Capital One Venture X vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
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The information for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card are two of the best travel rewards credit cards available. The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers bonus rewards on travel, dining, online grocery and streaming purchases and a handful of additional benefits and perks for just a $95 annual fee. 

The Capital One Venture X is a more premium card that offers a higher base earning rate on all purchases and offers more included benefits like a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee credit and lounge access. But this elevated collection of perks comes with a higher $395 annual fee.

Deciding between the Capital One Venture X vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred will depend significantly on what you want from a travel credit card.

Capital One Venture X vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred overview

The Capital One Venture X and Chase Sapphire Preferred have some similarities and quite a few differences.

Rewards and benefits

Earning rewards

Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capital One Venture X offer competitive rewards rates.

• Chase Sapphire Preferred: Earn 5 points per $1 on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per $1 on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
• Capital One Venture X: Earn 2 miles per $1 on purchases, 5 miles per $1 on flights booked through Capital One Travel and on purchases through Capital One Entertainment and 10 miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel.

The Venture X also gives you 10,000 miles each account anniversary, while the Sapphire Preferred will match 10% of your points earned in the previous year, meaning if you spend $25,000 you’ll get 2,500 points.

When it comes to rewards, which card will earn you more points depends on your spending habits. The Chase Sapphire Preferred has bonus categories in a few non-travel categories, but if you don’t spend a lot in those categories, it may be better to stick with the Capital One Venture X’s more simple rewards structure. 

Redeeming rewards

Redeeming your rewards for travel is likely going to provide the most value on both of these cards. 

The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a slight advantage over the Capital One Venture X for cardholders who don’t want to jump through hoops to utilize transfer partners. It offers 25% more value when you redeem points through Chase Travel, making points worth 1.25 cents each. 

The Capital One Venture X’s miles are worth 1 cent each when redeemed through Capital One Travel.

However, you can often get even more value from both programs by transferring your points to their travel partners. 

Transfer partners

Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capital One Venture X offer a wide range of transfer partners. Consider which list is most appealing to you before deciding which card to get.

Welcome bonus

Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capital One Venture X offer sizeable welcome bonuses:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred: Earn 75,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
• Capital One Venture X: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

As you consider the value of these bonuses, remember that with the Chase Sapphire Preferred your points will be worth 1.25 cents each when redeemed for travel through the Chase Travel portal.

Travel benefits

Both cards have significant travel benefits but of an entirely different nature.

The Capital One Venture X offers a $300 annual travel credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel. You’ll also get access to over 1,300 airport lounges, including Priority Pass (enrollment required) and Plaza Premium lounges, as well as Capital One Lounges, to rest and refuel while waiting for a flight. Plus, you’ll get an application fee credit up to $100 for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, Hertz President’s Circle status² and a $50 experience credit for every Lifestyle Collection hotel booking. 

Since the Venture X is a Visa Infinite card, you’ll also receive an auto rental collision damage waiver, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, trip delay coverage and travel accident insurance.¹

The Chase Sapphire Preferred comes with an impressive array of travel protections for a card with such a low annual fee. If you book travel with your Preferred card you’ll be covered by trip cancellation/interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement and travel and emergency assistance service. You can also save on the cost of car rental coverage with the card as it comes with a primary auto rental collision damage waiver. Plus, you can get up to $50 in annual statement credits for hotels booked through Chase Travel.

Winner for rewards and benefits: Venture X

Fees and charges

Annual fee

Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capital One Venture X charge annual fees. While the Sapphire Preferred comes with a $95 annual fee, the Venture X costs about four times more, with an annual price tag of $395.

Clearly, the Capital One Venture X has a higher annual fee, but it comes with a $300 annual travel credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel. If you can consistently take advantage of this credit, it makes the net cost of the two cards comparable. After that, you’d want to see which benefits and perks are most valuable to you. 

If you don’t want to pay an annual fee, consider one of the best credit cards with no annual fee.

Foreign transaction fees

Neither card charges a foreign transaction fee.

Winner for fees and charges: Chase Sapphire Preferred

Additional perks

Purchase protection

Both cards offer purchase protection. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you can get 120 days of protection from damage or theft up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account. The Venture X offers purchase security for 90 days and will reimburse you for damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.¹

Extended warranty protection

Both cards offer extended warranty protection and will extend the manufacturer’s warranty by one additional year on eligible warranties that are three years or less.¹

Cellphone protection

Only the Capital One Venture X offers cellphone protection. If you pay your cellphone bill with your card, you’ll be covered up to $800 if your phone is stolen or damaged.¹

Winner for additional perks: Venture X

Capital One Venture X might be right for you if:

• You want access to airport lounges.
• You want a higher base rate of earning on your spending.
• You’re more advanced with travel rewards and want access to different transfer partners. 
• You’re looking for one of the best Capital One credit cards.

Those looking for a premium travel rewards credit card may also want to compare the Capital One Venture X and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

Chase Sapphire Preferred might be right for you if:

• You’re looking for a solid travel card with a lower annual fee.
• You’re just dipping your toe into the world of travel rewards.
• You want the flexibility to redeem your rewards for increased value without using transfer partners.
• You also have a Chase Freedom Flex℠
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  The information for the Chase Freedom Flex℠ has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
  
  or Chase Freedom Unlimited® and want to increase the value of the rewards earned on those cards by redeeming for boosted value.
• You’re looking for one of the best Chase cards.

Those looking for a credit card without a high annual fee may also want to compare the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
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The information for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

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Bottom line

The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capital One Venture X are two of the best credit cards available. The Capital One Venture X charges a higher annual fee but offers a higher base rewards rate and more premium travel benefits. 

The Chase Sapphire Preferred charges a lower annual fee but still offers some of the best travel protections available on any credit card. Which card is right for you will depend on your travel preferences and budget. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

^{¹For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.}

^{²Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.}