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

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The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express are 2 of the most popular cards in the U.S.

Even though these 2 products are targeted toward 2 different consumer segments, people continue to compare the rewards and benefits offered by both cards.

To be sure, both of these cards offer some of the best rewards structures and benefits packages available; so if you’ve narrowed down your selection to these 2 cards, you’re already on the right track.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at the relative merits and drawbacks of these 2 cards.

Let’s get right into it!

Overview

While the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Amex Platinum card are both metal credit cards, they are worlds apart in terms of card features.

Before we dissect these cards completely, let’s take a look at the high-level benefits, rewards, and characteristics of each card. Note that some benefits of the Amex Platinum card require enrollment through your American Express account:

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Feature/Benefit

Chase Sapphire Preferred® CardThe Platinum Card® from American Express

Welcome Offer

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

Earn 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first 6 months.

Earning Potential

  • 5x points on travel booked through Chase Travel and Lyft (through March 31, 2025)
  • 3x points on dining, online groceries, and select streaming services
  • 2x points on other travel purchases
  • 5x points on airfare booked directly with the airline or through AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per calendar year)
  • 5x points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com

Redemption Options

  • Transfers to travel partners
  • Chase travel portal bookings
  • Amazon.com purchases; Cash-back; Gift cards; Online shopping
  • Transfers to travel partners
  • AmexTravel.com bookings
  • Amazon.com purchases; Cash-back; Gift cards; Online shopping

Hotel Program Benefits

  • None
  • Complimentary Hilton Gold and Marriott Gold Elite status
  • Access to Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection

Statement Credits

  • Up to $50 annual Ultimate Rewards hotel credit
  • Annual statement credits: up to $200 airline fee, up to $199 CLEAR Plus, up to $240 digital entertainment credit, and more
  • Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit

Travel Benefits and Protections

  • Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
  • Primary rental car insurance
  • Baggage delay insurance; Trip delay reimbursement
  • Travel and emergency assistance services
  • Rental car privileges with Avis, Hertz, and National Car Rental (upon enrollment)
  • Access to 1,400+ airport lounges
  • Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
  • Secondary rental car insurance
  • Baggage insurance plan; Trip delay reimbursement

Shopping Benefits and Protections

  • Purchase protection; Extended warranty
  • Purchase protection; Extended warranty
  • Cell phone protection

Annual Fees

$95$695 (rates & fees)

Relative to its peers, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Amex Platinum card both outperform, albeit in different arenas.

For example, the Amex Platinum card is unparalleled in luxury travel and lifestyle benefits.

On the other hand, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a credit card that offers as much in the way of rewards and travel insurance at the same price point as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Welcome Offers Compared

The Value of a Welcome Offer

In general, different cards offer variable welcome bonuses. As a rule of thumb, the cards with the highest annual fees generally also come with the largest welcome bonuses.

To incentivize you to take action today and add a card to your portfolio, Amex and Chase both offer attractive introductory welcome bonuses to accelerate the points you’re earning in the first few months of card membership.

BEST BEGINNER CARD
Chase Sapphire Preferred® 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.

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

Apply Now(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

BEST LOUNGE ACCESS
The Platinum Card® from American ExpressTerms Apply / Rates & Fees
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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.

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

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

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
80,000 points
$1,760
$695
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

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
  • 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
  • 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com
Cons
  • $695 annual fee (rates and fees)
  • Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)
Card Highlights
  • Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
  • Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
  • $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
  • $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
  • The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
  • $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
  • $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
  • $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card® Members can get out and about and explore their local area with $15 in Uber Cash for US rides each month, plus a bonus $20 in December. That can be up to $200 in annual Uber savings. Simply download the Uber app and add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to get started. Available to Basic Card Member only. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
  • $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $199 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
  • Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
  • Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
  • $695 annual fee.
  • Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
  • Terms Apply.
Financial Snapshot
  • APR: See Pay Over Time APR
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 125k (or 150k) points with the Amex Platinum. The current public offer is 80,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

Chase Ultimate Rewards vs. Amex Membership Rewards

In terms of rewards, you can’t go wrong with either the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or the Amex Platinum card.

That’s because the Chase Sapphire Preferred card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points and the Amex Platinum card earns Amex Membership Rewards points.

Both of these points are flexible rewards currencies, also known as transferrable rewards currencies.

Depending on what type of travel you wish to book, it may be advantageous to use one type of point over another.

For example, if you’re looking to book hotel stays, Chase Ultimate Rewards has an amazing 1:1 transfer partnership with World of Hyatt. You can book some of the world’s most expensive hotels for less than 50,000 points per night, which is huge.

On the other hand, Amex Membership Rewards has fantastic transfer partnerships with airlines like ANA Mileage Club, Avianca LifeMiles, and Delta Air Lines.

Earning Potential

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Amex Platinum card both offer totally different earning structures.

Here’s a table illustrating both cards’ rewards structures:

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Bonus Earning Category

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (Ultimate Rewards Points)

Amex Platinum Card (Membership Rewards Points)

Flights Purchased Directly From Airlines

2x points

5x points

Flights Purchased From the Card’s Travel Portal

5x points

5x points

Prepaid Hotel Stays From the Card’s Travel Portal

5x points

5x points

Other Travel Purchased From the Card’s Travel Portal

5x points

1x points

Lyft Purchases

5x points (through March 31, 2025)

1x points

Dining

3x points

1x points

Online Groceries

3x points

1x points

Select Streaming Services

3x points

1x points

Other Travel

2x points

1x points

All Other Purchases

1x points

1x points

We value Amex points at 2.2 cents each and Chase points at 2.0 cents each. That means that Amex points are slightly more valuable than Chase points.

If you’re someone who books lots of flights and hotels, we’d wholeheartedly recommend using the Amex Platinum card.

Meanwhile, if most of your purchases come from dining, online groceries, and streaming, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is a great fit for you.

All in all, the best card from a rewards standpoint will depend on your individual spending habits.

10% Anniversary Earning Bonus

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card also comes with a 10% bonus of earned points every cardmember anniversary year.

So if you earned 20,000 Ultimate Rewards points the previous year, you’d get a bonus of 2,000 points after your renewal anniversary.

Redemption Options

Both the Amex Platinum card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card earn transferrable rewards points.

In general, the best way to use these points is for luxury award travel booked through airline and hotel transfer partners. Both Amex and Chase are equipped with this capability, though the Amex transfer partners include more airlines than the Chase transfer partners.

With Amex points, you can also get gift cards and statement credits, as well as book AmexTravel.com reservations via Pay With Points, and make charitable donations. You can even do some online shopping or use points at vendors like Amazon or Best Buy.

Chase shares all of these redemption pathways with 1 major exception: the Chase Sapphire Preferred card allows you to get a 25% redemption bonus on Chase travel portal bookings and Pay Yourself Back. This allows you to get a redemption value of 1.25 cents per point.

Statement Credits

Another area where the Amex Platinum card blows the Chase Sapphire Preferred card out of the water is in statement credit benefits.

Right now, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers 1 statement credit benefit:

Every cardmember anniversary year, you can get a $50 statement credit for hotel stays booked through the Chase Travel portal.

The Amex Platinum card offers a seemingly endless list of statement credit benefits:

The difference is quite stark, isn’t it? We’ve written a complete guide to using your Amex statement credits, which you can keep in your back pocket. Enrollment is required for some credits.

Bottom Line: The Amex Platinum card offers an array of statement credit benefits that widens the gap with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards hotel credit.

Hotel Program Privileges

San Francisco Hilton Financial District guestroom beds
Image Credit: Jessica Merritt

One of the first realms in which we start to see the differences between the Amex Platinum card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card is in travel benefits.

As we mentioned before, the Amex Platinum card is designed to make you feel like a VIP when you’re traveling, which is why this card appeals so much to luxury travelers.

To start off, the Amex Platinum card offers complimentary Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status (upon enrollment). At Hilton properties, this means you can get a preferred room upgrade and complimentary continental breakfast. At Marriott properties, this means an enhanced room upgrade and 2 p.m. late check-out.

Also, the Amex Platinum card allows you to book stays with Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection.

Fine Hotels & Resorts stays come with:

  • Complimentary breakfast for 2 daily
  • Room upgrade, subject to availability
  • Guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout
  • Noon check-in, subject to availability
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi
  • A unique property amenity valued at $100 (usually a property, spa, or food and beverage credit)

Meanwhile, stays booked through The Hotel Collection come with:

  • Room upgrade, subject to availability
  • $100 property credit

This is a huge game-changer if you don’t have elite status!

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers no hotel elite status or elite-like benefits.

Travel Benefits

Delta One Middle Seats
Image Credit: Stella Shon

The Amex Platinum card’s other travel benefits, as a whole, significantly transcend those offered by the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

We outlined the list of statement credits offered by each card in the previous section, but we felt it was worth detailing each of them to get a full picture.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card’s only travel-related statement credit is the $50 annual Ultimate Rewards hotel credit, which is super easy to use.

The Amex Platinum card offers these travel credits:

  • Up to $200 airline fee credit (per calendar year)
  • Up to $200 prepaid hotel credit (per calendar year)
  • Up to $200 Uber Cash ($15 per month, except for $35 in December)
  • Up to $199 CLEAR Plus credit (per calendar year)
  • Up to $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit (every 4 years), as of October 1, 2024

In total, there is nearly $800 worth of yearly travel-related statement credits and up to $120 worth of travel-related statement credits given every 4 years with the Amex Platinum card, compared to up to $50 per year from the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Airport Lounge Access

One of the benefits that made the Amex Platinum card famous is the incredible airport lounge access. Indeed, this card entitles you to access the American Express Global Lounge Collection, which includes these lounges:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card does not include any airport lounge access benefits.

Rental Car Privileges

When you’re traveling and booking rental cars, you’ll want to keep the Amex Platinum card in your wallet.

Currently, the Amex Platinum card offers benefits at Avis, Hertz, and National. These benefits include varying levels of elite status and allow you to get exclusive upgrades, rate discounts, and benefits like grace periods through exclusive bookings codes.

Unfortunately, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card does not offer any rental car privileges.

Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card actually outperforms the Amex Platinum card when it comes to rental car insurance.

The Amex Platinum card offers secondary rental car insurance as a complimentary benefit, and you can purchase primary rental car insurance as an add-on for $19.95 to $24.95 per rental period.

Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card’s rental car insurance policy includes primary coverage!

As is always the case, you’ll need to pay for your car rental reservation using your card and decline your rental car agency’s CDW/LDW to qualify.

Travel Protection Perks

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers great travel protections at its price point; in fact, there are some features on this card that outperform the Amex Platinum card.

Trip Interruption and Cancellation Insurance

Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Amex Platinum card offer trip interruption and cancellation insurance.

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you’re eligible to get up to $10,000 per person in reimbursements due to illness, severe weather, or a handful of other covered circumstances. This coverage is capped at $20,000 per trip.

The Amex Platinum card also offers up to $10,000 per person in reimbursements and up to $20,000 per trip.

Trip Delay Reimbursement

Both of these cards offer trip delay reimbursement, but the Amex Platinum card’s coverage is superior.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card covers you for delays of more than 12 hours (or where an overnight stay is required). You can get up to $500 in expense reimbursements per ticket and up to 1 claim per trip.

The Amex Platinum card’s trip delay insurance kicks in after delays of more than 6 hours or where an overnight stay is required). Coverage is up to $500 per trip and up to 2 approved claims per 12-month period.

Lost and Delayed Baggage Coverage

If your baggage is lost while traveling on a common carrier (e.g. an airline), you’re eligible for reimbursement with either card. But if your baggage is delayed, you’re only eligible for reimbursement with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

For delayed baggage, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers $100 per day for up to 5 days if your baggage is delayed for more than 6 hours. Lost luggage is eligible for up to $3,000 per covered person per trip with a sub-limit of $500 for jewelry and watches per person per trip and $500 for electronic equipment per person per trip.

Looking at the Amex Platinum card, lost luggage is eligible for up to $3,000 per covered person per trip. There’s also a $1,000 maximum per person for all baggage worth of coverage for high-risk items.

This is another area where the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is superior to the Amex Platinum card.

Roadside Assistance

Unfortunately, the Amex Platinum card used to offer a premium roadside assistance benefit, but this has been discontinued for a while now.

At the moment, the Amex Platinum card doesn’t offer a specific roadside assistance benefit, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers basic roadside assistance, which is known as Roadside Dispatch.

For a set, prenegotiated rate of $69.95 per service call, you’ll be covered for these services:

  • Fuel delivery (up to 5 gallons, plus the cost of fuel)
  • Jump starting
  • Lockout service (key replacement is not included)
  • Standard towing (up to 5 miles included)
  • Standard winching
  • Tire changing (must have a good, inflated spare)

Travel and Emergency Assistance Services

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers travel and emergency assistance services, while the Amex Platinum card offers a benefit known as the Premium Global Assist Hotline.

If you, your spouse, or your dependent children under 22 years old are traveling and need assistance, you can access 24/7/365 referral and assistance services, though you’re responsible for any costs incurred.

Some of these benefits include:

  • Emergency message service
  • Emergency ticket replacement
  • Emergency translation service
  • Emergency transportation assistance
  • Legal referral assistance
  • Lost luggage locator service
  • Medical referral assistance
  • Pre-trip assistance
  • Prescription assistance and valuable document delivery

The Premium Global Assist Hotline includes all of these services, but you may be eligible to receive emergency medical transportation and evacuation at no additional cost, as well as repatriation of mortal remains.

Travel Accident Insurance

The Amex Platinum card no longer offers travel accident insurance.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers up to $500,000 in travel accident insurance coverage on common carriers.

Bottom Line: Learn more about the travel insurance coverage of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Amex Platinum card in our detailed guides.

Shopping Benefits and Protections

So what happens when you’re not traveling? You’ll still want a card that’ll help you in your everyday life. So let’s go through both cards’ shopping benefits and protections that you can access.

Earn Bonus Rewards for Shopping

The Amex Platinum card and Chase Sapphire Preferred cards both offer the ability to save or earn bonus points on purchases.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card comes with access to Chase Offers, which can get you discounts with certain merchants, like 15% off Hyatt stays.

The Amex Platinum card comes with access to Amex Offers, which is Chase Offers, but several notches better.

In fact, Amex Offers have historically included some amazing deals like:

  • +4 bonus points on Amazon.com purchases (5x total points)
  • +2 bonus points on Olive Garden purchases
  • Spend $300 or more to get 6,000 points on Delta gift cards
  • Spend $500 or more to get $100 back at hotel chains like Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons, and more

Whether you want to earn more bonus points or get statement credits, Amex Offers are usually much better than Chase Offers.

Just keep in mind that enrollment is always necessary for each individual Amex Offer or Chase Offer.

Purchase Protection

When you use the Amex Platinum card and the item you purchased is damaged or stolen within 90 days of the purchase date, you can get up to $10,000 in purchase protection coverage per item, up to $50,000 per calendar year, and up to $500 per event related to a natural disaster.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers a much lower coverage per item of $500. The coverage period is slightly longer, 120 days, and the maximum coverage per calendar year is the same at $50,000.

The major difference is the maximum coverage per item. So if you end up purchasing a valuable item using your Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you could be in for a rude awakening with a purchase protection coverage of only $500 per item.

The Amex Platinum card’s purchase protection policy is miles ahead of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card’s policy.

Extended Warranty

The Amex Platinum card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card both offer extended warranty coverage.

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you can receive 1 additional year on original eligible warranties of 3 years or less. Furthermore, the maximum claim amount is $10,000 per item and $50,000 per calendar year.

Meanwhile, the Amex Platinum card offers 1 additional year on original eligible warranties of 5 years or less. The maximum coverage is $10,000 per item and $50,000 per calendar year.

Zero Liability Protection

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card does not come with zero liability fraud protection, while the Amex Platinum card does.

No Foreign Transaction Fees

Neither the Amex Platinum card nor the Chase Sapphire Preferred card have foreign transaction fees.

No Preset Spending Limit*

The Amex Platinum card has no preset spending limit, which will be incredibly helpful if you’re planning on making a large purchase and don’t want to run the risk of getting your card declined.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a traditional credit limit, so you’ll need to stay under that credit limit at all times.

Annual Fees and Adding Additional Users

Annual Fees

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card has a $95 annual fee, while the Amex Platinum card has a $695 annual fee.

Adding Additional Users

There are no additional annual fees to add authorized users to the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

With the Amex Platinum card, you’ll pay an annual fee of $195 per authorized user (rates & fees).

However, you can add up to 99 total authorized user cards for no additional annual fees (rates & fees) if you instead choose to add additional gold cards or green cards as opposed to additional Amex Platinum cards.

Final Thoughts

Even though the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Amex Platinum card are both incredible products to have in your possession, they ultimately have a different place in your wallet depending on your spending and travel habits.

To start, the Amex Platinum card is one of the best products if you spend a lot of money on airfare and hotels. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card earns fantastic rewards on everyday purchases like dining, online groceries, and select streaming services.

The Amex Platinum card’s biggest selling point, though, is its luxury travel and lifestyle benefits, including a variety of valuable statement credits, airport lounge access, hotel, and car rental elite status, hotel perks, and so much more.

When it comes to rewards, you can’t go wrong with Amex Membership Rewards points or Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Surprisingly, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers some enhanced travel benefits beyond the Amex Platinum card, such as primary rental car insurance, roadside assistance, delayed baggage reimbursement, and travel accident insurance.

Overall, if you’re deciding between the 2 cards, you should ultimately choose the Amex Platinum card if you’re looking for luxury travel perks and the Chase Sapphire Preferred card if you’re maximizing your rewards on everyday purchases.

*No Preset Spending Limit on an American Express card means your spending limit is flexible. Unlike a traditional card with a set limit, the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment, and credit history.

For the car rental collision damage coverage benefit of The Platinum Card® from American Express, car rental loss and damage insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the commercial car rental company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

For the trip cancellation and interruption insurance and trip delay insurance benefits of The Platinum Card® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the baggage insurance plan benefit of The Platinum Card® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the extended warranty and purchase protection benefit of The Platinum Card® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the cell phone protection benefit of The Platinum Card® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the cell phone protection benefit of The Platinum Card® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it worth it to have Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Amex Platinum card?

It’s probably worth it for most people. You’ll want to use the Amex Platinum card for its benefits, like complimentary hotel elite status and airport lounge access. You can also use the Amex Platinum card for booking airfare and hotels through AmexTravel.com. On the other hand, you should use your Chase Sapphire Preferred card for everyday purchases like dining, online groceries, and so on.

What is the Chase equivalent to the Amex Platinum card?

Chase has an ultra-premium credit card called the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. This particular card offers Priority Pass lounge access and rewards focused on dining and travel, but it can’t hold a candle to the luxury travel and lifestyle benefits offered by the Amex Platinum card.

What card is better than the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

It’s hard to say what card is better than the Chase Sapphire Preferred card — however, the Amex Platinum card offers better travel benefits, though it comes with a higher annual fee. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card probably offers the best balance of low annual fees with great rewards.

Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred card still worth it?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is totally worth it for the right customer. If you’re looking for outsized rewards and tend to spend a majority of your money on dining, travel, online groceries, and streaming services, you’ll probably get some great bonus rewards with this card.

Do you get lounge access with Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

You do not get lounge access benefits with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, unfortunately.

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About Stephen Au

Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used by hundreds of clients.

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