The Capital One Venture and Chase Sapphire Preferred are the two most popular $95/year travel cards — and the default choice for anyone stepping up from a no-fee card. Both earn transferable points, offer solid travel insurance, and waive foreign transaction fees. But they earn rewards differently, redeem differently, and have different transfer partner ecosystems. This is the complete comparison.
Quick verdict: The Capital One Venture is better for people who want a simple flat-rate card with no categories to track. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is better for people who eat out frequently and are willing to optimize their spending for higher category bonuses.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Feature
Capital One Venture
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Annual fee
$95
$95
Sign-up bonus
75,000 miles
60,000-75,000 points
Bonus spend requirement
$4,000 in 3 months
$4,000 in 3 months
Dining
2x
3x
Travel
2x
5x Chase Travel / 2x other
Groceries
2x
1x
Gas
2x
1x
Everything else
2x
1x
Base redemption value
1¢/mile (travel eraser)
1.25¢/point (Chase portal)
Transfer partners
15+ airlines
14 airlines + hotels
Best hotel transfer
None standout
Hyatt (2-2.5¢/point)
Foreign transaction fee
None
None
Travel insurance
Trip cancellation + delay
Trip cancellation + delay
Rental car insurance
Secondary
Primary
Global Entry/TSA
$100 credit
$100 credit
Network
Visa
Visa
Rewards Earning Comparison
Annual Rewards by Spending Pattern
Category
Monthly Spend
Venture (2x flat)
CSP (category bonuses)
Dining/restaurants
$350
700 miles
1,050 pts (3x)
Groceries
$500
1,000 miles
500 pts (1x)
Travel
$250
500 miles
875 pts (3.5x avg)
Gas
$200
400 miles
200 pts (1x)
Streaming
$50
100 miles
50 pts (1x)
Everything else
$1,150
2,300 miles
1,150 pts (1x)
Monthly total
$2,500
5,000 miles
3,825 pts
Annual total
$30,000
60,000 miles
45,900 pts
Value at base redemption
—
$600 (1¢)
$574 (1.25¢)
Minus annual fee
—
$505
$479
The Venture earns 31% more points/miles on typical mixed spending because of the 2x flat rate on non-bonus categories. The CSP only catches up if you spend heavily on dining and travel (its 3x and 5x categories).
When Each Card Earns More
Your Spending Profile
Winner
Why
Even spending across categories
Venture
2x everything vs 1x on most
Heavy dining ($600+/month)
CSP
3x dining overcomes flat-rate gap
Frequent Chase Travel portal user
CSP
5x through portal is massive
Groceries + gas heavy
Venture
2x vs 1x on both categories
Mostly non-category spending
Venture
2x vs 1x on everything else
Travel + dining only
CSP
Higher bonus category rates
Redemption Value Comparison
Redemption Method
Venture Miles
Chase UR Points
Erase travel purchases
1.0¢
N/A
Travel portal booking
N/A
1.25¢
Transfer to airlines (avg)
1.0-2.0¢
1.5-2.5¢
Transfer to hotels (avg)
0.5-0.8¢
1.5-2.5¢ (Hyatt)
Statement credit
0.5¢
1.0¢
Gift cards
~1.0¢
~1.0¢
Chase points are worth more per point in almost every scenario. But the Venture earns more points on typical spending. The net effect washes out for most people — with a slight Venture edge for simple users and a CSP edge for transfer optimizers.
Best Transfer Partners
Capital One Ventures Best Redemptions
Partner
Transfer Ratio
Best Use
Turkish Miles & Smiles
1:1
Star Alliance flights (often cheapest)
Air Canada Aeroplan
1:1
North America + Star Alliance
Avianca LifeMiles
1:1
Cheap Star Alliance business class
Emirates Skywards
1:1
Middle East + Europe flights
British Airways Avios
1:1
Short-haul flights (US domestic)
Chase Sapphire Preferred’s Best Redemptions
Partner
Transfer Ratio
Best Use
Hyatt World of Hyatt
1:1
Best hotel value in the industry
United MileagePlus
1:1
Star Alliance flights
Southwest Rapid Rewards
1:1
Domestic flights, Companion Pass
Virgin Atlantic
1:1
ANA/Delta partner flights
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
1:1
Europe flights
Key difference: Chase has Hyatt (the single most valuable hotel transfer), United, and Southwest. Capital One has Turkish Miles & Smiles (often the cheapest Star Alliance redemptions) and a broader airline network. Neither has Delta (that’s Amex) or American Airlines (that’s Citi).
Travel Benefits
Benefit
Venture
CSP
Trip cancellation
Up to $5,000
Up to $10,000
Trip delay
$500 (6+ hours)
$500 (6+ hours)
Baggage delay
$500 (6+ hours)
$500 (6+ hours)
Lost baggage
$3,000
$3,000
Rental car primary insurance
✗ (secondary)
✓ (primary)
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck
$100 credit
$100 credit
Emergency assistance
✓
✓
No foreign transaction fees
✓
✓
The CSP’s primary rental car insurance is a significant advantage. It means you don’t need to file through your personal auto insurance first — saving hassle and avoiding rate increases. The Venture’s rental coverage is secondary (your personal insurance pays first).
The CSP also offers double the trip cancellation coverage ($10,000 vs $5,000).
Annual Fee Value Analysis
Both cards charge $95/year. Here’s the breakeven:
Capital One Venture
Metric
Value
Annual fee
$95
Annual miles earned (avg household)
~60,000
Miles value (1.0¢ base)
$600
Net annual value
$505
Breakeven spending
$4,750/year ($396/month)
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Metric
Value
Annual fee
$95
$50 hotel credit
+$50
Effective annual fee
$45
Annual points earned (avg household)
~45,900
Points value (1.25¢ portal)
$574
Net annual value
$529
Breakeven spending
$3,800/year ($317/month in bonus categories)
Who Should Get Each Card
Get the Capital One Venture If You…
Scenario
Why Venture Wins
Want simplicity
2x everything — no categories to manage
Spend a lot on groceries/gas
2x vs CSP’s 1x on both
Are new to travel rewards
Easier to understand and use
Prefer to erase travel purchases
Venture’s “Purchase Eraser” is flexible
Don’t use the Chase travel portal
CSP’s 5x bonus requires portal bookings
Get the Chase Sapphire Preferred If You…
Scenario
Why CSP Wins
Eat out frequently ($400+/month)
3x dining vs 2x
Will book through Chase Travel
5x through portal is best-in-class
Stay at Hyatt hotels
Best hotel transfer value anywhere
Fly United or Southwest
Chase-exclusive partners
Rent cars frequently
Primary rental insurance saves hassle
Plan to upgrade later
CSP upgrades to Sapphire Reserve
Upgrade Paths
Card
Upgrades To
Annual Fee
Key Upgrade Benefit
Venture
Venture X
$395
Capital One lounges, 10x miles on hotels/car via portal, $300 travel credit
Both premium upgrades offer airport lounge access and $300 in annual travel credits that offset the higher fees. The Venture X is cheaper ($395 vs $550) and includes Capital One lounge access (new, growing network). The Sapphire Reserve offers Priority Pass lounges (larger, established network) and 1.5¢/point in the travel portal.
The Bottom Line
For the same $95 annual fee, the Capital One Venture is the better card for most people — the flat 2x rate on all spending earns more rewards on typical mixed spending, with no categories to optimize. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is better for dining-heavy spenders and anyone who will actively use the Chase travel portal or transfer to Hyatt. If you’re choosing your first travel card and want simplicity, get the Venture. If you’re willing to optimize, the CSP has higher upside.
WealthVieu researches and writes data-driven personal finance guides using primary sources including the IRS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, and Census Bureau.
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