Platinum vs Sapphire Reserve

By Quy Dinh · Updated Oct 24, 2026

The short answer

Pick the Platinum if lounges and luxury hotels matter most: it gets you into Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs, and its credits are bigger on paper. Pick the Sapphire Reserve if you also want a card for everyday spending: it earns 3x on dining and 4x on flights and hotels booked direct, where the Platinum earns 1x on dining.

Both have fees most people only earn back through the credits. Tick the ones you’d really use on each card’s page before you decide.

Pick the Platinum if

You fly Delta or want Centurion Lounges
You’d use the Uber, streaming, lululemon and hotel credits
You book flights directly and want 5x on them

Pick the Sapphire Reserve if

You spend a lot on dining
You’d rather have one $300 credit that covers almost any travel
You’d book through Chase Travel for 8x

Side by side

Feature	Platinum American Express	Sapphire Reserve Chase
In one line	Worth the $895 only if you’ll really use the lounges and most of the credits; for everyone else, a cheaper card does more.	Strong if you travel often and use Chase Travel, but at $795 it only pays off if you use the $300 travel credit, the lounges and most of the newer credits.
Annual fee	$895	$795
Statement credits	Up to $3,274 a year in 14 credits	Up to $2,340 a year in 13 credits
How it earns	5x Flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel 5x Prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel 5x Prepaid Airbnb stays booked through Amex Travel 2x Prepaid car rentals and cruises booked through Amex Travel 1x Everything else	8x Everything booked through Chase Travel, including The Edit hotels 4x Flights booked directly with airlines and hotels booked directly with hotels 3x Dining at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and eligible delivery 5x Lyft rides in the Lyft app 10x Peloton equipment over $150 1x Everything else
Lounge access	Centurion Lounge access Delta Sky Club access Priority Pass Select Other Global Lounge Collection lounges	Priority Pass Select Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges and Cafés
Welcome offer	As high as 175,000 points after you spend $12,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. Amex tells you your exact offer after you apply, before you accept the card.	100,000 points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Counts toward Chase 5/24	Yes	Yes

Credits are counted at their full cash value; see each card’s page for how each one works and which need activation. Offers change; the bank’s page has the current one.

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