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 provide 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 costs). 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 below a decade since launching in 2016.

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

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 spanking new Sapphire Reserve cardholders. Any unused portion from the primary eligible transaction will likely be forfeited.

**Enrollment is required, and terms apply.

Amex Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve welcome provide

When contemplating a brand new premium bank card with a $600-plus annual price, you will wish to ensure you begin off proper with a big welcome provide that helps you recoup the hefty annual price straight away.

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

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

Simply know that Amex solely permits you to earn a welcome provide as soon as per lifetime, so in the event you aren’t focused for the very best provide, it might be price holding off till you might be.

In the meantime, the Sapphire Reserve‘s welcome provide 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’ve not seen this excessive of a welcome provide for the reason that card was initially launched in 2016. This elevated welcome provide is thanks, partly, to the latest adjustments made to the cardboard.

In case you are a present cardholder of the Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card (see charges and costs) or beforehand earned a welcome bonus on the Sapphire Reserve, you virtually actually won’t be eligible for a second bonus. In case you 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 price $2,550, together with the $500 Chase Journey credit score. This welcome bonus is simpler to achieve due to its barely decrease spending requirement than the Amex Platinum’s welcome provide.

Winner: Tie. In case you’re focused Amex Platinum provide 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 very best 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 price of $795, barely increased than the Amex Platinum’s $695 annual price.

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

• $500 annual resort credit score: $500 annual assertion credit score for accommodations booked by way of 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 World Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus software each 4 years
• Leisure credit score: $300 annual assertion credit score for StubHub or Viagogo purchases by way of 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 way of 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 way of Dec. 31, 2027)
• DoorDash credit score: Complimentary DoorDash DashPass subscription price as much as $120 yearly (activate by Dec. 31, 2027) and as much as $25 in DoorDash promos every month whilst you have an lively DashPass subscription
• Lyft credit score: $10 month-to-month credit score in-app (doesn’t apply to Wait & Save, bike or scooter rides; by way of Sept. 30, 2027)

As a Sapphire Reserve cardholder, you will additionally obtain complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite standing. You may 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 Fast Rewards A-Record standing and a $500 Southwest Airways credit score when reserving by way of Chase Journey, are additionally out there after spending $75,000 in a calendar 12 months.

It is essential 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 areas, with the power to deliver as much as two company. 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 justifiable share 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 Inns + Resorts or The Resort Assortment bookings made throughout the Amex Journey portal whenever you pay together 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 fitness center 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 World Entry each 4 years or an as much as $85 price credit score for TSA PreCheck each 4 1/2 years (relying on which software price 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 way of December)***

Phrases apply to the advantages listed.

Amex Platinum’s lounge entry is effectively revered. It contains the American Specific World 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 stage varies by card. Phrases, circumstances 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 differ by card. Phrases, circumstances and limitations apply. Go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for particulars. Insurance policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Firm.

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

When objectively evaluating the advantages, I would 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 gives a better 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 together with your Sapphire Reserve.

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

For instance, in the event you wouldn’t have an Equinox fitness center in your neighborhood or a necessity for an Equinox+ app, the $300 credit score is just not helpful. I wouldn’t have a necessity for a Walmart+ membership; nonetheless, for the reason that Amex Platinum totally covers it, I signed up. In any other case, it is a perk I may reside with out.

As an Amex Platinum Card member, you obtain rather more complete lounge entry, however the lack of ability to deliver company 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 company to its Sapphire lounges.

The Amex Platinum’s Uber credit score is rather more versatile because it permits you to use it for Uber Eats, and the cardboard’s providing of elite standing with Hilton, Marriott and several other automotive rental firms 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 gives assertion credit which are simpler for many to maximise, together with main journey protections.

Associated: How one can resolve if a bank card’s annual price is price paying

Incomes factors on the Amex Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve

Though the welcome bonus is an efficient strategy to begin your factors stability, you need a card that’ll aid you shortly rack up invaluable transferable factors.

The Amex Platinum earns:

• 5 factors per greenback spent on airfare bought straight with airways or by way of 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 gives 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 way of 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 way of Sept. 30, 2027)
• 4 factors per greenback spent on flights and resort purchases made straight 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 straight with airways (because it supplies a terrific 10% return primarily based 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, comparable to accommodations and eating.

Winner: Sapphire Reserve. This card is one of the best for incomes due to 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 price a really comparable 2.05 and a pair of cents apiece in TPG’s June 2025 valuations, it is price their totally different redemption companions to resolve which foreign money 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 straight by way of Chase Journey till Oct. 26, 2027. This offers you an absolute minimal redemption worth of 1.5 cents per level. You may ebook a seat on any flight that is on the market, even when there is not award area out there.

Beginning June 23, current and new Sapphire Reserve cardholders will get entry to Factors Enhance, a brand new strategy to redeem as much as 2 factors per greenback spent with choose airways and top-booked accommodations by way of Chase Journey. Factors earned earlier than Oct. 26 will robotically get one of the best provide out there, whether or not that is the Factors Enhance price or the previous normal 1.5 cents per level, till Oct. 26, 2027.

In case you choose to make use of your Amex factors straight by way of American Specific Journey, you will not get practically the worth you do by way of 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 comparable to money again, assertion credit and present playing cards, however these redemptions typically yield poor worth.

Winner: Sapphire Reserve. The cardboard has a better straight-up redemption worth for journey.

Transferring factors on the Amex Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve

You may virtually all the time get higher worth each time transferring your factors to airline and resort loyalty applications. All Chase accomplice 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 may ebook an award night time for as little as 3,500 factors per night time.

On the airline facet, well-liked switch companions embrace United MileagePlus, Southwest Fast Rewards, British Airways Membership, Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership and Air France-KLM Flying Blue, although the final three additionally accomplice 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 costs), you may 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 beneath 1:1, and a few switch occasions are longer, which might be dangerous by way of award area disappearing whilst you wait.

As somebody who has each the Amex Platinum and the Sapphire Reserve, I choose transferring my factors to applications like ANA Mileage Membership, Air Canada Aeroplan and British Airways Membership. Lately, I transferred 50,000 factors from my Sapphire Reserve to Aeroplan to ebook a multicity stopover ticket in enterprise class all through Europe for my household. The fee would’ve been effectively over $2,000 if I paid money for the flights resulting from increased summer season pricing.

Associated: An entire checklist 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 provide their justifiable share of perks, with the Amex Platinum providing entry to a wider community of lounges worldwide and assertion credit fitted to journey and an upscale life-style. With the Sapphire Reserve‘s latest refresh, the cardboard not solely beats its longtime rival in incomes charges but in addition in assertion credit, which provide 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 provide.

Backside line

The Sapphire Reserve is an easy premium bank card with a powerful checklist of assertion credit and perks that really feel much less like a “coupon ebook” to me than the Amex Platinum. The cardboard gives complete incomes charges for airfare, accommodations and eating, one thing lacking on the Amex Platinum.

Nevertheless, the Amex Platinum is best suited for individuals who could make correct use of the cardboard’s assertion credit and are searching for 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 adjustments of its personal.

To be taught extra, learn our full critiques 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 costs of the Amex Platinum, click on right here.