Editor’s note: All figures below were verified directly against American Express and Chase official card pages and cross-checked with The Points Guy, NerdWallet, and Upgraded Points in July 2026. Both cards underwent major refreshes in 2025–2026 that raised fees but added benefits. Card terms change frequently — always confirm current details with the issuer before applying. This article is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice. See our full Disclaimer for details on how we cover and rank cards.
Neither of these cards is cheap, and neither is trying to be. The real question isn’t “which is better” in the abstract — both are excellent — it’s whether your travel pattern lines up with Amex’s lounge-first, credit-stack approach or Chase’s simpler, higher-earning-rate approach. Here’s the honest breakdown after both cards’ most recent refreshes.
Side-by-side comparison
| Amex Platinum | Chase Sapphire Reserve | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $895 | $795 ($195 per authorized user) |
| Welcome offer | Up to 175,000 points after $12,000 spend in 6 months (personalized) | 100,000 points after $6,000 spend in 3 months |
| Lounge network | 1,550+ lounges: Centurion, Delta Sky Club (10 visits/year), Priority Pass Select, Plaza Premium, Escape Lounges | 1,300+ lounges: Priority Pass Select, Chase Sapphire Lounges (unlimited, 2 free guests), select Maple Leaf Lounges |
| Advertised credit value | $3,500+ (split across ~10 categories) | ~$3,000 (split across 4 categories) |
| Hotel elite status | Hilton Honors Gold + Marriott Bonvoy Gold | IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite (through Dec 31, 2027) |
| Earning: travel via issuer portal | 5x flights & prepaid hotels | 8x Chase Travel |
| Earning: dining | 1x | 3x |
| Transfer partners | ~20 | 14 |
| Global Entry/TSA PreCheck | Up to $120 every 4 years | Up to $120 every 4 years |
Lounge access: Amex has more, Chase is easier to actually use
This is the category most people ask about first, and the honest answer is: Amex wins on raw numbers, but Chase wins on guest-friendliness.
The Platinum’s Global Lounge Collection covers over 1,550 lounges — Centurion Lounges (widely considered the best in the U.S.), 10 Delta Sky Club visits per year when flying Delta same-day, Priority Pass Select, Plaza Premium Lounges, and Escape Lounges. It’s the broadest network in the industry, full stop.
But guest access has gotten more restrictive. As of 2026, most Platinum cardholders need to hit a $75,000 annual spend threshold to bring guests into Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs for free — below that, you’re often paying a per-guest fee. For a solo traveler, that’s irrelevant. For a couple or family, it can add up fast.
The Sapphire Reserve’s network is smaller (1,300+ lounges via Priority Pass Select, plus Chase’s own growing Sapphire Lounge locations and select Maple Leaf Lounges on Star Alliance flights), but every Sapphire Lounge visit includes two free guests, no spending threshold required. If you regularly travel with a partner or family, this structural difference can matter more than the larger total lounge count.
Statement credits: more on the Platinum, easier on the Reserve
Amex advertises over $3,500 in annual credit value on the Platinum, but it’s spread across roughly ten categories: $600 in hotel credits for Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection (2-night minimum), $240 in monthly Uber Cash and Uber One credits, $300 in digital entertainment credits, a $155 Walmart+ credit, and several smaller ones. Realizing the full amount requires actively using most of them — the card rewards people willing to route specific spending through specific credits every month.
The Reserve’s credits are fewer but broader: a $300 annual travel credit that applies to almost any travel purchase (not restricted to a portal), and up to $300 in dining credits split into two $150 six-month windows at Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables restaurants. Fewer moving parts means less value left on the table if you’re not the type to track ten different monthly credits.
Earning rates: Chase rewards a broader range of everyday spending
The Platinum’s 5x earning is powerful but narrow — it only applies to flights booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel, and prepaid hotels via Amex Travel. Nearly everything else, including dining, earns just 1x.
The Reserve spreads its bonus earning wider: 8x on all Chase Travel purchases, 4x on flights and hotels booked directly with the merchant (no portal required), and 3x on dining worldwide. For someone who books some travel directly and eats out regularly, the Reserve will often out-earn the Platinum even before factoring in the lower fee.
As a rough real-world example: someone spending $10,000/year on direct flights and $5,000 on prepaid Amex Travel hotels earns about 75,000 Amex points from the Platinum’s 5x categories. Someone spending $8,000/year on dining and $7,000 through Chase Travel can match or exceed that on the Reserve — while also paying $100 less annually.
Hotel status: different chains, different value depending on where you stay
The Platinum includes automatic Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold status — two of the largest hotel loyalty programs in the world, useful if you stay at either chain regularly. The Reserve includes IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status (extended through December 31, 2027). Neither status is transferable to the other card’s ecosystem, so this comes down entirely to which hotel brands you actually book.
Transfer partners: Amex has more, Chase has 1:1 Hyatt
Amex Membership Rewards transfers to roughly 20 airline and hotel partners; Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to 14. Amex’s wider list matters most for international premium-cabin redemptions. Chase’s smaller list still holds one advantage worth calling out: 1:1 transfers to World of Hyatt remain intact on the Sapphire Reserve, even after Chase devalued that same transfer to 4:3 for Sapphire Preferred cardholders in June 2026. If Hyatt redemptions are part of your strategy, the Reserve protects that value in a way the cheaper Preferred no longer does.
Who should get the Amex Platinum
- You fly Delta regularly and will use the Sky Club visits
- You depart from cities with strong Centurion Lounge presence (Dallas Fort Worth, Miami, San Francisco, and similar hubs)
- You stay at Hilton or Marriott properties often enough to value Gold status
- You’re disciplined about using monthly/quarterly credits (Uber, dining, entertainment) without forcing purchases
- You book premium international flights where the wider partner list adds real redemption value
Who should get the Chase Sapphire Reserve
- You travel with a partner or family and want free guest lounge access without a spend threshold
- Your everyday spending includes meaningful dining and direct travel bookings
- You want fewer, simpler credits rather than a dozen small ones to track
- Hyatt is part of your hotel strategy and you want to keep the 1:1 transfer
- You want the lower of the two fees while still getting a genuinely premium card
Can you have both?
Yes, and it’s a common pairing among frequent travelers specifically because the two cards’ strengths don’t overlap much — Amex for Centurion/Delta Sky Club access and hotel status, Chase for everyday earning and Hyatt transfers. It’s expensive at nearly $1,700 combined in annual fees, so it only makes sense if you’re realistically extracting value from both, not just one.
Bottom line
If lounge access and hotel status at Hilton or Marriott are your priority — and you’ll fly enough to justify a $75,000 spend threshold for guest access — the Platinum’s broader network wins. For most other frequent travelers, the Reserve’s combination of simpler credits, stronger everyday earning rates, and $100 lower fee makes it the more consistently practical choice.
Curious how a lower-fee alternative stacks up? See our Capital One Venture X vs Amex Platinum and Capital One Venture X vs Chase Sapphire Reserve comparisons.