Capital One Venture X vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve Card – Which is Better in 2024?

You can get more mileage from a premium travel credit card like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. Both cards offer travel statement credits and benefits for frequent flyers yet have different annual fees and point redemption options.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve comparison lets you see what each card offers and how to use the benefits to travel more often.

Benefits At A Glance

Here is an overview of each card’s main benefits and fees.

	Capital One Venture X Rewards	Chase Sapphire Reserve
Annual Fee	$395	$550
Authorized User Fee	$0	$75
Signup Bonus	75,000 Venture miles after spending $4,000 in 3 months ($750 value)	60,000 Ultimate Rewards after spending $4,000 in 3 months ($900 value)
Purchase Rewards	10x on hotels and car rentals through Capital One Travel 5x on flights through Capital One Travel 2x on remaining purchases	10x on hotels and car rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards 5x on flights through Chase Ultimate Rewards 3x on all other travel 10x on Chase Dining purchases 3x on dining and eligible delivery services 1x for everything else
Travel Redemption Bonus	None	50%
Airport Lounge Benefits	Priority Pass Select Capital One Lounge Plaza Premium Lounges worldwide	Priority Pass Select
Notable Benefits	$300 Annual Travel Credit 10,000 miles anniversary bonus Free Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Hertz President’s Circle status 1:1 point transfers Up to $800 in cell phone protection	$300 Annual Travel Credit Priority Pass Select lounge access Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit DoorDash: 1 year of DashPass membership* and $5 in monthly credits Lyft: 10x points through March 2025 1:1 point transfers Travel insurance benefits *Valid through December 31, 2024

Read our Chase Sapphire Reserve and Capital One Venture X Rewards guides for more.

Annual Fee

The Capital One Venture X Rewards has a significantly lower annual fee. As a result, it can be more appealing to budget travelers and those juggling multiple cards for the travel perks.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Annual Fee

You only pay $395 per year for the primary card and $0 for secondary cards.

It’s a novelty for a premium travel credit card to offer complimentary additional cards. You can request up to four other cards. 

Authorized users can enjoy several special perks, such as airport lounge access and Hertz President’s Circle status.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Annual Fee

You will pay $550 for a primary card and $75 per authorized user for the Sapphire Reserve. 

These fees are competitive with most premium cards.

Welcome Offer

Both cards offer attractive signup bonuses.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Signup Bonus

The Venture X signup bonus is 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. It is worth $750 in travel rewards.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Signup Bonus

You can earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. This Sapphire Reserve signup bonus is worth $900 in award travel or $600 for non-travel redemptions.

Earning Rewards Points

Both cards help you earn bonus points on travel purchases through the respective credit card booking portal. This practice has become common in recent years but you may still be able to earn bonus rewards when booking travel from the carrier.

Capital One Venture X Rewards

The Capital One Venture X Rewards earns up to 10x Venture miles on purchases:

• 10x on car rentals and hotels through Capital One Travel
• 5x on flights through Capital One Travel
• 2x on all remaining purchases

You won’t have the opportunity to earn bonus points on non-travel purchases. The lack of additional rewards categories is a relative downside for this card.

However, a base rate of 2 points per $1 instead of 1 point per $1 means you effectively earn double points on non-bonus purchases.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

The Chase Sapphire Reserve can also earn up to 10 points per $1. This card wins the point-earning competition as you have more bonus categories.

You can earn up to 10x Ultimate Rewards on travel:

• 10x on hotels and car rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards
• 5x on flights through Chase Ultimate Rewards
• 3x on your remaining travel purchases

Your travel purchases start earning 3-10x points after exhausting your $300 annual travel credit.

It’s also possible to earn up to 10x Ultimate Rewards on dining purchases:  

• 10x on Chase Dining purchases
• 3x when dining at restaurants, including delivery services and takeout

Each non-bonus purchase earns 1 point per $1.

Redeeming Rewards Points

Both cards offer flexible redemption options with award travel being the most valuable.

Here is a glimpse at how much your rewards points can be worth for each redemption option.

	Capital One Venture X Rewards	Chase Sapphire Reserve
Travel	1 cent	1.5 cents
Gift Cards	0.8 cents	1 cent
Cash Statement Credits	0.5 cents	1 cent
Online Shopping	0.8 cents	0.8 cents

Capital One Venture X Rewards Redemption Options

Your Venture miles are worth 1 cent for these award travel redemptions:

• Travel statement credits on purchases within the last 90 days
• Upcoming travel through Capital One Travel

The travel statement credit is a unique feature as most travel credit cards require you to bank up your points for upcoming trips. As a result, you can earn rewards points from your trip before using points to pay for it.

Unfortunately, non-travel redemptions are worth up to 0.8 cents at best and are usually not worth it.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Travel Redemption Bonus

Your Chase Sapphire Reserve points are worth 1.5 cents (50% more) when you book award travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards booking portal. It’s possible to book flights, hotels, car rentals, and experiences.

If you prefer to earn points first, you can redeem your points for a cash statement credit. The redemptions value is similar to Capital One at 1 cent per point.

1:1 Point Transfers

Both cards offer 1:1 point transfers, although some of the Capital One partners have a weaker ratio. 

Capital One Venture X Rewards	Chase Sapphire Reserve
Aeromexico	Aer Lingus
Air Canada Aeroplan	Air Canada Aeroplan
Air France-KLM Flying Blue	Air France-KLM Flying Blue
Avianca LifeMiles	British Airways
British Airways	Emirates
Choice Privileges	Iberia
Emirates	JetBlue
Etihad	Singapore Airlines
Finnair	Southwest Airlines
Qantas	United Airlines
Singapore Airlines	Virgin Atlantic
TAP Air Portugal	IHG One Rewards
Turkish Airlines	Marriott Bonvoy
EVA Air (2:1.5)	World of Hyatt
Accor Live Limitless (2:1)

The Sapphire Reserve has a more well-rounded transfer portfolio as you can easily book domestic or international travel.

However, as international flights can be the most valuable way to redeem travel points directly from an airline, the Venture X transfer partners give you plenty of opportunities.

Capital One Venture X Benefits

Here are some of the best additional travel perks of the Capital One Venture X card.

$300 Travel Credit

Each year, you receive an annual $300 travel credit that reimburses the first $300 in purchases through Capital One Travel.

10,000 Miles Anniversary Bonus

You will also receive 10,000 miles for each card anniversary. This bonus is worth $100 in travel rewards.

Free Global Entry or TSA PreCheck

You will receive up to $100 in Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credits every four years. This credit is a standard benefit for travel rewards cards and helps you skip long airport security lines.

Airport Lounge Benefits

The primary cardholder and up to two guests can visit Priority Pass and Capital One Lounge locations for free. Cardholders now have access to Plaza Premium Lounges as well.

While the Capital One Lounge network is small and will only have three airports in 2022, it can be an exciting alternative to Priority Pass which has more members and can potentially overcrowd due to more demand.

Hertz President’s Circle

You’re eligible for Hertz President’s Circle status through December 31, 2024. This is the car rental agency’s highest loyalty tier and you can enjoy these perks:

• Guaranteed one-car-class upgrade
• Guaranteed vehicle availability (car groups A-F) 
• Free rental day voucher after 10 rentals

Chase Sapphire Reserve Benefits

The Sapphire Reserve offers these additional travel perks.

Annual $300 Travel Credit

The yearly $300 travel credit reimburses your first travel purchases regardless of which booking site you use. Your travel purchases can be directly from the carrier, the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, or another third-party booking site.

Priority Pass Select

You will receive complimentary Priority Pass Select lounge access. The cardholder and up to two guests can visit for free. Depending on the lounge, the cardholder and guests may receive a food and beverage credit.

Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Fee Credit

This card reimburses your application fee credit every four years for the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck programs.

Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection

It’s also possible to enjoy special on-property amenities and savings within the Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection. Over 1,000 properties worldwide participate.

Some of the perks can include room upgrades, early check-in, and free breakfast.

Complimentary DashPass Membership + $5 Monthly DoorDash Credits

Cardholders are eligible for a free 1-year DashPass membership through December 21, 2024, as well as $5 in monthly DoorDash credits. See our guide on the DoorDash credits here.

Travel and Purchase Protection

Both cards also offer competitive travel insurance and purchase protection benefits. 

Here are the maximum coverage amounts:

	Capital One Venture X Rewards	Chase Sapphire Reserve
Trip Cancellation and Interruption	$2,000 per person	$10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip
Trip Delay	$500 per covered trip after 6 hours	$500 per ticket after 6 hours
Baggage Delay	N/A	Up to $100 per day for 5 days after 6 hours
Lost Luggage Reimbursement	$3,000 per person ($2,000 for New York State residents)	$3,000 per passenger
Car Rental Insurance (Collision and Theft)	Primary coverage up to $75,000	Primary coverage up to $75,000
Roadside Assistance	N/A	Up to $50 per service for up to 4 claims per year
Emergency Evacuation	N/A	Up to $100,000
Purchase Protection	$10,000 per item and $50,000 annually for purchases within 90 days	$500 per item and up to $50,000 annually for purchases within 120 days
Return Protection	$300 per item and $1,000 annually for purchases within 90 days	$500 per item and $1,000 annually for purchases within 90 days
Extended Warranty	One additional year for warranties of 3 years or less	One additional year for warranties of 3 years or less
Cell Phone Protection	Up to $800 per claim ($1,600 per year) after a $50 deductible	Up to $800 per claim ($1,600 per year) after a $50 deductible

There are several overlapping benefits as both cards are Visa Infinite products. However, the Chase Sapphire Reserve has superior travel protection benefits.

When to Apply for the Capital One Venture X Rewards

The Capital One Venture X Rewards is one of the best premium travel credit cards for these reasons:

• Low annual fee: The $395 annual fee and free authorized user cards make this card affordable to more travelers. If you primarily want a premium card for the airport lounge access and travel credits, the Venture X can be your cheapest option.
• More airport lounge access: In addition to Priority Pass Select access, you can visit Capital One Lounge. This lounge network rivals The Centurion Network with shower suites and relaxation rooms.
• Anniversary bonus: The anniversary bonus of 10,000 miles and the $300 annual travel credit offset the Venture X Rewards yearly fee. The Sapphire Reserve doesn’t offer any card renewal bonuses.
• International point transfers: The Capital One airline transfer partners can give you more opportunities for booking international flights.
• Earn more on non-bonus purchases: You will earn 2x on non-bonus purchases instead of 1x. If most of your card purchases are non-travel related, your earning potential is higher.
• Can pool Venture miles: You can pool your Capital One miles when you have the Capital One Venture or a Spark Miles business card.

When to Apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve

While the Chase Sapphire Reserve has a higher annual fee ($550 vs. $395), you may find its travel benefits more appealing.

• 50% travel redemption bonus: The Sapphire Reserve has some of the most valuable redemption value at 1.5 cents for award travel. However, you must be comfortable booking your travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
• More ways to earn bonus points: This card lets you earn bonus points on dining purchases. You will also earn slightly more (3x) when going directly to the carrier.
• Accessible transfer partners: The 1:1 transfer partners are friendlier for domestic travel. Some of the best partners are United, Southwest, and World of Hyatt.
• More robust travel insurance: The Sapphire Reserve has some of the best travel insurance benefits among rewards credit cards. For example, this card offers better trip cancellation, emergency evacuation, and baggage delay benefits.
• Pool Ultimate Rewards: It’s possible to combine Ultimate Rewards that you earn from the Chase Freedom Unlimited or Chase Freedom Flex. These cards can gain more on non-bonus purchases but don’t have the redemption bonus or point transfers like the Sapphire Reserve.

The Vacationer’s Final Thoughts

Either card offers exceptional rewards and flexible redemption options that can benefit routine travelers, particularly frequent flyers. The two highest hurdles for most will be the difference in annual fees and the travel redemption options.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards is the better card if you want the lower annual cost for the various travel perks, precisely the airport lounge benefits. However, you must be willing to sacrifice the 50% travel redemption bonus and the domestic airline 1:1 transfer partners. 

Despite its higher annual fee, you may prefer the Chase Sapphire Reserve as you’re earning Ultimate Rewards and have potentially more valuable redemption values. The enhanced travel insurance benefits can also provide peace of mind for expensive vacations.