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

Most frequent travelers appreciate the value of a premium travel rewards credit card. Having the ability to relax in an airport lounge, receiving an upgraded hotel room, and earning travel rewards make the value of having such a card clear.

Two of the best premium travel rewards credit cards available are The Platinum Card^® from American Express and the Chase Sapphire Reserve^®. Both cards are loaded with travel benefits and earn flexible points that, when redeemed for travel, deliver good value.

If you do some research, you’ll likely find that one of these cards is a better fit for your travel preferences and spending patterns. Both cards are equally impressive premium travel rewards cards, so how do you decide?

Let’s take a look at both cards, comparing benefits and earning power. These comparisons will help paint a clearer picture of which card may be a better fit for you.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card vs. Amex Platinum Card — Overview

Before diving into each card’s attributes, let’s start with a high-level overview comparison of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card and the Amex Platinum card.

	Chase Sapphire Reserve®	The Platinum Card® from American Express
Welcome Bonus Offer	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.	Earn 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first 6 months.
Earning	10x points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel and Lyft purchases (through March 2025) 5x points on air travel when you purchase travel through Chase Travel 3x points on other travel 3x points on dining 1x points on all other 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 1x points on other purchases
Top Redemption Options	Transfer points to airline or hotel partners Redeem points for 1.5 cents per point (50% bonus) for eligible travel through the Chase travel portal Gift cards, Amazon.com, Apple purchases, or cash-back as a statement credit or direct deposit	Transfer points to airline or hotel partners AmexTravel.com bookings Amazon.com purchases, cash-back, gift cards, or online shopping
Hotel Program Benefits	Visa Infinite Luxury Hotels and Resorts Collection Benefits	Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status (upon enrollment) Access to Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection
Statement Credits	$300 annual travel credit Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck reimbursement Up to $15 per month Instacart credit	Annual statement credits (some require enrollment): Up to $200 airline fee, up to $240 digital entertainment credit, up to $189 CLEAR Plus, and more Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
Travel Benefits and Protections	Rental car benefits with Audi on demand, Avis,  and National Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership Primary rental car coverage, lost or delayed luggage insurance, trip cancellation insurance, trip delay and travel accident insurance	Rental car privileges with Avis, Hertz, and National (upon enrollment) Access to 1,400+ lounges through the Amex Global Lounge Collection Secondary rental car insurance, baggage insurance plan, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay insurance Premium Global Assist
Shopping Benefits and Protections	Purchase protection, extended warranty No foreign transaction fees	No preset spending limit Purchase protection, extended warranty No foreign transaction fees (rates & fees) Cell phone protection
Annual Fees and Authorized Users	Annual fee of $550 $75 per year for each authorized user	Annual fee of $695 $195 per authorized user (rates & fees)

Welcome Offers

While welcome offers change periodically, they can be a large factor when selecting which card to apply for.

Here’s a snapshot of current offers and pricing for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card and the Amex Platinum card:

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.)

While welcome bonuses are only 1 element in the cards’ offerings, looking at the long-term value, in addition to the welcome bonus, allows you to pick a card that’s going to work best for you beyond the first year.

Lounge Access

One of the benefits of a premium travel rewards credit card is complimentary airport lounge access to lounges worldwide.

Without this benefit, it’s not unheard of to see rates of $50 per person for a day pass or $700 for an annual membership. Given that paid access to these lounges can be expensive, the value of complimentary lounge access can be quite substantial.

Here’s a comparison of lounge access between the 2 cards:

Amex Platinum Card

The American Express Global Lounge Collection includes:

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

• Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club (via Priority Pass)
• Priority Pass lounges
• Chase Sapphire Terrace

Both cards provide complimentary access for the cardholder to all of the card’s associated lounges. Additionally, both cards also allow 2 additional guests, at no charge, to most lounges.

The Priority Pass lounge network consists of over 1,400 locations worldwide. However, a drawback is that Priority Pass can limit access for guests, and even for cardholders, at certain peak times.

When it comes to complimentary lounge access, the Amex Platinum card not only offers access to more than 1,400 lounges worldwide with Priority Pass but also to several additional lounge networks, including the prestigious Centurion Lounges.

Bottom Line: With access to over 1,400 airport lounges worldwide across several lounge networks, including the exclusive Centurion Lounges, the Amex Platinum card provides greater lounge access benefits than the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. 

Hotel and Rental Car Program Elite Benefits

Hotel Program Elite Status

If you frequently stay at hotels, you know the value of an upgraded hotel room, late checkout, complimentary breakfast, and many of the other perks that come with having hotel elite status. Having complimentary hotel elite status as a credit card benefit can significantly boost your experience if you stay often at the participating hotels.

Amex Platinum Card

• Hilton Honors Gold status upon enrollment
• Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status upon enrollment

In addition to elite status with Hilton Honors or Marriott Bonvoy, the Amex Platinum card also offers special benefits with American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts that include:

• Room upgrades
• Daily breakfast for 2 guests
• Early check-in and late checkout (when available)
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• A unique property amenity (such as a spa, or food and beverage credit) worth a minimum of $100

Additional hotel benefits are available when booking a least a 2-night stay at The Hotel Collection:

• Up to $100 room credit to spend on dining, spa, and resort activities
• Upgraded room (when available)

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

Chase partners with the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection to offer these benefits when booking directly through the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection at one of over 900 properties worldwide.

• Breakfast for 2
• Early check-in and late checkout (when available)
• Upgraded room when available
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Property amenity

Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders receive similar benefits at Relais & Chateaux and Ennismore properties as well.

Rental Car Program Benefits

Amex Platinum Card

• National Emerald Club Executive Club status
• Avis Preferred Plus status
• Hertz President’s Circle status

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

• Audi on demand benefits and discounts
• Avis Preferred benefits and discounts
• National Emerald Club Executive Club status

Bottom Line: The Amex Platinum card comes out ahead by offering complimentary elite status with hotel and rental car partners. Cardholders receive Hilton Honors Gold status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status. Rental car benefits and elite status are similar on both credit cards. 

Earning Power

The Amex Platinum card clearly excels in providing airport lounge access and hotel program elite status. However, the Amex Platinum card is challenged in earning power by the Chase Sapphire Reserve card given you can earn more points in more ways with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

Earning Category	Amex Platinum Card	Chase Sapphire Reserve Card
Flights and Flight/Hotel Packages	5x points when purchased through AmexTravel.com or for flights purchased directly with the airlines (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year)	5x points on flights when you purchase travel through Chase Travel 3x points on all other travel
Hotels	5x on prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com 2x on all other hotels booked through AmexTravel.com 1x on all other hotel purchases	10x points on hotels when you purchase travel through Chase Travel 3x points on all other travel
Dining and Restaurants	1x on all non-bonused purchases	10x points on Chase Dining purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards 3x points on all other dining
Rental Cars	1x on all non-bonused purchases	10x points on car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel 3x points on all other travel
All Other Travel Expenses	2x on qualifying travel booked through AmexTravel.com 1x on all other purchases	10x points on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025 3x points on all other travel
All Other Purchases	1x on all non-bonused purchases	1x on all non-bonused purchases

The first difference that stands out is that you can only earn big on the Amex Platinum card if you purchase flights directly through an airline or if you purchase flights and prepaid hotels through AmexTravel.com.

With the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you’re going to earn 3 points per dollar spent on all travel regardless of how you purchase.

Here’s a sample annual spending scenario:

• $5,000 in flights purchased from an airline
• $3,000 in non-prepaid hotels purchased directly through a hotel’s website
• $2,000 in dining
• $2,000 in other travel expenses

Based on this spending mix, you will have earned 32,000 Membership Rewards points with the Amex Platinum card and 36,000 Ultimate Rewards points with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. This calculation is based on the assumption that flights were qualifying purchases earning 5x points per dollar with the Amex Platinum card.

If all hotel purchases were qualifying bookings (prepaid hotel purchases made through AmexTravel.com), you would earn 44,000 Membership Rewards points versus 36,000 Ultimate Rewards points.

A downside to note when booking hotels through AmexTravel.com is that hotel elite status benefits typically do not apply.

With the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, however, you’ll have the flexibility to make travel purchases from any provider. Plus, the broad definition of travel puts more of your purchases into the 3x bonus earning category. For example, purchases such as train tickets, car rentals, parking, tolls, ferries, and much more are included in the travel definition for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

Both cards offer the option to earn rewards points on affiliated Amex and Chase no-annual-fee cards, then transfer and redeem with travel partners for potentially greater redemption value.

Bottom Line: While both cards have good earning potential, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card has the edge as more categories earn 3 points per dollar spent. Only prepaid hotels and flights purchased from AmexTravel.com and flights purchased from the airline receive elevated 5x earnings on the Amex Platinum card. 

Redeeming Points

Fortunately, both cards offer good value when redeeming for travel, transferring points to travel partners, and offering additional redemption choices.

Redemption Option	Amex Platinum Card	Chase Sapphire Reserve Card
Redeem for Travel	Redeem for up to 1 cent per point on AmexTravel.com	Redeem for 1.5 cents per point on Chase Travel or Pay Yourself Back when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
Transfer Points to Travel Partners	20 Amex transfer partners, most with a 1:1 transfer ratio; a small fee applies for U.S. airline transfer partners	14 Chase travel partners, 1:1 transfer ratio
Other Redemption Options Available	Statement credits, gift cards, Amazon, Uber, Ticketmaster, redeem with shopping partners	Statement credits, gift cards, Amazon, Apple, Chase Experiences

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card’s redemption rate of 1.5 cents per point results in great value when redeeming for inexpensive flights via the Chase Travel, for Pay Yourself Back qualifying purchases, and also when transferring to select airline partners for premium flights.

With 17 airline transfer partners, there are more options for premium-cabin award redemptions with the Amex Platinum card versus the 11 airline transfer partners with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

When we look at hotel redemptions, transferring Ultimate Rewards points earned on the Chase Sapphire Reserve card to hotel partner World of Hyatt shines as a sweet spot. Free nights at Hyatt start at 3,500 World of Hyatt points, and with a 1:1 transfer ratio, you would need just 3,500 Ultimate Rewards points for a free Hyatt hotel night.

Bottom Line: With the wide variety of airline transfer partners, Membership Rewards points edge out Ultimate Rewards points for premium flight award redemptions. However, Ultimate Rewards can result in good value for inexpensive fares via Chase Travel.

Annual Fees and Adding Additional Users

While the Amex Platinum card’s annual fee is higher at $695, you can add authorized users at $195 per card (rates & fees). The Chase Sapphire Reserve card has an annual fee of $550, and authorized users can be added for $75 each.

Regardless of which card you select, if you can utilize the offered benefits, you’ll receive value far beyond the cost of either annual fee.

Statement and Shopping Credits

One of the card benefits that can directly offset the cost of a credit card’s annual fee is the credits you receive after making specific purchases.

Amex Platinum Card

• Up to $200 airline incidental fee credits
• Up to $200 in Uber Cash
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credits
• Up to $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit
• Up to $189 annual CLEAR Plus credit
• Up to $300 annual Equinox credit
• Up to $240 digital entertainment credit
• Up to $200 prepaid hotel credit on eligible stays
• Up to $155 Walmart+ credit
• $300 SoulCycle bike credit

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

• Up to $300 statement credit for travel purchases each cardmember year
• Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck reimbursement
• Complimentary Instacart+ membership (activate by July 31, 2024), plus up to $15 per month in Instacart statement credits after activating your Instacart+ membership

If you spend money on checked baggage and other airline incidental fees, use streaming services, or shop at Saks, you’ll find value with the Amex Platinum card.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card’s up to $300 travel credit, however, is much easier to utilize because airline tickets, hotels, taxis, and more are considered travel purchases.

Bottom Line: When we compare statement/shopping credits, the Amex Platinum card offers more total value. However, you must use all of the benefits to maximize the value. The $300 credit on travel purchases offered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve card may be much easier to utilize given Chase’s definition of travel is quite broad. 

Rideshare Benefits

Amex Platinum Card

The Amex Platinum card includes up to $200 Uber Cash, split up into up to $15 increments each month (except December which gets up to $35 in credit). This is added to your Uber account as Uber Cash and can be used towards any Uber ride or Uber Eats delivery in the U.S.

Likewise, you’re automatically enrolled in Uber VIP (available only in select cities) when you add your Amex Platinum card to your Uber account. This gives you access to exclusive discounts and UberX VIP and Uber Black VIP rides. When you select this option, you’re only paired with the highest-rated drivers in your city at no additional cost.

These benefits only apply to the card’s primary cardholder and not any authorized users.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

Lyft purchases earn 10 points per dollar spent (through March 31, 2025) when they’re charged to your Chase Sapphire Reserve card — this means that a $10 ride would earn 100 Ultimate Rewards points!

Cardholders also receive complimentary Lyft Pink All Access for 2 years as well as 50% off the price of membership for the third year.

Hot Tip: Are you considering both of these credit cards? Be sure to consider the reasons you may (or may not) want 2 premium credit cards before deciding.

Travel Protection and Insurance

It’s nice to experience luxury travel benefits, but occasionally, things do go wrong. When they do, you may turn to your premium travel rewards credit card for coverage and assistance.

Benefit	Amex Platinum Card	Chase Sapphire Reserve Card
Car Rental Coverage	Secondary coverage	Primary coverage
Premium Roadside Assistance	None	4 service calls per year, maximum benefit, $50 each call
Emergency Medical and Dental	None	$2,500 medical/dental coverage ($50 deductible per day), $75 per day for prescribed hotel needed due to covered loss for up to 5 days
Trip Cancellation/Interruption	Up to $10,000 per trip, and a maximum limit of $20,000 per card per 12-month period	Up to $10,000 per trip per person, $20,000 per incident
Trip Delay	Up to $500 for trip delays of more than 6 hours	Up to $500 for trip delays of more than 6 hours
Baggage Delay	None	Up to $100 per day for up to 5 days for delays of more than 6 hours
Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Luggage	Up to $3,000 for carry-on, $2,000 for checked	Up to $3,000 per person per trip checked or carry-on
Emergency Transportation/Evacuation	Included, no stated limit	$100,000

Bottom Line: The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is known for its comprehensive travel benefits, including primary rental car insurance and limited medical/dental coverage. The Amex Platinum card offers cardholders travel insurance benefits like complimentary emergency transportation and evacuation with no stated limit but does not offer roadside assistance or baggage delay.

Shopping Protections

When comparing shopping protections and benefits, both cards offer similar coverage:

• Purchase Protection — Qualifying items are covered on both cards for damage up to $10,000, with a maximum of $50,000 per year (up to 90 days from the purchase date for the Amex Platinum card and up to 120 days from the date of purchase for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.)
• Extended Warranty — Both cards offer an additional year of manufacturer’s warranty protection; the Amex Platinum card offers an additional year on warranties of 5 years or less, whereas the Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers an additional year on warranties 3 years or less
• Return Protection — Coverage provided on both cards for up to 90 days from the purchase date; $300 per item on the Amex Platinum card and $500 per item on the Chase Sapphire Reserve card

Bottom Line: While one does not select a premium travel rewards credit card based solely on shopping-related protections, it is good to know that both cards offer similar shopping coverage. 

Food Delivery Benefits

Amex Platinum Card

As previously mentioned, the Amex Platinum card receives up to $200 in Uber Cash that can be used towards any Uber Eats delivery or Uber ride in the U.S.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

The card offers a free DoorDash DashPass subscription so long as it’s activated by December 31, 2024. This subscription is usually $9.99 monthly and includes free delivery and discounted service fees on select DoorDash orders over $12. There’s also a $5 monthly DoorDash credit available.

Additional Benefits Offered by Both Cards

You will find the following benefits offered on both the Amex Platinum card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve card:

• No Foreign Transaction Fees — Neither card charges a foreign transaction fee
• VIP Access to Events — The Chase Sapphire Reserve card’s “Reserve Experiences” and the Amex Platinum card’s “By Invitation Only” benefits offer unique experiences available exclusively to cardholders
• Member Concierge Services — Each card has its own concierge service to assist with travel planning, booking event/dining reservations, and arranging VIP access to special events

Final Thoughts

Both cards are designed for the frequent traveler, but which card is best for you depends on which benefits you deem most important.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card focuses more on overall earnings, significant redemption values, and travel-related protections and insurance.

The Amex Platinum card has strengths that center on luxury travel benefits with elevated earnings narrowed to specific travel purchases. The card provides valuable no-stated-limit emergency transportation or evacuation benefits that can provide peace of mind when traveling.

Both cards offer the flexible option of transferring points to travel partners for the potential of even greater value for your points. There is no clear winner or loser here as both cards offer tremendous value for the right frequent traveler. The card that fits your spending patterns and benefit preferences and has protections/insurance you can use will be the best choice.

For the Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, the maximum benefit amount for Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is $10,000 per Covered Trip and $20,000 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.

For the Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance 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. Please 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 Baggage Insurance Plan benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Covered Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier Vehicle (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the Entire Fare for a ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an Eligible Card. Coverage can be provided for up to $2,000 for checked Baggage and up to a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier. The coverage is also subject to a $3,000 aggregate limit per Covered Trip. For New York State residents, there is a $2,000 per bag/suitcase limit for each Covered Person with a $10,000 aggregate maximum for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the Trip Delay Insurance benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, up to $500 per Covered Trip that is delayed for more than 6 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.

For the Premium Global Assist Hotline benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, 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. Plus, we may provide emergency medical transportation assistance and related services. 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. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, Card Members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.

For the Purchase Protection benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, Purchase Protection is an embedded benefit of your Card Membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect Covered Purchases made on your Eligible Card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date. The coverage is limited up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Coverage Limits Apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the Extended Warranty benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, when an American Express^® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty§ can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the Return Protection benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, with Return Protection, you may return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won’t take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. American Express may refund the full purchase price excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per Card account, if you purchased it entirely with your eligible American Express^® Card. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.