The two most popular $95-AF travel cards on the market, and the closest apples-to-apples fee match in either issuer's lineup. The Sapphire Preferred earns in tiers (1x/2x/3x) and leans on Ultimate Rewards transfer partners; the Venture earns a flat 2x on everything and redeems simply against any travel purchase. Same fee, different bet on how much redemption effort you're willing to put in.
Scored against our published methodology · Updated July 18, 2026
Take the 60-second quizMid-frequency travelers (4-8 trips/yr) who want Ultimate Rewards transfer-partner access without the Sapphire Reserve's $795 AF. United still transfers 1:1, and the June 2026 refresh added 3x on gas, EV charging, and vacation rentals plus a $100 annual Chase Travel hotel credit and a $120 TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credit every four years.
Find your match
Capital One
Light-to-moderate travelers (2-6 trips/yr) who want a flat 2x miles + transfer-partner access at a $95 AF — the entry-tier sibling to the Venture X without the lounge access or anniversary mile bonus.
Find your matchBest for — by the numbers
Per-spec leads are computed from each issuer's published facts and our scored methodology — there is no single overall winner. Reviewed July 18, 2026. ClearValue Cards earns compensation solely through our CardRatings partnership, paid when a reader clicks out to CardRatings from our match tool. This compensation does not influence editorial scoring or ordering.
| Spec | Chase Sapphire Preferred | Capital One Venture |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $95 | $95 |
| 0% intro APR period | None | None |
| Ongoing APR (from) | 19.24% | 19.49% |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None |
| Rewards score | 17/20 | 15/20 |
| Fee-structure score | 16/20 | 16/20 |
| ClearValue score | 83/100 | 80/100 |
| Balance transfer fee | $5 or 5% | $5 or 3% |
| Late fee | Up to $40 | Up to $40 |
A check marks the card that leads that spec on published figures. Rows with no marker are either tied or judgment calls (fee wording, late-fee terms) where a single "winner" wouldn't be honest to the data.
Tap the spec you care about — we'll show which card leads on it.
For Ongoing APR (from), the Chase Sapphire Preferred leads (19.24%).
Readers who'll actually use United (still 1:1) or Hyatt (now 4:3) transfer partners, or who book most travel through the Chase portal
The current welcome offer is 100,000 points after $5,000 spend in 3 months — chase.com, verified 2026-07-18 (the standard offer is 75,000; confirm the live figure at issuer since sign-up bonuses change without notice). At the 1.25 cpp Chase Travel portal floor that's worth roughly $1,250, more through transfer partners. 3x dining plus the June 2026 refresh's 3x gas/EV/vacation-rentals and $100 annual hotel credit add real ongoing value on top.
See your matchesReaders who want the simplest possible redemption — no transfer partners, no bonus-category tracking
The current welcome offer is 75,000 miles after $4,000 spend in 3 months — capitalone.com, verified 2026-07-18 (confirm the live figure at issuer). 2x miles on every purchase with no categories to track, and miles redeem 1:1 as a statement credit against any travel purchase — simpler than triaging Ultimate Rewards bonus categories even though the ceiling is lower.
See your matchesReaders who take fewer than 2-3 trips a year and won't use either program's bonus categories. At that volume a $0-AF flat-rate cashback card returns more than either card's travel value net of the $95 fee.
Answer a few questions about how you spend and we'll point you to the cards that actually fit — no guesswork.
Take the 60-second quizAnnual fee
Chase Sapphire Preferred: $95
Capital One Venture: $95
Welcome bonus
Chase Sapphire Preferred: 100,000 points after $5,000 spend in 3 months — chase.com, verified 2026-07-18; a limited-time elevated offer (standard is 75,000)
Capital One Venture: 75,000 miles after $4,000 spend in 3 months — capitalone.com, verified 2026-07-18
Everyday earning
Chase Sapphire Preferred: 1x base; 2x travel; 3x dining, online groceries; 3x gas/EV charging and vacation rentals (added June 2026)
Capital One Venture: 2x on every purchase, no categories to track
Built-in credits
Chase Sapphire Preferred: $100 annual Chase Travel hotel credit; $120 TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credit every 4 years
Capital One Venture: None — the $300 travel credit is a Venture X feature, not offered on the base Venture
Redemption path
Chase Sapphire Preferred: 1.25 cpp through Chase Travel portal, or transfer to Ultimate Rewards partners (United 1:1, Hyatt 4:3, Air Canada, BA, Iberia, Singapore)
Capital One Venture: 1.0 cpp as a statement credit against any travel purchase, or transfer to a narrower Capital One partner list (no Hyatt) at up to 1.4 cpp
Foreign transaction fee
Chase Sapphire Preferred: None
Capital One Venture: None
Honest knock
Chase Sapphire Preferred: Chase cut the Hyatt transfer ratio from 1:1 to 4:3 in June 2026 — the transfer-partner math is still good, just not what it used to be, and the value tips heavily on capturing the elevated bonus and actually using transfer partners
Capital One Venture: At the 1.0 cpp default, 2x miles is a 2% cashback equivalent — no better than a no-fee flat-rate card unless you book through the portal or work a transfer-partner sweet spot
Neither is universally better — it depends on how you spend. On our published 100-point methodology the Chase Sapphire Preferred scores 83/100 (Solid pick) and the Capital One Venture scores 80/100 (Solid pick). Readers who'll actually use United (still 1:1) or Hyatt (now 4:3) transfer partners, or who book most travel through the Chase portal should lean Chase Sapphire Preferred; readers who want the simplest possible redemption — no transfer partners, no bonus-category tracking should lean Capital One Venture. Take the 60-second quiz to see which fits your profile.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred carries $95, sourced from the issuer's published Schumer Box as of July 14, 2026. The Capital One Venture carries $95, as of July 15, 2026. Fees change — confirm the current number at the issuer before you decide.
Readers who'll actually use United (still 1:1) or Hyatt (now 4:3) transfer partners, or who book most travel through the Chase portal tend to do better with the Chase Sapphire Preferred; readers who want the simplest possible redemption — no transfer partners, no bonus-category tracking with the Capital One Venture. If neither describes you cleanly, take the 60-second quiz for a match.
We score every card across five dimensions — effective rewards, fee structure, audience fit, transparency, and the weakness named — 0–20 each for a 100-point total. The Chase Sapphire Preferred earned 83/100 and the Capital One Venture earned 80/100. Scoring follows our published methodology and is never influenced by compensation.
Independent editorial comparison. ClearValue Cards is not a card issuer, a bank, or a lender. ClearValue Cards earns compensation solely through our CardRatings partnership, paid when a reader clicks out to CardRatings from our match tool. This compensation does not influence editorial scoring or ordering. Card facts are sourced from each issuer's published Schumer Box and terms — confirm current numbers at the issuer. See disclosure.
