Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Capital One Venture Rewards
This article was last updated Oct 07, 2019. Terms and conditions may have changed. For the most accurate information, please consult the issuer website.
If you’re in the market for a travel rewards credit card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card are two cards that should be at the top of your list.
When deciding between the two, there are several factors to consider, including annual fees, rewards values and transfer options. But, essentially, it comes down to the following:
- Consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card if you spend a large amount on dining and travel, and if you want to maximize the value of your sign-up bonus.
- Consider the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card if want to earn a flat rewards rate on every purchase and plan to charge at least $20,000 in the first year of card membership.
We review the pros and cons of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, and show how they stack up side by side.
- Comparing the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card pros and cons
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card pros and cons
- Which credit card is best for me?
Comparing the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card both offer generous sign-up bonuses, solid rewards rates and a variety of travel benefits. See how the cards compare in the table below.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card vs. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | |
| Intro bonus | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. | Enjoy a one-time bonus of 60,000 miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $600 in travel |
| Rewards rate | 2X points on dining at restaurants including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out and travel & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases worldwide | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
| Intro APR on purchases | N/A | N/A |
| Regular purchase APR | 15.99% - 22.99% Variable | 17.24% - 24.49% (Variable) |
| Annual fee | $95 | $95 |
| Foreign transaction fees | $0 | 0% |
Read on to see the pros and cons of each card.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card pros and cons
Pros
Valuable sign-up bonus. Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Typically, points are valued at 1 cent each – making the sign-up bonus worth $800 when redeemed for cash, gift cards and more. However, when you redeem your points for airfare, hotels, car rentals or cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, the value of each point increases to 1.25 cents — making the sign-up bonus worth $1,000 toward travel.
Bonus points on travel and dining. Cardholders earn 2X points on dining at restaurants including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out and travel & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases worldwide.
The travel category includes airlines, discounted travel sites, hotels, car rental agencies, timeshares, cruise lines, taxis, ferries, trains, buses, limousines, toll bridges, parking lots and more. The restaurant category includes sit-down or eat-in dining locations, such as fast-food restaurants and fine dining establishments.
Transfer points at a 1:1 rate. You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points at a rate of 1:1 to 10 airline partner programs and three hotel partners. Travel transfer partners include Aer Lingus AerClub, British Airways Executive Club, Emirates Skywards, Flying Blue AIR FRANCE KLM, Iberia Plus, JetBlue TrueBlue, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, United MileagePlus, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, IHG Rewards Club, Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt.
Additional benefits. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card comes with a number of benefits, including no foreign transaction fees, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement, purchase protection, extended warranty protection and more.
Cons
Annual fee. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card comes with a $95 annual fee.
Limited bonus categories. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card only offers bonus points on travel and dining purchases. Everyday purchases, such as gas and groceries, only earn 1 point per dollar spent.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card pros and cons
Pros
Simple rewards structure. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a simple, straightforward approach to earning rewards, as cardholders earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day.
Sign-up bonus. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card members enjoy a one-time bonus of 60,000 miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $600 in travel
Each mile is valued at 1 cent, making the sign-up bonus worth $500 if you max out the $3,000 spend requirement in the first three months of card membership, and $1,000 if you max out the $20,000 spend requirement in the first 12 months.
Global Entry/TSA Precheck credit. Every four years, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a $100 credit for your Global Entry application or an $85 credit for your TSA Precheck application.
Additional benefits. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card comes with a variety of perks, including no foreign transaction fees, travel accident insurance, extended warranty, 24-hour travel assistance services, auto rental collision damage waiver and more.
Cons
Limited travel transfer partners. Although the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers more airline transfer partners than the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (15 compared with 10), the list does not include major airlines, such as United Airlines, British Airways or Southwest Airlines. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card also doesn’t offer hotel transfer partners.
While you are limited to where you can transfer miles, you can use your miles to book any airline, with no seat restrictions or blackout dates. You can also redeem miles for car rentals, hotels, ride-sharing apps, cruises and more.
No introductory APR offer. Like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card does not offer a 0% introductory APR on purchases. If you’re planning to finance a vacation or another large purchase, this card is not ideal, since you’ll incur interest charges of 17.24% - 24.49% (variable) if you don’t pay your bill in full each month.
Annual fee. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card charges an annual fee of $95.
Which credit card is best for me?
Ultimately, the right card for you comes down to what you want to get out of the card.
If you want to get the most value from your rewards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best option, since you can get 25% more value in rewards value when you redeem points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Plus, you can transfer miles at a 1:1 rate to a number of airline and hotel transfer partners.
But if you want more flexibility in how you earn rewards, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is the better choice, since the card offers an elevated rewards rate on every purchase.
Or, instead of choosing between the cards, why not get both? You can use the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card for everyday purchases and hotel bookings, and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for dining and travel purchases.
