If you’ve recently been trying to decide between the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, congratulations… you are already looking at two fantastic options.
That said, even if you end up with both, there’s still a decision to be made.
These cards get grouped together all the time because they hit very similar sweet spots with solid travel perks, flexible points, super reasonable annual fees, and little upkeep.
Let’s look at the two most popular mid-tier travel cards side-by-side to see which one makes sense for you.
How These Cards Compare
Think of the Venture Card as the simple, powerful, “no math required” travel card.
As someone who hates math with a deep, fiery passion, I freaking love the Venture Card.
You earn miles quickly, you can redeem them easily, and you don’t have to track any rotating categories or monthly credits. It’s just easy.
The Sapphire Preferred, on the other hand, involves a tad more strategy. It rewards you for knowing how (and where) to spend, and it’s great if you plan to transfer points to hotel and airline partners, for example.
Neither of these cards is flashy, but they’re both incredibly useful. The real questions come down to what trip you’re looking at, where you spend the most money, and your long-term goals.
💡 Pro Tip: If you want instant, easy travel value with minimal learning curve, the Venture Card wins out, in my opinion. If you’re planning future Hyatt stays or international airline transfers, the Sapphire Preferred can be super valuable.
Annual Fees and Credits
Both cards keep things super reasonable.
Venture Card Annual Fee: $95
Sapphire Preferred Annual Fee: $95
Again, the Venture Card keeps it simple:
Up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
$50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
The Sapphire Preferred includes:
$100 in statement credits each year for hotels booked through Chase TravelSM
Up to $120 in TSA PreCheck/Global Entry/NEXUS credit every four years
Neither card overloads you with credits, which is honestly kind of the point. If we’re talking sheer numerical value, the Sapphire Preferred wins out.
Earning and Redeeming Points
5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
2x miles on everything else
5x points on travel booked through Chase Travel℠, qualifying Lyft rides (through Sept. 30, 2027), and on eligible Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $150 (through December 31, 2027)
3x points on dining, select streaming, online grocery, gas and EV charging, and vacation rentals at top brands (like Airbnb and Vrbo)
2x points on other travel
1x points on everything else
The Sapphire Preferred rewards intentional spending. The Venture Card rewards all spending.
💭 My Take: If you want to earn solid rewards without thinking about it, then the Venture Card is ideal. If you enjoy optimizing categories and squeezing extra value from specific purchases, the Sapphire Preferred is a little more fun.
Transfer Partners vs. Simple Redemptions
Both cards earn flexible points or miles that transfer to travel partners. There are many partners shared between the two, as well as several partners that are unique to each one. This can make or break your decision of which card to get! There’s nothing worse than seeing a great flight you want to book… then realizing that your points don’t transfer to that airline. 😬
Overlapping Transfer Partners
All of the following transfer from both Capital One or Chase, and most of these are strong partners with even more airlines you could fly on when booking partner awards (i.e., booking Delta flights through Flying Blue).
Partner | Chase Transfer Ratio | Capital One Transfer Ratio |
|---|---|---|
Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 | 1:1 |
British Airways Avios | 1:1 | 1:1 |
Flying Blue/KLM | 1:1 | 1:1 |
JetBlue | 1:1 | 5:3 |
Singapore Airlines | 1:1 | 1:1 |
Virgin Atlantic | 1:1 | 1:1 |
Wyndham Rewards | 1:1 | 1:1 |
Capital One Transfer Partners
Capital One miles transfer to 15+ partners. These are the partners Capital One has that Chase does not:
Partner | Transfer Ratio |
|---|---|
Accor | 2:1 |
Aeromexico | 1:1 |
Avianca | 1:1 |
Cathay Pacific | 1:1 |
Choice Hotels | 1:1 |
Emirates | 2:1.5 |
Etihad | 1:1 |
EVA Air | 2:1.5 |
Finnair Avios | 1:1 |
Japan Airlines | 2:1.5 |
Preferred Hotels | 1:2 |
Qantas | 1:1 |
Qatar | 1:1 |
TAP Air Portugal | 1:1 |
Turkish Airlines | 1:1 |
Capital One miles are also super versatile too, since you can:
Book travel through Capital One Travel
Or cover eligible travel purchases at a flat 1 cent per mile
✨ Dream Session: Here are five real trips you could book using just the welcome offer from the Venture Card alone.
Chase Transfer Partners
Chase Ultimate Rewards points are famous for many reasons, but one big one is that they transfer to Hyatt for incredible hotel stay value. You can also transfer to many domestic and international hotel and airline partners that Capital One does not have:
Partner | Transfer Ratio |
|---|---|
Aer Lingus | 1:1 |
Hyatt | 4:3 for Sapphire Preferred, 1:1 for Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders |
Iberia | 1:1 |
International Hotel Group (IHG) | 1:1 |
Marriott | 1:1 |
Southwest | 1:1 |
United Airlines | 1:1 |
While at first glance, Capital One has more transfer partners, don’t discredit Chase on sheer quantity alone. Chase has some of the strongest partners in the industry - some say the strongest suite.
Hyatt is everyone’s darling hotel partner - for good reason. Hyatt award nights offer outsized value, even for cardholders of the Sapphire Preferred getting the 4:3 transfer ratio. Marriott and IHG are also strong hotel partners.
And for domestic travel, having the ability to transfer to Southwest, United, and JetBlue at a 1:1 ratio covers almost all your bases.
Travel Protections and Extras
Both of these cards include:
Trip delay and cancellation coverage
Lost luggage protection
Primary rental car insurance
No foreign transaction fees
You’re well-covered either way. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has slightly stronger protections, especially since it now includes up to $100,000 in emergency evacuation and transportation when you’re traveling 100+ miles away from your home.
Which Card Is Right for You?
Choose the Venture Card if:
You want easy earning and easy redemptions
You don’t want to track categories, or don’t spend much on dining, gas, travel
You like flexibility with flights, hotels, and vacation rentals
Choose the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card if:
You spend decently on dining, gas, online grocery, and travel
You already have other Chase cards and want to build a points ecosystem
You enjoy being a little strategic with your rewards
Bottom Line
The Venture Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card aren’t necessarily “rivals,” but they’re just built slightly differently.
The Venture Card is the ultimate no-brainer travel card for its ease of use.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is still a classic for a reason. If you love transfer partners and want outsized value with a little bit of strategy, it’s still one of the smartest cards you can hold.
And if you’re asking which one I’d start with today? It’d be Venture Card first. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card later. But I’ll leave you with one final thought… “¿Por qué no los dos?” 😌
