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Let’s get ready to rumble.
Alright, so a credit battle isn’t quite as interesting as a championship boxing fight, but it’s a hell of a lot more relevant to you, your finances, and your travel prospects, so it’s one you’ll want to tune in for.
Today’s credit card contenders are two of the most popular travel cards on the market: the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, but both are generally viewed as competitors for the same space in points and miles enthusiasts’ wallets.
In this article, I’ll break down each cards’ characteristics in head-to-head comparisons before crowning a winner…if there is one.
In the blue corner: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is Chase’s mid-tier travel rewards card. With a palatable $95 annual fee and some strong earning rates in popular spending categories, it makes a good case for the avid traveler and big-eaters not willing to shell out on a pricier card. Check out the full details of the card in the table below.
- Best for: Beginner Travelers
- Annual Fee: $95
- Variable APR: 20.74% - 27.74%
- Reward Rate: 1X - 5X
- Recommended Credit: 670-850
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
60,000 Bonus Points
Offer Details:
60,000 Bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Why we like it
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is the ultimate all-around travel credit card—it fits perfectly into almost any points-earner’s wallet. Points novices can enjoy a significant intro bonus and easy to grasp spending categories with an approachable annual fee. The more experienced can utilize its high value earning potential as a secondary card and also gain access to Chase’s strong travel booking portal.
Reward details
5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.
3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries.
2x on all other travel purchases.
1x on all other purchases.
Pros & Cons
PROS
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals, and cruises through Chase Travel℠.
The $50 dollar hotel credit for stays purchased on the Chase Travel Portal already cuts the already approachable $95 annual fee significantly.
A 10% annual points bonus is tacked on every year, adding a little more value.
A free year-long Doordash DashPass membership is also thrown in, which gives you free delivery and some extra discounts. It’s a solid perk if you order food delivery at least semi-frequently (Activate by 12/31/2027).
Along with all of the above, cardholders also have access to a string of travel protections like rental coverage, cancellation insurance, and purchase protection.
CONS
Maximizing the value of Chase points can still be complicated for complete novices.
Competing cards like the Capital One Venture have a better earning rate for non-bonused spend.
It’s subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule. So, if you’ve opened five cards in the last two years, you’re most likely not going to be accepted.
In the red corner: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards Card is also Capital One’s mid-tier offering. Effectively a stripped-down version of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Card, its flat-rate rewards earning and big bonus make it a spectacular entry-level card or strategic long-term prospect for the seasoned points and miles hobbyist.
Also, I know the physical card itself is also blue.. But we’re running with the boxing theme. Deal with it.
- Best for: Travelers who want to keep it simple
- Annual Fee: $95
- Regular APR: 19.99% - 29.49% variable
- Reward Rate: 2X-5X
- Recommended Credit: 660-850
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
75,000 Bonus Miles
Offer Details:
75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in your first 3 months of account opening.
Why we like it
The Capital One Venture is an excellent go-to card for any traveler, thanks to its easy to navigate 2 miles per dollar on every purchase. With no bonus categories to consider, a reasonable $95 annual fee, and a strong intro offer worth at least $1,000 in travel rewards, Alec Baldwin might be onto something.
Reward details
5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day
Pros & Cons
Pros
The Capital One Venture’s current intro bonus is worth $1,000 when spent on Capital One’s (recently revamped) travel portal or you can use your miles to cover your recent purchases.
A steady 2 miles per dollar on all purchases makes earning simple and lucrative. You’ll also grab 5 miles per dollar when booking through Capital One’s travel portal.
Its $95 annual fee is almost negligible, especially if the intro bonus is achieved.
Flexible miles allow for a wide array of redemption options.
You can enjoy two free visits to a Capital One Lounge each year.
Cons
Capital One lacks US-based airline and hotel transfer partners.
Not many major perks beyond its miles value.
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Capital One Venture
Below is a table with a high-level overview of each card’s benefits and how they compare against each other.
| Category | Chase Sapphire Preferred | Capital One Venture |
| Annual Fee | $95 | $95 |
| Intro bonus | 60,000 Ultimate Reward Points after spending $4,000 within three months of opening the card plus a $300 travel credit | 75,000 Venture miles after spending $4,000 within three months of opening the card |
| Earning Rates | 5x points per dollar on Chase Travel purchases 3x Ultimate Rewards Points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases 2x points per dollar on travel purchases 5x points per dollar on Lyft rides (until March 31st, 2025) 1x points per dollar on everything else | 5x Venture miles per dollar when the card is used to purchase hotels, vacation rentals, or car rentals on the Capital One Travel portal 2x Capital One Miles per dollar on all purchases |
| Perks | $50 annual hotel credit 10% annual points bonus | Extended warranty protections Two $45 entries to Capital One lounges annually |
| Insurance/Coverage | Travel and emergency services, trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation or interruption insurance, baggage insurance for delays and loss, auto rental collision damage waivers, and travel accident insurance | Travel accident insurance, rental car insurance coverage, and roadside assistance |
Annual fee
As can be expected, two cards fighting for the same piece of the market share are often equally matched when it comes to annual fees. The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capital One Venture are no exception.
Both cards charge cardholders an annual fee of $95. At the time of writing, there are no fee waiver opportunities and there’s no sign or suggestion this could happen anytime soon.
Both cards’ benefits and perks easily justify their reasonable annual fee. Coming out of the gates, it’s all square.
Result: Tie
Welcome bonus offers
Both cards offer significant intro bonuses considering their paltry annual fees. This is great news whichever way you lean, as it makes regaining the annual fee’s value incredibly easy.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred’s current welcome offer awards 60,000 Ultimate Reward Points after spending $4,000 within three months of opening an account, plus a current limited-time offer of a $300 travel credit. As you’ll see in later sections, Ultimate Rewards have strong value. Better yet, it’s the same bonus as Chase’s premium product, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Card is currently running an elevated introductory offer where you’ll earn 75,000 Capital One Miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening.
As with any intro bonus, the value is dictated by how the points are used. Chase allows Sapphire Preferred cardholders to spend Ultimate Rewards on its travel portal, with each point worth 1.25 cents each. This means its bonus is worth a minimum of $750 in points value + a $300 travel credit = $1,050 in travel.
Capital One values miles at 1 cent each when booking through its travel portal, so, the 75,000 bonus miles are also worth $750 through the portal.
When either Chase Ultimate Rewards points or Capital One Miles are transferred to their respective bank’s travel partners, both bonuses are worth far more. In that scenario, the Ultimate Rewards may have the edge if all things were equal, but the higher volume of Venture Miles along with the travel credit means the Venture takes this round.
Result: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card edges it out
Rewards earning potential
Capital One and Chase take drastically different approaches when it comes to rewards-earning rates. Capital One generally opts for simplistic flat-rate earning systems, while Chase offers higher earning rates in a handful of specific spending categories. The Sapphire Preferred and Venture are emblematic of this and, as such, help them cater to different customers.
Capital One Venture
The Venture provides a very simple, yet rewarding, structure: you’ll earn 2x miles per dollar on all purchases(with just a few exceptions). Whether you’re purchasing a pack of gum or dining in a Michelin-star restaurant in Paris, you’re earning 2x miles for every buck spent. However, you’ll also earn 5x miles per dollar when the card is used to purchase hotels, vacation rentals, or car rentals on the Capital One Travel portal.
The flat-rate system has its pros and cons. Unlike other cards, you won’t earn big in popular-spending categories like dining or groceries.. The counterpoint is that it mops up extra miles across the board where other cards would award you just 1x mile per dollar rates. If you value simplicity or have balanced spending habits, the Venture could go a long way for you. It’s also an excellent addition to a larger wallet but I’ll explain that later…
Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Sapphire Preferred takes a different approach and offers 3x Ultimate Rewards Points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases. On top of that, it offers 2x points per dollar on travel purchases, 5x points per dollar on Chase Travel purchases, 5x points per dollar on Lyft rides (until March 31st, 2025), and then 1x points per dollar on everything else.
Which earns the most rewards?
This is a tough round to call as it’s dictated heavily by individual lifestyle choices. If, like me, you spend an inordinate amount of money on food, the Sapphire Preferred may edge out the Venture. But if you’re only eating out a couple of times a month, the Venture’s 2x miles on everything will likely come out on top. Look at this basic example.
Say I spend $2,000 a month. $600 of that is dining out, $500 of that is travel expenses, and the rest falls outside of those categories.
If I put all of that on the Sapphire Preferred, I’d earn 3,700 Ultimate Reward Points.
If I opt for the Venture, I’d earn 4,000 Venture Miles.
If this was a typical month, the Venture would be a better option. If everything else stayed the same, I’d have to spend around $400 more on dining to make the Sapphire Preferred the better option.
That’s a super-rudimentary spending breakdown. If you do your grocery shopping online and use all the streaming services that earn 3x points with Chase, it might swing things even more in one direction.
The short answer? It depends.
Result: Split decision (slight edge to the Venture for the average person)
Chase Ultimate Rewards points vs. Capital One miles
While value can be a little subjective, some metrics help us gain insight into the potential of a specific point or mile. In this case, we’ll look at the value of each on its travel portal as well as its power when transferring to airline and hotel partners.
Capital One allows cardholders to redeem Venture Miles for one cent each on its travel portal. Whether you’re using it to redeem flights, hotels, or car rentals, you’ll be bound to that rate. For example, if a flight from LA to New York costs $300, you’ll need 30,000 Venture Miles to book it. If that price rises to $400 the next day, you’ll need another 10,000 miles.
Chase takes a different approach and values Ultimate Rewards points at 1.25 cents each for Sapphire Preferred cardholders. It’s important to note that if you own another card that earns Ultimate Rewards, the value will be different. The Chase Sapphire Reserve, for example, allows its cardholders to redeem points for 1.5 cents each.
In the Sapphire Preferred’s case, booking that same LA to New York flight would cost 24,000 points or 32,000 points for the $400 flight.
The Sapphire Preferred already has the Venture on the ropes in this round.
But what about transfer power?
Here’s a list of each card’s transfer partners. Capital One has 15 airline and 3 hotel transfer partners. Chase has 8 airline and 3 hotel transfer partners.
| Capital One Transfer Partners | Chase Transfer Partners |
| Aeromexico Club Premier | Air Canada – Aeroplan |
| Air Canada – Aeroplan | Air France/KLM Flying Blue |
| Cathay Pacific | British Airways Executive Club |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Emirates Skywards |
| British Airways Executive Club | JetBlue TrueBlue |
| Etihad Guest | Southwest Rapid Rewards |
| Emirates Skywards | United Airlines MileagePlus Smiles |
| Finnair Plus | Virgin Atlantic Flying Club |
| KLM/Air France Flying Blue | IHG Rewards |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | Marriott Bonvoy |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | World of Hyatt |
| Tap Miles&Go | |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLans | |
| Choice Privileges | |
| Wyndham Rewards | |
| All Accor Live Limitless |
With far more transfer partners, it’s easy to assume to that Capital One has roared back into this round. But it’s not as simple as that. Quality often trumps quantity.
Despite its smaller pool of partners, Chase has built some high-value relationships that few other credit card issuers have. United and World of Hyatt in particular help drastically increase the potential value of Ultimate Rewards point transfers. Combine that with Chase’s selection of three American carriers and you’ve got one the best transfer rosters out there. The majority of Capital One’s strongest partners are also on Chase’s list, too—just to rub salt into the wound.
Result: Chase Sapphire Preferred without breaking a sweat
Benefits and perks
These are mid-tier cards. Unlike their premium counterparts, they’re not designed to be flashy travel tools. They earn you free travel by helping optimize your spending. As such, you won’t find any high-end add-ons here. If you’re looking for airport lounge access or hotel elite status, check out one of the best cards for airport lounge access cards.
That’s not to say they don’t offer any extra benefits, though.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a few solid perks in the form of a $50 annual hotel credit and a cushy 10% annual points bonus. The more you spend on the card, the better that 10% bonus will be. It also has extended warranty and purchase protections.
In terms of protections, it’s got a strong arsenal of travel coverage. Without going into too much detail, cardholders get travel and emergency services, trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation or interruption insurance, baggage insurance for delays and loss, auto rental collision damage waivers (i.e. car rental insurance), and travel accident insurance.
The Capital One Venture opts for extended warranty protections. Its coverage options are limited in comparison to the Preferred, but it does have travel accident insurance, rental car insurance coverage, and roadside assistance. It technically gets cardholders two visits a year to Capital One lounges, but you’ll need to pay $45 to get in.
Neither card charges foreign transaction fees.
Result: Chase Sapphire Preferred
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Capital One Venture: The winner
If we break it down by round the Chase Sapphire Preferred comes out on top. With clear wins in points value and benefits, plus two ties and a round win for the Venture, it seems like the Preferred should be the go-to product.
But the reality is that these cards needn’t be competitors.
The fact remains that these cards fit different people, wallets, and strategies in several ways. If you’re searching for one card to rule to them all and don’t spend tons of money on eating out, the Venture will likely fit your lifestyle far more than the Preferred. If you’re like me and own multiple cards, the Preferred may be the perfect addition to your wallet.
Owning both of these cards isn’t out of the question either. If we dive back into the hypothetical monthly budget I used in the earning round, we can see the difference it would make:
- If you only had the Sapphire Preferred you’d earn 3,700 points in a month
- If you only had the Capital One Venture you’d earn 4,000 miles in a month
- But if you used both and maximized each card’s spending categories, you’d end up with 4,600 points and miles.
That’s 7,200 extra points a year—enough to grab a short flight.
Some things to consider before choosing
Before you decide on a card, it’s important to consider every angle. If it’s your first proper travel card, the Venture might be the best choice for you. It keeps things simple and lets you take some strong first steps into the world of points and miles.
If you’re further on in your journey, you have more things to consider. For example, the Chase 5/24 rule could impact things. Chase will deny applications from cardholders who have opened five or more cards with any issuer in the previous 24-month period. If you’ve already opened 3 or 4 cards in the last two years, you may want to prioritize the Sapphire Preferred before moving on to the Venture at a later date.
The premium versions of these cards may also cause a dilemma. If you own the Capital One Venture X or the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you’re already earning the same or more rewards in each of the spending categories. Those products come with high-value perks like lounge access which you may want to keep. In this case, you’ll only be opening these cards for the large points injection fro the intro bonus.
The Venture X is an easy card to regain the annual fee’s value thanks to easy-to-use statement credits, but the more expensive Sapphire Reserve may run out of steam depending on your lifestyle. When that happens, opening the Preferred may be a strong money-saving alternative.
The point
The Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Capital One Venture Rewards Card go to-to-toe as mid-tier cards. The Sapphire Preferred may come out on top in more categories, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right card for everyone. Individual lifestyle choices and long-term credit card strategies should dictate the decision.
by your friends at The Daily Navigator
