Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. AmEx Green: Sapphire Comes Out Ahead
Both are excellent midlevel travel cards with good rewards and perks, so your decision boils down to a few factors.
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In June 2025, Chase announced changes to redemption rates on travel booked through the issuer's travel portal for the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. Instead of being able to automatically redeem points at a higher rate (1.5 cents per point for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and 1.25 cents per point for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card), cardholders can only redeem points for a higher rate on select airline and hotel bookings.
For more information, see NerdWallet's coverage of the changes.
With a makeover that added more value to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, it emerges as the winner in a head-to-head lineup against the American Express® Green Card, although the latter will still appeal to AmEx loyalists.
Why does the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card come out ahead?
In addition to having a lower annual fee and larger sign-up bonus, it also earns more rewards across a greater number of categories. Still, the American Express® Green Card offers some additional benefits that warrant a closer look.
Here’s how to decide which travel card is best for you.
American Express® Green Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | |
|---|---|---|
Annual fee | $150. | $95. |
Sign-up bonus | Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. |
Rewards |
|
|
APR | None | The ongoing APR is 19.99%-28.24% Variable APR. |
CLEAR credit | $199. | None. |
Hotel credit | None. | $50 annual hotel credit on stays purchased through Chase. |
Other perks | 10% back as a statement credit (up to a total of $250) for American Express venue collection concessions through Dec. 31, 2026. | Get a free DashPass membership (a $120 value) for 12 months when you activate this benefit by Dec. 31, 2027. Also receive a $10 statement credit each month (up to $120 annually) toward groceries, retail orders and more on DoorDash through Dec. 31, 2027. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on Lyft rides paid with the card through Sept. 30, 2027. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on eligible Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $150 through Dec. 31, 2027. |
(Terms apply.)
Why the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is better for most people
Annual fee
The lower fee on the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card makes it more appealing to the casual card user, especially since it doesn't correlate with lower value.
Sign-up bonus
While the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a higher spending requirement, it also offers greater value. Points are worth 1.25 cents each when redeemed for travel booked through Chase. AmEx Membership Rewards points are generally worth from 0.7 cent to 1 cent each, depending on how you redeem them. Terms apply.
Rewards
The rewards structure for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card makes it a more versatile card than the American Express® Green Card. Naturally, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card holders will earn elevated rewards on travel, including 5X points on travel booked through Chase. But its other bonus categories — dining, online grocery purchases and select streaming services — make the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card a more rewarding card for some everyday expenses.
On the other hand, the highest bonus rate on the American Express® Green Card is 3X points, and it earns those bonus rewards in two categories: travel and restaurants. Terms apply.
Acceptance abroad
Though American Express has expanded the number of merchants that accept its cards worldwide, Visa is still more widely accepted, giving the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card the edge. Neither card charges foreign transaction fees.
Who might prefer the American Express® Green Card
Perks from partners
Added extras from partner services are where the American Express® Green Card shines, especially if you want to make your time at the airport more tolerable.
American Express® Green Card holders get a $199 credit for CLEAR, a service that allows travelers to move more quickly through security lines. The credit completely covers the cost of a CLEAR+® membership for one year, an excellent deal for frequent travelers. The CLEAR credit alone more than makes up for the American Express® Green Card’s annual fee. The American Express® Green Card also comes with a $100 LoungeBuddy statement credit, which could pay for a few lounge visits every year. (Editor's note: As of Jan. 13, 2025, the American Express® Green Card's LoungeBuddy credit will no longer be available.)
Lastly, the American Express® Green Card offers a free membership to ShopRunner, the online delivery service. Enrollment is required.
In contrast, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card currently offers just one partner perk, and it’s not a permanent feature of the card. Through September 2027, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card holders receive 5x points on qualifying Lyft rides. Of course, if you don’t use ridesharing services, or prefer Uber to Lyft, this limited-time offer won’t be useful.
Potential tiebreakers
Both cards allow you to transfer points to travel partners such as airlines and hotel companies. Transferring points to partners can provide outsized value toward travel. A decision between the American Express® Green Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card could come down to your preference for travel partners, which is often influenced by what airports are closest to you.
For example, if your favorite airport is a Delta hub, you may be persuaded to pick the American Express® Green Card because Delta only partners with AmEx, not Chase. On the other hand, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines are strictly Chase partners.
Check out our comprehensive lists of all of the travel partners for American Express and Chase.
Which card should you get?
The American Express® Green Card is a nice travel card with competitive rewards and perks. But unless you can fully use its statement credits for CLEAR and LoungeBuddy over several years, you’re likely to get more value from the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. If you want to redeem your points for travel directly through the issuer, rather than transfer to partners, points from the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card are worth considerably more at 1.25 cents each rather than 0.7 cent to 1 cent a piece at AmEx.
» MORE: How to choose a travel card
1.5%-5%
Cashback$200
1x-5x
Points75,000
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