. You also have the flexibility to carry a balance with interest or use Plan It® to split up large purchases into monthly payments with a fixed fee, up to your Pay Over Time Limit. You may be able to keep spending beyond your limit – you’ll just need to pay for any new purchases in full when your bill is due.
  • Trip Delay Insurance: If a round-trip is paid for entirely with your Eligible Card and a covered reason delays your trip more than 12 hours, Trip Delay Insurance can help reimburse certain additional expenses purchased on the same Eligible Card, up to $300 per trip, maximum 2 claims per eligible account per 12 consecutive month period. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees: No matter where you’re traveling, when you use your American Express® Green Card there are no foreign transaction fees.
  • $150 annual fee.
  • Terms Apply.
Financial Snapshot
  • APR: See Pay Over Time APR
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
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U.P. Rating 
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)
A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
60,000 bonus points
$1,200
$95
20.74% - 27.74% Variable
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
Why We Like This Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
  • 5x points on select Peloton purchases over $150 (through March 31, 2025)
  • 5x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)
Cons
  • $95 annual fee
  • No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status
Card Highlights
  • Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
  • Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
  • Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
  • Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
  • Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
  • Member FDIC
Financial Snapshot
  • APR: 20.74% - 27.74% Variable
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Earning Potential

Now let’s dive into how the cards’ earning rates compare against each other.

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Bonus Category

American Express® Green Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Travel Portal Purchases

n/a

5x points

Travel

3x points

2x points

Dining 

3x points 

3x points 

Transit (Trains, Ferries, Buses, Subways, Rideshares, Etc.)

3x points

2x points (categorized as travel purchases)

Lyft Rides 

3x points

5x points 

Online Grocery Store Purchases

1x point

3x points 

Select Streaming Services

1x point

3x points 

All Other Purchases

1x point

1x point

As it stands, the American Express® Green Card is definitely the better option when it comes to general travel purchases (unless those purchases are made through the Chase travel portal), other travel purchases with the exception of Lyft rides, and of course transit purchases.

Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is better for Chase travel portal purchases, Lyft rides, online grocery store purchases, and select streaming service purchases. Fortunately, both cards offer a solid 3x points on dining purchases, including takeout and delivery.

One added benefit that sets the Chase Sapphire Preferred card apart is that it offers bonus points on your account anniversary each year equal to 10% of the amount you spent on the card in that year. For example, if you spend $24,000 on your card, you’d receive 2,400 bonus points.

Hot Tip: Consider which card’s bonus categories better suit the purchases you already spend the most on when deciding which is likely to suit you better. 

Redemption Options

Fortunately, both the American Express® Green Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card earn flexible rewards points, giving cardholders quite a few options when it comes time to redeem.

American Express® Green Card

With the American Express® Green Card, your redemption options include utilizing the Amex transfer partners, bookings through the AmexTravel.com portal, cash-back via a statement credit, gift cards, and shopping with select merchants like Amazon.

However, our favorite use of your Amex Membership Rewards points is using the program’s airline and hotel transfer partners. With this strategy, you can often receive significantly more value out of your points when redeeming them for business-class flights and luxury hotel stays for a fraction of the cash price.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

For Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders, you have virtually all of the same redemption options with a few tweaks.

It is no surprise that our favorite way to redeem Ultimate Rewards points is also through the transfer partners that Chase offers, and it includes some fan favorites like World of Hyatt and United Airlines.

However, 1 unique feature of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is the ability to receive a 25% bonus in value when you redeem through the Chase travel portal. Now, these redemptions are seldom higher value than using transfer partners, but cardholders can easily use their points at a rate of 1.25 cents per point towards virtually any travel purchase without dealing with the headaches of location airline award space or dealing with blackout dates.

Bottom Line: Both cards offer virtually the same redemptions, but while Amex is better for transfer partners (as it offers more high-quality partners), Chase still offers solid transfer partners and is much better when it comes to redeeming through its Chase travel portal and for cash-back. 

Statement Credits

Since both cards charge an annual fee, one great way to help offset that fee is through statement credits.

American Express® Green Card

Clear agents at kiosks
Get $199 off CLEAR Plus with your American Express® Green Card. Image Credit: CLEAR

With your American Express® Green Card, you receive annual statement credits to both a CLEAR Plus membership and LoungeBuddy visits.

CLEAR Plus

While many cards on the market offer a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, the American Express® Green Card stands out with its CLEAR Plus credit. With it, you’ll receive a faster security experience at select airports and stadiums nationwide.

This CLEAR Plus credit gives you up to $199 per calendar year in statement credits, which will fully cover the cost of an annual membership. This is a huge annual benefit, and The American Express® Green Card is currently only one of a handful of credit cards that offers such a large CLEAR benefit.

LoungeBuddy

Cardholders also receive an annual LoungeBuddy credit of up to $100, allowing you to pay to enter any of the 300+ lounges in the LoungeBuddy network in 50+ countries. Depending on which lounges you visit, this credit could get you 2 to 3 complimentary lounge visits each year.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Annual Hotel Credit

To help offset its annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers a $50 annual hotel statement credit towards hotel stays made through its native Chase travel portal. You can use the credit on any and all hotels bookable through the Chase travel portal, with no minimum purchase required or certain stay lengths.

DoorDash

Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders receive a 1-year membership of DoorDash DashPass, offering complimentary delivery and reduced service fees on orders of $12 or more. The standard price of a DashPass subscription is $10 per month, giving you $120 in value from this single benefit.

Travel Protection Perks

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Benefit

American Express® Green Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Foreign Transaction Fees

None

None

Rental Car Insurance

Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance*

Primary

Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance

Not offered

Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for your prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses

Baggage Delay Insurance

Not offered

Receive coverage of up to $100 a day, for up to 5 days, on bags that are delayed by more than 6 hours

Baggage Insurance Plan

Baggage Insurance Plan*

 Not offered

Trip Delay Insurance

If your flight is delayed by more than 12 hours, you can receive up to $300 in secondary coverage

For flights delayed by 12 hours or more, you can receive up to $500 in coverage for expenses like meals and lodging

Travel and Emergency Assistance Services

Yes; access to Global Assist hotline

Yes

When it comes to travel card protections, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card wins out in nearly every category. This is an important consideration as, while you hope you never have to use any of these perks, they certainly come in handy when things go wrong during your travels.

Comparing Shopping Benefits

Here is how each option keeps you covered when purchasing items with your card.

The American Express® Green Card offers these benefits:

  • Amex Offers — Discounts and opportunities to earn more points with 100 merchants each month
  • American Express Experiences — Exclusive access to ticket presales
  • Purchase Protection — Coverage up to 90 days from the date of purchase towards stolen or damaged items for up to $1,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per year
  • Extended Warranty — Adds 1 year of additional warranty to extended warranties of 5 years or less

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers these benefits:

  • Chase Offers — Discounts with select merchants
  • Purchase Protection* — Covers new purchases against damage or theft for up to 120 days from purchase with up to $500 in coverage per claim and $50,000 per account
  • Extended Warranty* — Extends a U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year on eligible warranties of 3 years or less

Annual Fees and Adding Authorized Users

Annual Fees

As discussed, the respective annual fees of the American Express® Green Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card are $150 and $95. Since the American Express® Green Card comes in at $55 more than the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you’ll want to make sure any added benefits you’re receiving are worth that additional expense. If you use the annual CLEAR Plus credit and/or spend a lot on travel, then this is more than justified in our opinion.

Authorized Users

Fortunately, there is no added cost to add authorized users to the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, and authorized user cards are also complimentary for the first 5 cards with the American Express® Green Card, and $35 per card thereafter.

On both cards, authorized users receive all of the benefits and the same rewards on purchases as the primary cardholder, but do not receive additional statement credits.

Final Thoughts

Both the American Express® Green Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card are great all-around travel rewards cards for those looking to earn transferable rewards and solid perks for a reasonable annual fee.

If you’re trying to decide which card is better for you then you’ll want to consider which card’s reward ecosystem seems more rewarding for your goals, along with which card perks and protections you prefer, and which bonus categories would earn you the most points on your monthly expenses.

*Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance is underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Subject to additional terms, conditions and exclusions.  For full Terms and Conditions, see americanexpress.com/CRLDIterms. If You have any questions about a specific vehicle, please call Us at 1-800-338-1670, if international, collect at 1-303-273-6497.

*Baggage Insurance Plan is underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Subject to additional terms, conditions and exclusions.  For full Terms and Conditions, see americanexpress.com/BIPterms. If You have any questions about a specific item, please call Us at 1-800-228-6855, if international, collect at 1-303-273-6498.

*Extended Warranty is underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Subject to additional terms, conditions and exclusions.  For full Terms and Conditions, see americanexpress.com/EWterms. If You have any questions about a specific item, please call Us at 1-800-228-6855, if international, collect at 1-303-273-6498.

*For the Global Assist Hotline benefit of the Amex Green card, you can rely on Global Assist Hotline 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Third-party service costs may be your responsibility. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.

*Purchase Protection is underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Subject to additional terms, conditions and exclusions.  For full Terms and Conditions, see americanexpress.com/PPterms. If You have any questions about a specific item, please call Us at 1-800-228-6855, if international, collect at 1-303-273-6498.

*For the trip delay insurance benefit of the Amex Green card, up to $300 per covered trip that is delayed for more than 12 hours; and 2 claims per eligible card per 12 consecutive 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.

The information regarding the American Express® Green Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, the Amex Green card or the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

Both cards are relatively similar in their offers, so which is better will come down to which card’s bonus categories and benefits feel like they would benefit your situation more.

What are the benefits of the Amex Green card?

The top benefits of the Amex Green card are its bonus categories, with 3x points on travel, transit, and dining purchases, along with an annual CLEAR Plus statement credit of up to $199 and annual LoungeBuddy statement credit of up to $100, plus travel and shopping benefits.

What are the benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you’ll earn between 2x to 5x points in 6 different bonus categories, receive a $50 annual hotel statement credit, along with top-notch travel protections.

Does the Amex Green card have an annual fee?

Yes, the annual fee of the Amex Green card is $150.

Does the Chase Sapphire Preferred card have an annual fee?

Yes, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card annual fee is $95.

Does the Amex Green card charge foreign transaction fees?

No, the Amex Green card does not charge foreign transaction fees.

Does the Chase Sapphire Preferred card charge foreign transaction fees?

No, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card does not charge foreign transaction fees.

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About Jarrod West

Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.

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