travel credit cards · Tool Face-Off

Capital One VentureOne vs Chase Sapphire Preferred

Quick answer

Chase Sapphire Preferred wins for serious travelers who can use transfer partners, but Capital One VentureOne is a no-brainer for fee-shy beginners who still want to earn miles.

Capital One VentureOne

No-fee miles for the casual traveler

3.4★

Our pick

Chase Sapphire Preferred

The gold standard starter travel card

4.3★

Annual Fee

$95

Base Rewards Rate

1.25x miles on everything

3x dining, 2x travel, 1x other

Welcome Bonus

~20,000 miles (~$200 travel)

60,000 points (~$750 via portal)

Foreign Transaction Fee

None

Transfer Partners

15+ airlines & hotels

14 airlines & hotels (United, Hyatt, etc.)

Point/Mile Value (avg)

~1 cent per mile

~2 cents per point (transferred)

Travel Portal Redemption

1 cent/mile on any travel purchase

1.25 cents/point via Chase Travel

Trip Cancellation Insurance

Yes (up to $10,000/trip)

Primary Rental Car Insurance

Yes

Dining Rewards

1.25x everywhere

3x at restaurants

Credit Score Needed

Good (670+)

Good-Excellent (700+)

Intro APR Offer

0% APR for 15 months

None

Capital One VentureOne

Ease of Use★★★★½

Rewards Rate★★★☆☆

Travel Perks★★½☆☆

Sign-up Bonus★★½☆☆

Annual Fee Value★★★★★

Transfer Partners★★½☆☆

Redemption Flexibility★★★½☆

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Ease of Use★★★★☆

Rewards Rate★★★★☆

Travel Perks★★★★☆

Sign-up Bonus★★★★½

Annual Fee Value★★★★☆

Transfer Partners★★★★★

Redemption Flexibility★★★★½

Worth knowing

Chase Sapphire Preferred's 60k bonus alone can cover the annual fee for ~6 years if redeemed well.
VentureOne's 0% intro APR period is a rare perk among travel cards—useful if you're financing a big trip upfront.
Sapphire Preferred includes a $50 annual hotel credit via Chase Travel, softening its $95 fee.
Capital One's transfer ratio to some partners is 1:1, but others are only 2:1.5—read the fine print.
Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be pooled from other Chase cards, multiplying Sapphire Preferred's value.

Chase Sapphire Preferred was so popular at launch that Chase had to briefly stop accepting applications—apparently people really love paying $95 for a metal card.

If you want

You want a travel card with zero annual cost

VentureOne is one of the only no-fee cards that still earns transferable travel miles—rare in this category.

→ Pick Capital One VentureOne

If you want

You want maximum value per dollar spent

Sapphire Preferred's transfer partners and 3x dining rate can easily yield 2x the value of VentureOne over a year.

→ Pick Chase Sapphire Preferred

If you want

You're new to credit and building your score

Lower credit score threshold and a 0% intro APR make it a friendlier starting point.

→ Pick Capital One VentureOne