This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Disclosure, visit this page.
One card that (rightfully) gets a lot of love is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. The Preferred Card comes with a 25% travel redemption bonus, 1:1 Point transfers to leading travel airlines and hotels, an annual $50 hotel credit, and the ability to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® Points. But is there a better card out there? Let’s have a look at some cards that are comparable to the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Learn more: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Is There A Better Card Than Sapphire Preferred?
There’s no doubt that the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the top travel credit cards. But it isn’t for everyone. Some folks prefer earning different rewards. Alternatively, some folks may have hit the Chase 5/24 rule and want to go with another bank. Here are some alternative options that can help decide if there is a better credit card than the Sapphire Preferred.
Credit Card Options Other Than the Sapphire Preferred:
- 75k bonus: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- 60k Points Offer: American Express® Gold Card
- Best Premium: The Platinum Card® from American Express
- Airline Credit Card for Incidental Fees: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- 75,000 bonus miles: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- 75,000 bonus miles: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is an excellent option as it has several similar benefits that make it easy to be reimbursed for travel purchases at maximum value. You can also enjoy complimentary airport lounge access and an annual travel statement credit.
The Venture X Rewards is a premium travel credit card, so it has a higher annual fee of $395. However, this cost isn’t unreasonable as it’s lower than many competing cards, and you can receive several free additional cards.
Some of the card’s best travel benefits include:
- Annual $300 Capital One Travel credit
- Airport lounge access for the cardholder and two companions (Priority Pass, Capital One Lounge, and Plaza Premium)
- Earn up to 10x miles on travel purchases
- 10,000 bonus miles on each card anniversary
- Up to $100 in Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credits
- Primary rental car coverage (a Visa Infinite benefit)
- Hertz President’s Circle status
- Cell phone protection (up to $800 per claim)
This is also a metal credit card and a Visa Infinite product.
While you won’t receive a 25% point redemption bonus when booking award travel through the credit card travel portal, you can redeem your miles on recent travel purchases or book upcoming travel at 1 cent each. There are also several 1:1 international airline transfer partners and a couple of hotel partners.
New card members can earn a 75,000 miles bonus by spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. This valuable signup bonus is worth $750 in award travel.
Related: Capital One Venture X vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
If you don’t need a premium travel credit card, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a top contender as you earn at least 2x miles per $1 on purchases and have several additional benefits that can help frequent flyers.
Instead of having to worry about a tiered purchase rewards program, all purchases earn 2x miles. Additionally, hotel and car rental bookings through Capital One Travel earn 5x miles.
You can redeem your miles as a travel statement credit by booking upcoming travel using Capital One Travel or by utilizing the 1:1 transfer partners.
Additional travel benefits include:
- Two free lounge visits per year (Capital One Lounge, Priority Pass, and Plaza Premium)
- Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (up to $100 every five years)
- Hertz Five Star status
- A secondary auto rental collision damage waiver is also a card benefit
The signup bonus for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is the ability to earn 75,000 Capital One Miles ($750 value) after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months.
This card’s annual fee is $95; additional cards are free.
Bilt World Elite Mastercard
If you pay rent, the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® can be a better credit card than the Sapphire Preferred. Here are a few reasons why:
- Earn 1x on rent without transaction fees (on the first $100,000 per year)
- 2x points on travel
- 3x on dining
- 25% travel redemption bonus (1.25 cents each, similar to the Sapphire Preferred)
- 1:1 airline and hotel point transfers
- Primary auto rental collision damage waiver
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance (up to $5,000 per passenger)
You will need to make at least five purchases per statement cycle to earn reward points on your purchases.
Your point redemption options are similar to the Chase Sapphire Preferred but with a few differences with point transfer partners. For example, you can transfer your Bilt points to American Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines (Chase doesn’t). Some overlapping 1:1 partners include United Airlines, World of Hyatt, Air Canada Aeroplan, Avios, and Flying Blue. Read about the Rewards and Benefits to learn more.
The travel insurance coverages are also impressive for a no-annual-fee card.
X1 Card
The information for the X1 Card has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The X1 Card is an excellent alternative to the Chase Sapphire Preferred when you have less-than-perfect credit. For instance, the Sapphire Preferred requires a good or excellent credit score above 670, but the X1 uses alternative data such as your income, making it easier to qualify for.
Cardholders earn:
- 2x points on every purchase regardless of category
- 3x points every time you spend $1,000 in a month
- 4x, 5x, and even 10x points for every friend who gets a card
- Up to 10x points at leading online stores such as Apple, Nike, and Sephora when you shop in the X1 App
Next, you can redeem your points for 1 cent each at participating travel brands, such as:
- Airbnb
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Hotels.com
- Southwest Airlines
- United Airlines
- Vrbo
- Zipcar
These redemptions reduce your out-of-pocket costs on travel purchases. Unfortunately, there isn’t a travel redemption bonus or 1:1 point transfers, which can make the Sapphire Preferred the more versatile option if you qualify for it.
It’s also made out of metal and weighs 17 grams, versus the Chase Sapphire Preferred weighing in at 13 grams.
The X1 Credit Card doesn’t have an annual fee but also doesn’t have a signup bonus.
When the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the Best
With so many travel credit cards to choose from, it’s tough competition. But the Chase Sapphire Preferred can be your best option for these reasons:
- 25% travel redemption bonus: Your points are worth 1.25 cents (instead of the industry standard 1.00 cents) on flights, hotels, car rentals, and experiences booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
- 1:1 point transfers: Chase Ultimate Rewards has a well-balanced list of domestic and international airline and hotel partners, while many credit cards favor foreign carriers.
- Travel insurance: The complimentary trip interruption/cancellation coverage, trip delay reimbursement, and rental car coverage are some of the best credit card travel insurance coverage.
- Annual benefits: Despite paying a $95 annual fee, you receive up to $50 in hotel statement credits per year (through Chase Ultimate Rewards) and 10% of your earned points for the year as an anniversary bonus.
This card also has a valuable signup bonus.
New Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Member FDIC
Cardholders can earn:
- 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Anniversary Hotel Credit)
- 3x points on dining (including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out)
- 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target®, Walmart®, and wholesale clubs)
- Also 3x points on select streaming services that you likely already use
- 2x points on all other travel purchases
- 1x point per $1 spent on all non-bonus purchases
However, it’s not always easy to qualify for the Chase Sapphire Preferred since you need good credit and to avoid frequent credit card applications.
You can read more in our Chase Sapphire Preferred review to determine if there is a better credit card than the Sapphire Preferred for you.
Summary of Alternative Options to the Chase Sapphire Preferred
In conclusion, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is an impressive credit card with flexible redemption options and valuable travel benefits. However, other cards can be better if you’re willing to sacrifice some flexibility to focus on a specific award type, such as lounge access or travel credits.
Additionally, loyalty has its perks. You can also consider a co-branded card for airline miles or a hotel credit card to enjoy special benefits when you stay with a particular brand.
Related Articles:
