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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 Capital One 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 super 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
Lounge access, rental car protections, etc
Both cards come with a Priority Pass membership; however, the Capital One Venture X loses restaurant access on 1/1/2023 giving Chase the advantage. But.. Capital One has access to over 150 Plaza Premium lounges ( which are very nice ) and Chase does not.
You’ll 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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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.
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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.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
A Monkey Miles favorite for beginners and point pros alike – a staple of our wallet that earns Premium transferrable Ultimate Rewards. $95 annual fee
♥ Earn 60k Bonus Points after $4k Spend in 3 months
♥Points are transferrable to over dozen partners, or redeemable for 1.25c in Chase travel
♥5x on travel purchased via Chase Travel and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
♥3x on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out
♥3x on select streaming
♥ 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs
♥ $50 Annual Credit on hotel stays purchased via Ultimate Rewards. *New cardmembers can get this credit immediately – existing cardmembers get it after anniversary
♥ 10% Anniversary Point Bonus. Spend $10k in a year, get 1k bonus points.
Why choose just one? I have both, and the combined miles are taking us to Europe on Business later this year. Great products! Appreciate you using our links:
Sapphire Reserve:
https://www.referyourchasecard.com/19/3H2W8815GI
Venture X:
https://capital.one/3IhBDdZ
Hi,
If you are interested in getting the Venture X, please consider using my referral link. I would greatly appreciate it! Capital One is currently offering 75,000 miles for spending $4000 in the first 3 months.
Here’s my Venture X referral link: https://capital.one/3WSFmTK
Capital One Venture X: Earn 75K miles after spending $4000 in the first 3 months.
https://capital.one/3tNYUvH
Good Luck! Thank You!
I have both Cap 1VX and CSP cards and use them according to the bonus categories. Very much appreciated if you’d like to sign up with my referral code:
Cap 1 Venture X referral
https://capital.one/3X4vve5
Chase Preferred Referral
https://www.referyourchasecard.com/6f/X2SIJC52CX
For anyone interested in getting the Venture X credit card, here’s my referral link: https://capital.one/3DvaOjG
I have both cards and use them according to the bonus categories. Very much appreciated if you’d like to sign up with my referral code:
Capital One Venture X: https://capital.one/3TaRJsu
Chase Sapphire Preferred: https://www.referyourchasecard.com/6f/DKZGRP3482
Capital One Venture X: Earn 75K Miles after spending $4000 in the first 3 months.
https://capital.one/3u4vMRH
Good Luck! Thank You!
So, if I have an 8 year old CSP, I cannot sign up for a CSR and get the 60k SUB, correct? I am having a hard time with that part.
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.