Capital One Venture vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve

The Capital One Venture is a great starter rewards card, while the Chase Sapphire Reserve is a premium pick with a premium price tag. Here’s how they stack up.

	Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	Chase Sapphire Reserve®
FinanceBuzz star ratings	4.7 FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	5.0 FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
FinanceBuzz value calculation1	Year one earnings: $1,521 Year two earnings: $771	Year one earnings: $2,023 Year two earnings: $1,123
Annual fee	$95	$550
Welcome bonus	Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening — valued at $750 when redeemed for travel	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening — valued at $900 when redeemed for travel booked through the Chase portal
Earning rate	2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day, 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25	5X points on flights and 10X points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually; 3X points on other travel and dining & 1X points per dollar on all other purchases
Statement credits	Up to $120 TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit $50 experience credit on Lifestyle Collection bookings	$300 travel credit Up to $100 TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit
Travel perks	Hertz Five Star status Basic travel protections	Priority Pass Select membership 50% bonus to travel redemptions when booked through the Chase portal Comprehensive travel protections
Foreign transaction fee	None	None
Credit needed	Excellent, Good	Excellent
	Learn more	Learn more

When to go with the Capital One Venture

The Capital One Venture might be the better option if:

• You want a lower annual fee
• You are looking for a starter credit card
• You prefer Capital One’s unique transfer partners

Low annual fee

The Capital One Venture has a $95 annual fee, whereas the Chase Sapphire Reserve has a $550 annual fee. Clearly, if you want to save money on an annual fee, you won’t choose the Sapphire Reserve.

Although the Venture requires excellent credit, it’s still largely a starter travel card. You pay a low annual fee to get a decent set of benefits and there’s very little risk or strategizing involved. If you’re new to the points and miles world, getting the Venture could be a good way to get your feet wet before you graduate to a more rewarding card.

Everyday earnings

The other place where the Venture outshines the Sapphire Reserve is in non-bonus category earnings.

The Sapphire Reserve earns 5X points on flights and 10X points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually; 3X points on other travel and dining & 1X points per dollar on all other purchases.

The Venture Rewards earns 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day, 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25.

While the difference on the non-bonus categories might not seem like a huge difference, there are plenty of purchases you make on a day-to-day basis that wouldn’t qualify for typical bonus earning categories. Being able to earn more miles on these purchases allows you to accumulate a solid chunk of miles for your next trip.

Unique transfer partners

Capital One heavily focuses on international airline partners. If you frequently travel internationally, these might be more valuable. On the other hand, Chase focuses on domestic airline and hotel brands. If you regularly travel within the U.S., this can be a great option. I prefer Capital One’s transfer partners over Chase’s, but this is entirely a personal preference and will depend on your travel goals. If you want access to both sets of partners, you can have cards issued from both issuers.

When to go with the Chase Sapphire Reserve

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is the better choice if:

• You want airport lounge access
• You want comprehensive travel protections
• You want greater value for your points
• You can utilize the annual travel credit

Statement credits

The only statement credit offered by the Capital One Venture is up to $120 for the TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee once every four years. The Sapphire Reserve offers a $100 statement credit plus a $300 annual travel credit, which helps offset the annual fee. Although some credit cards like the Venture X require you to redeem your travel credit through the travel portal, the Sapphire Reserve’s credit is flexible and easy to use.

Airport lounge access

The Capital One Venture previously gave cardholders two free visits per year to Capital One Lounges or Plaza Premium Lounges. Unfortunately, this benefit ends on December 31, 2024.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers a Priority Pass Select membership, which includes unlimited free access to more than 1,300 airport lounges within the Priority Pass network. It also grants access to the new Sapphire Lounges by The Club. Although only a few locations are currently open, it’s a quickly growing network that will be more valuable in the coming years.

Point valuation

Capital One miles are worth 1 cent per mile if you redeem them for travel. Thus, 10,000 miles have a redemption value of $100. Chase Ultimate Rewards points have a base value of 1 cent per point, but their travel redemption values vary depending on your Chase credit card. Travel redemptions with the Chase Sapphire Reserve receive a 50% bonus—10,000 points are valued at $150 through the Chase travel portal.

Travel coverage

Both cards offer travel protections, but the Sapphire Reserve has the most comprehensive coverage.

Partner benefits

As a Sapphire Reserve cardholder, you get benefits from several different partners. You’ll get two years of Lyft Pink All Access (activate by 12/31/2024) and 10 points per dollar on Lyft rides until March 31, 2025, a complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership for a minimum of one year (activate by 12/31/2027), 10 points per dollar on Peloton purchases over $150 through March 31, 2025, and a suite of benefits on hotel bookings through The Edit.

In comparison, the Venture Rewards card only offers Hertz Five Star status and a $50 experience credit to use onsite when booking a Lifestyle Collection property.

Transfer partners

Both the Capital One Venture and Chase Sapphire Reserve allow you to transfer points and a 1:1 ratio to several leading programs. There’s some overlap between the transfer partners. For instance, both cards offer transfers to Air Canada, Emirates, Air France/KLM, Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic. However, each has unique transfer partners that might be more or less valuable, depending on where you like to fly or which hotels you want to visit.

Partners unique to Capital One:

• Aeromexico Club Premier
• Cathay Pacific ‒ Asia Miles
• Avianca LifeMiles
• Choice Privileges
• Etihad Guest
• Finnair Plus
• Qantas Frequent Flyer
• TAP Miles&Go
• Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
• Wyndham Rewards

Partners unique to Chase:

• AerClub, loyalty program of Aer Lingus
• Iberia Plus
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
• United MileagePlus
• IHG Rewards Club
• Marriott Bonvoy
• World of Hyatt

A closer look at the welcome bonuses

The Capital One Venture offers a welcome bonus. New cardholders can earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. This gives a total value of $750.

The Sapphire Reserve allows new cardholders to earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. This is worth $900.

FAQs

Bottom line

There’s no question that the Chase Sapphire Reserve is the better credit card when compared to the Capital One Venture Rewards. However, you’re comparing apples to oranges — a $95 annual fee card will have different benefits than a $550 annual fee card.

When deciding on a credit card, analyze your spending habits and travel goals to ensure the card of your choosing aligns with your lifestyle. Although the Sapphire Reserve is a fantastic card, it might not be the most suitable option for someone who rarely travels in the same way the Venture might not be ideal for a full-time digital nomad.

You can always pair them to maximize your benefits if you can't decide between them. I have the opposite pairing — the Venture X with the Sapphire Preferred, but the benefits are comparable. Pairing cards tend to unlock their full potential.

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Current Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Annual Fee

$550

Rewards Rate

5X points on flights and 10X points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually; 3X points on other travel and dining & 1X points per dollar on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Up to $300 in annual travel credits
• Great rewards on travel purchases and dining
• Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership
• Comprehensive travel protections, including trip delay and cancellation insurance
• 50% point redemption bonus when booking through Chase Travel

Drawbacks

• $550 annual fee
• High spending requirement for the welcome offer
• $75 annual fee for each authorized user

Card Details

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Member FDIC