Amex Platinum vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve: Which one is best for you?

I affiliate premium bank cards with luxurious journey perks and hefty annual charges. Many of those playing cards supply stable worth, particularly in the event you’re loyal to the underlying model.

There are two long-standing titans of the premium card market: The Platinum Card® from American Specific and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and charges). The previous constructed the marketplace for premium rewards playing cards a long time in the past, whereas the latter has grown its mass enchantment in underneath a decade since launching in 2016.

Because the Chase Sapphire Reserve was simply overhauled with new advantages and the next annual charge, it is a good time to match it to the Amex Platinum, a card that’ll quickly obtain its personal set of modifications.

The battle for these two playing cards has by no means been fiercer, so let’s look at whether or not the refreshed Sapphire Reserve deserves a spot in your pockets or in the event you ought to go for the Amex Platinum as a substitute.

Associated: Greatest journey bank cards

Amex Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve comparability

*The Chase Journey credit score is a one-time credit score for brand new Sapphire Reserve cardholders. Any unused portion from the primary eligible transaction shall be forfeited.

**Enrollment is required, and terms apply.

Amex Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve welcome supply

When contemplating a brand new premium bank card with a $600-plus annual charge, you will need to be sure to begin off proper with a big welcome supply that helps you recoup the hefty annual charge instantly.

For the Amex Platinum, discover out your supply and see in case you are eligible to earn as excessive as 175,000 bonus factors after spending $8,000 on purchases inside the first six months of card membership. Welcome affords range, and also you might not be eligible for a suggestion.

This has the potential to be a extremely profitable welcome supply as a result of, in line with TPG’s June 2025 valuations, American Specific Membership Rewards factors are value 2 cents every, doubtlessly making the welcome supply value as much as $3,500.

Simply know that Amex solely means that you can earn a welcome supply as soon as per lifetime, so in the event you aren’t focused for the best supply, it could be value holding off till you’re.

In the meantime, the Sapphire Reserve‘s welcome supply permits new cardholders to earn 100,000 bonus factors and a $500 Chase Journey credit score after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

We have not seen this excessive of a welcome supply because the card was initially launched in 2016. This elevated welcome supply is thanks, partly, to the latest modifications made to the cardboard.

In case you are a present cardholder of the Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card (see charges and charges) or beforehand earned a welcome bonus on the Sapphire Reserve, you nearly actually is not going to be eligible for a second bonus. For those who fall into this class, it is best to use for the Amex Platinum as a substitute.

TPG’s June 2025 valuations peg Chase Final Rewards factors at 2.05 cents every, making this bonus value $2,550, together with the $500 Chase Journey credit score. This welcome bonus is simpler to achieve because of its barely decrease spending requirement than the Amex Platinum’s welcome supply.

Winner: Tie. For those who’re focused Amex Platinum supply is greater than 100,000 bonus factors, then go for it; in any other case, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is a more sensible choice.

Associated: The perfect bank card welcome bonuses

Amex Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve advantages

The Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Amex Platinum are the 2 most costly bank cards within the market. Due to a refresh, the Sapphire Reserve now holds the title of the most costly premium bank card with an annual charge of $795, barely greater than the Amex Platinum’s $695 annual charge.

Regardless of such excessive annual charges, you will discover every card offers advantages that aid you recoup greater than what you are paying. The Sapphire Reserve affords the next assertion credit:

• $500 annual resort credit score: $500 annual assertion credit score for accommodations booked by The Edit by Chase Journey (as much as $250 biannually)
• $300 annual journey credit score: Versatile $300 annual journey credit score for purchases; eligible purchases embrace airfare, pay as you go automotive rental bookings, resort stays, mass transit, tolls and parking meters
• Expedited traveler program credit score: As much as $120 assertion credit score for a International Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus software each 4 years
• Leisure credit score: $300 annual assertion credit score for StubHub or Viagogo purchases by Dec. 31, 2027 (as much as $150 biannually)
• Apple TV+/Apple Music membership credit score: As much as a $250 worth; you will obtain complimentary memberships for Apple TV+ and Apple Music by June 22, 2027 (a one-time activation is required per service)
• Eating credit score: $300 annual eating credit score at Sapphire Reserve Unique Tables (as much as $150 biannually)
• Peloton credit score: $120 in annual assertion credit towards Peloton memberships (by Dec. 31, 2027)
• DoorDash credit score: Complimentary DoorDash DashPass subscription value as much as $120 yearly (activate by Dec. 31, 2027) and as much as $25 in DoorDash promos every month whilst you have an energetic DashPass subscription
• Lyft credit score: $10 month-to-month credit score in-app (doesn’t apply to Wait & Save, bike or scooter rides; by Sept. 30, 2027)

As a Sapphire Reserve cardholder, you will additionally obtain complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite standing. You possibly can unlock Diamond Elite standing with $75,000 in spending in your card throughout a calendar 12 months.

Further spend-incentivized perks, together with a $250 Outlets at Chase credit score, Southwest Speedy Rewards A-Record standing and a $500 Southwest Airways credit score when reserving by Chase Journey, are additionally out there after spending $75,000 in a calendar 12 months.

It is vital to notice that these advantages can be found instantly to cardholders who open their accounts after June 23. For current cardholders, they are going to be out there beginning Oct. 26. The exceptions to this rule are the $300 journey credit score, the DoorDash promos and the Lyft in-app credit score.

Lounge entry perks embrace a Precedence Move Choose membership and entry to Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Membership places, with the flexibility to carry as much as two visitors. Cardholders additionally get entry to pick Maple Leaf Lounges and Air Canada Cafes in Canada, the U.S. and Europe when departing on a Star Alliance member airline flight.

Moreover, the Sapphire Reserve comes with its industry-leading journey protections:

The Amex Platinum has its personal fair proportion of advantages, together with considerably extra assertion credit. These embrace:

• As much as $200 in assertion credit per calendar 12 months for incidental charges charged by one eligible airline you choose***
• As much as a $200 annual resort credit score per calendar 12 months, within the type of an announcement credit score, on pay as you go Amex High quality Accommodations + Resorts or The Resort Assortment bookings made inside the Amex Journey portal whenever you pay along with your Amex Platinum (Resort Assortment stays require a two-night minimal)***
• As much as $200 in Uber Money per calendar 12 months, legitimate on Uber rides and Uber Eats orders within the U.S., break up into month-to-month as much as $15 credit, plus an as much as $20 bonus in December*** (Uber Money will solely be deposited into one Uber account whenever you add the Amex Platinum as a cost technique and redeem with any Amex card)
• As much as $199 in assertion credit per calendar 12 months to cowl your Clear Plus annual membership***
• As much as $240 per calendar 12 months in annual digital leisure credit score break up up as as much as $20 month-to-month assertion credit with eligible retailers***
• As much as $300 in Equinox credit score per calendar 12 months for Equinox health club and Equinox+ app memberships (topic to auto-renewal)***
• As much as $300 in assertion credit per calendar 12 months towards the acquisition of a SoulCycle bike (as much as 15 bikes per calendar 12 months); should be enrolled in an Equinox+ membership to be eligible for this profit
• As much as a $155 assertion credit score per calendar 12 months (as much as $12.95 month-to-month, plus relevant taxes) to cowl the price of a month-to-month Walmart+ membership (on one membership, topic to auto-renewal; Plus Up excluded)
• A $120 assertion credit score for International Entry each 4 years or an as much as $85 charge credit score for TSA PreCheck each 4 1/2 years (relying on which software charge is charged to your card first)
• As much as $100 per calendar 12 months in Saks Fifth Avenue credit score break up into two as much as $50 assertion credit (one between January and June, then one other from July by December)***

Phrases apply to the advantages listed.

Amex Platinum’s lounge entry is nicely revered. It consists of the American Specific International Lounge Assortment, together with Centurion Lounges, Precedence Move lounges, Aspire lounges, Escape Lounges, Plaza Premium lounges and Delta Sky Golf equipment (when touring on same-day Delta Air Strains flights; eligible Platinum Card members will obtain 10 visits per eligible Platinum Card, per 12 months to the Delta Sky Membership or to a grab-and-go location when touring on a same-day Delta-operated flight).***

Further perks embrace complimentary Gold standing with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy*** and the next complimentary automotive rental standing: Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle, Avis Most popular Plus and Nationwide Emerald Membership Govt.***

Journey and buy protections embrace journey delay****, journey cancellation and interruption insurance coverage****, prolonged guarantee***** and buy safety.***** Phrases apply to those advantages.

***Enrollment is required for choose advantages.

****Eligibility and profit degree varies by card. Phrases, situations and limitations apply. Go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for particulars. Insurance policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance coverage Firm, an AIG Firm.

*****Eligibility and profit ranges range by card. Phrases, situations and limitations apply. Go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for particulars. Insurance policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Firm.

Essentially the most difficult side of those titans is unpacking the advantages and seeing how they compete with each other. As a cardmember of each playing cards, I discover super worth in each of them; nevertheless, with the Sapphire Reserve’s newest modifications, the cardboard might have the higher hand over the Amex Platinum.

When objectively evaluating the advantages, I might say the Sapphire Reserve’s assertion credit are simply maximized and possibly relevant to most individuals. The Amex Platinum merely can not compete with the Sapphire Reserve’s versatile $300 journey credit score, particularly when in comparison with the cardboard’s restrictive $200 airline credit score.

The Sapphire Reserve affords the next annual resort credit score than the Amex Platinum, and the Sapphire Reserve’s eating credit score to be used at Sapphire Reserve Unique Tables eating places seems fairly easy to redeem. It requires no reservation; you merely pay at a taking part restaurant along with your Sapphire Reserve.

It goes with out saying that the Amex Platinum has extra way of life credit, however quite a lot of these credit do not imply a lot to each cardmember, and other people merely use them or exit of their method to make use of them as a result of the cardboard affords them. In any other case, these advantages usually aren’t on their radar.

For instance, in the event you do not need an Equinox health club in your neighborhood or a necessity for an Equinox+ app, the $300 credit score isn’t helpful. I do not need a necessity for a Walmart+ membership; nevertheless, because the Amex Platinum absolutely covers it, I signed up. In any other case, it is a perk I may dwell with out.

As an Amex Platinum Card member, you obtain way more complete lounge entry, however the incapability to carry visitors to Centurion Lounges (with out spending $75,000 in a calendar 12 months) is overshadowed by the Sapphire Reserve, which permits as much as two free visitors to its Sapphire lounges.

The Amex Platinum’s Uber credit score is way more versatile because it means that you can use it for Uber Eats, and the cardboard’s providing of elite standing with Hilton, Marriott and several other automotive rental corporations is one thing the Sapphire Reserve can not compete with.

Chase has traditionally been the chief in journey insurance coverage, as its choices have beneficiant phrases. Amex has partially closed the hole, including a collection of journey safety advantages to the Amex Platinum Card.

Winner: Sapphire Reserve. It affords assertion credit which are simpler for many to maximise, together with main journey protections.

Associated: Find out how to resolve if a bank card’s annual charge is value paying

Incomes factors on the Amex Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve

Though the welcome bonus is an efficient method to begin your factors stability, you desire a card that’ll aid you rapidly rack up useful transferable factors.

The Amex Platinum earns:

• 5 factors per greenback spent on airfare bought instantly with airways or by Amex Journey (on as much as $500,000 of airfare purchases per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback)
• 5 factors per greenback spent on pay as you go accommodations booked with Amex Journey
• 1 level per greenback spent on all different purchases

The Sapphire Reserve affords a broader vary of bonus classes, together with journey purchases of airfare, accommodations and eating, and earns:

• 10 factors per greenback spent on Peloton tools and accent purchases of $150 or extra (by Dec. 31, 2027), with a most of fifty,000 factors
• 8 factors per greenback spent on all Chase Journey purchases
• 5 factors per greenback spent on Lyft rides (by Sept. 30, 2027)
• 4 factors per greenback spent on flights and resort purchases made instantly with the service provider
• 3 factors per greenback spent on eating purchases
• 1 level per greenback spent on all different purchases

Whereas the Amex Platinum barely pulls forward for airfare booked instantly with airways (because it offers a terrific 10% return based mostly on TPG’s June 2025 valuations), the Chase Sapphire Reserve comes out in entrance in different areas by giving extra bonus factors on all Chase Journey bookings. Moreover, the Sapphire Reserve has extra bonus classes for incomes, corresponding to accommodations and eating.

Winner: Sapphire Reserve. This card is the perfect for incomes because of its favorable charges on Chase Journey bookings, accommodations and eating purchases that aid you earn extra factors in the long run.

Associated: Greatest reward bank cards

Redeeming factors on the Amex Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve

With Chase Final Rewards and Amex Membership Rewards factors value a really comparable 2.05 and a couple of cents apiece in TPG’s June 2025 valuations, it is value their completely different redemption companions to resolve which forex most accurately fits your wants.

Let’s begin with the Sapphire Reserve. Along with its 14 airline and resort switch companions, current Sapphire Reserve clients get a 50% bonus when redeeming factors for journey instantly by Chase Journey till Oct. 26, 2027. This offers you an absolute minimal redemption worth of 1.5 cents per level. You possibly can e-book a seat on any flight that is on the market, even when there is not award house out there.

Beginning June 23, current and new Sapphire Reserve cardholders will get entry to Factors Increase, a brand new method to redeem as much as 2 factors per greenback spent with choose airways and top-booked accommodations by Chase Journey. Factors earned earlier than Oct. 26 will mechanically get the perfect supply out there, whether or not that is the Factors Increase charge or the previous commonplace 1.5 cents per level, till Oct. 26, 2027.

For those who decide to make use of your Amex factors instantly by American Specific Journey, you will not get practically the worth you do by Chase. Flight bookings are a flat 1 cent per level, whereas resort reservations clock in at simply 0.7 cents apiece. Nevertheless, the Amex Platinum has 18 airline and three resort switch companions, seven greater than Chase.

Factors earned from the Amex Platinum and the Sapphire Reserve might be redeemed for nontravel redemptions corresponding to money again, assertion credit and present playing cards, however these redemptions usually yield poor worth.

Winner: Sapphire Reserve. The cardboard has the next straight-up redemption worth for journey.

Transferring factors on the Amex Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve

You may nearly at all times get higher worth every time transferring your factors to airline and resort loyalty packages. All Chase associate transfers are at a 1:1 ratio, and most of them are prompt. Final Rewards factors are particularly helpful as a result of they are often transferred to World of Hyatt, the place you possibly can e-book an award night time for as little as 3,500 factors per night time.

On the airline aspect, well-liked switch companions embrace United MileagePlus, Southwest Speedy Rewards, British Airways Membership, Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership and Air France-KLM Flying Blue, although the final three additionally associate with Amex Membership Rewards.

The identical holds true for Air Canada Aeroplan, although in the event you additionally maintain the Aeroplan® Credit score Card (see charges and charges), you possibly can get pleasure from a ten% bonus on sure transfers from Chase Final Rewards to your Aeroplan account.

In the meantime, Amex Membership Rewards has a tremendous 21 switch companions, however not all are worthwhile. Some switch ratios are under 1:1, and a few switch instances are longer, which might be dangerous when it comes to award house disappearing whilst you wait.

As somebody who has each the Amex Platinum and the Sapphire Reserve, I choose transferring my factors to packages like ANA Mileage Membership, Air Canada Aeroplan and British Airways Membership. Just lately, I transferred 50,000 factors from my Sapphire Reserve to Aeroplan to e-book a multicity stopover ticket in enterprise class all through Europe for my household. The associated fee would’ve been nicely over $2,000 if I paid money for the flights resulting from greater summer time pricing.

Associated: An entire listing of switch bonuses over the previous decade — which issuer is probably the most beneficiant?

Winner: Tie. Though the Sapphire Reserve has higher switch ratios, the Amex Platinum has extra companions, together with some not discovered with different issuers.

Ought to I get the Amex Platinum or Sapphire Reserve?

Each playing cards supply their fair proportion of perks, with the Amex Platinum providing entry to a wider community of lounges worldwide and assertion credit fitted to journey and an upscale way of life. With the Sapphire Reserve‘s latest refresh, the cardboard not solely beats its longtime rival in incomes charges but additionally in assertion credit, which supply higher worth and are higher fitted to the avid luxurious traveler. For a lot of, the Sapphire Reserve would be the higher choice, until you are not eligible for its welcome supply.

Backside line

The Sapphire Reserve is a simple premium bank card with a formidable listing of assertion credit and perks that really feel much less like a “coupon e-book” to me than the Amex Platinum. The cardboard affords complete incomes charges for airfare, accommodations and eating, one thing lacking on the Amex Platinum.

Nevertheless, the Amex Platinum is healthier suited for individuals who could make correct use of the cardboard’s assertion credit and are in search of far larger lounge entry. With the Sapphire Reserve difficult the Amex Platinum, I do not anticipate American Specific to easily sit again and never hit again with modifications of its personal.

To study extra, learn our full evaluations of the Sapphire Reserve and the Amex Platinum.

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Apply right here: The Platinum Card from American Specific
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Reserve

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For charges and charges of the Amex Platinum, click on right here.