Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Amex Green: Which Is Better In 2025?

American Express® Green Card Breakdown

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Why We Like It

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Here’s a breakdown of why the American Express® Green Card (See Rates & Fees) is a compelling option for frequent travelers.

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• The card offers generous rewards on a wide range of travel purchases and at restaurants worldwide.
• Cardholders receive valuable annual statement credits for popular travel services.
• You can transfer points to a variety of airline and hotel partners, offering flexible and potentially high-value redemption options.

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_{Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.}

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Pros

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• Earns elevated rewards on a wide array of travel purchases—from airfare and hotels to rideshares and transit—as well as on dining worldwide.
• Offers flexible points that can be transferred to numerous airline and hotel partners, often providing high-value redemption options.
• Includes helpful travel credits for services like expedited airport security and has no foreign transaction fees, making it a solid choice for international travel.

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Cons

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• Carries an annual fee that may be difficult to offset without fully utilizing the card’s travel benefits.
• Maximizing the value of your points can be complex, as some redemption options offer significantly less value than others.
• The travel credits are less flexible than those offered by some competing cards, and a key lounge access benefit is being discontinued.

American Express® Green Card vs Chase Sapphire Reserve®

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Categories

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Deciding which is better, Chase Sapphire Reserve or Amex Green, depends entirely on your spending habits and travel style. Both are strong contenders in the travel rewards space, but they cater to different types of cardholders.

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• American Express® Green Card is a mid-tier travel and dining rewards card. It's designed for people who spend on a broad range of travel and restaurant purchases and want to maximize flexible rewards points.
• Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a premium travel card built for frequent travelers who can take full advantage of its luxury benefits. It is ideal for those who value comprehensive travel protections and premium perks like airport lounge access.

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Redemption

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American Express® Green Card: Membership Rewards points can be redeemed for travel through the Amex portal or transferred to a variety of airline and hotel partners. This flexibility allows cardholders to find high-value redemptions that fit their specific travel plans.

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Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Ultimate Rewards points are valuable when redeemed for travel through the Chase portal and can also be transferred to numerous airline and hotel loyalty programs. This provides multiple avenues for cardholders to maximize the value of their rewards on travel bookings.

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Travel Perks

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• Lounge Access: The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card comes with a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, granting access to a global network of airport lounges. In contrast, the American Express® Green Card offers an annual credit to purchase single-visit lounge passes through LoungeBuddy. Terms apply.
• Travel & Security Credits: The Sapphire Reserve® features a $300 annual travel credit; points are not earned on travel until after the first $300 is spent annually on travel purchases, as this spending goes toward the credit. It also includes a statement credit for a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee. The Amex Green card provides an annual statement credit for a CLEAR Plus membership to help you get through airport security faster. Terms apply.
• Foreign Transaction Fees: Both cards are great for international travel, as neither charges a foreign transaction fee.
• Booking Portals: Cardholders can book travel through their respective online portals, American Express Travel and Chase Ultimate Rewards. The Sapphire Reserve® gives an edge here, as points are worth more when redeemed for travel through the Chase portal.

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Compare Top Rated Credit Cards with Kudos

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To help you decide, you can use a tool like Kudos to compare top-rated cards and see which one best fits your spending.

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• Use the Test Drive feature to simulate how much you would earn with a new card based on your actual spending history, without a hard credit pull.
• Get personalized approval odds for different cards based on your credit report.
• Track your progress toward earning welcome offers and monitor all your card perks in one dashboard.
• Automatically select the best card to use at checkout to maximize your rewards on every purchase.
• Earn extra rewards through Kudos Boost on top of your regular credit card points when shopping at partner stores.

Who Should Choose the Chase Sapphire Reserve®?

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The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is tailored for frequent travelers who can fully leverage its premium benefits to offset the annual fee. It's a strong fit for individuals who will utilize the up to $300 annual travel credit (after which points are earned on travel), value airport lounge access through Priority Pass™ Select, and seek robust travel protections. The card also appeals to diners and points enthusiasts who want to maximize rewards by transferring them to various airline and hotel partners.

Who Should Choose the American Express® Green Card?

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The American Express® Green Card is a solid choice for frequent travelers who spend significantly on dining, transit, and a wide array of travel categories. Its rewards structure is geared towards those who are willing to put in the effort to maximize value by transferring Membership Rewards® points to airline and hotel partners. Cardholders who can take full advantage of the card's annual statement credits for travel services will find the $150 annual fee easy to justify. Terms apply.

Alternatives to Consider

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It's possible that after reviewing our Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Amex Green comparison, you've decided neither card is the right fit. Fortunately, the travel rewards card market is full of strong contenders that may better suit your needs.

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Tips for Application Success

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Before You Apply

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• Check your credit score - Most premium travel cards require a good to excellent credit history for approval.
• Plan your spending - Make sure you can comfortably meet the minimum spend requirement to earn the welcome offer.
• Research the benefits - Understand the card’s credits and rewards to see if they align with your lifestyle.

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Application Strategy

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• Be aware of issuer rules - Issuers often have specific application guidelines or restrictions on earning welcome offers.
• Compare similar cards - A premium card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® has robust travel protections, while others may offer more straightforward credits.
• Don't force your spending - Only apply if you can meet the spending requirement naturally through your regular purchases.

Our Methodology

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We evaluate nearly 3,000 credit cards across the U.S. market — far more than the ~150 cards commonly featured on sites that focus only on products tied to affiliate commissions. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive, unbiased view of the credit card landscape so you can make confident, data-driven decisions.

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Our editorial team combines deep industry experience with rigorous verification standards. While our experts surface the most relevant recommendations in our guides, you can also explore the full dataset yourself through our card explorer tool, which includes thousands of cards — more than 95% of which do not provide us with commissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® worth its high annual fee?

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Whether the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is worth its high annual fee depends on if you can maximize its premium travel benefits. Keep in mind that while the card offers a $300 Annual Travel Credit, points are not earned on travel purchases until after this first $300 is spent.

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Which card is better for dining rewards?

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Both cards offer strong rewards on dining, but the best choice depends on the specifics of their rewards programs and your spending patterns. The American Express® Green Card offers broad dining rewards, while the Chase Sapphire Reserve® also includes eligible delivery services in its dining category.

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Can I hold both the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the American Express® Green Card?

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Yes, you can absolutely have both cards since they are issued by different banks, American Express and Chase. Holding both could be a strategic way to maximize rewards across different spending categories covered by each card's unique benefits.

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