Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. AmEx Green: Sapphire Comes Out Ahead

With everyday rewards categories and plenty of perks, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card 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.

» MORE: NerdWallet's best travel credit cards

(Terms apply.)

Why the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is better for most travelers

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.

» MORE: Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card worth its annual fee?

Welcome bonus

Credit card bonus offers change often, but as of this writing, the current Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card bonus can take you further. (Before you apply, ensure you're getting the offer you want.)

Richer (and potentially more valuable) 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. Eligible online grocery purchases that earn the higher rewards rate include meal kits, and pickup and delivery orders made online with grocery stores, specialty food stores, or delivery service merchants. The select streaming services that qualify for the higher rewards rate include Apple Music, Apple TV, Disney+, ESPN+, Fubo TV, Max, Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Paramount+, Peacock, Showtime, SiriusXM, Sling, Spotify, YouTube Premium, YouTube TV and Vudu.

Plus, the Chase Ultimate Rewards® points that you earn with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card can potentially take on higher values. Normally, they're worth 1 cent each when redeemed for cash back, or toward the majority of bookings made via Chase's travel portal. But through Chase's Points Boost program, eligible bookings can fetch a value of up to 1.75 cents per point.

By contrast, AmEx Membership Rewards points earned with the American Express® Green Card are generally worth from 0.7 cent to 1 cent each when redeemed for travel, and less than that when redeemed for cash back. Terms apply.

Both cards feature multiple travel partners to which you can transfer your points. More on that below.

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.

No excise tax fee for points transfers to U.S. airlines

Chase doesn’t impose the “excise tax fee” that AmEx charges when you transfer points to the frequent flyer program of a U.S. airline. AmEx charges a fee of $.0006 per point (a maximum of $99) to offset the federal excise tax they pay for this conversion. While it may not seem like much, it can add up when you transfer a hefty pile of points to a domestic airline.

Perks from partners

Added extras from partner services are where the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card shines. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card currently offers statement credits or elevated rewards when you spend with certain partners.

For a limited time, you can earn these incentives through partners like DashPass, Lyft and Peloton. These options are valuable if you already spend with these brands, but not if they lead to overspending or derail a budget.

» MORE: Why the now-classic Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card still has staying power

Why some travelers might prefer the American Express® Green Card

Flexibility to book the best travel deals

With the American Express® Green Card, you’ll earn an elevated rewards rate on travel purchases that include airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, vacation rentals, travel purchases on third-party travel websites and travel purchases booked on amextravel.com. Unlike with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you’re not bound to a specific travel portal to earn elevated rewards. You’re free to search for the best available deals and earn a solid rewards rate upon booking.

CLEAR is available at your locations

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 $150 annual fee, but only if you can use it. CLEAR isn’t available at all airports, so depending on the location it may not be worth your while. Outside of that perk, the American Express® Green Card doesn’t offer many other incentives that can put an easy dent in the annual cost.

» MORE: How to get a CLEAR membership discount through airline loyalty

Potential tiebreakers

Spending more on transit and dining

You might extract more value from the American Express® Green Card if you don't spend as much on streaming or online groceries, of if the bulk of your budget goes toward transportation expenses, including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways.

Transfer partner preferences

Both cards allow you to transfer points to travel partners such as airlines and hotel companies, which can snag you outsize value. 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 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 you’ll have to consider whether it’s possible to fully use its statement credits for CLEAR annually to make up the cost of the $150 annual fee. Depending on the airport, that may be difficult to do considering that CLEAR kiosks aren’t available at all locations. Otherwise, you’re likely to get more value from the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card as long as you spend frequently in the card’s bonus categories. This card’s incentives also make it easier to make back the cost of the $95 annual fee.

» MORE: How to choose a travel card