Capital One Venture X vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred: which one actually earns its fee?
These are the two travel cards I get asked about most. One is premium with lounge access and annual credits, the other is a lower-fee gateway to Chase Ultimate Rewards. Here is how they compare, and how to decide without overthinking it.
Terms apply. See the issuer's site for current rates, fees, benefits, and eligibility.
Venture X vs. Sapphire Preferred at a glance
| Venture X | Sapphire Preferred | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee tier | Premium | Mid-tier |
| Rewards | Capital One miles, flat rate on general spend, elevated on Capital One Travel bookings | Chase Ultimate Rewards points, bonus earn on travel, dining, groceries, streaming |
| Lounge access | Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, and Capital One Lounges, authorized users included | None |
| Best for | Frequent travelers who want lounge access and simple rewards | Travelers who want Chase Ultimate Rewards without a high annual fee |
| Standout perk | Annual travel credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel | Elevated earn on travel booked through Chase Travel |
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
A premium travel card built around an annual travel credit, an anniversary bonus, and unlimited lounge access - a combination that can effectively offset its annual fee for anyone who travels a few times a year.
Key benefits
- ›Annual travel credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel
- ›Anniversary bonus miles every account renewal year
- ›Unlimited Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, and Capital One Lounge access
- ›Elevated earning on hotels, rental cars, and flights booked through Capital One Travel
- ›Authorized users at no additional cost, with lounge access included
- ›Transfers to more than 15 transfer partners
Pros
- +Annual credits and anniversary miles can offset the annual fee for frequent travelers
- +Strong lounge access relative to other premium cards
- +Simple flat earn rate on general spend
Cons
- −Travel credit must be used through the Capital One Travel portal
- −Fewer transfer partners than some competing programs
- −Capital One Lounge network is still expanding
Learn more about the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Terms apply. See the issuer's site for current rates, fees, benefits, and eligibility.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
A widely recommended mid-tier travel card that provides access to Chase Ultimate Rewards and its full transfer partner lineup at a relatively low annual fee.
Key benefits
- ›Elevated earn on travel booked through Chase Travel
- ›Bonus earn on dining, online groceries, and select streaming
- ›Bonus earn on other travel purchases
- ›Annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- ›Points boost when redeeming through Chase Travel
- ›Access to Chase Ultimate Rewards airline and hotel transfer partners
Pros
- +Lower annual fee for access to a top-tier points currency
- +Strong transfer partner lineup, including hotel and airline programs frequent flyers value
- +Solid trip protections and rental car coverage
Cons
- −No lounge access or premium travel credits
- −Subject to Chase's application eligibility rules
- −Ongoing earn rates are modest compared to premium cards
Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Terms apply. See the issuer's site for current rates, fees, benefits, and eligibility.
Run the annual fee math before you apply
- ›The Venture X annual fee only makes sense if you reliably use the annual travel credit through Capital One Travel. If you book travel a few times a year, that is easy. If you rarely book travel, it is dead weight.
- ›Add the anniversary bonus miles on top of the travel credit. Together they cover a large share of the fee for most travelers who use both.
- ›Lounge access has real value if you fly through airports with Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, or Capital One Lounge locations. Authorized users are included at no extra cost, which matters if you travel with family.
- ›The Sapphire Preferred's lower fee means less to justify. Its annual Chase Travel hotel credit plus bonus categories on dining and groceries can cover the fee on everyday spending alone.
- ›Neither card is worth carrying if you revolve a balance. Interest costs will always outrun rewards value.
Frequent traveler: Venture X. Occasional traveler: Sapphire Preferred.
If you take more than two or three trips a year and value lounge access, the Venture X is the stronger card. The travel credit, anniversary miles, and lounge network can offset the fee, and the flat earn rate means you do not need to track categories.
If you travel once or twice a year and spend most of your money on dining and groceries, the Sapphire Preferred gets you into Chase Ultimate Rewards at a much lower cost, with the same flexibility to transfer points to airline and hotel partners.
Either way, the deciding factor is whether you will actually use the premium perks, not which card looks better on paper.
Terms apply. See the issuer's site for current rates, fees, benefits, and eligibility.
What I carry, and why
I carry the Capital One Venture X. The annual travel credit and anniversary miles do most of the work in offsetting the fee for me, and lounge access is the perk I use most in practice - especially since authorized users are included.
The flat earn rate is the underrated part. I do not want to think about rotating categories, and I do not want to leave value on the table because I used the wrong card. One card for almost everything is worth a lot to me.
That is my situation, not a recommendation for yours. Compare the fee against the credits you will genuinely use and decide from there.
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Get Sunday's Money Tip →Frequently asked questions
Is the Capital One Venture X better than the Chase Sapphire Preferred?
It depends on how often you travel. The Venture X carries a premium annual fee but returns an annual travel credit, anniversary miles, and unlimited lounge access, which frequent travelers can offset. The Sapphire Preferred has a lower fee and no lounge access, so it suits people who travel occasionally but want Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Which card has better points, Capital One miles or Chase Ultimate Rewards?
Both are transferable currencies with airline and hotel partners. Chase Ultimate Rewards has a longer partner list that many frequent flyers prefer, while Capital One miles are simpler to earn thanks to a flat rate on general spending.
Can I hold both the Venture X and the Sapphire Preferred?
Yes, and plenty of people do. A common setup is using the Sapphire Preferred for dining and grocery categories and the Venture X for everything else plus travel perks. Approval is subject to each issuer's own eligibility rules.
Does the Sapphire Preferred include airport lounge access?
No. Lounge access is a feature of Chase's premium card, the Sapphire Reserve, not the Sapphire Preferred. If lounges matter to you, compare the Venture X against the Reserve instead.
Keep comparing
About Patrick Di Cesare
Patrick is the founder of Basic Financial Literacy and a financial content creator with 600,000+ social followers and more than 500 million content impressions. He has partnered with Intuit, ADP, Microsoft, Quicken, and AARP, and has been quoted as a personal finance expert in Newsweek and Yahoo Finance.
Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
For 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.
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