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Capital One Venture X or Chase Sapphire Reserve?
Capital One dropped a sledgehammer on the foundation of the premium card market when they Introduced the Capital One Venture X. I applied the day it came out, was instantly approved, and even started spending on a virtual card number before I even received the physical version. I don’t think it’s any surprise who Cap1 was aiming at: Chase Sapphire Reserve.
One of the biggest questions I get on TikTok is which is better? The Capital One Venture X or the Chase Sapphire Reserve?
Let’s put them side by side so you can make the best decision between the two cards.
*Note, I can see a lot of use cases to carrying a Chase Sapphire Preferred and a Capital One Venture X at the same time – namely that the Preferred would give you 3x dining and 3x online groceries for just $95 a year and you’d get a $50 hotel credit. You could put all of your other spend on the Capital One Venture X and earn a boatload of two very valuable currencies.
Here is an overall look at the two Uber Premium Credit Cards
Capital One Venture X![]() |
Chase Sapphire Reserve![]() |
Benefit Overview
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Benefit Overview
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Are you eligible?
Chase and Capital One both have strict eligibility rules when it comes to qualifying for welcome offers.
Capital One Venture X![]() |
Chase Sapphire Reserve![]() |
Usually these are the Capital One eligibility rules; however, it seems for many people Capital One is making an exception on enforcement for this card
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5/24
1/48
Only one Chase Sapphire Premium product
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You your points from either to fly on Air France’s business class – a transfer partner of both
Where are they the same?
Both cards come with the best Priority Pass membership out there including restaurant access whereby you get a dining credit per visit for you and 2 guests. It’s phenom and much better than what Amex offers. You’ll also get primary rental car coverage, a Global or TSAPre credit every 4 years, and Visa Infinite benefits
Capital One Venture X![]() |
Chase Sapphire Reserve![]() |
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Priority Pass restaurants are an incredible benefits of the program and I extract $100s of dollars of benefit every year from using them – Yankee Pier at SFO is a great example
Earn Rates:
In terms of travel earn rates, if you’re purchasing via either card’s portal you’ll earn the same rates. The biggest differences are on base rates where the Capital One Venture X earns 2 points for every dollar vs the Chase Sapphire Reserve earns just 1. Chase Sapphire Reserve does earn 3x on dining and general travel. For another comparison, the Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 3x dining and online groceries, 2x general travel, and carries just a $95 annual fee. This is why I think holding a Chase Sapphire Preferred alongside a Capital One Venture X could be a good use of annual fee spend.
Chase Sapphire Preferred![]() |
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Earn a huge multiplier on bookings made in portal – this could be a great way to earn bonus points on hotels that don’t have reward programs like the Peninsula.
Welcome Offer + Annual Fee:
Chase made a massive splash, and the internet went crazy, when it dropped the Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k offer in 2016. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen that….it’s currently much, much less. I think Capital One has gone for a different approach and made the offer tied to a longer, higher spend threshold, and dangles an anniversary bonus to retain membership. If you add up the credits that each card yields the Capital One Venture X ends up giving customers $500 of credit on a $395 annual fee for the first year, and $400 a year on a $395 fee every year after. You’re ahead $105 if you use up those credits in the first year and $5 every year after that. It’s basically a free card if you use the credits.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve on the other hand gives a $300 travel credit ( which is much easier to use than Capital One Venture X since it isn’t tied to the portal ) on a $550 annual fee. You’re paying out of pocket $250 for the card.
Also…the Capital One Venture X includes 4 authorized users free of charge whereas the Chase Sapphire Reserve charges $75 per AU.
Capital One Venture X![]() |
Chase Sapphire Reserve![]() |
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Transfer Partners
A look at the transfer partners of Capital One and Chase. Note that Capital One is a 1:1 partner on all but Accor and EVA – Chase is 1:1 across the board. Chase has more domestic partners than Capital One, but Capital One’s list is really great. If you want more in depth uses of each one check out these posts:
In portal redemptions:
- Capital One Venture X = 1 penny per point
- Chase Sapphire Reserve = 1.5 pennies per point
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Capital One Venture X![]() |
Chase Sapphire Reserve![]() |
Aeromexico Club Premier | Aer Lingus AerClub |
Air Canada Aeroplan | Air Canada Aeroplan |
Avianca LifeMiles | Air France KLM Flying Blue |
Air France Flying Blue | British Airways Executive Club |
British Airways Executive Club | Emirates Skywards |
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | Iberia Plus |
Choice Privileges | JetBlue TrueBlue |
Etihad Guest | Southwest Airlines |
Emirates | Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer |
Finnair Plus | Virgin Atlantic Flying Club |
Qantas Frequent Flyer | United Mileage Plus |
Singapore Airlines | IHG Rewards |
TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | Marriott Bonvoy |
Turkish Airlines Miles and Smiles | World of Hyatt |
Wyndham Rewards | |
Accor transfer 2:1
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EVA transfers 2:1.5 |
Other bennies:
These are a toss up depending on where you spend most.
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Chase Sapphire Reserve![]() |
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Overall:
If you spend $400 a year on travel in the Capital One portal with your Capital One Venture X you’re getting every thing else the card provides free of charge since it gives an annual $300 travel credit and 10k Miles on your account anniversary. That completely offsets the $395 fee. The Chase Sapphire Reserve as a comparison would offset $300 worth of travel, but charge $550 every year. That leaves you spending $250 to keep the card in your wallet…personally I’d use that $250 to add either a Chase Sapphire Preferred or an Amex Gold to my wallet.
Can you use a Capital One Savor card in tandem with a venture x card the same way you can use the Chase Freedom cards with a Sapphire card?
Not enough ink is being used to emphasise that:
The $300 Annual Travel Credit
The 10x on hotels and rentals cars
The 5x on flights
..are all captive to the Capital One Travel Portal – thus no hotel loyalty benefits (Hyatt Globalist, in my case).
Interesting that you place essentially no value on the travel protection…? Or do you just think the Preferred’s is close enough? I value the Reserve travel insurance—it reimbursed me for a cancelled New Zeland trip a few years back (documented illness) so now I never buy travel insurance and instead rely on the Reserve. Your thoughts?
Hey something to note Miles, the CSR card waives the annual fee for active military under the Military Lending Act. Capital One does NOT waive that fee. I’m a CSR customer and have a Venture card. I still pay the fee on the Venture card unfortunately.
Why have CSP or amex gold?
Get chase ink, buy gift cards and use them at grocery stores.
Don’t you only need to spend $300 in the portal to get the $300 credit?
yep, the $400 = $300 cap1 travel credit + 10k cap1 miles after account anniversary which is min value of $100 in cap1 portal but could be transferred out.