Should you get the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Capital One Venture — or each?

Shelling out tons of of {dollars} in annual charges for premium bank cards will not be for everybody, particularly if you’re new to the factors and miles world. Fortunately, there are many journey bank cards that may set you again lower than $100 a 12 months and nonetheless earn you profitable rewards that can assist you guide that epic journey of your desires.

Related: The finest starter journey bank cards

Among the highest playing cards on this class are the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. Both include manageable annual charges for freshmen and consultants alike, at $95 per 12 months. Additionally, the Capital One rewards program underwent some main modifications in 2021 to turn into much more priceless, and each playing cards are presently providing related welcome bonuses.

Let’s check out how these two playing cards stack up in a head-to-head comparability.

Comparing Capital One Venture vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred

Here are the fundamentals of every of those two playing cards within the main classes:

* Benefits solely out there to accounts authorised for the Visa Signature card. Terms apply.

Sign-up bonus

Both playing cards are presently providing stable sign-up bonuses that may present a ton of worth to new cardholders.

Capital One Venture: The Venture Rewards card is providing 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on the cardboard throughout the first three months of account opening. At the very least, the bonus will get you $750 in journey for those who redeem at a hard and fast worth straight by way of Capital One. However, the worth of the sign-up bonus rises to $1,388* for those who switch your miles to Capital One’s airline or three resort switch companions, primarily based on TPG’s valuations of 1.85 cents per Capital One mile.

*Bonus worth is an estimated worth calculated by TPG and never the cardboard issuer. View our newest valuations right here.

Chase Sapphire Preferred: The Sapphire Preferred affords 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Since factors are value 1.25 cents apiece when redeemed by way of the Chase Ultimate Rewards journey portal, the bonus is assured to be value a minimum of $750 in journey (earlier than factoring within the assertion credit). But you will get a fair better return by leveraging Chase’s airline or resort switch companions.

If you resolve to switch, TPG values Ultimate Rewards factors at 2 cents every, making this bonus value $1,200. Although, remember that for those who’ve opened 5 or extra private playing cards with any issuer up to now 24 months, you gained’t be eligible to get the Sapphire Preferred due to Chase’s 5/24 rule.

Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred.

It’s a detailed name, however given the array of priceless switch companions with Chase, the Sapphire Preferred will get the nod. However, for those who’re not concerned about transferring your factors, the Venture comes out on prime. Even although the playing cards’ bonuses have an identical redemption worth when used straight for journey, the $750 in Venture miles would not require reserving by way of Capital One Travel, whereas Chase does.

Related: How (and why) you must earn transferable factors in 2023

Earning

Capital One Venture: 5 miles per greenback on motels and rental automobiles booked by way of Capital One Travel; 2 miles per greenback on all different purchases.

Chase Sapphire Preferred: 5 factors per greenback on all journey bought by way of Chase Ultimate Rewards; 3 factors per greenback on eating, together with eligible supply companies, takeout and eating out; 3 factors per greenback on choose streaming companies; 3 factors per greenback on on-line grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale golf equipment); 2 factors per greenback on all different journey; 1 level per greenback on all different purchases.

Travel is outlined fairly broadly with the Sapphire Preferred and consists of some on a regular basis bills, similar to tolls, parking and subway tickets. Dining consists of customary eating places, bars and low retailers, meals supply companies, and even most merchandising machines.

Winner: Tie.

The Capital One Venture comes out forward on on a regular basis spending, however it falls behind in relation to particular classes.

Related: Chase Sapphire Preferred bank card evaluation

Redeeming rewards

Both playing cards assist you to redeem rewards towards many purchases — however journey redemptions at all times present the perfect worth.

Capital One Venture: Capital One miles have turn into way more priceless over the previous few years. If it’s simplicity you’re after and also you don’t wish to fear about blackout dates or discovering award area, you can redeem your Venture miles at a hard and fast worth of 1 cent every towards journey bookings made by way of Capital One Travel. You may also use them for assertion credit to offset any journey buy throughout the final 90 days (once more, at a fee of 1 cent per mile).

If, alternatively, you benefit from the thrill of reserving high-value premium cabin awards, you can squeeze extra worth out of your miles by transferring them to Capital One’s 17 airline and resort switch companions. Most transfers at the moment are at a 1:1 ratio, and because the card earns 2 Capital One miles per greenback on on a regular basis spending, you’re mainly incomes as much as 2 airline miles or resort factors per greenback spent on each buy — relying on the particular program to which you switch your miles.

Some highlights of Capital One’s switch companions embody United flights to Hawaii for 7,500 miles one-way in economic system or 12,500 miles in enterprise class by way of Turkish Miles & Smiles, Lufthansa enterprise class with no gasoline surcharges by way of Avianca LifeMiles for 63,000 miles one-way and American Airlines enterprise class to Europe by way of Etihad Guest for 50,000 miles one-way.

If you’re not in search of journey rewards, you’ll be able to redeem your miles for present playing cards, money again or on Amazon and PayPal purchases — however know will probably be at subpar redemption charges.

Related: How to make use of your Capital One miles for max worth

Chase Sapphire Preferred: As with the Venture card, Ultimate Rewards factors will be redeemed towards journey at a hard and fast worth or transferred. As beforehand talked about, for those who guide journey reservations by way of the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, factors have a hard and fast worth of 1.25 cents every.

However, the best way to get prime worth out of your factors is by transferring them to one in every of Chase’s 11 airline and three resort companions, all at a 1:1 ratio. Partners embody acquainted packages similar to United MileagePlus, British Airways Executive Club and World of Hyatt, providing you with many choices to guide home and worldwide award journeys.

You may also redeem factors for present playing cards and money again, however you’ll solely get 1 cent per level in worth.

Related: The finest methods to make use of Chase Ultimate Rewards factors

Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Although the Capital One Venture card now affords extra switch companions, Chase Ultimate Rewards will get the sting for providing a better variety of profitable switch choices (specifically United and Hyatt, which aren’t Capital One companions). Plus, you’ll get a extra favorable 1.25 cents per level when redeeming for journey at a hard and fast fee, whereas you can even get a fee of 1 cent per level when redeeming for money rewards or assertion credit.

While the flexibility to redeem Capital One miles to cowl any journey buy you make is sweet, the Chase Sapphire Preferred nonetheless affords the perfect long-term worth in relation to redemption selections.

Related: Review of the Capital One Venture Rewards bank card

Other advantages

Understandably, you aren’t going to get as many perks with a $95-a-year card as you’ll with a premium card that prices tons of of {dollars} annually. Still, each playing cards provide an array of advantages that add much more worth.

Capital One Venture: Among the options of this card are no overseas transaction charges, prolonged guarantee safety, buy safety and Visa Signature journey advantages, similar to journey accident insurance coverage, misplaced baggage reimbursement and secondary auto rental protection. The card additionally affords two complimentary visits to Capital One’s airport lounges yearly and an as much as $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck software charge credit score. This is a perk typically seen on playing cards with increased annual charges, and it might probably make an enormous distinction in dashing up your journey by way of the airport. (Benefits solely out there to accounts authorised for the Visa Signature card. Terms apply.)

Chase Sapphire Preferred: Since that is additionally a Visa Signature card, it affords virtually the identical advantages however kicked up a notch. Most notably, it consists of main rental automotive protection fairly than secondary, which implies which you can submit claims on to your card’s advantages supplier with out involving your individual private insurance coverage coverage in any respect. Plus, the Sapphire Preferred’s journey advantages are additionally superior — as much as $500 in journey delay reimbursement for those who’re delayed greater than 12 hours or in a single day, as much as $10,000 in journey cancellation and interruption insurance coverage per particular person ($20,000 per journey) and as much as $100 per day for as much as 5 days in baggage delay reimbursement in case your bag is delayed greater than six hours.

On prime of that, the cardboard affords an annual $50 assertion credit score on resort stays bought by way of the Chase Ultimate Rewards journey portal and a 10% anniversary factors bonus.

Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred.

The card affords an annual resort credit score and extra intensive journey protections, together with journey delay and baggage delay reimbursement. Most importantly, the Sapphire Preferred affords main rental protection, whereas the Venture Card’s profit is secondary. If you’re ever concerned in a fender bender whereas in a rental automotive, the safety supplied by the Sapphire Preferred can prevent loads of problem and cash.

While it’s good that the Venture Card affords the 2 airport lounge visits and Global Entry or TSA PreCheck software charge credit score, there are a lot of different playing cards that provide this as nicely.

Bottom line: Which one do you have to select?

In the Chase Sapphire Preferred versus the Capital One Venture Card battle, the Chase Sapphire Preferred comes out forward of the Capital One Venture Rewards. On paper, it affords a extra priceless sign-up bonus, higher journey protections and superior redemption choices.

However, the best choice for you is determined by your private spending patterns and redemption objectives on the finish of the day. For instance, the Venture card earns extra factors on on a regular basis spending, however it may be simpler to search out worth by way of Chase’s switch companions than with Capital One companions’ choice. The Sapphire Preferred affords extra intensive journey protections, however the Venture’s Global Entry or TSA PreCheck software charge credit score is also fairly priceless down the road.

You don’t essentially want to contemplate the 2 playing cards as mutually unique. After all, the Capital One Venture Card is without doubt one of the finest Capital One bank cards, and the Chase Sapphire Preferred is without doubt one of the finest Chase bank cards available on the market at present. They really complement one another for those who acquired each. Use the Venture card for on a regular basis purchases and the Preferred for eating and different journey spending.

Plus, between the 2 sign-up bonuses, you can get almost $3,000 value of journey within the first 12 months for lower than $200 in annual charges — a win-win for those who resolve to join each playing cards.

Official software hyperlink: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card with 75,000 bonus miles after assembly minimal spend necessities.
Official software hyperlink: Chase Sapphire Preferred with 60,000 bonus factors after assembly minimal spend necessities.

Additional reporting by Ryan Wilcox.