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The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Capital One Venture Credit Card both have made a few waves in the ocean of rewards credit cards recently. Both earn flexible points, have comparable annual fees and charge no foreign transaction fees.
However, are these two cards really that similar? Let’s go over their differences and similarities to help you decide which choice suits your needs best.
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Capital One Venture Credit Card |
|---|---|
| 5X points on travel booked through the Chase Travel℠ 3X Ultimate Rewards points on restaurants, streaming services, and online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs). Note this also excludes in-store grocery purchases. 2X Ultimate Rewards points on all other travel purchases outside of the Chase Travel℠and 1X Ultimate Rewards points on all other spending 1x point per dollar spent on all other purchases. 10% Ultimate Rewards point bonus annually based on your card spending, earned after you renew and pay your annual fee | 2X per dollar spent on every purchase 5X per dollar spent on hotels, vacation rentals and car rentals made through Capital One Travel |
| 13 transfer partners | 15 transfer partners |
| Points are worth 1.25 cents when redeemed via travel portal | Points are worth 1 cent when redeemed via travel portal |
| Complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership for 1 year (activate by 12/31/27) | TSA Precheck/Global Entry enrollment fee reimbursement |
| Primary car rental insurance | Secondary rental car insurance (primary for car rentals made in a foreign country) |
| No foreign transaction fees | No foreign transaction fees |
| Annual fee: $95 | Annual fee: $95 |
Welcome Bonus
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card comes with a substantial welcome bonus that you can use to book a trip through the Chase Travel Portal or by transferring points to partner airlines and hotel programs.
Capital One Venture Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Card also has a solid welcome bonus that can be used to book a trip through the portal or you can transfer Capital One miles to one of its airline partners.
Bonus Categories
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you’ll earn 5X points on travel booked through the Chase Travel℠, 3X Ultimate Rewards points on restaurants, streaming services, and online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs – note this also excludes in-store grocery purchases), 2X Ultimate Rewards points on all other travel purchases outside of the Chase Travel Portal and 1X Ultimate Rewards points on all other spending.
Capital One Venture Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Card is taking a simpler approach to earning rewards. You’ll earn 2X Venture miles on every single purchase you make, no matter the category and 5X per dollar spent on hotel rooms, vacation rentals and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel portal.
Rewards’ Value
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Rewards earned with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card card are worth 1.25 cents when redeemed through the Chase Travel℠. These points can be redeemed in any amount toward anything found in the Expedia-powered portal, such as airfare, hotel rooms, cruises, rental cars and activities.
Ultimate Rewards also can be redeemed for statement credit toward any purchase after the fact at a rate of 1 cent apiece.
Capital One Venture Credit Card
Venture Miles earned with the Capital One Venture Card can be used as a Purchase Eraser toward any travel purchase made in the last 90 days directly with a travel provider, be it an airline, a hotel chain or a cruise line. You can even use points toward vacation rentals booked on Airbnb or VRBO, which isn’t an option for Chase cards.
There’s no minimum redemption amount, unless you redeem for partial credit. In this case, a minimum of 2,500 miles must be used.
You can also book new travel through the Capital One Travel portal the same way you’d use the Chase Travel Portal. In both cases, miles are worth 1 cent apiece.
If you’re looking to redeem rewards for cash back or a statement credit, the value of your miles drops to 0.5 cent each. We don’t advise redeeming Venture miles this way.
Transfer Partners
Besides redemptions made in respective travel portals, rewards earned with both credit cards can be transferred to select airline and hotel loyalty programs. Transferring your points is a good way to increase their value.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Ultimate Rewards points earned with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card credit card can be transferred to 13 partners consisting of 10 airlines and three hotel chains. Points must be transferred in increments of 1,000.
| Airlines | Transfer Ratio |
| Aer Lingus AerClub | 1,000:1,000 |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 1,000:1,000 |
| British Airways Executive Club | 1,000:1,000 |
| Emirates Skywards | 1,000:1,000 |
| Iberia Plus | 1,000:1,000 |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1,000:1,000 |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer |
1,000:1,000 |
| Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards |
1,000:1,000 |
| United MileagePlus |
1,000:1,000 |
| Hotels | Transfer Ratio |
| IHG Rewards Club | 1,000:1,000 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1,000:1,000 |
| World of Hyatt | 1,000:1,000 |
Say what you will, but Chase has a solid list of transfer partners with Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and World of Hyatt being the most valuable. It’s easy to extract value beyond 1.25 cents per point by booking expensive flights (think premium cabins) or five-star properties. All points transfer 1:1 and post instantly.
Capital One Venture Credit Card
Venture Miles earned with the Capital One Venture Credit Card can be transferred to 15 partners, including 13 airlines and two hotel chains. You must transfer at least 1,000 miles with the option to add increments of 100 miles afterward.
| Airlines | Transfer Ratio |
| Aeroméxico Club Premier | 2:1.5 |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 2:1.5 |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 2:1.5 |
| Alitalia MilleMiglia | 2:1.5 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 2:1.5 |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 2:1.5 |
| Emirates Skywards | 2:1 |
| Etihad Guest | 2:1.5 |
| EVA Infinity MileageLands | 2:1.5 |
| Finnair Plus | 2:1.5 |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 2:1.5 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 2:1.5 |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 2:1 |
| Hotels |
Transfer Ratio |
| ALL Accor Live Limitless | 2:1 |
| Wyndham Rewards | 2:1.5 |
Although Capital One partners with more programs, not all are as familiar to a U.S.-based traveler, not to mention the transfer rates aren’t the best. You will have to put in a bit of work to find the best redemptions, but it can be done. Just make sure to compare portal costs to mileage costs. A couple of programs worth taking a look at are Air France/KLM Flying Blue and Avianca LifeMiles.
Other Card Benefits
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
DoorDash DashPass Membership
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card comes with complimentary one-year DoorDash DashPass membership for members. The DashPass perk waives delivery fees on orders of at least $12 and reduces service fees.
The membership normally costs $9.99 per month, but it’s free with the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. Just activate the benefit by 03/31/22, link your card and enjoy free food deliveries.
Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card includes primary auto rental collision damage waiver protection. Make sure to decline the rental car company’s insurance at pick-up, and Chase will cover damage or theft costs in the event of a collision or carjacking. Rental periods of up to 31 days are covered.
Capital One Venture Credit Card
TSA Precheck / Global Entry Enrollment Fee Reimbursement
Use your Venture card to pay for enrolling in either TSA Precheck ($85) or Global Entry ($120) and receive a statement credit back on your card once every four years. Many credit cards on the market offer this benefit. If you’re already enrolled in one of the trusted traveler programs, feel free to pay someone else’s enrollment fee.
Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
Primary cardmembers are eligible for the collision damage waiver insurance and are covered for damage or theft of a rented vehicle. Rental periods of up to 15 days domestically and up to 31 days internationally are covered.
If you don’t already have car insurance, the benefit offers primary coverage. If you pay a car insurance premium, then the card benefit only covers your deductible, and the rest will go on your personal insurance. International car rentals qualify for primary coverage.
Which Card Is Right for You?
Before the Capital One Venture Credit card added transfer partners, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card was a clear winner. However, now that partner programs are in play and the Purchase Eraser is still an option, the Venture card is a contender.
Although the earning rate of double points on all purchases with the Venture card seems better at first glance than double points on some purchases with the Sapphire card, don’t let it fool you.
Chase has more useful transfer partners, and transfer rates are 1:1. Venture’s transfer rates are reduced, and you end up losing out on the conversion. If the goal is to fly in business class and stay at luxury hotels, you’re better off transferring Ultimate Rewards points to a Chase partner and booking a mileage flight or an award stay.
However, Purchase Eraser available to the Capital One Venture Card members can come in handy when you’re looking to wipe out travel purchases that can’t be booked with points, such as Airbnb stays or train tickets.
The way we see it, both cards earn rewards fit for specific situations, so holding these two cards at the same time wouldn’t be strange.
Final Thoughts
Because both credit cards are strong in their own realm, they both have a place in your wallet. To avoid being a victim of the Chase 5/24 rule, make sure to sign up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card first. If you can only get one, take a look at your redemption preferences and let the value drive your choice. In the end, you can’t go wrong with either option.
Just getting started in the world of points and miles? The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best card for you to start with.
With a bonus of 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in the first 3 months, 5x points on travel booked through the Chase Travel℠ and 3x points on restaurants, streaming services, and online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), this card truly cannot be beat for getting started!
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