Capital One Venture X vs Chase Sapphire Preferred

Our experts answer readers' credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess credit cards). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Product Name Only launched over a year ago with a big welcome bonus and a great list of perks, including lounge access and an easy-to-use $300 annual travel credit that offsets a huge chunk of the card's Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Annual Fee annual fee. It has a simple rewards structure and other generous benefits that easily make the card a long-term keeper. 

Compare that with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Product Name Only, long considered the travel rewards credit card that opened the gate for dozens of subsequent competitors in an increasingly crowded market vying for a spot in your wallet, including the card above. Despite that, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only's deceptively simple benefits and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Annual Fee annual fee have cemented its place as a crowd favorite for over a decade, mostly because of the robust Chase Ultimate Rewards® program. 

Both cards offer valuable welcome offers. Here's what you'll get with each card: 

While there's a gap in annual fees and current welcome offers, there are other considerations that could sway you toward one or the other. Here's what to know if you're trying to decide between the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only.

We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

Welcome Bonus Offers

Normally, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only appears to have the advantage over the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only with a bigger welcome offer, but right now the Sapphire Preferred is offering an elevated bonus.

With the Venture X, you can earn Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Intro Bonus. Each mile is worth 1 cent when applied toward travel purchases, making this offer worth at least $750 in travel. 

Compare that with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Intro Bonus you'll get with the Sapphire Preferred. Again, each point is worth 1 cent by default, although Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only cardholders get a 25% boost when booking travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal, making the bonus worth $1,000 toward travel. 

However, Capital One and Chase both have numerous airline and hotel transfer partners – 18 for Capital One, 14 for Chase – that make it possible to get even more value from your welcome bonus. 

According to Personal Finance Insider's most recent points and miles valuations, Capital One miles have an average redemption value of 1.7 cents, while Chase points are worth 1.8 cents apiece, on average. That could make your welcome bonus worth: 

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Featured Reward Value in travel
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Featured Reward Value in travel

So while there's a gap here, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are a bit more valuable, again making the value a close call. The usefulness will depend on your travel goals and how you like to redeem your points. So, while the bonuses appear comparable at face value, the sky's the (literal – and figurative) limit here.  

Ongoing Rewards Earning

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only earns 10 miles per dollar on car rentals and hotels booked through the Capital One Travel Portal and 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Everything else earns a flat rate of 2 miles per dollar spent on purchases. 

Because of the simple rewards structure, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only is customizable in that you can think of it as a 2% cash back card for travel purchases, or dive deeper to get more value from the program's airline and hotel partners. Either way, you're always earning a flat rate on most purchases – and more when you book travel through Capital One. 

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only has more tiers to remember. You'll earn 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 2x points on all other travel purchases, 3x points on dining, online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), and select streaming services, 5x points on Lyft rides through March 2025, and 1 point per dollar everywhere else. 

That compares to 5 miles per dollar you'll earn with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only for flights booked through Capital One Travel, but you'll earn 10x miles, double the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only's 5 miles per dollar for hotels and car rentals, when you book through Capital One. The base rate of 2x miles with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only is also double the 1x base rate with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only. 

But it's not easy to directly compare Capital One miles and Chase Ultimate Rewards points. While both have airline and hotel transfer partners, the selection has a wide variance, and each program will appeal to a certain type of traveler. 

If you're looking for a travel rebate on your everyday spending, the winner here is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only. With the 2x flat rate for all purchases, you come out slightly ahead of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only (2x for travel vs 1.25x for travel, respectively).

Statement Credits

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only comes with up to $300 in annual travel credits for travel booked through Capital One, including flights, hotel stays, and car rentals. 

The biggest issue is these are considered third-party bookings, so you probably won't earn points or have your elite status recognized for hotel and car rental reservations. If that's a concern, you can use the credit for flights, stay at a boutique hotel that doesn't have a loyalty program, or forgo the extra perks for elite status. 

You'll also get a statement credit for the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees every four years. If you're already a member of either program, you can use the credit to pay for a friend or family member's application fee. 

When you can use both credits to their maximum, that recovers the card's Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Annual Fee annual fee. Or, if you use the $300 annual travel credit for travel you'd paid for anyway, that lower's the card's effective annual fee to only $95. Either way, the generous credits justify keeping the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only for the long haul.

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only, you'll get up to $50 in annual statement credits toward hotel purchases booked through the Chase Travel Portal. New cardholders can use the credit right away, while existing cardholders are eligible after their next account anniversary. 

The hotel stay you book would also be a third-party booking, so again, you probably won't be able to take advantage of your elite status. But if you can use the credit, your annual fee effectively drops to just $45 out-of-pocket. 

Chase also has monthly statement credits available through partnerships. You can earn up to $15 per quarter in statement credits toward Instacart purchases when you enroll for a complimentary six-month Instacart+ membership through July 31, 2024. That's up to $60 per year if you make the most of it with Instacart deliveries. 

And through December 2023, you can get a $10 monthly statement credit from Gopuff when you set the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only as your default payment method. Note there's a $10 minimum order amount and a flat $3.95 delivery fee per order. 

To use all the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only statement credits requires a level of commitment – and that's if Instacart and Gopuff are available where you live. Otherwise, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only statement credits are much simpler to use for most travelers. 

Transfer Partners

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only card earn transferable rewards you can send to various airline and hotel loyalty programs. While there's some overlap, each program has its own sweet spots. 

For instance, Capital One doesn't have any domestic airline partners, but you can still book domestic carriers thanks to partnerships and alliances. It's easy to book American Airlines flights with British Airways Avios points or Qantas miles, Delta flights with Flying Blue miles, and United flights with Air Canada Aeroplan points or Avianca LifeMiles.  With the hotel partners, there are excellent deals available through Choice Privileges or Wyndham Rewards, especially if you typically stay at either chain anyway.

There's a level of digging required that makes the 18 transfer partners more advanced. That said, you can mine real value from the program if you know where you look. Capital One miles transfer at a 1:1 ratio to all partners except in the case of EVA Infinity MileageLands, which has a 2:1.5 ratio.

Compare that with the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, which has recognizable domestic partners like United, Southwest, Marriott, IHG, and Hyatt. Chase's transfer partners are more user- and beginner-friendly, and all have a 1:1 transfer ratio. 

The best program for you depends on your travel patterns, and if you're comfortable doing some legwork. Either way, both programs offer real value and are worthwhile. 

Anniversary Bonuses

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only comes with 10,000 bonus miles each year, starting with your first account anniversary. With an average redemption value of 1.7 cents each, that makes the 10,000-mile anniversary bonus worth $170 – and at least $100 toward travel booked through Capital One. That, combined with the $300 annual travel credit more than justifies keeping the card's annual fee – and that's even before considering the card's other useful benefits. 

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only has an annual 10% points bonus equal to 10% of all purchases made within the previous year. The points are posted after your account anniversary. 

Note the bonus is based on your total purchase amount, not how many points you earned. For example, if you spend $30,000 on your card in an anniversary year, you'd receive 3,000 bonus points, regardless of bonus categories. 

Point for point, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only anniversary bonus is likely more useful for most people. 

Airport Lounge Access

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only includes a Priority Pass Select membership, which gets you into over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide. Note that airport restaurants are no longer included with this membership, but it does offer an unlimited number of guests, depending on lounge capacity. That's a great value if you travel with a larger group or with family. 

Capital One also has a lounge in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), with two new ones in Denver (DEN) and Washington, DC-Dulles (IAD) set to open in 2023. You're allowed to bring up to two guests with you. You also get access to Plaza Premium Lounges worldwide.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only doesn't offer any kind of lounge access. 

Authorized Users

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only is an excellent deal if you want to add authorized users. You can add up to four authorized users for free, and they'll have access to many of the card's best perks, including: 

• Priority Pass lounge access (for cardholder and unlimited guests, dependent upon lounge capacity)
• Capital One lounge access (cardholder and up to two guests)
• Hertz President's Circle elite status
• Cell phone protection

You can add authorized users to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only at no cost, and you'll earn points when they make purchases. They'll have access to the card's travel insurance, including primary car rental coverage, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, and lost luggage reimbursement, which are top-tier. But most of the card's perks are reserved for the primary cardholder.

Travel and Purchase Protections

Both the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only have noteworthy travel insurance and purchase protection. Coverage limits vary, and each card has certain gaps. 

Here's a side-by-side comparison of the most useful benefits: 

Rental Car Elite Status

With the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only, you'll get elite status with Hertz, which could mean added perks and discounts. 

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only doesn't come with any rental car elite status. 

Annual Fees

Both the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only are considered premium credit cards. No doubt, there's a disparity in the annual fee amounts – but it might actually be easier to justify the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only's annual fee thanks to the simple statement credits whereas the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only's value depends on your spending habits and the value you get from the hotel, Instacart, and Gopuff credits. 

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Annual Fee annual fee on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only is completely offset between the $300 annual Capital One Travel credit and the 10,000-mile anniversary bonus (worth $100 in travel or around $170 when used with transfer partners). That doesn't include the value you get from lounge access, cell phone protection, Premier Collection hotel bookings, and more. 

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only has a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Annual Fee annual fee. If you can use the annual $50 credit for hotel purchases booked through Chase, that effectively brings the fee down to $45. And if you can use the Instacart and Gopuff credits, you can easily come out ahead. 

Neither card has foreign transaction fees, so it really comes down to each card's rewards-earning potential, ongoing benefits, and how useful you find the statement credits and transfer partners that'll sway you toward one over the other. 

Venture X vs Sapphire Preferred Side-by-Side Comparison

What to Know About the Capital One Venture X and Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Annual Fee annual fee with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only can give you sticker shock at first, but it's easy to cover it entirely with a slew of premium benefits including a $300 annual Capital One Travel credit and 10,000 bonus miles on your card anniversary. 

While the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only has a lower Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Annual Fee annual fee, the benefits aren't as well-rounded, though there's potential to earn more ongoing rewards thanks to higher category bonus points. Here, there's also the potential to cover the annual fee with statement credits alone, but they're not as straightforward as the ones you get with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only. 

Additional factors – like if you want to add authorized users, if you value the cell phone protection, which transfer partners you like better, and which travel protections give you peace of mind – are worth consideration. 

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Editorial Name Only is a relatively new entry to the travel rewards space, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Editorial Name Only is a tried-and-true classic. The right one for you depends on your personal preferences, spending habits, and which card's benefits are worthy of a spot in your wallet.