Capital One Venture vs. Sapphire Preferred: Comparing two classic travel credit cards

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The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card was the standard for travel rewards cards among beginners thanks to the low annual fee and transfer partners. In recent years, Chase's Card has become more competitive.

Capital One Venture began as a card that offered cash back, but in 2021 it gained a lot of traction after adding hotel and airline transfer partners. Capital One miles suddenly became more valuable.

The $95 annual fee is the same for both cards, as are five of the airline transfer partners. Comparing the two cards can be a bit of a challenge, since they have different points earned. We've taken the time to compare the cards on their most important features, and we know who would benefit more from using one card than the other.

Here's an overview of the Capital One Venture and Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Welcome Bonus

Spend $4,000 in the first 3 months to get 75,000 bonus miles

Spend $4,000 in the first 3 months to earn 60,000 points.

Spend and earn

2 miles per dollar on all purchases.

Spend $5 on Lyft and get 5 points.

Travel portals offer bonus earning

Capital One Travel offers 5 miles for every dollar spent on hotel and rental car bookings.

Travel purchases made through Ultimate Rewards earn 5 points per $1, but not hotel purchases which qualify for the $50 hotel credit.

Redemption value towards travel

Transfer partners can help you get a higher value per mile.

Travel with Ultimate Rewards and earn 1.25 cents for every point. A higher value is possible by leveraging transfer partners.

Transfer partners

18 (15 airline, 3 hotel).

14 (11 airline, 3 hotel).

Airport lounge access

Capital One Premium and Plaza Premium Lounges offer two free visits each year. The cardholder can use it or a guest.

None.

Annual Credits

None.

Get $50 off your hotel bookings when you use the Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal.

Credit for Global Entry/TSA preCheck

Every 4 years, $100 is yours.

None.

Rental car elite status

Hertz Five Star.

No,

Foreign transaction fee

None.

None.

Annual Fee

$95.

$95.

Capital One Venture and Chase Sapphire Preferred offer cardholders a range of rewards. Both cards have an annual fee of $95 and waive foreign transaction charges on purchases made overseas.

Both cards offer generous bonuses upon sign-up and rewards rates that are above average for purchases. The best card depends on your spending habits and redemption goal.

Capital One Venture offers a rewards rate that is flat for every dollar you spend, no matter what category of spending it falls under. If you spend most of your money on dining or online groceries, Sapphire Preferred may be the better choice, as it earns three points per dollar spent. This card earns an additional 10% on your anniversary, which can be a significant bonus.

You should also consider the benefits of recurring travel. Capital One Venture provides two complimentary lounge visits per year, up to $100 in credit for TSA Precheck and Global Entry every 4 years, as well as Hertz 5-Star status. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers a $50 annual hotel credit that is valid for Ultimate Rewards Travel bookings.

The Sapphire Preferred offers a great welcome bonus, but depending on how you spend and travel, one card may be better than the other. If you want to redeem your rewards via a bank's travel portal, the Sapphire Preferred card will offer you 1.25 cents for each point. It also offers transfer partners such as United MileagePlus and Southwest Rapid Rewards.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred also offers more travel insurance than the Venture. These protections will be covered in detail later in this article. However, the Sapphire Preferred includes things like trip cancellation protection which is not available on the Venture.

Welcome bonuses

Capital One Venture gives a bonus of 75,000 Miles after you spend $4,000 in the first three month of opening your account. These miles can then be exchanged for $750 statement credits to cover travel expenses, such as hotels, flights and rental cars. As discussed earlier, these miles can be transferred to 15 airline loyalty programs and three hotel loyalty programmes.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers an equally attractive sign-up bonus. You can earn 60,000 points if you spend $4,000 within the first three month of opening your account. When redeemed for travel expenses such as flights and hotels, these points are worth up to $750. They can also be transferred 1:1 between 11 airline loyalty programs and three hotel loyalty programmes.

Redemption Rates

Capital One Venture members can redeem their points for travel at the rate of one cent per mile. Chase Sapphire Preferred members can redeem their points through the Ultimate Reward travel portal at 1.25 cents each. The 60,000 points are worth $750 when booked through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal.

Capital One miles can be used to pay for any travel expenses you make with your Venture card. It includes hotels, flights, taxis, trains, and anything else that is considered travel. Charge the amount to your credit card, and you can redeem the points within 90 days.

Chase does not allow you to redeem points for travel expenses that are charged on your Sapphire Preferred credit card. You can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards at 1 cent per point in exchange for a credit on your statement. You can request a credit for 5,000 points in order to pay $50 Lyft.

Transfer partners

Capital One and Chase each have their own transfer partners. However, some partners are shared like Air France-KLM Flying Blue.

The transfer partners are another difference between the cards. Capital One offers three hotel loyalty programs and fifteen airline loyalty programs while Chase offers three hotel loyalty programs and eleven airline loyalty programs. Both programs share five transfer partners: Air Canada Aeroplan (Air France/KLM Flying Blue), British Airways Executive Club (Emirates Skywards), Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Emirates Skywards.

Capital One is more inclined to work with foreign partners, while Chase is more focused on U.S. based ones. Some of these loyalty programs are more generous than U.S.-based programs. Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles, for example, allows you to book United economy class tickets from Hawaii for only 15,000 miles roundtrip. United MileagePlus charges up to 50,000 miles or more for the same ticket.

Chase also has more hotel partners that are mainstream and more powerful. World of Hyatt stands out, offering award nights as low as 3,500 points per day. IHG One Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy are also useful to U.S. travelers, as both loyalty programs have a wide footprint in the U.S. and abroad.

Here is a list with transfer partners that you can use to redeem your points.

Capital One Transfer Partners

Transfer partners for Chase Ultimate Rewards

World of Hyatt IHG Rewards Marriott Bonvoy

Protection for travel and purchases

The trip delay reimbursement reimburses expenses such as hotel and food costs incurred due to long delays.

It also offers rental car insurance, including primary coverage, on all rentals.

Capital One Venture does not offer trip delay insurance. The card reimburses you up to $500 per day if you paid for your flight using the Chase Sapphire Preferred, and it is delayed for 12+ hours. This can include things like food, hotel stays and taxi rides during your delay.

Extended Warranty

Yes.

Yes.

Buy protection

You can claim up to $500 per claim, and $50,000 per annum. Items are covered 90 days after the date of purchase.

You can claim up to $500 per claim, and $50,000 per annum. The items are covered for 120days from the date of purchase.

Rental collision damage waiver

Yes. Primary coverage in countries other than your own. Secondary coverage in your home country.

All rentals are covered by primary insurance.

Trip cancellation/interruption insurance

None.

Baggage delay insurance

None.

Reimbursement for lost luggage

Which Capital One Venture Card should you choose? Sapphire Preferred or Capital One Venture Card?

Your travel and spending habits will determine whether you choose the Capital One Venture card or Sapphire Preferred.

The Sapphire Preferred is a great option if you want to maximize your bonus categories. It earns 2 points for every dollar spent on travel and 3 points on each dollar spent on dining. If you're looking for a card that offers a simple option, Capital One Venture is the best choice. It earns 2 miles on every dollar spent.

You can transfer points to loyalty programs with high value and redeem them at a flat rate. Capital One Venture gives you more options to maximize your points by using foreign airline loyalty programs. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is the better choice if you prefer to transfer points domestically with partners such as United and Southwest.

The Sapphire Preferred card's comprehensive travel coverage is a great way to save on insurance if you are a frequent traveler. The Venture card offers a much more comprehensive set of travel benefits.

Compare the benefits of both cards before choosing which one is best for you.

Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred and learn more.

Discover the best travel credit cards available today, as chosen by CNN Underscored.