Amex Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve: Which is Right for You?

Paying a lot means you have a right to expect a lot of value in return. The best card for you will be the one that you can squeeze the most value out of. 

Here's how the two cards stack up. 

Transfer partners

As top-tier premium cards on the market, both cards offer some similiar benefits, including the ability to transfer to airline and hotel partners.

Check out the full list of Chase Ultimate Rewards® transfer partners and American Express Membership Rewards® transfer partners to see what each offers. 

Winner: Tie. There are many similarities , but there are some differences between domestic airlines and hotel chains. 

Points-earning

Here's how the cards compare. It's no surprise that both cards earn high rates when you book through their respective travel portals.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 

• Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel(SM), including The Edit(SM)
• Earn 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. 
• Earn 3x points on dining worldwide.
• Earn 1x points on all other purchases

American Express Platinum Card®: 

• Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards(R) points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel(R), including Fine Hotels + Resorts(R) and The Hotel Collection bookings. 
• You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel(R) on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.

Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve. The American Express Platinum Card excels at earning on airfare, but the Chase Sapphire Reserve lets you earn bonus points on dining. 

Travel credits

Each card offers different sorts of statement credits for travel. 

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• American Express Platinum Card®: $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card(R) Account.* 

Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve. This isn't an exact apples-to-apples comparison, because the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit is much broader. That's the beauty of it: You can use it for all sorts of travel expenses, not just airline fees. 

^{American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.}

Hotel credits

Both cards offer semi-annual statement credits to its propriertary high-end hotel portal.

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Receive a $500 annual credit (split into two $250 biannual credits) for The Edit– a Chase Travel℠ collection of over 1,100 hand-picked hotels and resorts.
• American Express Platinum Card®: $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts(R) or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel(R) using the Platinum Card(R). *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.

Winner: American Express Platinum Card. As of May 2026, there are over 3,000 properties between Fine Hotels + Resorts and the Hotel Collection. Just don't expect the statement credit to cover a full night's stay! 

Hotel status

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite Status
• American Express Platinum Card®: Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy™ Gold Elite status and Hilton Honors™ Gold status 

Winner: Tie. This is a nice-to-have perk, but I wouldn't choose either card for this benefit. If you really want elite status with a hotel, look at co-branded hotel credit cards.

Airport lounge access

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass(TM) Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge(R) by The Club with two guests. 
• American Express Platinum Card®: Over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection(R), over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club(R) visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges.

^{* As of 07/2025.}

Winner for breadth: American Express Platinum Card. This card gets you access to the Amex Centurion Lounges, plus a wide range of other options. 

Winner for guess access: Chase Sapphire Reserve. While there are fewer airports with Chase Sapphire Lounges, the card's ability to bring a guest makes it valuable. 

Dining credits 

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
• American Express Platinum Card®:$400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: Get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card(R) to make eligible purchases with Resy, including dining purchases at U.S. Resy restaurants. Enrollment required. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card(R). Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you.

These credits are for different amounts, awarded on different cadences (semi-annually versus quarterly), and for different restaurant reservation networks. 

Winner: You decide. The best way to evaluate the value you'll get from this credit is by looking at the restaurants available in your city or places you travel to often. 

Lifestyle credits

There are far too many to list here, and they are not always an even apples-to-apples comparison. 

That said, speaking in broad brushstrokes, the American Express Platinum Card® comes with a wider range of lifestyle credits, while I'd argue the Chase Sapphire Reserve's credits are a bit more niche. But niche doesn't mean useless. If you use the brands and services, then these credits can be very valuable to you. 

Winner: You decide. Audit what streaming services you use most and what other sources of entertainment you use. Just remember, use the credits to enhance your lifestyle, don't just use a service because it's a credit. 

Why go for a premium card

It’s not the plunk factor. With so many mobile and contactless payment options, flashing the physical card is becoming less common. 

There are three major reasons why you’d go premium: 

Application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck 

Now, to be clear, you don’t need a premium card with a crazy-high annual fee to get a statement for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS—many cards offer this credit with annual fees under $150.

But, this benefit is fairly standard on cards with annual fees of $500 or higher.

Airport lounge access

Airport lounge access is one of the most coveted travel perks, and holding a premium card is a way to get in. 

The high annual fee you pay for a premium card is your ticket to airport lounge access, but, of course, no single card unlocks all lounges. That means you want to evaluate the network of lounges a card gets you access to, and which lounges are available at the airports you visit. 

You’ll also want to pay attention to any visit restrictions, such as annual limits on how many times you can visit lounges. Also, double-check if lounge access is limited to certain fare classes. Some lounges won’t let you in with a basic economy ticket.

If you’re looking for a premium card to get lounge access, answers to these questions all help you determine the bang for your buck.

Travel and lifestyle perks in the form of statement credits

Aside from airport lounges, that high annual fee also pays for a bunch of statement credits. 
If you’re a Millennial like me, you might remember selling those big coupon books for fundraisers. Well, the statement credits on these premium cards are basically coupon books repackaged in a slim metal card. 

Some of the statement credits are for travel-related purchases, such as a hotel stay credit or an application fee credit for Global Entry. 

Some credits are more geared towards lifestyle, like credits for streaming services, rideshares, dining at particular restaurant networks, or even merchandise from a specific brand. 

Depending on how efficient you are, the value you get back in statement credits from the card’s perks could even exceed the annual fee you pay.  

The thing is, the devil is in the details. Some of these credits are annual, some semi-annual, some quarterly, and some monthly. Tracking each can get time-consuming or annoying, so even if you can get value from them, you have to decide if it’s worth the effort.