Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card: Which Card Reigns Supreme?

CREDIT CARDS - TRAVEL CREDIT CARDS

These two seemingly similar rewards credit cards have a few key differences you’ll want to know.

By Ben Walker, CEPF, CFEI®
and Jennifer Calonia

Edited by Alicia Hahn

Updated Nov. 11, 2024

We receive compensation from the products and services mentioned in this story, but the opinions are the author's own. Compensation may impact where offers appear. We have not included all available products or offers. Learn more about how we make money and our editorial policies.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card share a lot of similarities. For example, the Venture has an annual fee of $95, while the Sapphire Preferred has an annual fee of $95. However, the Capital One Venture has simpler rewards rates than the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Another difference is that the Venture helps you earn statement credit for TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry but offers no hotel statement credit. The Sapphire Preferred helps you earn hotel statement credit but offers no credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

Let’s explore how the Capital One Venture and Chase Sapphire Preferred compare to help you determine which credit card is a better fit for you.

In this Capital One Venture vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred comparison

Key takeaways
Capital One Venture vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred comparison
Capital One Venture benefits and drawbacks
Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits and drawbacks
What both cards excel at
5 important differences between Capital One Venture and Chase Sapphire Preferred
Which credit card should you choose?
When you should choose Capital One Venture
When you should choose Chase Sapphire Preferred
FAQ
Capital One Venture vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred: bottom line

Key takeaways

Both the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card are great credit cards for frequent travelers.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a $95 annual fee. The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card has a $95 annual fee.
The Capital One Venture helps you earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. On the other hand, the Chase Sapphire Preferred helps you earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
The Capital One Venture offers up to $120 statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fees every four years. The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers up to $50 in statement credit each account anniversary for hotels booked through the Chase Travel℠ portal.
Capital One has more airline transfer partners than Chase. The two credit card issuers have the same number of hotel transfer partners.

Capital One Venture vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred comparison

	Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card
Card type	Travel	Travel
Credit card issuer	Capital One	Chase
Credit card network	Mastercard	Visa
Annual fee	$95	$95
Welcome offer	Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Earning rate	2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day, 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25	5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases
Redemption methods	Travel Transfer partners Cover past travel purchases Cash back (mailed check or statement credit) Gift cards PayPal Amazon	Travel Transfer partners Pay Yourself Back Cash back (electronic deposit or statement credit) Gift cards PayPal Amazon
Credits	Up to $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years	Up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel℠
Travel perks	24/7 concierge¹ Two free lounge visits per year to Capital One or Plaza Premium Lounges Auto rental collision damage waiver Lost luggage reimbursement Travel accident insurance Roadside dispatch Travel and emergency assistance services	25% bonus to travel redemptions made through Chase Travel℠ Earn anniversary bonus points equal to 10% of your previous year’s purchases Auto rental collision damage waiver Lost luggage reimbursement Travel accident insurance Roadside dispatch Travel and emergency assistance services Baggage delay insurance Trip cancellation/interruption insurance Trip delay reimbursement
Other benefits	Capital One Entertainment Purchase security Purchase Assurance	Purchase protection Extended warranty protection
Foreign transaction fee	None	None
Credit needed	Excellent, Good	Excellent, Good
	Learn more	Learn more

Our verdict

We recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred in most situations because it has more travel benefits, and we place a higher value for Chase Ultimate Rewards. But if you want a simple rewards rate, consider the Capital One Venture.

Capital One Venture benefits and drawbacks

Pros

Simple rewards rate
Up to $120 credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry every four years
No foreign transaction fees

Cons

$95 annual fee

The Capital One Venture Rewards is easy to use because of its simple rewards rate. That means you don’t have to worry about having various spending categories.

You can earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day, 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25.

You can also take advantage of up to $120 statement credit every four years for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fees and two complimentary passes per year to Capital One or Plaza Premium Lounges.

Learn more in our Capital One Venture Card review.

Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits and drawbacks

Pros

Up to $50 hotel statement credit for stays purchased through Chase Travel℠
25% bonus to travel redemptions through Chase Travel℠
No foreign transaction fees

Cons

$95 annual fee

The Chase Sapphire Preferred helps you earn 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases.

This card also has loads of travel benefits, including up to $50 statement credit each account anniversary for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel℠. This benefit alone can help you easily offset some of the $95 annual fee.

You also receive a 25% bonus for travel redemptions made through the Chase Travel℠ portal. You can use the travel portal to redeem points on flights, hotel stays, and car rentals.

Learn more in our Chase Sapphire Preferred review.

What both cards excel at

The Capital One Venture Rewards and Chase Sapphire Preferred share a few excellent qualities:

Welcome bonuses: You can earn a welcome offer with either card as a new cardholder.
No foreign transaction fees: You don’t have to pay foreign transaction fees with either card.
Travel coverage: Both cards provide multiple types of travel insurance.
Purchase protection: Both cards provide purchase protection.
Redemption options: You have multiple redemption options with the rewards programs on both cards. That includes redeeming rewards for travel, transfer partners, gift cards, and statement credits.
Low annual fees: The Capital One Venture has a $95 annual fee, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred also has a $95 annual fee. Compared to other premium travel cards with annual fees over $500, these annual costs are relatively low.
Combine rewards: With both the Capital One Venture and Chase Sapphire Preferred, you can combine your rewards with a select number of other cards from the same card issuer.

5 important differences between Capital One Venture and Chase Sapphire Preferred

Consider these differences to help you decide which card might be the better choice for you.

1. Travel perks

For travel benefits, the Capital One Venture provides:

Up to $120 credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry every four years
Two free lounge visits per year to Capital One or Plaza Premium Lounges

The Chase Sapphire Preferred provides:

Up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel℠
A 25% bonus to travel redemptions made through Chase Travel℠
Anniversary bonus points equal to 10% of your previous year’s eligible purchases

The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a larger number of benefits. We also think the Sapphire Preferred benefits, especially the hotel credit, are easier to use than the Capital One Venture benefits.

In particular, using the airport lounge access on the Capital One Venture Card depends on the airports you typically frequent, as Plaza Premium and Capital One Lounges aren’t available everywhere.

Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred because it has more benefits and they’re easy to use.

2. Travel insurance

The Capital One Venture and Chase Sapphire Preferred have these travel protection benefits:

Capital One Venture	Chase Sapphire Preferred
Auto rental collision damage waiver Lost luggage reimbursement Travel accident insurance Roadside dispatch Travel and emergency assistance services	Auto rental collision damage waiver Lost luggage reimbursement Travel accident insurance Roadside dispatch Travel and emergency assistance services Baggage delay insurance Trip cancellation/interruption insurance Trip delay reimbursement

The Chase Sapphire Preferred matches the Capital One Venture for available coverage, while also providing additional insurance benefits.

Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred because it has more travel coverage.

3. Transfer partners

As a redemption option on either card, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points or Venture miles to airline and hotel partners. These are the transfer partner options for the Capital One Venture:

Capital One transfer partners
AeroMexico Club Premier Air Canada Aeroplan Air France KLM Flying Blue Accor Live Limitless Avianca LifeMiles British Airways Executive Club Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Choice Privileges Emirates Skywards	Etihad Guest EVA Air Finnair Plus Qantas Frequent Flyer Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer TAP Miles&Go Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles; Virgin Red Wyndham Rewards

These are the transfer partners for the Chase Sapphire Preferred:

Chase transfer partners
Aer Lingus AerClub Air Canada Aeroplan Air France KLM Flying Blue British Airways Executive Club Emirates Skywards Iberia Plus IHG Rewards Club	JetBlue TrueBlue Marriott Bonvoy Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards United MileagePlus Virgin Atlantic Flying Club World of Hyatt

Capital One has more transfer partners, but the actual value of transfer partners depends on which ones align with your travels.

For example, Chase transfer partners include World of Hyatt, while Capital One transfer partners include Wyndham Rewards. If you prefer to transfer points to one of those loyalty programs over the other, that’s a sign of which travel partners would be more valuable for you.

Winner: It’s a tie because the better transfer partners depend on your travel preferences.

4. Rewards rate

The Capital One Venture helps you earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day, 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25.

The winner here ultimately comes down to your spending habits and preferences. But we prefer the Capital One Venture because it’s easier to use and earn bonus miles without worrying about spending categories.

Winner: Capital One Venture because it has a simple rewards rate that could appeal to more people.

5. Travel portal redemption value

You can redeem Capital One miles through Capital One Travel at a rate of 1 mile per 1 cent. That means 10,000 miles equals $100 in travel redemptions through Capital One Travel.

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you get a 25% boost to travel redemptions made through Chase Travel℠. That boosts your standard redemption rate from 1 point per 1 cent to 1 point per 1.25 cents. In other words, 10,000 points equals $125 in travel redemptions throughChase Travel℠.

If you like using travel portals for your travel redemptions, the Chase Sapphire Preferred provides a better redemption value.

Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred because of its boost to travel redemptions made through Chase Travel℠.

Which credit card should you choose?

When you should choose Capital One Venture

You already have a relationship with Capital One
You prefer a simple rewards rate
You prefer Capital One transfer partners
You want to combine rewards between applicable Capital One credit cards
You prefer Capital One Venture travel perks

When you should choose Chase Sapphire Preferred

You already have a relationship with Chase
You prefer a rewards rate with multiple bonus categories
You prefer Chase transfer partners
You want to combine rewards between applicable Chase credit cards
You want more travel insurance options
You prefer Chase Sapphire Preferred travel perks

FAQ

Which is better, the Capital One Venture or the Chase Sapphire Preferred?

The choice between the Capital One Venture and Chase Sapphire Preferred cards depends on your preferences. If you’re loyal to specific transfer partners or prefer Venture miles or Chase Ultimate Rewards points, choose accordingly.

Capital One Venture earns 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day, 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25. It also offers up to $120 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® fees.

On the other hand, Chase Sapphire Preferred provides 25% more value on points redemptions for travel booked through the Chase portal, which is beneficial if you use other Chase cards. It also has a broad range of bonus categories.

Is the Capital One Venture worth it?

The Capital One Venture is worth it if you’ll get value from its rewards and benefits. This is one of the best travel credit cards because of its high earning potential, low $95 annual fee, and useful benefits. This includes up to a $120 fee reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, points transfer options to over 10 travel loyalty programs, and different types of travel insurance.

Does the Chase Sapphire Preferred give you airport lounge access?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred doesn’t include complimentary airport lounge access as one of its offered benefits. If you want access to airport lounges while traveling, consider cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® or The Platinum Card^® from American Express. The Sapphire Reserve offers free Priority Pass lounge access while the Amex Platinum offers both Priority Pass and Amex Centurion Lounge access. Select benefits require enrollment.

What credit score do you need for the Capital One Venture card?

You likely need a good or excellent credit score to qualify for the Capital One Venture Credit Card. Good credit scores typically start above 660 while excellent credit scores are often above 780. However, credit scores can vary based on the scoring model, and Capital One may also take into account other factors affecting your creditworthiness when considering your application.

What credit score do you need for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

You typically need a good or excellent credit score to qualify for the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Good credit scores generally start at 660, and excellent credit scores are typically 780 or above. However, credit scores can vary based on the scoring model. Keep in mind that Chase may also consider credit factors other than your credit score when reviewing your credit card application.

Capital One Venture vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred: bottom line

Overall, we recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred over the Capital One Venture because it has more travel perks, including a higher number of travel insurance benefits.

But we still think the Capital One Venture is an excellent choice, especially if you want a simple rewards rate for making everyday purchases.

For our top travel credit card offers, check out our list of the best travel rewards credit cards.