Capital One Venture X vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve: Which Travel Card Is Better?
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Offer Status
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If you're choosing between the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, your best pick comes down to how you spend.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® piles on dining, entertainment, and premium-hotel credits -- a great value, if you use them. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card keeps things simpler with a lower annual fee, strong flat-rate earnings, and easy-to-use credits.
Here's a quick, practical breakdown so you can pick the best travel card for you.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: highlights
- Annual fee: $395 (see rates and fees)
- Welcome offer: 75,000 Miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Credits and other perks
- $300 annual credit for travel booked through Capital One Travel
- Up to a $120 credit for TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry (once every four years)
- 10,000 miles every account anniversary
- Access to Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass™ lounges (enrollment required)
Earnings
- 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles on all other purchases
On Capital One's Secure Website.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= PoorOn Capital One's Secure Website.
Excellent (740-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
19.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
Rewards Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
2X-10X miles
Annual Fee
$395
Welcome Offer 75,000 Miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
75,000 Miles (worth $750 in travel)
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If you want premium travel perks that easily justify their cost, this card delivers. You’ll get a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, plus 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary (worth $100 toward travel) — perks that already offset the $395 annual fee.
Add a 75,000-mile welcome bonus (worth $750 toward travel), unlimited 2X miles on everyday purchases, airport lounge access, and Global Entry/TSA PreCheck® credits, and you’ve got one of the strongest premium travel cards available today.
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- Big travel rewards bonus
- High rewards rate
- Travel credits
- Easy-to-use miles
- Annual fee
- Other card issuers have more valuable travel rewards
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- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
Chase Sapphire Reserve®: highlights
- Annual fee: $795
- Welcome offer: Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Credits and other perks
- $300 credit for travel purchases (automatically applied)
- $500 credit year for prepaid bookings at The Edit hotels ($250 Jan.-June and $250 July-Dec.; two-night minimum stay)
- $300 credit for dining at Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables restaurants ($150 Jan.-June and $150 July-Dec.)
- $300 credit for StubHub/viagogo purchases ($150 Jan.-June and $150 July-Dec.)
- Up to a $120 credit for TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry (once every four years)
- Complimentary Apple TV+ and Apple Music subscriptions ($250 annual value)
- $120 in Lyft credits ($10 in monthly in-app credits)
- Complimentary DashPass membership ($120 annual value)
- Access to Chase Sapphire Lounges and Priority Pass™ lounges
Earnings
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
With the Chase Sapphire Reserve®'s new Points Boost feature, points are worth twice as much when redeemed for select flights and hotels.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= PoorGood/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
19.99% - 28.49% Variable
Rewards Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
8x points on Chase Travel℠, 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct, 3x points on dining, 1x points on all other purchases
Annual Fee
$795
Welcome Offer Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
125,000 bonus points
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All the perks we've come to expect from a top travel card, including a $300 annual travel credit, airport lounge access, and big bonuses on travel and dining. Points are transferable to airline and hotel partners or worth up to 2x if you book through Chase Travel℠. The annual fee is hefty, but if you can use all its features, this card could be well worth the cost.
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- Travel credits
- Airport lounge access
- Travel and dining rewards
- Welcome offer
- Flexible travel points
- Annual fee
- Limited-time benefits
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- Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get more than $2,700 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music — all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 — a value of $250 annually
- Member FDIC
The takeaway: Which card is better for you?
The case for the Chase Sapphire Reserve®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card has more value for a specific type of user. If you already spend money on premium hotels, high-end restaurants, live shows, etc., then you can earn the annual fee back several times over.
If not, then the $795 annual fee isn't worth it.
There are some other points in this card's favor -- like a bigger sign-up bonus, more points on dining, and more U.S.-based airline and hotel partners. But at the end of the day, the credits are the biggest reason to get this card.
Check out our list of the best travel credit cards to learn more about this card and compare your options.
The case for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) is better if you want a simple yet valuable travel card that earns solid rewards on everyday spending. It has a higher catch-all rate of 2X miles, so it's a great "use it for everything" card.
With the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, you don't need to think about how you'll earn your annual fee back. Just use the card anywhere and book at least one trip through Capital One Travel every year, and you'll likely come out ahead.
If that sounds more your speed, then learn more about the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and apply today.
Our Research Expert
James McClenathen is a full-time Managing Editor and Personal Finance Writer at Motley Fool Money, overseeing the production and quality of editorial content while also writing about credit cards, investing, and everyday money management. He has worked at The Motley Fool since 2012 and brings extensive experience as an editor, reporter, and finance expert. A graduate of the University of Michigan, James has spent more than a decade of his career helping readers make smarter financial decisions.