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The best rewards credit cards come with benefits that elevate your travel experience and have large bonus offers, like the bonus on the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, which is generally considered one of the best travel cards to earn miles with.
For a limited time, new Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card cardholders can earn 75,000 miles once they spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening, plus they’ll receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit their first cardholder year. Earning the entire bonus is equal to $1,000 in travel!
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card are two of the top-rated travel cards, and I hold both cards in my wallet. Both Chase and Capital One credit cards offer valuable rewards on travel, including the ability to transfer points/miles to travel partners. Cardholders also earn rewards on common purchases, making these cards viable for everyday use. They also come with no foreign transaction fees and a low $95 annual fee.
Current Sapphire Preferred vs Capital One Venture Bonus Offers:
- $250 Capital One Travel credit + 75,000 bonus miles offer: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- 60,000 points offer: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Is the Capital One Venture Card or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Better?
Earning a signup bonus on a new credit card can set you up for some fantastic rewards. Depending on the card, earning that bonus can also give you a boost in travel, allowing you to use the bonus points/miles to offset travel purchases. You might want to check out our roundup of the best credit card offers as well. Otherwise, here is what is being offered between the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Cards.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Bonus Offer
For a limited time, new Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card cardholders can earn 75,000 miles once they spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening, plus they’ll receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit their first cardholder year. Earning the entire bonus is equal to $1,000 in travel!
Side By Side Comparison of the Bonus Offers
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns 2x miles on all purchases, redeem miles for travel statements, TSA PreCheck, or Global Entry fee credit of up to $100, and you can transfer your Capital One miles out to travel partners. However, earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Capital One Venture miles can be redeemed for travel at a $.01 per mile ratio or used for cash back. Unfortunately, the cashback ratio is half the value of the redemption for travel. For example, 75k Venture miles are worth $750 in travel.
Even though you earn more points with the Capital One Venture, you can get more value from your points with the Sapphire Preferred because it has transfer partners that offer more flexibility. Plus, you have more options when it comes time to use your points.
Winner: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Bonus Offer
New Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.
You must have a decent income and credit score when applying for the Sapphire Preferred.
The $95 annual fee isn’t waived for the first year, but the bonus and perks on the Sapphire Preferred card justify the annual fee, IMHO. I’ve kept my Sapphire Preferred open for several years and have no plans of canceling anytime soon.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns points, which can be used for a statement credit, redeemed for travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal, or transferred out to Chase travel partners. You can get the most value by transferring your Sapphire points to airline or hotel partners.
It’s easy to conclude that both travel cards have their advantages. But is the Chase or Capital One card better? It depends.
| Card: | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card |
|---|---|---|
| Credit Card Network: | Mastercard | VISA |
| Credit Card Company | Capital One Credit Cards | Chase Credit Cards |
| Required Credit Standing: | Good or Excellent | Good or Excellent |
| Annual Fee: | $95 | $95 |
| Type of Reward: | Mileage | Point-Based |
| Sign-up Bonus Details: | Get $250 to use at Capital One Travel plus earn a 75,000-mile bonus after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. | New Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel℠. |
| Additional Rewards: | Earn and receive double miles per dollar with every single purchase | Earn and receive Ultimate Reward points with every single purchase, with extra points earned on dining, travel, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services |
Which is Better? Capital One Venture or Chase Sapphire?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capital One Venture cards both have some great perks.
I like the simplicity of earning 2x miles on all purchases that the Capital One Venture offers and the TSA PreCheck credit.
Still, I think the Chase Sapphire Preferred has more robust benefits, especially for travel transfers.
Capital One Venture Rewards Perks
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns 2x miles per $1 on all purchases. Nifty. However, earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
There is a $95 annual fee, but it comes with no foreign transaction fees and Capital Credit Tracker (which gives you access to your credit score). It also comes with TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee credit, up to $100.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Perks
The Chase Sapphire Preferred comes with no foreign transaction fees, chip & signature technology, primary CDW on car rentals, $10,000 trip cancellation insurance, and many more travel benefits that make the Sapphire Preferred worth it.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns unlimited:
- 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Anniversary Hotel Credit)
- 3x points on dining (including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out)
- 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target®, Walmart®, and wholesale clubs)
- Also 3x points on select streaming services
- 2x points on all other travel purchases
- 1x point per $1 spent on all non-bonus purchases
There is a $50 annual Hotel Credit. It comes in the form of a statement credit that will automatically be applied to your account when your card is used for hotel accommodation purchases made through the Chase Travel℠ program, up to an annual maximum accumulation of $50.
Plus, on each account anniversary, you’ll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year. So, if you spend $25,000 on purchases, you’ll get 2,500 bonus points.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Best Point System? Chase Points or Capital One Miles
Ok, on to the point and rewards, which set the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capital One Venture cards apart.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card earns Chase points. These points are major flexibility. A big part of its popularity comes as being one of the best transferrable points programs as Chase partners with tons of top-notch loyalty programs.
Currently, you can transfer your Chase points to several Chase travel partners:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France/KLM Flying Blue
- British Airways Avios
- Emirates Skywards
- Iberia Plus
- JetBlue True Blue
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
- United Airlines MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- World of Hyatt
- Marriott Bonvoy
- IHG Rewards Club
All of these transfer 1:1 from Chase.
Related: When To Transfer Chase Points To Travel Partners?
Capital One Venture
You can transfer your Venture miles to these travel programs:
- Aeromexico Club Premier
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France/KLM Flying Blue
- Avianca LifeMiles
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Airways Guest
- EVA Air Infinity MileageLands
- Finnair Plus
- Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Club
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- ALL
- Wyndham Rewards
You can now transfer miles to ALL (Accor Live Limitless) and Wyndham Rewards hotels. Learn more about Capital One hotel transfer partners. Additionally, Capital One also has new airport lounges to visit.
Both the Capital One Venture and Chase Sapphire Preferred cards have an excellent set of transfer partners. However, the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s partners are vastly easier for novice redemptions, and the 1:1 transfer ratio gives it the extra push it needs to take the win for best transfer partners.
Verdict: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Why Does Chase Have a Better System?
Not only do you have the flexibility to use your points through the Chase Travel℠ website, you can transfer points out to travel partners. This is where the real value is found.
Some of my favorite travel partners to transfer Chase points out to are Hyatt, British Airways, Southwest, United, and Singapore Airlines.
Here are just a couple of examples of how I could get more than $500 in value by transferring my out to travel partners.
I could fly Aer Lingus one-way in business class from Boston to Dublin for only 37,5000 British Airways Avios (transfer partner) points! That same flight could cost up to $3,594, or 359,400 Venture points. Ummmmm, no thanks.
Hyatt Redemption Example
Another example is that by transferring 50,000 points to Hyatt, I could get two free nights at the Park Hyatt (category 5 property) in Melbourne, Australia. Swanky. Two nights at the Park Hyatt in Melbourne can easily run $600, so 60,000 Venture points.
The lesson is that you probably don’t want to primarily earn Venture points if you’re going to use them for international travel, especially premium travel.
However, fixed value points can be useful for trains, taxis, b&bs, and taxes on award tickets, travel expenses that miles don’t cover.
I think it’s important to diversify your miles and points, so having fixed value points is a plus, but if I had to choose, I would focus on transferable points because that’s where you can get more value from your points.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Misc Benefits of Chase vs Capital One
It’s worth mentioning that Capital One will pull ALL three credit bureaus when seeing if you’re creditworthy for their cards. Ouch. That’s important to know since having fewer inquiries will keep your credit score in better condition and give you more room to apply for other rewards cards if that’s your style.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred perks include complimentary trip cancelation insurance, auto rental insurance, and baggage delay insurance. Depending on how often you travel, these perks can give you colossal value when your bags are delayed.
On the other hand, Capital One Venture has a more limited set of perks. It offers a Global Entry fee waiver, secondary auto rental insurance, and travel accident insurance. So if you don’t have Global Entry already, this can save you $100.
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Capital One Venture: Which Card is Better for Restaurants?
The Capital One Venture and Chase Sapphire Preferred cards are two of the most popular travel credit cards on the market right now. They both come with a competitive sign-up bonus, and they both earn more points/miles per $1 on eligible dining purchases than other cards.
So, which is better for your dining purchases, Capital One Venture vs Chase Sapphire Preferred?
Well, let’s take a look.
Read The Fine Print
Now, you may be thinking, if both of the credit cards give you rewards spent on dining, what’s the big deal? Aren’t they both the same? There’s more to consider.
For one, let’s think about what dining actually means.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers 3x points on what the brand considers “restaurant and dining expenses.” This includes select takeout and delivery as well.
While they say this includes charges at “merchants whose primary business is sit-down or eat-in dining,” there are definitely things that don’t apply.
For example, you’ll find you don’t always get your points at merchants that do other things beyond selling food and drink. While you may think eating at a restaurant at a sporting venue, a hotel, or a casino counts as dining, that may not be the case for Chase Sapphire Preferred, as their terms say they may not count.
With the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, each purchase earns 2x miles per $1 spent. That includes food purchases at a restaurant, at a hotel, at a mall, etc. Still, if you’re set on Capital One, the Capital One Venture Rewards is one of the best Capital One credit cards for travel.
However, earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Other Little Extras Between the Venture and Sapphire Preferred
There are some other little extras to Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Capital One Venture cards, and those are worth taking a look at.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card allows you to redeem your miles for travel with no blackout dates, and your miles will never expire.
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, there are also no blackout dates or travel restrictions through the Chase online portal.
Which Chase or Capital One Bank Card is Best for You?
Ultimately, when you get down to it, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is useful for those people who are casual travelers. They have the option of transferring Venture miles out to travel partners. They might also like a simple way of redeeming their points.
Plus, if you’re getting 2x miles per dollar spent on absolutely everything, you don’t have to worry about the money you’re spending on actual travel and dining because you’re getting the same amount across the board. You can dine out with friends anywhere you want. Then you can buy some new furniture across town. You’ll be earning the same amount. You’ll earn 2x miles on everything. That’s a pretty good deal.
Just remember, you also earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
But, if you’re a more frequent traveler, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card could work very well for you. You’ll be spending the money on the things that earn the most points — dining and travel — and you can also enjoy that 1:1 point transfer with all your favorite airline and hotel loyalty programs. For those of us who are really into our loyalty programs, those transfer abilities can be a big deal. You can transfer Capital Miles to airlines too, but at a lower rate, and the airlines aren’t as ideal. They can still be precious, though.
Related Posts:
- Capital One Venture vs Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Capital One Venture Credit Score Needed
- Guide to Sapphire Application Rules
Additional Capital One Venture and Sapphire Preferred Benefits
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: Trip delay and cancellation benefits
Both cards offer some additional card benefits. While you won’t see airline miles fee credits or complimentary airport lounge access like a premium travel credit card, these benefits can still save you money when traveling.
Capital One Venture
The Venture Rewards Card’s best additional benefit is a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit of up to $100. This saves you up to $100 every four years, and you can get through airport security and U.S. Customs sooner.
Other Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card shopping benefits include Paribus, which monitors your recent purchases to file price protection claims if the merchant drops the price in the near future. The Wikibuy tool can help you save money before you buy, as this tool compares the prices from multiple online merchants to find the lowest price.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Capital One Venture card’s additional benefits help save you money when your travel plans get delayed or canceled. For instance, you can be reimbursed up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip in non-refundable travel purchases with trip insurance and cancellation coverage.
You can also be reimbursed for incidental expenses like lodging and toiletries due to trip or baggage delays.
Another valuable benefit of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the primary coverage for rental car collision and theft damage up to the vehicle’s cash value. Most credit cards, including the Capital One Venture Rewards credit card, only offer secondary coverage, which activates after your regular auto insurance policy benefits have been applied.
Related Articles: Can You Transfer Freedom Unlimited Points to Sapphire Preferred?
Summary of Capital One Venture vs Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Capital One Venture will always be an ongoing discussion. Capital One Venture Rewards can be the better option for earning more miles on your daily spending. You also have flexible redemption options that make it easy to use your miles.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a sound card if you are willing to sacrifice the 2x flat-rate rewards that come with the Venture Rewards Card. It’s also good if you prefer redeeming your points for upcoming travel with either the 25% travel redemption bonus or the Chase 1:1 transfer partners. And if you spend a lot in the dining, travel, select streaming services, and eligible online grocer categories, you’re likely better off with the Sapphire Preferred.
60,000 points ($750 when redeemed for award travel) bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
$250 Capital One Travel credit + 75,000 bonus miles offer: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
See Other Credit Card Offers in 2024 Below:
- 60k point offer: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Best Miles Credit Card with at least 2x miles earned: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Great for Foodies: American Express® Gold Card
- Best Luxury Credit Card: The Platinum Card® from American Express
- Airline Credit Card for Incidental Fees: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
FAQs
Who are the Chase transfer partners?
The Chase travel partners include Aer Lingus AerClub, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways Executive Club, Emirates Skywards, Air France KLM Flying Blue, Iberia Plus, JetBlue TrueBlue, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Southwest Airline Rapid Rewards, United MileagePlus, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, IHG Rewards Club, Marriott Bonvoy, and World of Hyatt.
Who are the Chase Portal partners?
The Chase Travel℠ portal partners include Apple, Adidas, Amazon, Clarins, Kiehl’s, Nike, Walgreens, Sam’s Club, Vistaprint, ProFlowers, Aveda, Groupon, Sephora, Blue Apron, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Restaurant.com, and more.
What is the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s spending limit?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred’s minimum spending limit is $5,000. On average, cardholders have reported that their credit limit was raised to $10,000 after a few months of making payments on time and paying their card in full. Still, as many as 10% of users have reportedly received a credit limit of $20,000 or more.
What are the spending categories for the Chase Sapphire Preferred?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns unlimited:
- 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Anniversary Hotel Credit)
- 3x points on dining (including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out)
- 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target®, Walmart®, and wholesale clubs)
- Also 3x points on select streaming services
- 2x points on all other travel purchases
- 1x point per $1 spent on all non-bonus purchases
Contents
Use this table to jump to specific comparison factors for these cards:
- Which Card Has the Best Sign-Up Bonus?
- Side By Side Comparison Chart
- Which Card Has Better Perks?
- Best Points System? Chase Points or Capital One Miles
- Which Card is Better for Restaurants?
- Is a Chase or Capital One Bank Card Better for You?
- Other Options
- Additional Benefits
- Summary
- FAQs
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I am undecided and confused about what to do about my possible renewal of my Chase Sapphire Card. Is it worth it? I have numerous other cards, including the Chase Freedom, and cannot decide if it is worth paying the annual membership fee.
Remember you must have a Sapphire Preferred or Ink card to be able to transfer your points out to travel partners. The Freedom alone doesn’t allow you to, but you can combine your Freedom points with the CSP, or Ink cards. I have all three cards, and pay the annual fees on them, because they each add value in different ways. Hope this helps!
Can you apply for the Sapphire Preferred from Chase AND the Capital One Venture cards?
Yes, it’s possible since the Sapphire Preferred and Capital One cards are issued from different banks. Make sure your credit score is in good standing, and that you can handle both minimum spending requirements though.
when you say minimum spending, what does that mean exactly? like there has to be a certain amount used every month on the card or else?
Do the travel points on the Sapphire card ever expire?
No, Ultimate Rewards points with the Sapphire Preferred won’t expire, unless you cancel your card.
I am thinking of getting the Sapphire card but is it worth it for someone who isn’t using it for business? Can you accrue enough points to make up for the fee?
The Sapphire Preferred is a personal card, and I think the benefits are definitely worth the annual fee. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Of course you totally ignore the fact the Venture gives you 2x the points on everything. Based on my own spending for the last year – I would end up with 89K with Venture card and only 58K with Sapphire. On top of it the Venture card is like pure cash. Yes, you use it to erase travel – but you can view it as a 2% cashback card since you can apply your points to misc ‘travel’ costs.
You can use your Ultimate Rewards points as pure cash too. You can get more value out of 58k UR points than 89k Venture points, since they don’t have a fixed value.
Obviously you didn’t read the article.
If there’s no foreign transaction fee with Sapphire Preferred, does that mean I can add an authorised user who’s lives in another country? Or are there any catches with doing this? Thanks!
You should be able to add your authorized user without any hiccups.
What’s the minimum spending requirement for the Sapphire and the Venture? Which is better if you are going to put a ton of money on a card in a short amount of time and want to use the points in the next 2 years for international travel first class at luxury resorts? Also, how many credit bureaus does the Sapphire pull from when you apply?
The Sapphire Preferred is a much better option if you’re wanting to fly internationally in a premium cabin. It currently has a minimum spending requirement of $4k in 3 months, and one credit bureau is most likely all that will be pulled. Capital One pulls 3, which is another reason I don’t like applying for Capital One cards. Hope this helps!
How much money do you need to spend annually on the Chase Sapphire Preferred to offset the annual fee with direct travel perks/reimbursements approximately? Thanks!
Also, how much do you need to spend to offset annual fee on Capitol One? Thanks!!
Both cards waive the annual fee for the first year, & offer a nice sign-up bonus. But to justify paying the annual fee and keep the cards open you would need to earn at roughly 10,000 points through spending, imho.
I am trying to decide between the two cards. I focus primarily on international travel, but I don’t usually use the luxury hotels and airlines. In fact, I usually book with the cheapest airlines, and I stay in hostels in order to provide me with extra cash for travel excursions or future destinations. Would you still recommend the CSP?
Yes, it earns Ultimate Rewards points which are extremely flexible, so they are good for any type of travel. Or you can even use your points for statement credits, or to book travel through their online website at a discount. Hope this helps!
would it absolutely not make sense to get both?
They both are solid cards, and it really depends on your travel/spending plans. I prefer the points that the Sapphire Preferred earns, and I like that Chase doesn’t pull all 3 bureaus when applying. But yes, you can get both. Just make sure you’re comfortable with the minimum spending requirements.
Hey, good article! What’s the minimum spending requirements for the Sapphire?
$4,000 in 3 months and you will receive 50,000 Ultimate Reward points.
I am 32. Credit score 803. I currently have the capital one venture card. I use it for everything and just pay it off every month. (Utilities, food, clothes, car insurance,cell phone etc.). My monthly bill is average $1200-$1600. With the sign up bonus I have got about 85k points. I plan on using the points for travel. Do you think I would be better to get the sapphire card?
Ultimate Rewards points earned from the Sapphire Preferred are more versatile. And there’s a nice sign-up bonus of 50k points that is very solid.
I’m trying to decide if I should get the sapphire or capital one. I don’t travel a lot. I’m only 21 and my spending is around $1000-1300 only. Now I have chase freedom. It only give 1 cent every dollar u spend. So I’ve been thinking I think it’s better if I get mileage instead of cash back. And I saw the benefits from both cards. Good thing capital gives 2x miles to every purchase, but base on the reviews that I read, many people chose sapphire than capital one. Any suggestions?
The Capital One points aren’t as valuable as the Sapphire Preferred UR points, since they have a fixed value. You can transfer UR points out to multiple travel partners, so they are definitely more flexible. Plus, the Sapphire Preferred has a larger sign-up bonus.
Another HUGE perk to the CSP card is that you can shop through Ultimate Rewards and get up to 25pts per dollar on purchases you would normally make anyway. For example, just bought something through Rite Aid for 10pts per dollar, I spent $50 so I got 500 points. For things like Proactiv face cream, it’s 25pts per dollar. I buy pet food through Petsmart online now. Can’t be beat
I’m leaning towards the Chase card, but I’d be looking to predominantly earn points through every day purchases (bills, groceries, gifts, etc). I’ve never had a rewards card so I’m not sure how the benefits shake out. Would I be better of with Capital One’s 2 to 1 points on all purchases vs Chase’s 1 to 1 on all (other) purchases. I’m assuming most of my purchases would fall in the “other” category. Or are Chase’s transferable points, and other benefits enough to outweigh the points gap?
You talked anout transferring the points out of the chase saphire through the ultimate portal- is there usually a fee for this?
No, there’s no fee to transfer your Ultimate Rewards points out to one of their transfer partners.
Thank you for this!!!! Two questions: What is your method of using multiple travel reward cards since you have the CSP and one/some of their partner airlines? Which one do you use on spending? For example, do you use all your spendings on CSP and transfer your points to that partner airline whenever you want to fly with them? Also, is the 20% off for traveling through their ultimate rewards – is that only for the ones shown above (British Airways Executive Club, Korean Air SKYPASS, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards®, United MileagePlus®, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Hyatt Gold Passport®, IHG® Rewards Club, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards®.) OR are their some other airlines as well??
Thank you thank you this was helpful!
Yes, I transfer all my UR points out to travel partners to maximize value. You will receive 20% off for booking travel on the UR website, not for transferring out. Hope this helps!
Which of the two would you recommend- we’re planning a wedding and going to place most of the expense on the credit card. And hoping to use the rewards/ miles for the honeymoon… which do you think would be best?
Thanks
I personally would choose the Chase card.
Re the Chase card: Offer details say that when you are redeeming for travel “The cost of travel is based on the rates and fares available through the Ultimate Rewards Travel website and travel center, and may not reflect all rates and fares that are available through other sales channels.” What does this mean – do you have to book travel through Chase’s website/travel center? If so, wouldn’t that limit your ability to comparison shop? Also, the 1.25 cent/$ value on an ongoing basis (after the initial bonus) is LESS than the Capital One Venture card, where you earn 2 pts/$ spent on EVERYTHING; 2 pts is worth 2 cents of travel credit. Capital One simply allows you to redeem your points for travel that’s already charged to your card. Capital One also provides CDW and a lower annual fee. It is a disadvantage that Cap One has no trip cancellation or trip interruption insurance.
No, you don’t have to book travel though the Chase website/travel center. I redeem all my Chase Ultimate Rewards points through transferring them out to a travel partner. That’s where you can unlock all the value. I listed several examples in the post for your guidance. The Sapphire Preferred also includes CDW.
2 points isn’t worth 2 cents when redeeming for travel with the CSP 1 reward point is worth 2.1 cents. That’s 4.2% for travel and beats the pants off Venture. 1 point for everyday purchases is 2.1% as reward points equal 2.1 cent for travel redemption. If you are looking for pure cash back, you can do that too, but the benefits come on strong for travel. Its a travel card.
I have the capital one venture card. Make about 50,000 to 60,000 annual charges per year. Only want to use points or miles for upgrades or pay for flights on long haul flights. Do I stick with Capital One. We travel a lot Iand also have a Alaskan Airline card only because we go to Maui a lot and they have the 99 Companion fare
I am questioning how you are getting total points quicker.. Let’s say I am going to spend 10,000 dollars on each card. 2500 on travel and dining, 7500 on everything else. I would have 5000 points for the travel and dining and 7500 for the rest giving me a total of 12,500 with the sapphire card. Doing it with the Venture card I would have 20,000 points which gives me 125 dollars on sapphire and 200 dollars on the venture. If I spent 5 times that amount I would have $625 on Sapphire and 1000 on the Venture for same money spent. I think this value counter acts your 625 value sapphire vs 500 Venture. I hope I said it right
That’s incorrect. 1 reward point with CSP is worth 2.1 cents when redeeming for travel.7500 x2.1 is over 15,750 points alone. 2500 bucks for dining is 10,500 points as its 4.2% for 2 reward points at 2.1 cent per point. Using UR further maximizes point redemption.
@Bill Cody: The way I see it, if you’re everyday spending is going on a card and NOT travel, you’re must better off with a 2x reward even factoring in 1:1 transfer or any other benefits on the Chase Sapphire. It would be very tough to be a double reward for someone not spending the majority in the travel category. Yes, you’re losing some flexibility and other rewards but those may not be realized anyway. I’ve done similar math and no way, no how is the Chase Sapphire going to beat the CapOne or Barclay card – but that is for my situation which is hardy any travel spending and mostly all household spend. Also, note the author has a disclaimer at the top: “We do receive compensation from our advertising partners for links on the blog. Here’s our full Advertiser Policy.” which likely factors into the heavy lean towards ChaseSapphire…
Everyone’s situation is different and spend habits are different. It’s important to heavily research on SEVERAL sites to remove as many biases as possible and do math for your situation!
Noted. However, when one factors in a 4.2% burn rate on dining and travel, the CSP shines. For dining alone, the CSP makes up its annual fee for me in about 3 months. I eat out everyday, for most meals. Even without travel, that more than pays for itself. That’s just based on my spend though. 1 Chase reward point equals 2.1 cents, not 1 cent like many other cards. When you factor that in, I think one can find differences in the cards more pronounced.
I just got the chase card for the sign up bonus yesterday. While I’m happy to have that, I’m completely disillusioned by the Chase card in all other ways. I take many New York City trains, Amtrak trains, and taxis. I like traveling budget airlines and hostels. I often book hotels through a writers conference website where they’re getting a special deal. Venture One caters to ALL of that. Just put the purchase through the purchase eraser. Done. With the Chase card, I have to book an expensive airline or call to get a budget airline, hotel options are limited, and I can’t use Amtrak. I’ll use the Chase card and get my bonus, but after that, I’m accruing points on the Venture One.
I’m still confused on the points comparison, and yes, I did read the article -:). Perhaps it’s my primary uses: I rarely use the card on travel and I redeem points for air tickets, rent cars and buy hotel and B & B stays.
Venture gives 2 points for every $ spent and Sapphire 1 point. Why wouldn’t Venture be better?
Hey Henri, thanks for reading the blog. It comes down to flexibility and value of points. With Ultimate Rewards points you have the option to transfer them out to over 10 travel partners like United, Hyatt, etc. Once in their loyalty programs, your redemptions will be based on their loyalty program. For example, you can redeem 30,000 United miles (UR transferred in) for a one-way ticket on United to Europe. Let’s say this one-way economy ticket to Europe cost $600 (good deal) then you would need 60,000 Cap One Venture miles. The value gets even better if you redeem your miles for premium flights. This is just one of many examples. Hope this helps.
What about the Barclayus Card? You get miles on all purchases and 5 percent of the redeemed miles back.
Is there a minimum monthly spending limit after the original 3 month limits in the beginning to get the bonuses?
No. There is not
This article is heavily biased. I got the chase Sapphire card after reading all the great reviews and honestly it’s not as flexible as it is advertised. The listed prices on the chase sure are often higher than what I find independently, and Chase does not offer airbnb or booking.com which often have cheaper less expensive options. Also, for international flights they do not offer budget flights partners. Overall, the card was oversold on its benefit and I am cancelling it for capital venture as soon as year is over.
Hi Amy – you can book airbnb or any travel and then use your points to cover the redemption on your statement. The real value with Ultimate Rewards points is to transfer them out travel partners especially for international travel. For example, you should transfer your Chase points to United where you can book a round-trip ticket to Europe for 60,000 miles. I hope this helps!
Concerning transfer value – with the Chase at 1:1 to transfer and the Venture at 0.75 (1.5:2) on face value Chase is the better card. However, and please correct me if I’m wrong that doesn’t seem to over ride the 2 miles/points on all purchases from the Venture card. As an example say I needed to transfer enough over to have 40000 miles at partner sight. Obviously with the Chase I would transfer 40000 points however with the Venture I would need 53333.33 miles. Doesn’t seem like a good deal until you consider that all things being the same in this example with the Venture card I racked up 80000 miles to the 40000 on the Chase (granted this is over simplified as the exact difference wouldn’t be exactly 1/2 given equal rewards (2 points/miles) for travel and dining)
It seems that as long as the Venture transfer rate is higher than 0.50 (this is probably little higher when considering the travel and dining rewards being equal between the two cards) there’s more benefit to it as you earn more miles/points. It still seems that if you’re going to have one everyday card the Venture may be better. Again if the math is off please let me know, I’m trying to decide which card to get myself and I have never use travel partners and point/mile transfers for any travel plans.
Also, worth considering Chase points receive a bonus when redeemed through their online portal as well. Your thinking isn’t off, but I think both the Capital One Venture and Chase Sapphire Preferred complement each other well since they have different transfer partners. I have both of them for that reason, but if I had to choose one – it would be the Chase Sapphire Preferred. It has a better bonus, and I prefer its transfer partners.
I travel to France 2x annually and fly Air France and sometimes Delta(Skyteam). I am looking for a Visa/Mastercard for expenses where my American Express Gold is not accepted. Is the ratio difference when transferring directly to Air France for The Venture card compensated by it’s 2x everyday use….I don’t go to restaurants frequently……..
Hi Deborah, yes, if you use the Venture card regularly you can make up the difference of the lower transfer ratio, however, it would take some significant spending. Hope this helps,
Thank you so much for this informative knowledge.
People tend to just assume the Sapphire is better when it really depends on your spending & lifestyle habits and there are many Sapphire card holders that would likely do better with the Venture due to its simplicity.
Yes, ultimate rewards are technically “worth” more, but the reality is a good deal more nuanced than this.
First, getting the most value out of chase ultimate rewards requires that you transfer them to travel partners. For some people this works well; for others not so much. For generic travel redemptions (i.e. if you’re like me and drive a lot and/or stay in non-chain hotels) you will do significantly better with the Venture.
Second, the fact that Venture scores 2x miles on everything, for most consumers, more than offsets the fact that chase points transfer in full. Consider a scenario where you spend 25000 on the card in a year, with 6,000 of it being on dining & travel.
Venture = 50,000 miles, worth $500 in direct travel redemption, or worth $700 for transfer
Sapphire = 30,000 points, worth $375 in direct travel redemption, or worth $600 for transfer
Note that this also doesn’t factor in the 5x miles rate for capital one travel, nor does it factor in the $100 credit for TSA/Global Entry, which effectively makes the AF $75 on the Venture.
A good rule of thumb if 1/3 or less of your spend goes to Sapphire’s bonus categories, Venture will likely serve you better, so check the math on it before you commit.
Things get a lot more complicated when you introduce partner cards, which is a whole different beast with each card having some great pairing options.
Are Chase’s and Capital One’s call centers offshore from the US? Will they transfer to US if asked?
I’m not 100% sure. I think just depends on time and department. I’ve always had good customer service with them.