Head to head

The Platinum Card from American Express vs Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

The Platinum Card from American Express leads 2 to 1 on the 3 rankable specs, but Chase Sapphire Preferred Card charges $600 a year less. Most of the 10 attributes tracked here are descriptive rather than numeric.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Annual fee: The Platinum Card from American Express lists $695 (American Express sheet, 2026-09-02); Chase Sapphire Preferred Card lists $95 (Chase sheet, 2026-09-02).
Rewards rate: The Platinum Card from American Express lists 5X flights booked directly with airlines or via AmexTravel (up to $500k/yr), 5X prepaid hotels, 1X other (American Express sheet, 2026-09-02); Chase Sapphire Preferred Card lists 5X travel via Chase, 3X dining/online grocery/select streaming, 2X other travel, 1X other (Chase sheet, 2026-09-02).
Regular APR: The Platinum Card from American Express lists Pay Over Time APR: 21.24% – 29.24% Variable (American Express sheet, 2026-09-02); Chase Sapphire Preferred Card lists 21.49% – 28.49% Variable APR (Chase sheet, 2026-09-02).
Sign-up bonus: The Platinum Card from American Express lists 80,000 Membership Rewards points after $8,000 spend in first 6 months (American Express sheet, 2026-09-02); Chase Sapphire Preferred Card lists 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after $4,000 spend in first 3 months ($750 travel value) (Chase sheet, 2026-09-02).
Intro APR offer: The Platinum Card from American Express lists None (Pay Over Time feature optional) (American Express sheet, 2026-09-02); Chase Sapphire Preferred Card lists None (Variable APR applies from account opening) (Chase sheet, 2026-09-02).

Not financial advice. Annual fees, APRs, bonuses and credits change. Confirm current terms with the issuer before you apply.

The Platinum Card from American Express

$695/yr2 spec wins

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Citi Double Cash Card$0/yr Chase Freedom Unlimited$0/yr Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards$0/yr Bilt World Elite Mastercard$0/yr Chase Freedom Flex$0/yr Wells Fargo Active Cash Card$0/yr Discover it Cash Back$0/yr Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express$0/yr Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card$95/yr Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express$95/yr Citi Strata Premier Card$95/yr American Express Gold Card$325/yr Capital One Venture X Rewards$395/yr Chase Sapphire Reserve$550/yr

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

$95/yr1 spec win

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Buying for

Every rankable spec counts once. Pick a lens to score only what matters for your credit card.

Straight answer

Overall: 2 to 1

Buy the The Platinum Card from American Express.

Leads 2 of 3 rankable overall specs; Chase Sapphire Preferred Card takes 1.
Regular APR: Pay Over Time APR: 21.24% – 29.24% Variable vs 21.49% – 28.49% Variable APR
Lounge access: Yes vs No
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card charges $600 less a year. Pay the higher fee only if regular apr matters to you.

2 The Platinum Card from American Express3 rankable of 10 specsChase Sapphire Preferred Card 1

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

Annual feerow
You pay before a single reward is earned.
Trips:The Platinum Card from American Express · $695Trips:Chase Sapphire Preferred Card · $95
No airport lounge accessrow
No free lounges; only matters if you fly often.
Clear:The Platinum Card from American Express · Yes (Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass S…Trips:Chase Sapphire Preferred Card · No
No 0% intro APRrow
Carrying a balance costs full interest from day one.
Trips:The Platinum Card from American Express · None (Pay Over Time feature optional)Trips:Chase Sapphire Preferred Card · None (Variable APR applies from account…

At a glance

The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.

2 of 2 differ

Annual fee

American Express

$695

Chase

$95

Rewards rate≠

American Express

5X flights booked directly with airlines or via AmexTravel (up to $500k/yr), 5X prepaid hotels, 1X other

Chase

5X travel via Chase, 3X dining/online grocery/select streaming, 2X other travel, 1X other

True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Upfront price + 3 years of consumables, fees & essential add-ons

The Platinum Card from American Express

Upfront list price$0

3-Yr Annual card membership fee ($695 billed annually)+$2,085

3-Year Estimated Total$2,085

Cost over 3 years in annual fees before rewards or statement credits.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Upfront list price$0

3-Yr Annual card membership fee ($95 billed annually)+$285

3-Year Estimated Total$285

Cost over 3 years in annual fees before rewards or statement credits.

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.

Post-Purchase Truths

American Express: What to watch for

Hidden Cost
"Coupon book" fatigue: credits require active monthly tracking.
Offsetting the steep $695 annual fee requires meticulously remembering monthly Uber credits, digital entertainment credits, Saks Fifth Avenue semi-annual credits, and airline fee selections.

Chase: What to watch for

Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Regular cleaning, firmware updates, and standard care are recommended to preserve longevity.

The Platinum Card from American Express$695/yr2 wins

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card$95/yr1 win

Fees & Rates Rewards & Perks Card Details

8 of 10 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Fees & Rates

2 differences

Fees & Rates specifications. Middle column is The Platinum Card from American Express, right column is Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
Annual fee	$695	$95 (wins this row: lower)
Regular APR	Pay Over Time APR: 21.24% – 29.24% Variable (wins this row: lower)	21.49% – 28.49% Variable APR
Foreign transaction fee	None (0%)	None (0%)
Late fee	Up to $40	Up to $40

Rewards & Perks

leads 1-0

Rewards & Perks specifications. Middle column is The Platinum Card from American Express, right column is Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
Rewards rate	5X flights booked directly with airlines or via AmexTravel (up to $500k/yr), 5X prepaid hotels, 1X other	5X travel via Chase, 3X dining/online grocery/select streaming, 2X other travel, 1X other
Sign-up bonus	80,000 Membership Rewards points after $8,000 spend in first 6 months	60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after $4,000 spend in first 3 months ($750 travel value)
Intro APR offer	None (Pay Over Time feature optional)	None (Variable APR applies from account opening)
Lounge access	Yes (Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass Select, Delta Sky Club, Escape Lounges, Plaza Premium) (wins this row: has it)	No

Card Details

2 differences

Card Details specifications. Middle column is The Platinum Card from American Express, right column is Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
Credit neededOur summary	Good to Excellent (700–850)	Good to Excellent (690–850)
Network	American Express	Visa Signature

Credit-card figures are from issuer materials and go stale. This is not an offer to lend, not financial advice, and not a recommendation to apply. Verify every fee, APR, bonus and credit on the issuer's site.

The Platinum Card from American Express issuer terms (opens in a new tab) · checked Sep 2, 2026
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card issuer terms (opens in a new tab) · checked Sep 2, 2026

Which one should you buy

Pick this one if

The Platinum Card from American Express

The ultimate luxury travel lifestyle card with comprehensive Centurion Lounge access and over $1,500 in annual credits.

Unrivaled Global Lounge Collection (Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs, Priority Pass)
5X Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel
Over $1,500 in annual statement credits (Hotel, Airline fee, Digital entertainment, Uber Cash, Saks)

What you give up

Steep $695 annual fee
Only 1X points on everyday non-travel purchases

Full The Platinum Card from American Express specs →

Pick this one if

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

The benchmark travel rewards card with 5X points on travel through Chase, 3X dining, and 1:1 point transfers.

Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel through Chase Travel
1:1 point transfers to Hyatt, United, Southwest, and British Airways
Primary rental car collision damage waiver insurance

What you give up

No airport lounge access
$95 annual fee is not waived the first year

Full Chase Sapphire Preferred Card specs →

Best for each use

Travel

Flights, hotels and spending abroad: no foreign fees, lounges, a big bonus

Tied on travel. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card charges less a year.

The 2 rankable travel specs split 1 to 1.
Saves $600 a year in fees.

Everyday cash back

Simple rewards on groceries and gas with nothing to pay each year

Tied on everyday cash back. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card charges less a year.

The 2 rankable everyday cash back specs split 1 to 1.
Saves $600 a year in fees.

Carrying a balance

Paying over time or newer to credit: APR, intro offers, approval odds

Tied on carrying a balance. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card charges less a year.

The 2 rankable carrying a balance specs split 1 to 1.
Saves $600 a year in fees.

Every answer above is scored from published figures. A lens uses only the rows that matter for that use, including marked rows that are not on the official sheet. Switch lenses interactively in the panel above.

Done deciding?

Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.

The Platinum Card from American Express spec sheet Chase Sapphire Preferred Card spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: The Platinum Card from American Express ↗ · Chase Sapphire Preferred Card ↗

Common questions

Which card has the lower annual fee, The Platinum Card from American Express or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card charges $600 a year less.

What is the biggest catch with the The Platinum Card from American Express or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?

Both has this deal-breaker: annual fee. You pay before a single reward is earned.

Which is better for travel, the The Platinum Card from American Express or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?

Tied on travel. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card charges less a year. The 2 rankable travel specs split 1 to 1. Saves $600 a year in fees.

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 10 specs tracked here, 7 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.

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