Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs. Capital One Venture Card: Which One Is Right for You?
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Written by
Harrison Pierce
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Edited by
Emily Gadd
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Reviewed by
Jasmin Baron
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card are two popular entry-level travel credit cards. They have equal annual fees and come with a variety of benefits. Each card earns a transferable currency, which means you can convert your rewards to partner hotel points or airline miles to squeeze maximum value from your earnings.
Although the cards are similar, there are notable differences, including their specific transfer partners, earning rates and cardholder benefits. Here’s everything you need to know about the Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Capital One Venture.
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How the Cards Compare: Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Capital One Venture Card
Side By Side Comparison
Annual Fee
Purchase and Balance Transfer APR
Welcome Bonus
Ongoing Rewards
Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day.
Pros & Cons
- Generous intro bonus
- Primary rental car coverage
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
PROS
- Lounge access or free checked bags are not available
- No intro APR for purchases or balance transfers
- Complicated rewards
CONS
- No foreign transaction fee
- Double miles earned on every purchase
- Travel perks like Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Credit
PROS
- No introductory APR offer
- Limited hotel transfer partners
CONS
Learn More
Welcome Bonuses
Both cards offer a new cardmember bonus after meeting a spending requirement within the first few months of account opening.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Welcome Bonus
New Chase Sapphire Preferred Card holders can earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. That’s worth $750 when redeeming points at the base rate through Chase Travel℠, and potentially up to $1,312 if you maximize Chase’s Points Boost feature.
Note that you might not be eligible to earn a welcome bonus if you currently have any other personal Sapphire cards open, you’ve previously held this card, or you’ve received a new cardmember bonus for this card.
Capital One Venture Welcome Bonus
With the Capital One Venture Card, you can earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. That’s also worth $750 when redeemed for travel through Capital One Travel.
This offer is not available if you have received a welcome offer for this card or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card in the past 48 months. Note that this is a new restriction. A couple of years ago, when the Venture X came out, I downgraded my Venture Card to the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card and applied for the Venture X. If today’s rules were in effect, I wouldn’t have been eligible to earn a welcome bonus on my new Venture X, since I had earned the welcome bonus on the Venture Card just a couple of years prior.
CardCritics™ Opinion
Although the current welcome bonuses seem equal, the Capital One Venture Card has a lower spending requirement, making it more accessible.
Earning Rewards
One of the primary differences between the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Capital One Venture is the earning structure. Luckily, there are benefits to each.
How To Earn Rewards With Chase Sapphire Preferred
Sapphire Preferred Card members earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points. You’ll earn the following:
- 5x points on Chase Travel purchases
- 3x points on dining, online grocery, and select streaming services
- 2x points on other travel purchases
- 1X on all other purchases
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of the best Chase credit cards for dining purchases.
How To Earn Rewards With Capital One Venture
The Capital One Venture Card has a simple earning structure. You’ll earn 2 Capital One miles per dollar spent on all purchases, except hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, which earn 5 miles per dollar.
CardCritics™ Opinion
Ideally, you’ll earn as many points per dollar on each purchase. If you don’t have a card in your wallet that earns bonus points on a specific purchase, then the Capital One Venture Card is helpful. It’s a fantastic choice for your day-to-day spending, as it earns double miles on all purchases.
On the other hand, the Sapphire Preferred Card is outstanding for bonus category spending, like travel, dining, online grocery and select streaming services. Plus, it earns 5x points on all Chase Travel bookings, compared to the Venture Card, which earns 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars (not airfare) booked through Capital One Travel.
Redeeming Rewards
Whenever you’ve earned enough points for a redemption, both cards give you ample opportunities to redeem your rewards for maximum value.
How To Redeem Rewards With Chase Sapphire Preferred
Chase offers a variety of redemption options, so you can take full advantage of the points you earn from the Sapphire Preferred Card.
- Transfer to travel partners: Chase has a small but mighty list of 11 airline partners and three hotel partners. All of Chase’s partners transfer at a 1:1 ratio, so 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points equals 1,000 points or miles with your favorite program.
- Purchase travel: You can purchase travel through Chase Travel at a flat rate of 1 cent per point. Select hotel and airline bookings are eligible for Points Boost, which increases the value up to 1.75 cents per point.
- Statement credit/cash back: You can convert your rewards to cash at a rate of 1 cent per point. You can redeem for a statement credit or as a deposit into a linked account.
Chase’s new Points Boost makes redemptions slightly more confusing but potentially more valuable. Select hotel and airline bookings through Chase Travel are worth 1.5 cents per point, while premium cabins on select airlines are worth up to 1.75 cents per point. All other redemptions are worth 1 cent per point. Previously, Sapphire Preferred cardholders could redeem rewards through Chase Travel at a flat rate of 1.25 cents per point.
How To Redeem Rewards With Capital One Venture
The Venture Card is one of the best Capital One cards, thanks to its variety of redemption opportunities. Some redemption methods are better than others, so it’s essential to consider your options carefully.
- Transfer to travel partners: Capital One transfer partners include 15 airlines and four hotel loyalty programs. Most transfer at a 1:1 ratio, but a few partners use a different ratio. Be sure to check exactly how many points or miles you’ll receive before you complete the transfer.
- Purchase travel: You can book travel through the Capital One Travel portal at a flat rate of 1 cent per mile, so 10,000 miles is worth $100. If you don’t want to book through the portal, you can also use your miles to cover a recent travel purchase at the same rate.
- Statement credit/cash back: You can use your miles for a statement credit to your account or a check mailed to you, but we strongly advise against it. You’ll only get a valuation of 0.5 cents per mile, which is a far cry from the value you could get from transferring your points to partners.
CardCritics™ Opinion
The best card for redemptions is entirely a matter of personal preference. I tend to lean toward Capital One’s transfer partners, as I frequently fly internationally. However, if you want access to certain partners, such as United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards or World of Hyatt, or you prefer to redeem your rewards for cash back, Chase is the better choice.
Card Benefits
Both cards offer comprehensive benefits for cardholders.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Benefits
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card comes loaded with benefits. The most notable is the annual up to $50 statement credit on Chase Travel hotel bookings. This is one of the first statement credits I use each year. On your account anniversary, you’ll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year. Cardholders receive complimentary DoorDash DashPass benefits when activated by Dec. 31, 2027. You also get a $10 promo each month for non-restaurant-related deliveries.
Where the Sapphire Preferred shines is in its travel protections. You’ll receive trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, auto rental coverage and trip delay reimbursement. Just make sure you use your card to pay for the booking so coverage can take effect. Plus, you’ll receive extended warranty protection and purchase protection.
Capital One Venture Benefits
The Capital One Venture Card is relatively light on benefits. You will receive a statement credit of up to $120 for the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years. If you aren’t already enrolled in Global Entry, now is the time. It has saved me dozens of times when re-entering the US with a tight connection, especially in busy airports like Atlanta (ATL).
You’ll also receive Hertz Five Star status* (enrollment required), which lets you skip the rental counter and choose from a wider variety of cars. Finally, you’ll receive a $50 experience credit on every Lifestyle Collection booking through Capital One Travel.
In terms of travel insurance, you can take advantage of an auto rental collision damage waiver, travel accident insurance and an extended warranty.
CardCritics™ Opinion
When comparing Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits with Capital One Venture benefits, the Sapphire Preferred Card is a clear winner. The annual hotel credit is easy to use, and the annual bonus points can be particularly lucrative if you’re a high spender. Plus, when taking a trip, you’ll be protected against almost anything that goes wrong with the card’s comprehensive travel insurance. The benefits of the Venture Card are still valuable, but it’s hard to beat the Sapphire Preferred Card.
Fees and Costs
The costs and fees associated with being a cardholder of either card are minimal, apart from an annual fee.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Fees and Costs
The fees you’ll pay with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card are in line with other travel rewards credit cards:
- Annual fee: $95
- Late fee: Up to $40
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Standard APR: 19.74% - 27.99% Variable
Capital One Venture Fees and Costs
The Capital One Venture Card charges fairly standard fees, including:
- Annual fee: $95
- Late fee: Up to $40
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Standard APR: 19.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
CardCritics™ Opinion
The fees associated with each card are almost equal. The Capital One Venture Card has a slightly higher ongoing APR range, but other than that, all fees are similar. As long as you don’t plan on carrying a balance from month to month and you pay your bill on time, you won’t notice much of a difference with either card.
How To Choose Between Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Capital One Venture
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and Capital One Venture Card are remarkably similar and equally valuable. If you don’t know how to choose between them, you don’t have to. Having each card in your wallet can fulfill a different purpose.
Bonus Category Spending
For instance, the Venture Card is an excellent option for your non-bonus-category spending. It earns a flat 2 miles per dollar spent on purchases, making it easy to accrue a significant number of miles. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is worth it if you want to earn extra rewards on dining, online grocery and streaming service purchases. If you tend to spend a lot in these categories, your points will add up quicker with the Sapphire Preferred Card.
Transfer Partners
Plus, although there is some overlap among transfer partners, each card offers its own unique set. Capital One cardholders can transfer rewards to Aeromexico, Avianca, Cathay Pacific, Etihad, EVA, Finnair, Japan Airlines, Qantas, Qatar, TAP Air Portugal and Turkish Airlines — all partners that Chase doesn’t have access to. Similarly, Chase cardholders can access Aer Lingus, Iberia, Southwest, United, Hyatt and Marriott, which are all partners that Capital One doesn’t have access to. In addition, Chase offers a 1:1 transfer to JetBlue, while Capital One offers a lower 5:3 ratio.
If you don’t want both cards, consider how you want to earn and redeem your rewards, which transfer partners you find more valuable, and which benefits you’ll utilize the most. There are other Sapphire and Venture cards on the market, so you could use those to help make your decision. For instance, I have the Sapphire Preferred Card and the Capital One Venture X. These make a nice pair, offering lucrative perks and benefits while keeping annual fees in check.
*Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Capital One Venture
Which is better, the Chase Sapphire Preferred or the Capital One Venture?
There isn’t a single perfect card, so the best one will depend on your financial situation and travel goals. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is better for bonus category spending, domestic transfer partners, annual hotel credits and travel insurance coverage. The Capital One Venture Card is better for everyday spending, TSA PreCheck or Global Entry enrollment, and international transfer partners.
What is Chase Points Boost?
Points Boost is a brand-new feature for select Chase cardholders. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, you can redeem points through Chase Travel at a flat rate of 1 cent per point, with select hotels and airlines offering higher redemption rates, up to 1.75 cents per point.
What is the 5/24 rule for Chase Sapphire Preferred?
The unpublished Chase 5/24 rule concerns your approval odds. If you’ve opened five or more credit cards from any issuer in the past 24 months, Chase will likely deny your application for a new credit card.
How much are 75,000 Capital One Venture miles worth?
The value of a Capital One mile will depend on your redemption method. 75,000 miles redeemed through Capital One Travel are worth $750, but could be worth more when transferred to partners.
How much are 75,000 Chase Sapphire Preferred points worth?
Chase Ultimate Rewards points from the Sapphire Preferred Card are worth 1 cent each toward cash back or Chase Travel purchases (except Points Boost bookings, where they’re worth up to 1.75 cents each). So 75,000 Chase points are worth $750 to $1,312 when you book through Chase Travel. Again, you could get an even higher value when you transfer points to partners, depending on the individual redemption.
