Head to head

Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

They split the 4 rankable specs evenly, so cost decides it: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express charges $455 a year less.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Annual fee: Chase Sapphire Reserve lists $550 (Chase sheet, 2026-09-02); Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express lists $95 (American Express sheet, 2026-09-02).
Rewards rate: Chase Sapphire Reserve lists 10X hotels/cars & 5X flights via Chase Travel, 3X general travel & dining, 1X other (Chase sheet, 2026-09-02); Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express lists 6% cash back at US supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1%), 6% on select US streaming subscriptions, 3% on transit and US gas stations, 1% on other purchases (American Express sheet, 2026-09-02).
Regular APR: Chase Sapphire Reserve lists 21.49% – 28.49% Variable APR (Chase sheet, 2026-09-02); Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express lists 19.24% – 29.99% Variable APR (American Express sheet, 2026-09-02).
Foreign transaction fee: Chase Sapphire Reserve lists None (0%) (Chase sheet, 2026-09-02); Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express lists 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars (American Express sheet, 2026-09-02).
Sign-up bonus: Chase Sapphire Reserve lists 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after $4,000 spend in first 3 months (Chase sheet, 2026-09-02); Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express lists $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 6 months (American Express sheet, 2026-09-02).

Not financial advice. Annual fees, APRs, bonuses and credits change. Confirm current terms with the issuer before you apply.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

$550/yr2 spec wins

Swap

Compare a different credit card

Citi Double Cash Card$0/yr Chase Freedom Unlimited$0/yr Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards$0/yr Bilt World Elite Mastercard$0/yr Chase Freedom Flex$0/yr Wells Fargo Active Cash Card$0/yr Discover it Cash Back$0/yr Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express$0/yr Chase Sapphire Preferred Card$95/yr Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card$95/yr Citi Strata Premier Card$95/yr American Express Gold Card$325/yr Capital One Venture X Rewards$395/yr The Platinum Card from American Express$695/yr

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

$95/yr2 spec wins

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Buying for

Every rankable spec counts once. Pick a lens to score only what matters for your credit card.

Straight answer

Overall: 2 to 2

Tied overall. Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express charges less a year.

The 4 rankable overall specs split 2 to 2.
Saves $455 a year in fees.

Check first: the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express has foreign transaction fee. the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express has no airport lounge access.

2 Chase Sapphire Reserve4 rankable of 10 specsBlue Cash Preferred Card from American Express 2

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

Annual feerow
You pay before a single reward is earned.
Trips:Chase Sapphire Reserve · $550Trips:Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express · $95
Foreign transaction feerow
Adds about 3% to every purchase abroad.
Clear:Chase Sapphire Reserve · None (0%)Trips:Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express · 2.7% of each transaction after conversi…
No airport lounge accessrow
No free lounges; only matters if you fly often.
Clear:Chase Sapphire Reserve · Yes (Priority Pass Select + Sapphire Lo…Trips:Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express · No
Needs excellent credit (720+)row
Applications under 720 are usually declined.
Trips:Chase Sapphire Reserve · ExcellentClear:Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express · Good to Excellent
No 0% intro APRrow
Carrying a balance costs full interest from day one.
Trips:Chase Sapphire Reserve · 0% intro APR for 0 monthsClear:Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express · 0% intro APR on purchases and balance t…

At a glance

The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.

2 of 2 differ

Annual fee

Chase

$550

American Express

$95

Rewards rate≠

Chase

10X hotels/cars & 5X flights via Chase Travel, 3X general travel & dining, 1X other

American Express

6% cash back at US supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1%), 6% on select US streaming subscriptions, 3% on transit and US gas stations, 1% on other purchases

True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Upfront price + 3 years of consumables, fees & essential add-ons

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Upfront list price$0

3-Yr Annual card membership fee ($550 billed annually)+$1,650

3-Year Estimated Total$1,650

Cost over 3 years in annual fees before rewards or statement credits.

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

Upfront list price$0

3-Yr Annual card membership fee ($95 billed annually)+$285

3-Year Estimated Total$285

Cost over 3 years in annual fees before rewards or statement credits.

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.

Post-Purchase Truths

Chase: What to watch for

Hidden Cost
Priority Pass lounge crowding and long waitlists during peak hours.
Airport lounge access is frequently restricted by capacity caps at major domestic hubs (JFK, SFO, ORD), turning a primary perk into a frustrating wait.

American Express: What to watch for

Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Regular cleaning, firmware updates, and standard care are recommended to preserve longevity.

Chase Sapphire Reserve$550/yr2 wins

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express$95/yr2 wins

Fees & Rates Rewards & Perks Card Details

9 of 10 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Fees & Rates

leads 2-1

Fees & Rates specifications. Middle column is Chase Sapphire Reserve, right column is Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express.
Annual fee	$550	$95 (wins this row: lower)
Regular APR	21.49% – 28.49% Variable APR	19.24% – 29.99% Variable APR (wins this row: lower)
Foreign transaction fee	None (0%) (wins this row: lower)	2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars
Late fee	Up to $40	Up to $40

Rewards & Perks

leads 1-0

Rewards & Perks specifications. Middle column is Chase Sapphire Reserve, right column is Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express.
Rewards rate	10X hotels/cars & 5X flights via Chase Travel, 3X general travel & dining, 1X other	6% cash back at US supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1%), 6% on select US streaming subscriptions, 3% on transit and US gas stations, 1% on other purchases
Sign-up bonus	60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after $4,000 spend in first 3 months	$250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 6 months
Intro APR offer	0% intro APR for 0 months (Pay Over Time APR applies)	0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from date of account opening
Lounge access	Yes (Priority Pass Select + Sapphire Lounge by The Club) (wins this row: has it)	No

Card Details

2 differences

Card Details specifications. Middle column is Chase Sapphire Reserve, right column is Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express.
Credit neededOur summary	Excellent (720–850)	Good to Excellent (670–850)
Network	Visa Infinite	American Express

Credit-card figures are from issuer materials and go stale. This is not an offer to lend, not financial advice, and not a recommendation to apply. Verify every fee, APR, bonus and credit on the issuer's site.

Chase Sapphire Reserve issuer terms (opens in a new tab) · checked Sep 2, 2026
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express issuer terms (opens in a new tab) · checked Sep 2, 2026

Which one should you buy

Pick this one if

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Premier travel card with $300 annual travel statement credit, Priority Pass lounge access, and 3X points on travel and dining.

$300 automatic annual travel statement credit offsets base annual fee
Complimentary Priority Pass Select lounge access and Sapphire Lounge entry
50% bonus point value when redeeming points for travel through Chase Travel (1.5¢ each)

What you give up

$550 annual fee plus $75 per authorized user
Requires Excellent credit (720+) to qualify

Full Chase Sapphire Reserve specs →

Pick this one if

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

High-tier cash back card with 6% cash back at US supermarkets (up to $6,000/yr), 6% on select US streaming subscriptions, and 3% on US gas stations and transit.

Market-leading 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6k/year)
6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
3% cash back on transit and U.S. gas stations

What you give up

$95 annual fee ($0 intro fee in first year for select offers)
2.7% foreign transaction fee

Full Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express specs →

Best for each use

Travel

Flights, hotels and spending abroad: no foreign fees, lounges, a big bonus

For travel, buy the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Leads 2 of 3 rankable travel specs; Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express takes 1.
Foreign transaction fee: None vs 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to…
Lounge access: Yes vs No
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express charges $455 less a year. Pay the higher fee only if foreign transaction fee matters to you.

Everyday cash back

Simple rewards on groceries and gas with nothing to pay each year

For everyday cash back, buy the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express.

Leads 2 of 2 rankable everyday cash back specs.
Annual fee: $95 vs $550
Regular APR: 19.24% – 29.99% Variable APR vs 21.49% – 28.49% Variable APR
It also charges $455 less a year.

Carrying a balance

Paying over time or newer to credit: APR, intro offers, approval odds

For carrying a balance, buy the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express.

Leads 2 of 2 rankable carrying a balance specs.
Annual fee: $95 vs $550
Regular APR: 19.24% – 29.99% Variable APR vs 21.49% – 28.49% Variable APR
It also charges $455 less a year.

Every answer above is scored from published figures. A lens uses only the rows that matter for that use, including marked rows that are not on the official sheet. Switch lenses interactively in the panel above.

Done deciding?

Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.

Chase Sapphire Reserve spec sheet Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: Chase Sapphire Reserve ↗ · Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express ↗

Common questions

Which card has the lower annual fee, Chase Sapphire Reserve or Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express?

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express charges $455 a year less.

What is the biggest catch with the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express?

Both has this deal-breaker: annual fee. You pay before a single reward is earned.

Which is better for travel, the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express?

For travel, buy the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Leads 2 of 3 rankable travel specs; Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express takes 1. Foreign transaction fee: None vs 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to…

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 10 specs tracked here, 6 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.

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