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For years, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has been the gold standard of beginner travel rewards credit cards thanks to its low annual fee, transfer partners and welcome bonus. But in recent years, Chase has gotten more competition from the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
The Capital One Venture started as a cash-back-equivalent card, but it became a serious contender after adding airline and hotel transfer partners in 2021. Suddenly, Capital One miles became much more valuable.
Both cards have the same $95 annual fee, and even share five of the same airline transfer partners. Stacking the two cards against each other can feel like an apples-to-oranges comparison, especially since the points they earn differ. So, we’ve done the hard part for you by breaking down how the two cards compare on the most important features and who might benefit from one card over the other.
Here’s a look at the Capital One Venture vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Capital One Venture vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred
First, let’s take a look at all the key details of these two cards side-by-side:
| Welcome bonus | 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on the card in the first three months. |
|---|---|
| Earn on purchases | 2 miles per dollar on all purchases. |
| Bonus earning through travel portal | 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. |
| Redemption value toward travel | 1 cent per mile, higher value possible when leveraging transfer partners. |
| Transfer partners | 18 (15 airline, 3 hotel). |
| Airport lounge access | Two free lounge visits per year to Capital One and Plaza Premium lounges. Can be used for either the cardholder or a guest. |
| Annual credits | None. |
| Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit | $100 every 4 years. |
| Rental car elite status | Hertz Five Star. |
| Foreign transaction fee | None. |
| Annual fee | $95. |
| Welcome bonus | 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on the card in the first three months. |
|---|---|
| Earn on purchases | 5 points per dollar on Lyft (through March 2025); 3 points per dollar on dining, select grocery delivery and select streaming services; 2 points per dollar on travel. |
| Bonus earning through travel portal | 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards, excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 annual hotel credit. |
| Redemption value toward travel | 1.25 cents per point through Ultimate Rewards travel, higher value possible when leveraging transfer partners. |
| Transfer partners | 14 (11 airline, 3 hotel). |
| Airport lounge access | None. |
| Annual credits | $50 hotel credit when booked through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal. |
| Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit | None. |
| Rental car elite status | None |
| Foreign transaction fee | None. |
| Annual fee | $95. |
The Capital One Venture and the Chase Sapphire Preferred are two popular rewards credit cards that offer a variety of benefits to cardholders. Both cards charge a $95 annual fee and waive foreign transaction fees on purchases made abroad.
Both cards offer generous welcome bonuses and above-average reward earning rates on common purchases. So, the best card comes down to your spending habits and redemption goals.
The Capital One Venture is ideal if you prefer earning a flat rewards rate on every dollar spent, regardless of spending category. However, if most of your spending falls in the dining and online grocery spending categories, Sapphire Preferred might be a better option since it earns 3 points per dollar on those purchases. The card also earns a 10% anniversary bonus, which can add up substantially.
Another factor to consider is the recurring travel benefits you can take advantage of. The Capital One Venture offers two free annual lounge visits, up to $100 credit towards TSA Precheck or Global Entry every four years and Hertz Five Star status. Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers an annual $50 hotel statement credit valid on Ultimate Rewards Travel bookings.
Both cards offer great welcome bonuses, but depending on your spending and travel habits, one may be more beneficial than the other. For example, if you plan to redeem rewards through a bank travel portal, you can do so at 1.25 cents per point with the Sapphire Preferred. Plus, it offers more mainstream transfer partners like United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards and World of Hyatt.
Additionally, the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers more travel protections than the Venture. We’ll go run through these protections in-depth later in the article, but the Sapphire Preferred offers things like trip delay protection that are not found on the Venture.
Welcome bonuses
The Capital One Venture offers a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening. These miles can be redeemed for $750 in statement credits towards travel expenses such as flights, hotels and rental cars. And as discussed, they can be transferred to 15 airlines and three hotel loyalty programs.
Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Preferred also offers a great sign-up bonus: 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first three months from account opening. These points are worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards for travel expenses like flights and hotels. Additionally, they can be transferred 1:1 to 11 airlines and three hotel loyalty programs.
Redemption rates
The Capital One Venture can redeem points toward travel at a rate of 1 cent per mile. Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Preferred can redeem points at a rate of 1.25 cents per point through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal. In turn, its 60,000-point bonus is worth $750 in travel booked through the travel portal, just like the 75,000 miles from the Venture.
However, you’re not limited to redeeming Capital One miles through Capital One Travel, as you can use miles to cover any travel purchase you put on your Venture card. This includes airfare, hotels, taxis, trains and just about anything else that falls under the travel umbrella. Just charge it to your card and redeem points toward the expense within 90 days of making the purchase.
Chase doesn’t directly let you directly redeem points toward travel expenses charged to your Sapphire Preferred card. However, you can cash out Chase Ultimate Rewards points at a rate of 1 cent per point for a statement credit. If you want to cash out 5,000 points to cover a $50 Lyft ride, simply request a statement credit.
Transfer partners
Another difference between the two cards are their transfer partners. Capital One has three hotel and 15 airline loyalty programs, while Chase has three hotel and 11 airline loyalty programs. The two programs have five transfer partners in common: Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, British Airways Executive Club, Emirates Skywards and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer.
But beyond that, Capital One leans towards foreign loyalty programs while Chase focuses on U.S.-based partners. Some of these foreign loyalty programs offer better redemption rates than U.S. programs. For example, the Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles program lets you book United economy class tickets to Hawaii for just 15,000 miles round-trip. United MileagePlus often charges 50,000+ miles for the same ticket.
Further, Chase has more mainstream (and generally more powerful) hotel partners, too. World of Hyatt is the standout, with award nights starting at just 3,500 points per night. Having access to IHG One Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy can also be useful for U.S.-based travelers as each loyalty program has a large footprint at home and abroad.
Below is a list of transfer partners you can redeem your points with.
Capital One transfer partners
View this interactive content on CNN.comChase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners
View this interactive content on CNN.comTravel and purchase protections
The Chase Sapphire Preferred has better travel and purchase protections than the Capital One Venture. The Sapphire Preferred offers trip delay, trip cancellation/interruption and baggage delay insurance, while the Venture does not. Plus, it offers primary rental car insurance on all rentals, even when you’re renting in your country of residence.
However, trip delay insurance is most notable travel protection not offered by the Capital One Venture. If you pay for a flight with your Chase Sapphire Preferred and it’s delayed 12+ hours, the card will reimburse you for up to $500 in expenses per day. This includes things like a hotel stay, taxi rides and food during your delay.
| Extended warranty | Yes. |
|---|---|
| Purchase protection | Up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per year. Items are covered for 90 days from the date of purchase. |
| Auto rental collision damage waiver | Yes. Primary coverage outside your country of residence, secondary in your country of residence. |
| Travel and emergency assistance services | Yes. |
| Trip cancellation/interruption insurance | None. |
| Baggage delay insurance | None. |
| Lost luggage reimbursement | Up to $3,000 per person. |
| Trip delay reimbursement | None. |
| Travel accident insurance | Up to $250,000 in coverage. |
| Extended warranty | Yes. |
|---|---|
| Purchase protection | Up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per year. Items are covered for 120 days from the date of purchase. |
| Auto rental collision damage waiver | Yes, primary coverage on all rentals. |
| Travel and emergency assistance services | Yes. |
| Trip cancellation/interruption insurance | Up to $10,000 per covered trip. |
| Baggage delay insurance | Up to $100 per day for up to 5 days. |
| Lost luggage reimbursement | Up to $3,000 per person. |
| Trip delay reimbursement | Up to $500 per person for delays of 12 hours or more. |
| Travel accident insurance | Up to $500,000 in coverage. |
Should you get the Capital One Venture Card or Sapphire Preferred?
Whether you should get the Capital One Venture or Sapphire Preferred depends entirely on your spending habits and travel goals.
If you’re looking for a card with multiple category bonuses you can maximize, the Sapphire Preferred might be ideal since it earns 3 points per dollar on dining and 2 points per dollar on travel. However, if you prefer a more straightforward option, the Capital One Venture’s 2 miles per dollar earn rate on all spending is as simple as it gets.
Both cards allow you to redeem points at a flat rate towards travel and transfer them to high-value loyalty programs. If you want to stretch your points the furthest, the Capital One Venture offers more opportunities to do that by leveraging foreign airline loyalty programs. However, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a better option if you want to keep it simple with domestic transfer partners like United and Southwest.
Finally, if you’re a frequent traveler who wants to save money on travel insurance, the Sapphire Preferred’s comprehensive coverage can do that for you. It has far more comprehensive travel protections than the Venture card.
Both are great options, so carefully compare their benefits before deciding on the right travel credit card for your wallet.
Learn more and apply for the Chase Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
Learn more and apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Find out which cards CNN Underscored chose as our best travel credit cards currently available.
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