The perfect travel rewards card can significantly reduce the cost of your next vacation, whether it’s a family beach trip or a romantic getaway. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card are two popular options, each boasting attractive welcome offers, generous rewards programs, and valuable travel perks. This comparison will help you decide which card best suits your spending habits and travel style.
Table Content:
Annual Fee Comparison
Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Capital One Venture carry a $95 annual fee. The value provided by each card’s benefits and rewards generally offsets this cost, making the annual fee itself a neutral factor in the decision-making process.
alt text: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
alt text: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Welcome Bonus Comparison
Both cards offer compelling welcome bonuses:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months. These points are worth $750 when redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Capital One Venture: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months. These miles are worth $750 when redeemed for travel through Capital One Travel.
Given the identical spending requirement and reward value, the welcome bonus is essentially a tie.
Rewards Earning Rates
The cards diverge in their rewards structures:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred:
- 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases
- 2x points on all other travel purchases
- 1x point on all other purchases
- Capital One Venture:
- 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2x miles on all other purchases
The Sapphire Preferred offers higher earning potential in specific categories. However, the Venture’s consistent 2x miles on all purchases provides simplicity and a guaranteed return. The optimal choice depends on your spending patterns.
alt text: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card highlighting rewards
Redemption Options
Both cards offer flexible redemption options, primarily focused on travel:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred: Travel, dining, experiences, transfers to travel partners, point pooling with other Chase cards, cash back, gift cards, and select online retailers.
- Capital One Venture: Travel, entertainment, transfers to travel partners, covering past travel purchases, cash back, gift cards, and select online retailers.
While the Sapphire Preferred has a slightly wider range of options, both offer valuable travel redemptions and transfers to partner loyalty programs.
alt text: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card highlighting redemption options
Additional Benefits
Each card offers a suite of additional perks:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred: 25% point bonus on Chase Ultimate Rewards® travel bookings, up to $50 annual hotel credit, anniversary bonus points, complimentary DashPass, and travel and purchase protections.
- Capital One Venture: Up to $120 credit for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck, $50 experience credit and hotel perks, Hertz Five Star status, and travel and purchase protections.
The Sapphire Preferred’s hotel credit and bonus on travel portal bookings provide consistent value.
Choosing the Right Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a strong choice if you value Chase’s transfer partners, point pooling, and travel portal benefits. The Capital One Venture excels with its straightforward rewards program and broader appeal for diverse spending habits. Consider your individual needs and preferences when making your final decision. Applying for both cards could also be a viable strategy for maximizing rewards, but carefully evaluate your ability to meet the spending requirements.
alt text: Comparing Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capital One Venture cards
Other travel cards worth considering include the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card for luxury perks, the American Express® Gold Card for dining and travel rewards, and the no-annual-fee Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card.
