This is one of the most common beginner questions.
"Should I get the Amex Gold or the Chase Sapphire Preferred first?"
The answer is not really about which card is better.
It's about which card you need to lock down first.
The Short Answer
Get the Chase Sapphire Preferred first.
Then get the Amex Gold 90+ days later.
That order matters more than the choice.
Chase 5/24: The Rule That Decides the Order
Chase usually denies applicants who have opened 5 or more personal cards in the last 24 months.
That is the whole game here.
The Amex Gold counts toward 5/24.
The CSP becomes harder or impossible to get once you burn through those slots.
Why the order matters:
If you get the Gold first, you burn one of your five slots immediately.
If you get other non-Chase cards after that, you can lock yourself out of Chase.
If you get the CSP first, you secure the Chase card while you're still eligible.
Then you can add the Gold after.
Amex does not have an exact 5/24 equivalent.
Its rules are different.
That is why the safe default order is simple:
Chase first. Amex second.
The Head-to-Head on Paper
Feature | Amex Gold | Chase Sapphire Preferred |
|---|---|---|
Annual fee | $325 | $95 |
Effective fee (after credits) | ~$0–85 | ~$45 |
Dining earn rate | 4x | 3x |
Grocery earn rate | 4x (US supermarkets) | 1x (non-Amazon) |
Travel earn rate | 3x (flights, direct) | 2x (all travel) |
Currency | Amex MR | Chase UR |
Transfer partners | Delta, Air France, ANA, Hilton, Marriott, and more | United, Hyatt, Southwest, BA, and more |
Credits | $120 dining, $120 Uber, $100 hotel | $50 hotel |
Trip protections | Limited | Excellent — trip delay, rental car, etc. |
Where Each Card Wins
Amex Gold wins for: dining and groceries
If you spend heavily at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, the Gold wins cleanly.
For someone spending $700/month at restaurants and $400/month at supermarkets:
Amex Gold: 4,400 MR/month
CSP: 2,500 UR/month
Over a year, that is 52,800 MR vs. 30,000 UR from those categories.
That is a real gap.
CSP wins for: Hyatt, simpler travel, and protections
Chase UR to World of Hyatt is the biggest reason people keep the CSP.
If you want Hyatt redemptions, Chase matters more.
Amex does not transfer to Hyatt.
The CSP also has much better travel protections, including trip delay coverage and primary rental car coverage.
That stuff is boring until it saves you.
Amex MR wins for: international flight redemptions
If your main goal is international premium-cabin flights, Amex MR is usually stronger.
Think:
Flying Blue for Europe
ANA for Japan
Delta when the pricing works
Chase is stronger for Hyatt.
Amex is often stronger for flight geeks.
The Real Question: You Don't Have to Choose Just One
Both cards are in the optimal long-term stack. The only debate is sequencing.
Step 1: Get the CSP. Hit the bonus. Protect your Chase slot.
Step 2: Get the Amex Gold 90+ days later. Hit that bonus too.
Result:
Chase UR for Hyatt and flexible domestic travel
Amex MR for strong international flight options
One card is fine.
Both cards together are much better.
If You Already Have One — What Next
Already have the Amex Gold, not the CSP: Apply for the CSP now. Every day you wait is a day you could be burning through your 5/24 slots with other cards. Check your 5/24 count first (pull AnnualCreditReport.com and count cards opened in the last 24 months).
Already have the CSP, not the Amex Gold: Apply now. Amex has no 5/24 equivalent. The Gold's dining and grocery earn will immediately start outperforming your CSP on those categories.
Neither card yet: CSP first.
The Bottom Line
Amex Gold vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred is not really a one-or-the-other fight.
It is an order-of-operations question.
CSP first because Chase 5/24 is the constraint
Amex Gold second because it crushes dining and grocery spend
Together, they make one of the cleanest two-card travel setups for beginners
🔗 Are the annual fees worth it for you? → Fee Breakeven Calculator
🔗 See how your points stack up → Points Valuation
🔗 Compare them side-by-side with any card → Card Comparison Tool
👉 Apply for Chase Sapphire Preferred: Chase Sapphire Preferred
— Austin 🤌