Amex or Chase Trifecta? See Which Can Earn You the Most

When it comes to earning free travel, both Chase credit cards and American Express credit cards are leaders of the pack. But if you're just using one card each from either of these credit card issuers, you could be missing out on major credit card rewards.

Because individual cards offer different benefits and perks, you can actually turbocharge the rewards you receive by combining several credit cards from each issuer. These popular three-card combinations — called the Chase trifecta or Amex trifecta, respectively — allow you to both earn the most points and get the most value from your redemptions.

But one of these winning combos may be better for you than the other. If you need to choose between the Amex trifecta vs. Chase trifecta, this guide can help.

Amex trifecta vs. Chase trifecta

Both the Amex and Chase trifecta work in similar ways: You apply for three different cards from the same card issuer. You then use these cards to take advantage of special earnings bonuses or more generous reward redemption offers. With Chase, you earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, and with American Express, you earn Amex Membership Rewards points.

Expert card users committed to racking up rewards as quickly as possible have identified the best rewards credit cards from each issuer that combine to provide the best value. So you'd apply for three specific cards and then strategically use each card for different purchases to reap as many bonus points as possible. When you’re ready to cash in your points, you’d transfer your rewards to the most beneficial card and redeem them for the maximum value.

When figuring out how to choose between the Chase vs. Amex trifecta, you need to understand which cards are commonly part of each; what the total costs are of each trifecta; and what benefits each provides.

The table below provides a quick glimpse into what each trifecta offers, but we'll go into more detail below.

Overview: Amex trifecta

Though the exact cards used can vary, the Amex trifecta commonly consists of:

• The Platinum Card^® from American Express, which charges a $695 annual fee
• The American Express^® Gold Card, which charges a $325 annual fee
• The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express, which has a $0 annual fee

Your combined annual fee for the cards is $1,020, but both of the cards with annual fees provide generous statement credits for various dining and travel purchases that almost make up for the fees you'll pay. The statement credits include:

• Up to a $120 annual dining credit from the Gold card

• Up to $120 annual Uber Cash ($10 per month) from the Gold card for U.S. Eats orders and rides (effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit)

• Up to an $84 annual Dunkin' credit ($7 per month) for purchases at U.S. Dunkin' locations from the Gold card

• Up to a $100 annual Resy credit from the Gold card

• Up to a $200 annual Uber credit from the Amex Platinum; terms apply (starting 11/8/2024, you must use an Amex card as the payment method to redeem your Amex Uber Cash benefit)
  
• Up to a $240 annual digital entertainment credit from the Amex Platinum
• Up to $300 annual statement credit for an Equinox digital or club membership
• Up to a $200 annual hotel credit from the Amex Platinum
• Up to a $200 annual airline fee credit from the Amex Platinum
• A $100 annual credit at Saks Fifth Avenue from the Amex Platinum
• Up to $120 every 4 years for Global Entry or up to $85 every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck (5-year plan only) from the Amex Platinum
• Up to a $199 annual CLEAR® Plus credit from the Amex Platinum

The value of the annual credits is over $1,600, which completely offsets the total fees (and some) for both cards if you can max out your credits each year. If you also figure the Global Entry credit is worth $30 per year (since you get that $120 credit once every four years), your fee comes down even further. (Enrollment is required for select benefits.)

For this cost, you get cards that provide you with the opportunity to earn ample rewards including:

• 5X points per dollar spent on eligible airfare (on up to $500,000 per calendar year, after that 1X) and eligible hotel purchases, and 1X points per dollar on all other eligible purchases with the Amex Platinum
• 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per year, after that 1X), 4X at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, after that 1X), 3X on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com, 2X on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com, and 1X on all other eligible purchases with the Gold card
• 2X Membership Rewards points on everyday eligible business purchases up to $50,000 each year, and 1X points on eligible purchases after that on the Business Plus card

You also get access to Centurion and Priority Pass airport lounges, Hilton Honors Gold Status, Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status, a group membership to The Travel Collection, and baggage insurance. Note that a new Centurion Lounge access policy will go into effect on Feb. 1, 2023. This new policy allows the cardholder to enter Centurion Lounges for free, but guests have a $50 fee. If the cardmember spends at least $75,000 per year on their card, they will continue to receive complimentary lounge access for two guests. (Enrollment is required for select benefits.)

And you can combine your points across the three cards and transfer them to 17 different American Express airline partners, as well as to hotel rewards programs, including the Hilton Honors program, the Marriott Bonvoy Program, and Choice Privileges.

Check out our full reviews for Amex Platinum, Gold, and Blue Business credit cards.

Overview: The Chase trifecta

The Chase trifecta, on the other hand, commonly consists of:

• The Chase Sapphire Reserve^®, which has a $550 annual fee
• The Chase Freedom Flex^®, which has a $0 annual fee
• The Chase Freedom Unlimited^®, which has a $0 annual fee

The combined annual fee on the cards is $550, which is well below the combined Amex fee. But, you get just two annual statement credits — a $300 annual travel credit and $60 annual DoorDash credit, both from the Sapphire Reserve. So after subtracting for annual credits, the effective fee of $190 is higher for cardholders with the Chase trifecta.

And, because both the Amex and the Chase trifectas offer the Global Entry or TSA credit, the credit doesn't offset the fact that Chase's trifecta is more expensive than the Amex, after accounting for credits.

For the fees you pay Chase, you get cards that provide you with the opportunity to earn:

• 5X points on flights and 10X points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually; 3X points on other travel and dining & 1X points per dollar on all other purchases with the Sapphire Reserve
• 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories you activate (on up to $1,500 spent) and travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery service); and 1% cash back on all other purchases with the Chase Freedom Flex card
• 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and 3% cash back on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases on the Chase Freedom Unlimited

You also get complimentary access to more than 1,200 airport lounges and restaurants with Priority Pass Select; DoorDash DashPass for at least one year (activate by Dec. 31, 2027), a two-year Lyft Pink All Access membership (activate by Dec. 31, 2024) which includes 10% off Lux rides; travel cancellation insurance; lost luggage reimbursement; purchase protection; extended warranty protection; primary rental car damage collision insurance; Reserved by Sapphire benefits coming soon; and a 0% intro APR for 15 months (then 19.99% - 28.74% Variable) on purchases with the Chase Freedom Flex.

When you opt for the Chase trifecta, you can also transfer the points from all three cards to the Chase Sapphire Reserve so they can be redeemed through the Chase Travel portal. When you book through the portal using this card, points are worth 50% more.

Check out our full reviews for Chase Sapphire Reserve, Freedom Flex, and Freedom Unlimited credit cards. 

Which trifecta should you get?

Picking between the Amex trifecta vs. Chase trifecta isn't easy, because both provide the chance to earn generous points that can be redeemed for travel. But there are important differences between the two trifectas that can help inform your choice.

Annual credits and other perks

First and foremost, if you aren't likely to max out most of the available Amex credits, the Amex trifecta is more expensive than the Chase trifecta. Some of these credits, such as the $120 annual dining credit, are easy to use up. But if you never take Uber, don't shop at Saks, and find the other credits hard to use, you're probably better off with Chase. On the other hand, if you do use all the credits available, the Amex is the cheaper offering and your best choice — although it appears to cost more at first glance.

Both the Chase and Amex cards offer airline lounge access through Priority Pass — but the Amex cards also offer Centurion lounge access. If you frequently travel in airports with Centurion Lounges, access to these luxury locales may convince you the Amex trifecta is the better deal. On the other hand, Chase cards also give you access to PriorityPass airport restaurant benefits while Amex does not, making the Chase perk more valuable for some. Select benefits require enrollment.

Chase does offer more perks outside of just travel-related benefits, though. Two of the Chase cards come with an introductory APR offer on purchases, unlike the Amex cards. And Chase provides extended warranty protection and purchase protection, which can be nice features if you are a frequent shopper. So if you're looking for an introductory APR, or added protection for things you buy, opting for Chase could be the right choice.

Earning and redeeming points

When it comes to points, both cards provide the chance to earn generous rewards on travel and restaurants. While the Amex Platinum offers 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com (on up to $500,000 per calendar year, after that 1x) and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com compared with the Sapphire Reserve’s 3X points on other travel and dining, Chase does provide a 50% bonus on points redeemed for travel through Chase Travel℠.

That means points actually could go further if you're OK with booking your trips through Chase's portal. Amex does allow for redemption with more airline travel partners, though, so if you want maximum flexibility you may prefer the Amex trifecta.

The Chase Freedom Flex's 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories you activate (on up to $1,500 spent) and travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ means that Chase offers better rewards than Amex on some select purchases. But the $1,500 quarterly spending limit is low, so the amount of additional points you can earn likely won’t make much of a difference, and this probably isn’t enough to tip you to Chase.

However, if you do lots of spending outside of travel, restaurants, and other bonus categories, you'll likely do better with the Amex option, since the Blue Business Plus Card provides up to 2X on everyday eligible business purchases up to $50,000 each year (1X points after that). This is more generous than the 1.5% cash back you can earn on general spending with the Chase Freedom Unlimited.

How to create your own rewards credit card trifecta

Just because these two sets of cards are the most popular or frequently recommended, doesn't mean they're your only option. For example, you can incorporate business credit cards into the Chase mix and come up with your own rewards earning trifecta. Business cards can be especially powerful depending on your spending habits since they will provide bonus points for business expenses. 

For this reason, a card like the Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card is a great addition to your wallet. Make sure you do a thorough comparison of the Chase Ink business cards before you decide which small business card you want to apply for. 

FAQs

Bottom line

As you can see, both the Amex and Chase credit card offers make for great choices. But before you make a final decision on which set of cards are the best credit cards for you, you'll need to consider your spending habits in regards to travel and dining, which airline lounges you'll use, whether you want other non-travel related perks, and how much you spend when deciding between the two cards.

Hopefully, you now have a much better idea of how to choose between the Chase vs. Amex trifectas, and you can make the decision that gets you the maximum possible rewards.

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Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

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Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

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Current Offer

Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and 3% cash back on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• High base rewards rate of 1.5%
• $0 annual fee
• Valuable welcome bonus for new cardholders
• Intro APR offers for purchases and balance transfers

Drawbacks

• Has a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
• No bonus categories for gas or groceries

Card Details

• INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
• Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
• After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
• No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
• Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.99% - 28.74%.
• No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
• Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
• Member FDIC