Chase Sapphire Reserve Vs. Amex Platinum: Which Premium Card Wins?

I'm seeing less use for the Amex. Plat. I now have both cards, and while I don't like using card travel portals, I do like the 8x points on airfare from the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

I've always found Amex. to have the best customer service in the years (decades...yikes!) I've been using them.

Neither card is an 'everyday' card. They're each 'category' and 'coupon-credit' cards, unless you prefer earning 1 MR or 1 UR, when you could be earning 2-3x elsewhere (Citi Double Cash 2x, no fee; BILT Palladium 2-3x if using one of the 5 'Accelerators'... making occasional VFTW/FM commenter @L3's day, if he could see me saying nice things about BILT, for once. Bah.)

@Willy,

I hold both the AMEX PLAT and CSR.

Glad your experience with PLAT agents has been solid; mine's been a mixed bag. Some are excellent (old-school DL Diamond or UA 1K desk caliber), and others have been condescending and unhelpful creeps - enough to make me question 20 years of loyalty. And, no offense or slur intended, the "creep" agents I've dealt with tend to have rough audio setups and trouble understanding me, a native US English speaker. Draw your own conclusions. Yes, I've contacted the 'real' AMEX PLAT number every time.

Also worth noting: CSR has quietly added World of Hyatt Explorist as a $75K+ spend perk.

@Ben

Why do you put dining on Amex Gold when you also hold Citi Prestige?

at first i scoffed at the Stubhub credit, but its nice to have a paid-for activity since so many of our other credits are flight/hotel specific. makes for a nice date night with the dining credit (assuming you have some restaurants nearby)

I've been CSR-holder since its inception, nowadays I feel its priority pass and chase's own lounges are becoming useless, with all lounges being full with a waiting list, so having to knock on 4 lounges in Washington Dulles a few weeks ago felt like having the CSR in an airport feels like a "beggar's license".

1969, I've had an interesting variety experiences with Amex phone agents, too. I've noticed, the N. America-based ones are mostly excellent. Got a few from eastern Canada that helped me sort out some challenging schedule changes on itineraries booked via Amex Travel. Also, some of the discounts via the International Airline Program have saved me hundreds, if not thousands, on long-haul business class.

Maybe he values 4x MR over 5x TY... (then there's that Citi Strata Elite 6x TY, but only Fri & Sat after 6PM EST... hurr durr... Citi Nights! LOL.)

@1990, sounds similar. For a card at this price point, that level of inconsistency is unacceptable, and especially after decades of loyalty. That's the real issue here, not where any given agent happens to be working - it's uneven service from a 'premium' product that should know better. That said, I'm keeping the AMEX PLAT, because the return justifies it; even when I get a crappy agent. As Lucky noted above, it's a great points return for buying tickets directly from airlines. You can also convert Rakuten into AMEX points, then redeem them outright via AMEX travel or transfer to more 'lucrative' programs as needed without risking specific program devaluation. (AMEX Points are for saving, AirPennies are for spending)

I've minimized my DL flying since 2025, and the SkyClub the overall DL experience isn't what it once was. Priority Pass has also gotten dicey at certain airports, with the overcrowding and waitlisting already mentioned. I wish they'd bring back the dining credits; I'd rather have a discounted good meal and relax than stand in line for an overcrowded lounge with discount-store catering and unruly guests. The Centurion Lounge is often similarly disappointing, though exceptions exist (SLC).

If I had to keep just one card, it'd be the AMEX PLAT, as I get more value from AMEX points on travel redemptions. Booking and managing travel through Chase's portal, by comparison, is a circus. However, I still get value from both.

I tend to agree with everything you've written above. I was in SLC last year before the new Centurion opened, so now I'm jealous! (Looking forward to when the EWR Terminal A opens.) I tend to think the new Sapphire lounges are doing better (food-wise). C1 is giving them a run for their money (but then you start to pay thousands of dollars in annual fees every year.)

It’s a tie…they’re both lacking. But if I was made to take one and only one for next few years…CSR wins. But only if they keep $250 select hotel credit and we 10x Paze bonus for severals in a row every year.

"You can also convert Rakuten into AMEX points, then [snip!] transfer to more 'lucrative' programs as needed..."

That's exactly what I do; I'm averaging ~40,000 points per quarter in the last 12 months (yes, I look for the MAJOR bonuses with Rakuten, obviously...).

I visited 8 lounges (2 domestic and 6 in Europe) using the PP benefit with Reserve on one round trip in April. There was a wait at only 1 lounge. That was at AMS and the wait was 15 minutes.

I used to have both plus Capital One X. Among the 3, I think Amex is the best in terms of hotel selections and all of its perks like Resy credit, Uber One, etc. Capital One X is good for others because you accumulate points twice as fast and its membership is much cheaper compares to Amex Platinum and Chase Reserve. With Capital One X $300 travel credit, it's only $95.
No doubt Amex has the best customer service since ages ago.

I carry both, but I’ve found the car rental and trip interruption insurances on CSR far exceed AMEX from direct personal experience (claims). CSR has earned my loyalty.

Willy, what do you buy with Rakuten? I have it but never think to use it; however, your return is so impressive I may have to make the effort. TIA.

Plus Capital 1 gives you 10,000 miles a year bonus, fully covering the annual fee.

The Chase lounge in PHL, my home base, is a joke. By 11:30 am, there is no food available because they are switching to the lunch menu, only one bartender working at one time, and many staff standing around doing not much.

Primary car rental insurance is a big deal. People don't think about it until they get hit with a charge and with CSR its not your problem. With Amex your insurance comes first (except overseas) which can really bump the premium for your auto insurance.

have to say
1. AMEX is so devalued in my eyes by their affiliation with Delta. Literally the last card I'd ever get given their partnership with Delta. There's a lot more to the amex brand than delta but they've just devalued their brand for me too much with SkyPesos association.

2. I've had an amex before (recently) and it was just as I expected -- more of a pain to use than useful.

“That’s the way Max Power is… decisive, uncompromising… and rude.”

I'm downgrading my CSR as soon as the AF hits. But I might come back to it if they add Southwest Lounge access when those lounges eventually launch.

Strictly between the two cards, yes CSR has primary CDW and amex platinum does not. But it can be added to any amex card for $20. Or get it free with onekey. No need to pay $$$ AF for it if that's the main feature you're interested in.

@Big Jeff - good point. If they do add that perk, I am sure it will be spendwalled ($75K+).

Capital One VX for me. I want value not status. The lounges are full anyway and not that great.

Still no answer. LOL.
He's pulling a Tim Dunn 737.

True! I hit a column literally backing out of the rental car parking lot. Let the CSR car rental insurance do it's thing. After Alamo sent me all the paperwork on damage and repair costs, I forwarded it all to Chase (a little hassle, especially when I don't own a computer, lol) and they cut a check to cover 95% of the cost the next day.

The Schwab Amex Platinum or Morgan Stanley credit can make the card free

I too have both, and also have the United Club Card. I'm going to drop either the Amex Plat or the CSR in the next fee cycle.

I think Ben's assessment is actually pretty well thought through. For our needs, the CSR is feeling somewhat more practical at this moment at least. Amex Plat is a very urban, Delta, NYC, Resy product... the Amex world view is that NYC, JFK, etc is the center of the universe. There's a whole world out there that isn't that.....

But on the other hand, LHW Leaders club through Amex is a terrific perk, as its a unique offering as opposed to the fairly useless large hotel chain status that yields nothing of any real value. But its the only really unique perk.

So ultimately, CSR being airline independent, basically $500 real AF (after $300 travel credit) and greater portability of points, make it feel like the more practical card for our purposes.

@Dan, great catch. Something that I could never quite put my finger on with AMEX PLAT, you have. It is *very* Wealthy Urbanite-centric. I don't think they'll replace the now-gone $50 Saks' credit with a Scheel's credit - although I'd welcome the move. Also, having spun out of the Delta-verse, that Delta-centrism is now palpable. You also called-out the LHW LC - and just getting into that, myself.

As for spending, the AMEX PLAT is my go-to for airfare and billing monthly mobile phone bills (cellphone loss/damage plan). Beyond any card-use mandated savings (Resy, etc.), that's about it, there. The CSR gets the rest of the travel spend (hotels, rental cars) and utilities. Believe it or not, a Sam's Club MC is getting the fuel spend. It's a nice 4% cash-back card on fuel. Find a Sam's Club or Murphy Oil station and the effective savings can be considerable. The rest of the family spend goes on the UA Club VISA card.

@Lal, good point. From what I am aware, the Schwab AMEX PLAT is *FREE* and requires a minimum of $250K in assets invested independently (and directly) with them. Independent advisors operating via CS cannot get you one.

How is it free? From what I see, you get a $100 statement credit if you have over $250k invested with them. $200 credit if you have over $1M invested.

I’ve had the CSR from inception but will be downgrading when this year’s fee hits. The general travel credit is great, but every other credit they’ve added is junk to me. $300 in split credits to use at a tiny number of restaurants that don’t really interest me? $500 in split credits for multi-night bookings at a small number of very expensive hotels? No thanks. And I hardly put any spend on the card since both Citi Prestige and Amex Gold are better for restaurants, while most of my hotel spend is split across other cards with more useful hotel credits.