Not all of the best travel credit cards come with high annual fees. If you want to pay less than $100 a year, you have plenty of good options to choose from.
One example is the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card, with a $95 annual fee. Not only does it award a 50% bonus on points earned when you make 30 transactions or more per billing cycle, but also it earns Membership Rewards points, which means you can transfer them to the program’s many travel partners.
Then, there’s Chase’s $95 annual-fee travel card offering. If this was a popularity contest, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card would win hands down. While this card isn’t the richest Ultimate Rewards-earning option (that belongs to the Chase Sapphire Reserve), it earns an impressive 3 points per dollar on dining and 2 points per dollar on travel purchases.
With these two heavyweights in the ring, let’s look at their benefits and drawbacks to help you decide which card is the better choice for you.
The information for the Amex EveryDay Preferred Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex EveryDay Preferred comparison
Here’s a quick look at both cards’ current details, including earning rates and sign-up offers:
| Card details | Chase Sapphire Preferred | Amex EveryDay Preferred |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $95 | $95 |
| Welcome bonus | 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, worth $1,200 according to TPG valuations | 15,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership, worth $300 according to TPG valuations |
| Earning structure | 5 points per dollar on Lyft rides (through March 2025) and travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming and online grocery purchases 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases 1 point per dollar on all other purchases |
3 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on the first $6,000 spent per year, then 1 point)
2 points per dollar at U.S. gas stations 1 point per dollar on all other purchases |
| Other benefits | 25% redemption bonus when you book travel through the Chase portal
$50 Annual Ultimate Rewards hotel credit 10% anniversary points boost 6 months of complimentary Instacart+ and up to $15 in quarterly Instacart statement credits (through July 2024) Complimentary DashPass membership for at least one year (when you activate by Dec. 31, 2024) $10 Gopuff monthly statement credit (through Dec. 2023) Robust travel protections |
50% points bonus after you make at least 30 purchases on your card in a billing period
Car rental loss and damage insurance* Global Assist Hotline** Return protection ShopRunner membership |
*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
**Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Cardmembers are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex EveryDay Preferred welcome bonus
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is currently offering a welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. TPG values Chase Ultimate Rewards at 2 cents each, making this bonus worth $1,200.
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The Amex EveryDay Preferred, meanwhile, is currently offering a welcome bonus of 15,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 on your card in the first six months of card membership. TPG also values Membership Rewards points at 2 cents each, making this bonus worth a much lower $300.
Be sure to check your eligibility for either card before applying. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule as well as more specific restrictions around bonus-earning eligibility. Similarly, the Amex EveryDay Preferred is subject to Amex’s once-per-lifetime rule.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred. Its welcome bonus is four times as valuable as the Amex EveryDay Preferred’s.
Related: The best time to apply for these popular cards based on offer history
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex EveryDay Preferred benefits
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you’ll get these benefits:
If you can maximize the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s statement credits, you can easily recoup the card’s annual fee. Even so, the travel protections you’ll get with the card are the most notable benefit. This is one of the only cards you can get that comes with a high level of protection without a premium annual fee.
The Amex EveryDay Preferred, meanwhile, comes with these benefits:
- 50% points bonus after you make at least 30 purchases on your card in a billing period (minus returns and credits)
- Car rental loss and damage insurance*
- Global Assist Hotline**
- Return protection
- ShopRunner membership
*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
**Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Cardmembers are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
Compared to the Chase Sapphire Preferred, this is a fairly short list of benefits. However, if your main focus is earning Membership Rewards points, the 50% bonus is easy to hit monthly, making the card’s earning structure truly impressive.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred. Its travel protections and statement credits outshine the benefits on the Amex EveryDay Preferred.
Related: Credit card perks you should be using
Earning points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex EveryDay Preferred
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar on travel booked through the Ultimate Rewards portal and 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, online grocery purchases and Lyft (through March 2025). You’ll also earn 2 points per dollar on travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
If you spend a significant portion of your budget on travel and dining purchases, the value you’ll get from this earning structure for a relatively low annual fee is hard to beat.
With the Amex EveryDay Preferred, on the other hand, you’ll earn 3 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1 point per dollar), 2 points per dollar at U.S. gas stations and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. However, using your card for at least 30 transactions per billing period will give you 50% more points. This gives you an effective earn rate of 4.5 (9% return) points per dollar, 3 points per dollar (6% return), and 1.5 points per dollar (3% return).
If you spend more of your budget at U.S. supermarkets and gas stations and can hit the bonus threshold each billing cycle, the Amex EveryDay Preferred’s earning structure will be extremely valuable for you.
Winner: Tie. Since the two cards have quite different bonus categories, the better earning structure depends entirely on your spending habits.
Related: The best rewards credit cards for each bonus category
Redeeming points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex EveryDay Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards points, which you can redeem for travel by transferring them to any of Chase’s 14 airline and hotel partners or by booking through the Ultimate Rewards portal at a rate of 1.25 cents per point.
Alternatively, you can use Chase’s Pay Yourself Back feature to redeem your points at a rate of 1.25 cents per point or for cash-back or gift cards at a rate of 1 cent per point. However, we recommend skipping these options and utilizing Chase’s transfer partners to get the most value from your points.
The Amex EveryDay Preferred earns equally valuable Membership Rewards points, which you can redeem for travel by transferring them to any of Amex’s 21 airline and hotel transfer partners.
You also have the option to redeem your Membership Rewards points by redeeming them for gift cards at a value of 1 cent per point. For an even lower value, you can pay for travel or purchases directly with your points, but again, we recommend transferring your points to get the most value from them.
Winner: Tie. Both points currencies can be transferred to airline and hotel loyalty programs and used for gift cards and cash back.
Related: How to get over 5 cents per point from your Chase Ultimate Rewards
Transferring points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex EveryDay Preferred
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you can transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio to 14 airline and hotel partners, including Air Canada Aeroplan, United MileagePlus, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and World of Hyatt.
You can get incredible value from options like transferring your points to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and booking round-trip flights to Europe for as little as 61,000 miles or transferring your points to United MileagePlus and taking advantage of its Excursionist Perk.
A TPG staff-favorite Ultimate Rewards transfer partner is World of Hyatt. I love the option to stretch my points by booking Category 1 Hyatt properties, while director of content Summer Hull uses them to stay in resorts and high-end city hotels. No matter your preference, you can find some serious value in the World of Hyatt program.
The Amex EveryDay Preferred, on the other hand, earns Amex Membership Rewards points that you can transfer to any of Amex’s 21 airline and hotel partners, including British Airways Executive Club, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Choice Privileges.
You can also take advantage of Amex’s frequent transfer bonuses to get even more value from your rewards. TPG associate web publisher Kevin Martinez jumped on the opportunity to transfer his points to Iberia Plus with an Amex bonus and booked his dream trip to Madrid for just 27,000 points.
Winner: Tie. Both cards earn rewards you can transfer to multiple airline and hotel partners for excellent value.
Related: How long do Membership Rewards take to transfer?
Should I get the Chase Sapphire Preferred or the Amex EveryDay Preferred?
The Amex EveryDay Preferred is the better option if you already have another card that earns Membership Rewards, like The Platinum Card® from American Express or the American Express® Gold Card, and are looking to complement your current portfolio with a card that earns bonus points in additional categories.
If, however, you travel often and aren’t focused on earning Membership Rewards, you’re better off with the Chase Sapphire Preferred. You’ll get more value from its bonus categories and travel protections, and you won’t be charged foreign transaction fees when you’re abroad.
Related: The best credit card pairings
Bottom line
Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Amex EveryDay Preferred are strong mid-tier card options with valuable benefits and bonus categories that allow you to quickly build a stash of valuable transferable rewards. However, their differences mean that the better card for you depends on your spending habits and travel goals.
Of course, you don’t have to choose just one. Rather, you could decide to get both cards, which would allow you to earn both welcome bonuses and benefit from a total of 20+ airline and hotel partners, giving you maximum flexibility when deciding where to redeem your points. Regardless of what you decide, you’ll have great earning potential with one or both of these cards.
For more details, check out our full reviews of the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Amex EveryDay Preferred.
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred
Additional reporting by Eric Rosen and Chris Dong.
