Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Preferred, the food card or the travel card

Trek Guide The Gold earns more if you spend big on restaurants and US supermarkets. The Preferred costs $95, not $325, and adds trip cancellation cover. By Bishnu Adhikari · Sep 27, 2026 Read the full story

The Amex Gold earns far more points if you spend heavily at restaurants and US supermarkets, because it pays 4X at both against the Chase Sapphire Preferred's 3x on dining and 1x on in-store groceries. But the Gold costs $325 a year against $95, and it only… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

The headline numbers

The Gold is a food card with travel extras; the Preferred is a travel card with a dining bonus. Every figure below was read on the issuer's own card page on 27 September 2026. Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Which card earns more

On a food-heavy budget the Gold earns about half as many points again as the Preferred, and the gap comes almost entirely from the supermarket. Take $2,000 a month: $500 at restaurants, $300 at a US supermarket in person, $200 on flights booked directly with… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

The Gold's monthly credits only work if you use them every month

The Gold lists up to $424 a year in credits, which beats its $325 fee on paper, but three of the four arrive as small monthly amounts that expire if you skip a month. The dining credit is up to $10 a month, Uber Cash $10 a month and the Dunkin' credit up to… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Why the Preferred is the better travel card

The Preferred protects the trip itself; the Gold mostly covers delays and bags. Chase lists trip cancellation and interruption cover up to $10,000 per covered traveller and $20,000 per trip for prepaid, non-refundable travel, trip delay up to $500 per… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

The verdict

Choose the Amex Gold if restaurants and US supermarkets are where most of your money goes and you will use its monthly credits without effort. Choose the Chase Sapphire Preferred if you want a $95 card that protects your trips and earns well on dining. Plenty… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Keep reading

The four decisions that choose a card, with every comparison in one place. What card cover pays for, and what it never will. How earning and redeeming really work. When to pay which way on a trip. The costly habits most travellers repeat. Sources: American… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Trek Nepal with local guides

Plan your trek NMA-certified guides · permits sorted · 5,000+ treks since 1998. Plan this trek

Get the free Nepal Trek Insider Guide

Free guide Permits, costs, seasons and routes — the essentials we send every traveller, plus a free, no-obligation trip quote. ↑ Swipe up Read the full report and grab the free Nepal Trek Insider Guide — or ask our Pokhara team for a tailored, no-obligation quote. Read more & get the free guide Plan my trip — free quote