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Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Capital One Venture

Both cards cost $95 a year and offered 75,000-point or -mile bonuses on Nov 10, 2026. The difference is how you earn: Sapphire Preferred rewards categories, Venture pays 2X on everything.

By PickedFinance Editorial TeamLast updated Rates checked Nov 10, 2026

Advertiser disclosure: links on this page go straight to each issuer’s or insurer’s own site. We don’t earn a commission from any product on this page, and no company paid to be included or to be placed higher. Commissions never affect which products we include or how we order them. How we make money.

How this page was made: it’s built from each provider’s own terms, rate and fee pages and from regulator sources, all listed at the bottom. We haven’t opened these accounts or products to test them, and we don’t give scores. Every rate shows the day we checked it. Our methodology.

Quick answer

Short answer: if much of your spending is dining, streaming, online groceries, gas or Chase Travel, Sapphire Preferred earns more (3x to 5x) (Nov 10, 2026). If your spending is spread out, Venture’s 2X on every purchase is simpler and beats Sapphire’s 1x on uncategorized spending. Both charge $95 and neither has a foreign transaction fee.

Last updated Rates checked Nov 10, 2026

Key facts at a glance

Key facts (each rate shows the day we checked it)
Chase Sapphire Preferred® CardCapital One Venture Rewards
Welcome bonus75,000 points after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months as of Nov 10, 202675,000 miles after $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months as of Nov 10, 2026
Annual fee$95 annual fee as of Nov 10, 2026$95 annual fee as of Nov 10, 2026
Base earn rate1x on other purchases2X on every purchase
Top earn rates5x Chase Travel; 3x dining, select streaming, online grocery, gas, EV charging, vacation homes; 2x other travel5X hotels, vacation rentals, rental cars via Capital One Travel
CreditsUp to $100 a year for hotel stays via Chase TravelUp to $120 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck

We read Chase’s Sapphire Preferred card page and its pricing and terms page, and Capital One’s Venture page, on Nov 10, 2026. We don’t assign a cash value to points or miles. Links go directly to each issuer with no affiliate tracking.

Choose Sapphire Preferred for category spending and Chase Travel; choose Venture for a flat 2X on everything and transfers to 15+ programs.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Capital One Venture Rewards

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card vs Capital One Venture Rewards: side-by-side

Issuer pages, Nov 10, 2026
Chase Sapphire PreferredCapital One Venture
Welcome bonus75,000 points after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months as of Nov 10, 202675,000 miles after $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months as of Nov 10, 2026
Annual fee$95 annual fee as of Nov 10, 2026$95 annual fee as of Nov 10, 2026
Base earn rate1x on other purchases2X on every purchase
Top earn rates5x Chase Travel; 3x dining, select streaming, online grocery, gas, EV charging, vacation homes; 2x other travel5X hotels, vacation rentals, rental cars via Capital One Travel
CreditsUp to $100 a year for hotel stays via Chase TravelUp to $120 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
Foreign transaction feeNo foreign transaction fee as of Nov 10, 2026No foreign transaction fees as of Nov 10, 2026
Purchase APR19.49%–27.74% APR (variable) as of Nov 10, 202619.74%–28.74% APR (variable) as of Nov 10, 2026

What are the pros and cons?

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: pros

  • 3x on dining, online grocery, streaming, gas and more
  • 5x on Chase Travel
  • Annual Chase Travel hotel credit
  • Points don’t expire while the account is open

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: cons

  • Only 1x outside its categories
  • $5,000 spend needed for the bonus

Capital One Venture Rewards: pros

  • 2X on every purchase
  • Transfers to 15+ travel loyalty programs
  • Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit
  • Lower bonus spend ($4,000)

Capital One Venture Rewards: cons

  • No elevated dining or grocery rate
  • No bonus if you got a Venture or Venture X bonus in the past 48 months

Which should you choose: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Capital One Venture Rewards?

Neither card is better for everyone. Add up a typical year of spending: the more of it lands in Sapphire Preferred’s 3x and 5x categories, the more it pulls ahead; the more is uncategorized, the better Venture’s flat 2X looks.

Choose Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card if…

  • You spend a lot on restaurants, streaming, online groceries or gas
  • You’ll book travel through Chase Travel
  • You can spend $5,000 in 3 months without stretching
Visit Chase (opens in a new tab)

Choose Capital One Venture Rewards if…

  • You want one rate on everything
  • You travel internationally and want transfer options to 15+ programs
  • You’d use the Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit
Visit Capital One (opens in a new tab)

A quick way to compare

Take $1,000 of monthly spending. If $400 is dining and online groceries and $600 is other purchases, Sapphire Preferred earns 1,200 + 600 = 1,800 points a month; Venture earns 2,000 miles. If $700 were dining and groceries, Sapphire would earn 2,400 points against Venture’s 2,000 miles. Points and miles aren’t worth the same thing, so compare them against how you plan to redeem.

Who should skip this

  • You carry a balance. Both cards’ variable APRs start around 19.5%; interest outweighs rewards.
  • You won’t use travel rewards. A no-fee cash back card avoids the $95 fee.
  • You want premium perks. Compare Capital One Venture X on our travel cards page.

Frequently asked questions

Which has the bigger bonus?
On Nov 10, 2026 both showed 75,000: Sapphire Preferred points after $5,000 in purchases in 3 months, Venture miles after $4,000 in 3 months.
Do either charge foreign transaction fees?
No. Chase’s terms list none for Sapphire Preferred and Capital One’s page says Venture has no foreign transaction fees.
Which is better for dining?
Sapphire Preferred: 3 points per $1 on dining including takeout and eligible delivery, versus Venture’s 2X on all purchases.
Can I get the Venture bonus if I had Venture X?
Capital One says you may not be eligible if you received a Venture or Venture X bonus in the past 48 months.
Do you earn money if I apply?
No. Both links go straight to the issuers with no affiliate tracking.

Sources

Every source below was opened and read for this page (rates last checked Nov 10, 2026). Providers’ own pages are labeled with the provider’s name; regulator pages are labeled with the agency. Rates and terms change often, so confirm on the provider’s site before you apply.

  1. Chase: Sapphire Preferred card page (creditcards.chase.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
  2. Chase: Sapphire Preferred pricing & terms (sites.chase.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
  3. Capital One: Venture Rewards card page (capitalone.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
  4. CFPB: Credit cards key terms (consumerfinance.gov, checked Nov 10, 2026)
comparison

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Sapphire Reserve

Reserve costs $700 more a year than Preferred. It gives that back only if you use its credits (travel, dining, The Edit hotels) and lounge access. Otherwise Preferred earns similar points for far less.

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