Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Amex Gold: Which Card Wins for Groceries in 2026?

Research-based comparison: I haven’t personally held either of these cards. This comparison is based on verified issuer data — official PDFs and product pages from americanexpress.com and chase.com, verified May 2026. Verify all figures before applying — card terms change without notice.

The short answer: For groceries, Amex Gold wins. It earns 4x at US supermarkets. Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 1x at physical grocery stores. On $500/month in grocery spending, that gap alone is worth $165+ per year. Factor in Amex Gold’s four annual credits totaling up to $424, and the $325 fee more than pays for itself — if you actually use them. Here’s the full breakdown.

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At a Glance

	Chase Sapphire Preferred	Amex Gold
Annual fee	$95	$325
APR	19.24%–27.49% variable	19.49%–28.49% variable
Foreign transaction fee	None	None
Grocery rate (physical stores)	1x	4x at US supermarkets (up to $25,000/year)
Grocery rate (online)	3x (excl. Target, Walmart, wholesale clubs)	4x (if merchant codes as supermarket)
Dining rate	3x	4x worldwide (up to $50,000/year)
Travel rate	2x general / 5x Chase Travel portal	3x flights direct or AmexTravel.com
Sign-up bonus	75,000 UR points / $5,000 spend / 3 months	Up to 100,000 MR points / $8,000 spend / 6 months
Annual credits	$50 hotel (Chase Travel) + DashPass	$120 Uber Cash + $120 Dining + $100 Resy + $84 Dunkin’
Total available credits	$50 + DashPass (~$120 value)	$424
Effective fee (credits used)	Near $0 with DashPass	Card pays you ~$99 with all credits
Best for	Travelers and online grocery shoppers	Grocery and dining spenders

Data verified from official issuer sources, May 2026. Always confirm current terms before applying.

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The Grocery Math

Here is the full earning comparison at $500/month in grocery spending — $6,000 per year, close to the average American household’s supermarket spend.

Amex Gold at 4x:

$6,000 x 4 = 24,000 Membership Rewards points per year.

Membership Rewards are worth roughly 1 cent each when redeemed for statement credits. Transferred to airline partners like Air France/KLM Flying Blue or British Airways, published valuations typically put them between 1.5 and 2 cents per point.

Redemption method	Annual grocery reward value
Statement credit (1¢/point)	$240
Transfer partners (~2¢/point)	~$480

CSP at 1x (physical grocery stores):

$6,000 x 1 = 6,000 Ultimate Rewards points per year.

UR points are worth 1.25 cents through the Chase Travel portal, or up to 2 cents transferred to airline and hotel partners.

Redemption method	Annual grocery reward value
Chase Travel portal (1.25¢/point)	$75
Transfer partners (~2¢/point)	~$120

CSP at 3x (online grocery only):

If you buy groceries online through eligible platforms, CSP earns 3x. Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs do not qualify. Verify which platforms qualify at chase.com/RewardsCategoryFAQs.

Redemption method	Annual grocery reward value
Chase Travel portal (1.25¢/point)	$225
Transfer partners (~2¢/point)	~$360

Side-by-side at $500/month in groceries:

	Amex Gold (4x at 1¢)	CSP physical (1x at 1.25¢)	CSP online (3x at 1.25¢)
$300/month	$144/year	$45/year	$135/year
$500/month	$240/year	$75/year	$225/year
$750/month	$360/year	$112/year	$337/year
$1,000/month	$480/year	$150/year	$450/year

Amex Gold dominates physical grocery at every spend level. CSP’s 3x online grocery narrows the gap but requires routing all purchases through eligible platforms.

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Annual Fees, Credits, and How They Offset the Cost

Chase Sapphire Preferred: $95/year

CSP carries two credits and one ongoing perk:

$50 Annual Hotel Credit — statement credit applied automatically when you book a hotel through Chase Travel. Note: the first $50 in Chase Travel hotel purchases do not earn points. One hotel booking per year captures the full credit.

Complimentary DashPass — free DashPass membership for at least 12 months when activated by December 31, 2027, covering both DoorDash and Caviar. DashPass normally costs $9.99/month. Additionally, you receive $10 off one non-restaurant DoorDash order per calendar month through December 2027. Must use CSP as payment method.

10% Anniversary Points Bonus — each year, Chase adds bonus points equal to 10% of all points earned during the previous account year. On $500/month in grocery spending, that is roughly 600 bonus UR points annually (~$7.50 at portal value).

CSP credit	Annual value
$50 hotel credit	$50
DashPass membership	~$120
$10/month DoorDash non-restaurant discount	up to $120
10% anniversary bonus (on grocery spend only)	~$7.50

If you use DashPass and order from DoorDash regularly, CSP’s credits rival its annual fee significantly.

Amex Gold: $325/year — four credits, verified May 2026

Each credit requires separate enrollment through your americanexpress.com account or the Amex app.

$120 Uber Cash — $10 per month toward Uber or Uber Eats in the US. Must have Amex Gold added as payment method in the Uber app. Unused monthly balance expires at month-end.

$120 Dining Credit — $10 per month at US partner restaurants: Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. Online and delivery orders qualify if placed directly with the merchant.

$100 Resy Credit — $50 semi-annually (January–June, July–December) at qualifying US restaurants on Resy.com or the Resy app. Resets every six months — unused balance does not carry over.

$84 Dunkin’ Credit — $7 per month at US Dunkin’ locations that accept Amex. Enrollment required.

Amex Gold credit	Annual value	Requires
Uber Cash	$120	Monthly Uber/Uber Eats order
Dining Credit	$120	Monthly order at 5 eligible partners
Resy Credit	$100	Resy restaurant dining, twice per year
Dunkin’ Credit	$84	Monthly Dunkin’ visit
Total	$424	All four credits fully used

At full credit usage: $325 − $424 = the card nets you +$99 per year before rewards.

Realistic estimate using Uber Cash and Dining Credit only ($240): effective fee drops to $85.

Scenario	Amex Gold effective fee	CSP effective fee
No credits used	$325	$95
Uber Cash + Dining only ($240)	$85	—
All four credits ($424)	−$99 (net gain)	—
Hotel + DashPass used	—	Near $0

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Net Value: The Full Picture

What $500/month in grocery spending actually nets per year, after fees, at conservative point values.

Amex Gold — Uber Cash + Dining Credit only (conservative scenario):

	Value
Grocery rewards (24,000 MR @ 1¢)	$240
Uber Cash	$120
Dining Credit	$120
Total benefits	$480
Annual fee	−$325
Net annual value	+$155

Amex Gold — all four credits used:

	Value
Grocery rewards (24,000 MR @ 1¢)	$240
Uber Cash	$120
Dining Credit	$120
Resy Credit	$100
Dunkin’ Credit	$84
Total benefits	$664
Annual fee	−$325
Net annual value	+$339

CSP — physical grocery, hotel credit + DashPass used:

	Value
Grocery rewards (6,000 UR @ 1.25¢)	$75
Hotel credit	$50
DashPass (~$9.99/month)	$120
Total benefits	$245
Annual fee	−$95
Net annual value	+$150

CSP — online grocery only, hotel credit + DashPass used:

	Value
Grocery rewards (18,000 UR @ 1.25¢)	$225
Hotel credit	$50
DashPass	$120
Total benefits	$395
Annual fee	−$95
Net annual value	+$300

Summary:

Scenario	Net annual value
Amex Gold — conservative (2 credits)	+$155
CSP — physical grocery + DashPass	+$150
CSP — online grocery + DashPass	+$300
Amex Gold — all 4 credits	+$339

The numbers are closer than they look at first glance. For physical grocery shoppers who use DashPass, CSP at +$150 nearly matches Amex Gold’s conservative scenario at +$155. The gap opens up when Amex Gold’s Resy and Dunkin’ credits are fully used — at +$339 vs +$150 for CSP physical.

For online grocery shoppers, CSP’s 3x rate combined with DashPass makes it genuinely competitive at +$300, within range of Amex Gold’s full-credit scenario.

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Where CSP Beats Amex Gold

Travel rewards: CSP earns 2x on general travel — flights, hotels, rental cars, transit — and 5x on Chase Travel portal bookings. Amex Gold earns 3x only on flights booked directly with airlines or through AmexTravel.com. For cardholders who book hotels and rental cars frequently, CSP covers more ground.

DashPass and delivery: Free DashPass plus $10/month off non-restaurant DoorDash orders is a tangible benefit for households that order delivery regularly. It nearly offsets the entire $95 annual fee on its own.

Redemption simplicity: The Chase Travel portal gives a flat 1.25 cents per point with no award chart knowledge required. Amex transfers are more valuable when used strategically but require more research.

Lower annual fee, less to manage: At $95 with two credits to track, CSP is low maintenance. Amex Gold’s full value requires actively managing four separate monthly and semi-annual credits across different merchants.

Chase ecosystem pairing: CSP anchors point pooling across Chase Freedom Unlimited, Freedom Flex, and Ink Business cards — one of the strongest multi-card earning setups available. The Amazon Prime Visa review covers how Chase UR pooling works in practice.

5/24 timing: Chase’s widely reported rule limits approvals for applicants who have opened five or more cards in the past 24 months. Getting CSP early — before adding Amex cards — preserves Chase eligibility.

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Where Amex Gold Beats CSP

Grocery earning rate: 4x at US supermarkets on up to $25,000/year is among the highest available from a general-purpose premium card. At $500/month in physical grocery spending, the advantage over CSP compounds to roughly $165/year at conservative point values.

Dining rate: 4x at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000/year) versus CSP’s 3x. If dining is a major spend category alongside groceries, the one-multiplier advantage on both adds up.

Credits that exceed the fee: With all four credits in use, Amex Gold generates more in benefits than it costs in annual fee. The card structure is purpose-built for food and dining spenders who will engage with every credit.

No foreign transaction fees on dining abroad: Both cards have no FTF, but Amex Gold’s 4x worldwide dining rate makes it particularly strong for frequent international travelers who eat out.

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Sign-Up Bonuses

Chase Sapphire Preferred: 75,000 Ultimate Rewards points after $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. At 1.25¢ per point through Chase Travel, that is $937.50 in travel value. Transferred to partners, potentially more.

Amex Gold: Up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points after $8,000 in purchases within the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary — the exact amount shown to you may differ. At 1¢ per point in statement credits, that is $1,000; transferred to airline partners, potentially $1,500–2,000+.

Key structural difference: Amex enforces a once-per-lifetime rule on welcome bonuses. If you have previously held the Amex Gold card and received a bonus, you will not qualify for another. Chase does not have this restriction for most of its cards.

The total dollar requirement is lower for CSP ($5,000 vs $8,000), but the monthly pace is higher: CSP requires roughly $1,667/month over 3 months, while Amex Gold requires roughly $1,333/month over 6 months. If your typical monthly spend is around $1,500, Amex Gold’s timeline is easier to hit naturally.

Transfer programs — both cards transfer 1:1 to airline and hotel partners.

Chase UR transfers to 10 airline and 4 hotel programs, all at 1:1. Key partners: United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards, British Airways Avios, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Singapore KrisFlyer, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Hotels: World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, IHG One Rewards, Wyndham Rewards (added February 2026). TPG values UR points at 2.05¢ per point as of May 2026.

Amex MR transfers to 17 airline and 3 hotel programs, mostly 1:1. Key partners: Delta SkyMiles, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, British Airways Avios, Singapore KrisFlyer, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Air Canada Aeroplan. Hotels: Hilton Honors (1:2 ratio), Marriott Bonvoy (1:1). Note: Amex is ending its Etihad Guest partnership on June 30, 2026. TPG values MR points at 2.0¢ per point as of May 2026.

Both programs share several partners — British Airways Avios, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Singapore KrisFlyer, Air Canada Aeroplan, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. The main distinction is domestic US coverage: Chase UR connects to United and Southwest; Amex MR connects to Delta.

Transfer partner lists and point valuations sourced from TPG and NerdWallet, May 2026. Verify current partners at chase.com/ultimaterewards and membershiprewards.com/terms before transferring — partnerships can change.

Verify current bonus amounts and eligibility at chase.com and americanexpress.com — offers change frequently and targeted offers may differ from public offers.

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Who Should Get Amex Gold

Amex Gold makes the most sense if you:

Spend $400 or more per month at US supermarkets. Below that threshold, the math tightens and requires heavier credit usage to justify the fee.

Will consistently use at least the Uber Cash and Dining Credit. These two credits alone bring the effective fee to $85. If you use Uber or Uber Eats and order from Grubhub, Five Guys, or similar partners at least monthly, this happens without thinking about it.

Also eat out frequently. The 4x dining rate stacks on top of 4x grocery to make this a category-dominant card for food spending overall.

Are not a regular DoorDash user. If DashPass does not apply to your lifestyle, CSP’s biggest offset disappears and Amex Gold’s credits become relatively more valuable.

Are comfortable with Amex acceptance. Amex is widely accepted at major US retailers, but Visa is more universally accepted at smaller merchants, gas stations, and Costco.

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Who Should Get CSP

CSP makes more sense if you:

Use DoorDash or delivery services regularly. Free DashPass plus $10/month off non-restaurant orders is a meaningful benefit that nearly offsets the annual fee on its own.

Prioritize travel. The 2x general travel and 5x Chase Travel portal rates — plus strong transfer partners including United and Hyatt — reward travel spenders more broadly than Amex Gold.

Do most grocery shopping online. The 3x online grocery rate combined with DashPass puts CSP at +$300 net annual value in that scenario — within range of Amex Gold’s full-credit performance.

Want a simpler card. At $95 with fewer credits to track, the maintenance burden is low and the break-even calculation is forgiving.

Are building a Chase multi-card setup. CSP is the anchor for pooling Ultimate Rewards points across Chase Freedom and Ink cards.

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Can You Hold Both?

Many serious cardholders do. The pairing is logical: Amex Gold for groceries and dining at 4x, CSP for travel and delivery benefits. Points stay in separate ecosystems but both transfer programs are strong.

If you are choosing one card, start with whatever matches your largest spend category and lifestyle. Grocery-first, credit-engaged households: Amex Gold. Travel-first, delivery-heavy households: CSP.

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The Verdict

For physical grocery spending: Amex Gold — but the margin is narrower than it looks once DashPass is factored in.

At $500/month in grocery spending, Amex Gold’s conservative scenario nets +$155 versus CSP’s +$150 with DashPass. That is nearly identical. The gap opens substantially when Amex Gold’s Resy and Dunkin’ credits are used (+$339 vs +$150), but those credits require specific habits — Resy restaurant dining twice a year and regular Dunkin’ visits.

For online grocery shoppers, CSP’s 3x rate plus DashPass produces +$300 net, making it genuinely competitive.

The cleaner answer: if your two largest spend categories are supermarkets and restaurants, and you will consistently use the Uber Cash and Dining Credit, Amex Gold generates more value. If you are a heavy DoorDash user or prioritize travel, CSP is the stronger card and the grocery gap is smaller than the headline numbers suggest.

For a household spending $500+ per month at physical grocery stores with minimal delivery app usage: Amex Gold is the recommendation.

If you want to compare against a no-annual-fee alternative, the Amex Blue Cash Everyday earns 3% at US supermarkets with no annual fee — simpler math, lower ceiling.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Chase Sapphire Preferred earn 3x at grocery stores?

At physical grocery stores, no — CSP earns 1x. The 3x rate applies to online grocery purchases only, excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs. Platforms like Instacart qualify when they code as a grocery merchant. Meal-kit services like HelloFresh and Blue Apron also qualify for CSP’s 3x online grocery rate. Paying through a grocery store’s own app (Kroger, Publix, Safeway) also triggers 3x even for in-store pickup. Trader Joe’s does not currently offer a payment app, so in-store purchases there earn 1x. Verify current platform eligibility at chase.com/RewardsCategoryFAQs — coding can vary by merchant.

Is Amex Gold worth the $325 annual fee for groceries?

With the credits factored in, yes — if you use them. At $500/month in grocery spending, you earn roughly $240 in Membership Rewards at 1¢/point. The $120 Uber Cash and $120 Dining Credit together offset $240 of the fee, bringing the effective cost to $85. Add the $100 Resy Credit and $84 Dunkin’ Credit and the card generates a net gain before rewards. The fee is hard to justify only if you would not use at least Uber Cash and the Dining Credit consistently.

What counts as a US supermarket for Amex Gold 4x?

Traditional supermarkets like Safeway, Kroger, Publix, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods generally qualify. Warehouse clubs including Costco and Sam’s Club do not. Walmart and Target supercenters do not qualify. Meal-kit delivery services like HelloFresh are not considered supermarkets for Amex Gold and do not earn 4x — unlike CSP where they qualify for the 3x online grocery rate. Merchants are assigned category codes by their payment processor — when uncertain, run a small test purchase and check your rewards statement.

What is the Amex Gold Resy Credit and how does it work?

The Resy Credit gives you $50 in statement credits semi-annually — $50 from January through June, $50 from July through December — when you dine at qualifying US restaurants that accept reservations through Resy.com or the Resy app. Enrollment through your Amex account is required. Unused balance does not carry over between periods.

Which card is better for restaurants?

Amex Gold earns 4x at restaurants worldwide on up to $50,000/year. CSP earns 3x on dining including takeout and eligible delivery. Gold wins on the earning rate. For heavy diners, the one-multiplier difference on $400/month in restaurant spending adds roughly $12–16/year in incremental value at conservative rates.

What is the best credit card for groceries if I do not travel at all?

If travel redemptions have no value to you and you would not use DashPass, the math shifts toward straightforward cashback. The Amex Blue Cash Everyday earns 3% cash back at US supermarkets with no annual fee. For Amazon shoppers, the Amazon Prime Visa earns 5% on Amazon purchases with no annual fee with a Prime membership.