Updated
Fact Checked
Eric McWhinnie
Comparing Chase vs. Capital One can be tricky. They're two of the biggest credit card issuers, especially when it comes to high-value rewards credit cards and tempting welcome offers.
You'll find plenty of similarities between the best Capital One credit cards and the best Chase credit cards, but there are important differences to note with Chase vs. Capital One. Ultimately, the best credit card for you depends on your spending habits and financial goals. We'll break down the differences between the two issuers and look at their strengths and weaknesses to help you decide.
As of Apr. 16, 2024
|
|
|
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® | Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card | Chase Freedom Flex℠ |
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
|
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Reserve®
On Chase's Secure Website. |
Apply Now for Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
On Capital One's Secure Website. |
Apply Now for Chase Freedom Flex℠
On Chase's Secure Website. |
|
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Good/Excellent (670-850) |
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Fair/New to Credit Under(669)
Fair/New to Credit Under(669) |
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Good/Excellent (670-850) |
|
Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. 60,000 bonus points |
Welcome Offer: N/A N/A |
Welcome Offer: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening! $200 bonus |
|
Rewards Program: 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. 5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Travel℠. |
Rewards Program: — |
Rewards Program: 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter! Plus, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases. 5% cash back offer |
|
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Intro APR: 0% Intro APR on Purchases Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months |
|
Regular APR: 22.49%-29.49% Variable |
Regular APR: 29.99% (Variable) |
Regular APR: 20.49%-29.24% Variable |
|
Annual Fee: N/A $550 |
Annual Fee: $0 |
Annual Fee: N/A $0 |
|
Highlights:
|
Highlights:
|
Highlights:
|
|
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Reserve®
On Chase's Secure Website. |
Apply Now for Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
On Capital One's Secure Website. |
Apply Now for Chase Freedom Flex℠
On Chase's Secure Website. |
Show More
Show Less
|
||
When it comes to Chase vs. Capital One, both offer a range of rewards cards, as well as cards for people with average credit. Capital One tends to offer more options for people with lower credit scores, while Chase tends to offer more credit cards for people with excellent credit who want high-powered rewards.
Chase's referral program rewards customers -- often as much as 10,000 points -- each time they refer a friend who is approved for a credit card. But Capital One's referral program can be just as robust, if not more. How much you earn depends on your credit card, but referral bonuses often amount to between $50 and $150, up to $500 per year, or between 10,000 and 25,000 bonus miles, up to 100,000 per year.
Both issuers offer a handful of co-branded credit cards, or credit cards offered in conjunction with major retailers and popular rewards programs. Chase's co-branded cards are largely focused in the travel space, earning rewards with airline frequent flyer and hotel loyalty programs. Capital One's co-branded credit cards are retail-heavy, with store credit cards that earn rewards at places like Kohl's, Walmart, Cabela's, and Saks Fifth Avenue.
When it comes to fraud protection with Chase vs. Capital One, both issuers have a zero fraud liability policy, which means you aren't liable for any card purchases declared fraudulent.
What you need to know about Chase credit cards
The best credit cards include some of the most coveted rewards cards out there, and cards are often so different from each other you'll have plenty of ways to maximize rewards on every purchase.
That said, Chase does have some idiosyncrasies when it comes to credit card approvals. The Chase 5/24 rule is the most prominent, and it limits approvals to people who have opened fewer than five credit cards in the past 24 months. If you've opened five or more credit cards in the past two years, you won't be eligible for a Chase credit card.
Chase vs. Capital One: Which one is better for you?
The battle of Chase vs. Capital One is tough, because they both offer robust rewards, solid credit card perks, promotional 0% APR on certain cards, and great customer service. However, if we have to choose one over the other, here's our winners for each type of credit card:
| Type of credit card | Winner |
|---|---|
| Travel | Chase |
| Cash back | Capital One |
| Credit building | Capital One |
| Business | Chase |
| Balance transfers | Chase |
Of course, this will vary depending on your spending habits and needs. While Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of the best travel rewards programs, its main travel credit cards -- the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® -- have an annual fee. Casual travelers might prefer Capital One in that case, particularly the no-annual-fee Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees). The VentureOne rewards program, while not always as lucrative as Chase Ultimate Rewards, still offers good value and lots of flexibility.
If it's perks and benefits you're after, Chase is usually the winner, particularly if you want travel-oriented benefits. The issuer has cards that come with TSA precheck, trip insurance, airport lounge access, and more.
When it comes to cash rewards credit cards, Capital One offers a more diverse range of cash back cards between the Quicksilver and Savor lines. Some reward dining and entertainment, while others reward all spending at a flat rate. That said, the Chase Freedom cards offer the chance to convert your cash back to Ultimate Rewards points, which can yield a higher value -- if you travel enough to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
This analysis should help you compare the perks and drawbacks of Chase vs. Capital One. In the end, it's best to search for the credit card that's right for your needs regardless of the card issuer.
Still have questions?
Here are some other questions we've answered:
FAQs
-
When it comes to Capital One vs. Chase, Capital One typically beats Chase on general cash back programs and giving cardholders robust ways to build their credit. Chase, for its part, bests Capital One on travel and business credit cards, as well as cards that offer 0% APR promotions on balance transfer cards.
-
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card card has a formidable rival in the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees). Both cards have a $95 annual fee, and both earn 5 points per dollar on travel booked through their respective portals (Chase Ultimate Rewards and Capital One Travel).
That said, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card card offers more ways for cardholders to earn, including 3 points per dollar on dining, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services, whereas the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card would only earn 2 points for these purchases. To balance this out, however, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers 2 points per dollar for everyday purchases, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a base rate of 1 point.
Finally, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card gives you a $100 statement credit when you use the card to purchase TSA Precheck or Global Entry. While the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card card doesn't have a TSA or Global Entry reimbursement, it does offer valuable travel insurance that the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card doesn't have, such as trip cancellation/interruption coverage, trip delay reimbursement, and baggage delay coverage.
Our Credit Cards Experts
Elizabeth is a personal finance writer specializing in credit cards, debt repayment, and small business. Her work has appeared on The Motley Fool, MSN Money, Yahoo! Finance, and Business Insider. She’s an avid credit card points collector and perpetual traveler currently living in Costa Rica.
Steven is a personal finance writer covering topics from mortgages to credit cards to market news. He has written for The Motley Fool Canada, Ramsey Solutions, Nerdwallet, Clever Real Estate, and other major outlets. Steven launched his writing career at the age of four with his first book, "Revenge of the Bad Guys." He currently lives in Portland, Oregon.
Fact Checked
Eric McWhinnie
Eric McWhinnie has been writing and editing digital content since 2010. He specializes in personal finance and investing. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance.
Share This Page
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.
JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Elizabeth Aldrich has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends JPMorgan Chase, Target, and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.