If you’re just getting started with points and miles, you’ve probably heard a lot about two of the most popular beginner travel rewards cards: the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Both are excellent choices, especially for families who want an easy way to turn everyday spending into significantly reduced travel costs.
So which one should you choose? Let’s break down the key differences in welcome bonuses, annual fees, travel protections, and extra perks to help you decide.
All information about the Chase Sapphire Preferred card has been collected independently by Vacation Pointers. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
- Visit my Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card guide to learn more!
- $50 hotel credit
- 5X on Chase Travel℠, 3X on select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs) and 3X points on dining
- $95 annual fee
- All information about the Chase Sapphire Preferred card has been collected independently by Vacation Pointers. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Welcome Bonuses
While this isn’t the only reason to open a card, it is certainly the most tempting! If you can, you want to try and open a card when the welcome bonus is elevated.
- Capital One Venture:
Currently offering 75,000 miles PLUS a $250 travel credit after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. That’s worth at least $1,000 toward travel, or potentially more when transferred to Capital One travel partners.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred:
Right now, there’s a limited-time 100,000-point offer after spending $5,000 in 3 months. These points can be used in the bank’s travel portal for $1,250 worth of travel or transferred to valuable partners like Hyatt, United, and Southwest for even more value.
✅ Winner: The Chase Sapphire Preferred, especially for those who want maximum value through point transfers or flexible booking options.
Annual Fees
Don’t let annual fees scare you off! I used to avoid them too, thinking it didn’t make sense to pay for a credit card. But once I discovered how to unlock the incredible value these cards offer, my perspective completely changed. Thankfully, both cards charge a minimal annual fee for the perks they offer.
- Capital One Venture: $95/year
- Chase Sapphire Preferred: $95/year
💰 Winner: Tie. Both cards offer solid value that easily outweighs the annual fee.
Travel Protections
One of the strongest reasons to switch from a debit card to a credit card is the unmatched travel protections. The peace of mind that comes from booking your trips with a reliable travel rewards card can make your adventures stress-free and far more enjoyable!
- Capital One Venture:
Basic travel protections like rental car insurance (secondary), travel accident insurance, and extended warranty on purchases. Notably missing: trip delay or cancellation coverage.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred:
Comes with some of the best travel protections for a card with a low annual fee:- Primary rental car insurance
- Trip delay reimbursement
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
- Baggage delay insurance
🛡️ Winner: Sapphire Preferred. The protections on the Sapphire are the clear winner. This peace of mind is huge. Even if you only pay for the taxes on an award flight using this card, you’re covered if something goes wrong.
Foreign Transaction Fees
- Capital One Venture: $0
- Chase Sapphire Preferred: $0
💰 Winner: Tie. Both cards are great options for purchases when traveling abroad.
Earning & Redeeming Points
When it comes to earning and redeeming rewards, both the Capital One Venture and the Chase Sapphire Preferred excel in unique ways. Each earns rewards that are flexible, with excellent earning rates, and access to valuable travel partners.
- Capital One Venture:
- Earns 2x miles on every purchase, and 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
- Miles can be used 2 ways: by applying them to travel purchases at a rate of 1 cent per point (as a statement credit) or by transferring them to 15+ travel partners and potentially gaining even more value.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred:
- Earns 3x on dining, streaming and online grocery, 2x on travel, and 1x on everything else.
Plus earn 5 points per $1 spent on all travel booked through Chase. - Points can be redeemed through the travel portal at 1.25 cents per point or transferred to top-tier partners like Hyatt, United, JetBlue and Southwest for much more value.
- Earns 3x on dining, streaming and online grocery, 2x on travel, and 1x on everything else.
📈 Winner: Capital One Venture for simplicity, the Sapphire Preferred for those willing to learn how to use transfers for outsized value.
Transfer Partners
You’ll almost always get the most monetary value from your flexible points by transferring them to travel partners and booking directly with the hotel or airline program. Even if some of these programs seem a bit foreign to you, you can often book flights on American Airline carriers by utilizing airline partners from the same airline alliance.
But some of my favorites partners for EASY redemptions are Virgin Atlantic, Flying Blue, Wyndham Rewards, United, JetBlue, Southwest and Hyatt.
Capital One Venture
1:1 transfer ratio
- Aeromexico Club Premier
- Air Canada – Aeroplan®
- Cathay Pacific – Asia Miles
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Choice Privileges®2
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Guest
- Finnair Plus
- Flying Blue
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- TAP Miles&Go
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- Virgin Red
- Wyndham Rewards
2:1.5 transfer ratio
- EVA Air – Infinity MileageLands
2:1 transfer ratio
- ALL – Accor Live Limitless
Chase Sapphire Preferred
1:1 transfer ratio
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- British Airways Club (formerly British Airways Executive Club)
- Emirates Skywards
- Club Iberia Plus (formerly Iberia Plus)
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
- United Airlines MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- IHG One Rewards
- Marriott Bonvoy
- World of Hyatt
Winner: Because Chase is the only bank with Hyatt as a transfer partner, and because we get SO MUCH value when using points to stay at Hyatt properties, the Sapphire Preferred is the winner in this category.
Other Perks
When a card comes with travel shopping credits it makes it much easier to justify the annual fees. Thankfully, both cards offer additional value beyond the welcome bonuses.
- Capital One Venture:
- Up to $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred:
- $50 annual hotel credit when booking through their travel portal.
- 10% anniversary point bonus.
- 12 months of complimentary DashPass and a $10 monthly DoorDash credit for non-grocery orders.
- Transfer to more valuable partners like Hyatt and United.
🎁 Winner: Depends on your travel style. If you’re more hands-off, the Venture is great. If you’re in it for the long-term value, the Sapphire Preferred wins.
Which One Is Right for You?
Here’s the TL;DR:
| Category | Capital One Venture | Sapphire Preferred |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome Bonus | 75,000 miles + $250 travel credit | 100,000 points (limited-time!) |
| Annual Fee | $95 | $95 |
| Travel Protections | Basic | Excellent |
| Best For | Simplicity | High-value travel redemptions |
| Redemption Flexibility | Easy to use | More value if you transfer points |
Final Thoughts
You really can’t go wrong with either card, but if I had to choose, the Sapphire Preferred will always be my top choice when you’re just getting started.
But both are excellent ways to dip your toes into the points and miles world. Ideally you’ll want to eventually have one of each so that you can earn different kinds of flexible points, opening you to even more travel redemption possibilities.
- Choose Capital One Venture if you want a simple, straightforward travel card with easy redemptions.
- Choose the Chase Sapphire Preferred if you’re ready to learn how to maximize value and want stronger travel protections for your family.
Check out my Chase Sapphire Preferred Guide to learn even more about why I’ll always have this card in my wallet!
👉 Want personalized help choosing the right card for your travel goals? Send me a DM on Instagram or email me at kim@vacationpointers.com. I’d love to help you get started!
More on our families free travels!
Family vacations were a near impossibility for us not that long ago. But about 5 years ago we discovered credit card points and miles and now traveling several times a year is the norm for us! If you want to learn more about how our family travels for next to nothing, I would love for you to check out my Quick Start Guide to Traveling with Points and Miles. It is a hobby that has forever changed our lives and given us the opportunity to see the world!
Not sure what card to start with? Here’s the first 7 cards I recommend everyone open first!
