American Express® Green vs Chase Sapphire Preferred®
Side-by-side comparison
| American Express® Green | Chase Sapphire Preferred® | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $150 | $95 |
| Welcome offer | 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points | |
| Dining | 3x | 3x |
| Groceries | 1x | 3x |
| Gas | 1x | 3x |
| Travel | 3x | 2x |
| Streaming | 1x | 3x |
| Everything else | 1x | 1x |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $402 | $545 |
| Points type | Transfers to airlines & hotels | Transfers to airlines & hotels |
| Network | Amex | Visa |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified July 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
Welcome bonus and value over time
| Over time | American Express® Green | Chase Sapphire Preferred® |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points | 100,000 Ultimate Rewards® Points |
| To earn it | $3,000 in 6 months | $5,000 in 3 months |
| Est. first-year value* | $851 | $1,680 |
| Est. ongoing value / yr* | $451 | $680 |
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® wins on both fronts: it comes out ahead in year one on the welcome offer and stays ahead every year after. Short term or long, it is the stronger pick on the numbers.
*First-year value counts the welcome bonus, estimated rewards, and annual credits, minus the annual fee; ongoing value is a typical year after. Every point at a flat 1 cent.
Perks, credits, and redemptions
| Perks | American Express® Green | Chase Sapphire Preferred® |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge access | None | None |
| Annual credits | ~$199/yr (1 credits) | ~$230/yr (4 credits) |
| Points & redemptions | Transferable to airline & hotel partners | Transferable to airline & hotel partners |
The two are closely matched on perks and redemptions, so the welcome offer and everyday earning above are what should decide it.
Transfer partners and point value
The American Express® Green earns Amex Membership Rewards, which transfers to Delta, ANA, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic, plus Hilton and Marriott. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® earns Chase Ultimate Rewards, reaching World of Hyatt, United, Air Canada, Southwest, and British Airways Avios. Most transfers are 1:1 on both, so the partners themselves, not the ratios, are what separate them.
The standout difference is the crown-jewel partner: for the American Express® Green it is ANA and Virgin Atlantic, the routes behind the famous business- and first-class sweet spots to Asia; for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® it is World of Hyatt at 1:1, widely considered the single best hotel transfer in points. Pick the program whose best partners match the trips you would actually book.
Both are mid-tier transferable-points cards with strong 3x dining, but the Sapphire Preferred does more for less, a lower fee, broader everyday categories, and an anniversary boost.
The Green leans on travel and transit at 3x into the Amex network. The Preferred covers dining, groceries, gas, and streaming at 3x, adds a 10% annual points bump and a $50 hotel credit, and transfers to World of Hyatt, one of the most valuable partners anywhere, all for $95. For most people, that combination is simply better.
Pros and cons
- 3x on travel, dining, and transit
- Transferable Membership Rewards to many partners
- A CLEAR Plus and LoungeBuddy credit
- The broad Amex transfer network
- $150 fee, higher than the Preferred
- 1x on groceries and gas, where the Preferred earns 3x
- No anniversary boost
- Fewer standout hotel partners than Hyatt
- 3x on dining, groceries, gas, and streaming; 2x on travel
- A 10% anniversary points boost and a $50 hotel credit
- Transfers to World of Hyatt and United
- A lower $95 fee and a big welcome bonus
- 2x (not 3x) on general travel
- No transit multiplier
- Points need transfers for top value
Where each one wins
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday categories | Sapphire Preferred | 3x on groceries and gas the Green earns 1x on. |
| Travel & transit | Amex Green | 3x on travel and transit vs the Preferred’s 2x travel. |
| Anniversary value | Sapphire Preferred | A 10% points boost the Green lacks. |
| Transfer partners | Sapphire Preferred | World of Hyatt is a standout the Green can’t match. |
| Annual fee | Sapphire Preferred | $95 vs $150. |
The verdict
For most people, the Sapphire Preferred is the better card, it earns 3x across more of everyday life (groceries and gas, not just travel and transit), costs $55 less, adds a 10% anniversary boost, and transfers to World of Hyatt for outsized value. It’s one of the best-value travel cards, period, and a genuine long-term keeper at $95.
The Green makes sense mainly if your spending is heavy on travel and transit specifically, where its 3x transit edges the Preferred, and you want into the Amex ecosystem. But even then, the higher fee and narrower everyday earning make it a harder hold past year one. Unless you specifically value the transit multiplier or Amex partners, the Preferred wins.