Two enduring giants dominate the premium card industry. Although the former established the market for premium rewards cards some decades ago, the latter is credited for expanding the sector's attractiveness to a larger audience. These two chase sapphire reserve vs amex platinum have had intense rivalry ever since Sapphire debuted in 2016 August. Today, we will compare the two of them to determine whether one is superior to the other and if you should consider adding either one (or both) to your wallet.
The American Express Platinum Card® comes with several benefits that make traveling in elegance possible. Because of this, we believe that it is best suited for a certain kind of traveler who values greater airport lounge choices and elite hotel status, for example, and those who are just fond of American Express. Nevertheless, a portion of the card's value is related to specialized retail deals, which means that the vast majority of individuals are not likely to utilize all of the available offers.
If you make your travel arrangements via Chase, you may take advantage of Chase Sapphire Reserve ®'s incredible redemption value and point-earning. It also has a broader appeal due to the increased benefits of spending money at restaurants. It comes with a sizable yearly travel credit that is simple to use, making it suitable for even infrequent travelers. Because of this, the Chase card is likely to be the superior option for the vast majority of customers.
Choosing factors
The credit card that best suits your spending habits and way of life will be your ideal option. With its hefty yearly cost, Chase Sapphire Reserve® provides significant value. American Express Platinum Card may also provide significant value, but you'll need more effort to get the most out of it. It probably won't make sense if the card isn't an obvious fit for a luxurious way of living. These are some significant considerations that should be taken into account.
Welcome offer
Bonuses are subject to change; therefore, reviewing the current offers and the minimum spending requirements is important. Both will provide you with significant upfront value. Remember that points earned with Chase Sapphire Reserve® may be redeemed for travel via Chase Ultimate Rewards® at up to 1.5 cents per point. Nevertheless, to get the full value of your AmEx points, you must transfer them to one of our preferred travel partners.
Annual fee
American Express Platinum Card is 26% more costly each year due to the $145 difference in yearly fees (from $695 to $550).
If you regularly charge more than $500 to your premium travel credit card, you may not mind paying an additional $145 annually. If you want to do a fair value comparison, you will need to extract more cash from the American Express card.
Travel bonus reward rates
While using premium travel credit cards, earning rewards points is essential for purchases such as airline tickets, hotel stays, and other travel-related expenses. Chase Sapphire Reserve ® gets the checkmark for this one. It is important to remember that certain additional incentives with both cards are only available when you make your trip reservations via the issuer's online travel portal.
Restaurant rewards
Even if you aren't going somewhere exotic, Chase comes out on top because of its advantageous bonus category for spending at restaurants, which awards cardholders three times the normal number of points for each dollar spent. Additionally, you will get 10 points for every dollar spent on Chase Dining purchases made via Chase when you make restaurant reservations, order takeaway, or participate in virtual culinary activities. The American Express Platinum Card does not provide any additional benefits for dining out.
Redemption value
Points aren't always the same with these cards in this comparison of rewards programs. When redeemed via Chase for travel, points earned with the Chase Sapphire Reserve ® are worth up to 1.5 cents apiece. This is a fair redemption option for customers with a premium travel credit card.
Hence, if you plan to redeem points for travel on the Chase booking site, you should consider those additional reward rates as 50% higher. For instance, if you use the card to book a hotel stay or vehicle rental via Chase Travel, the points you earn at a rate of 10x are suddenly worth 15x when redeemed for further travel. The three-times bonus on dining out is equivalent to 4.5 times the bonus on travel.
