Capital One Venture X vs Chase Sapphire Preferred (2026)

Chase Sapphire Preferred costs $95 a year against Capital One Venture X's $395, as of September 25, 2026, and Preferred's 3x categories beat Venture X's flat 2x on everyday spending. Venture X only pulls ahead when you book at least one trip through Capital One Travel every year, since the $300 portal credit and, from year two, 10,000 anniversary miles can clear the higher fee and add lounge access Preferred does not offer.

FinanceRadar data: of the 38 credit cards we verify, the average annual fee is $195 and 19 of them (50%) charge no annual fee, as of September 24, 2026 (credit card statistics). Sapphire Preferred sits under that average, so it is the cheaper bet if you never plan a trip around a card. Venture X sits well above it, in the range that only pays off with real portal spend behind it.

These are different products at different price points, not a close call on fee alone. Preferred fits someone who wants transferable points at a fee they will not think about. Venture X fits someone who already books through Capital One Travel and wants a lounge card without Chase Sapphire Reserve's $795 tier.

Figures are from Capital One's Venture X card page and travel and miles rewards page, and Chase's Sapphire Preferred card page, all checked September 25, 2026. Offers can differ by channel and either issuer can change them.

Preferred wins on the fee alone

The gap between the two fees is $300 a year. That travel credit only closes the gap if you spend it inside Capital One Travel before the next account anniversary; skip the portal and the credit never posts, leaving the higher fee fully uncovered. Preferred asks for nothing to justify its lower fee, so a reader who is not sure they will use a travel portal starts ahead on Preferred.

The anniversary miles narrow the picture from year two on. Capital One credits 10,000 bonus miles after each anniversary, redeemable toward Capital One Travel bookings alongside the $300 credit. Together they add real value against the $395 fee, but only once you are past the first year and only if you use the portal credit too.

Preferred wins everyday spending, Venture X wins travel bookings

Preferred earns 3x on dining, gas stations, EV charging, streaming services Chase names, online grocery, and select vacation homes, with no annual cap printed. Venture X pays a flat 2x on every purchase outside its own travel portal, so a grocery run, a gas fill-up, or a restaurant tab earns more on the cheaper card.

Venture X flips that once you book inside Capital One Travel: 10x on hotels and rental cars, 5x on flights and vacation rentals. Preferred's Chase Travel rate tops out at 5x, with other travel booked direct at 2x, the same rate as its "everything else" bucket on Venture X. A reader who books most trips through the issuer's own portal earns more on Venture X; a reader who books direct with the airline or hotel earns the same 2x on both cards for that purchase.

Neither card discounts a booking made outside its own portal. A flight bought on the airline's site earns Preferred's 2x other-travel rate and Venture X's flat 2x, so the portal is the entire reason to pick either card for travel-specific earning.

The travel credits solve different problems

Preferred's $100 credit only pays for a prepaid Chase Travel hotel stay, so it fits someone who already books hotels that way at least once a year. It resets each account anniversary and does not carry over.

Venture X's credit is wider but still portal-locked: flights, hotels, rental cars, and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel all draw against it, and it also resets on the account anniversary. Neither credit pays out as cash, and rewards are not earned on the dollars a credit covers on either card, so stacking a credit and full miles or points on the same purchase overstates the return.

A reader who books nothing through either portal gets zero dollars from either credit, which leaves both annual fees fully unoffset, and Preferred is then the cheaper card by the full fee gap.

Venture X wins lounges, Preferred has no lounge benefit

Lounge access is exclusive to Venture X in this pair. The primary cardholder gets into Capital One Lounges and Landings plus Priority Pass lounges after enrollment, at no added cost. Preferred does not list any lounge benefit.

That access is broad: Capital One's own page lists unlimited complimentary entry for the primary cardholder plus up to two guests per visit, with no per-guest fee stated. Additional cardholders added to the account also earn rewards on their spending and share in card benefits, and Capital One's page does not print a separate lounge fee for them.

Welcome bonuses land close, spend requirements differ

Both bonuses are 75,000, miles on Venture X and points on Preferred, so neither is the deciding factor on its own. Venture X asks for $4,000 in the first three months; Preferred asks for $5,000, a thousand dollars more spend for the same headline number.

Both bonuses redeem toward travel through each issuer's own portal, Capital One Travel or Chase Travel, before any transfer to a partner program. A one-time bonus that size is not a reason to keep paying Venture X's fee every year once it posts, since year two depends on the ongoing credits and earn rates covered above.

Who should pick which card

Preferred fits most people who pay their statement in full and want points on dining, gas, streaming, and groceries without a credit calendar to track. At $95, one small win, a $100 hotel stay booked in Chase Travel, already offsets the fee. If a fee at all is the wrong shape, the no-annual-fee credit card guide covers cards with no yearly cost, and a reader who wants cash instead of points should start with the cash back card guide.

Venture X fits a reader who already books through Capital One Travel at least once a year for an amount near or above the credit's value, and who values lounge access enough to use it without paying the $125 add-on for a companion every trip. It is the wrong card if you would only use the portal to chase the credit, since a forced booking is new spending, not a recovery of the fee.

Neither card fits a revolving balance: Preferred's APR tops out at 27.49% variable and Venture X's at 28.49% variable, both well above what a year of points or miles is worth. For the fuller comparisons in this family, see Capital One Venture vs Sapphire Preferred, Venture X vs Venture, and Sapphire Reserve vs Amex Platinum vs Venture X for the higher-fee alternative. Reasons to leave Preferred for Freedom Unlimited instead are in Sapphire Preferred vs Freedom Unlimited. Credit-score cutoffs by product are in the cards by credit score guide, and the wider ranking is best credit cards. A reader comparing cards specifically for everyday and online purchases can check the rewards card guide, which covers the broader field both cards compete in.

Gotchas that change the math

Both travel credits suppress rewards on the dollars they cover, so do not add full miles or points on top of a credit on the same purchase. Both credits reset on the account anniversary rather than the calendar year, so a trip planned for January does not help a credit that expired in November.

Venture X's anniversary miles do not exist in year one, so a first-year reader comparing the annual fee against Capital One's combined credit-plus-miles offset is looking at a number that only applies from the second year onward. Preferred prints no equivalent bonus at any point. Capital One's Venture X page lists no separate authorized-user or lounge-guest fee, and Chase's public Preferred page does not print a separate authorized-user fee either.

How we compared

We read Capital One's Venture X card page and travel and miles rewards page, and Chase's Sapphire Preferred card page, all checked September 25, 2026. We did not open accounts, book a lounge visit, or apply for either card, and this is not a hands-on test. Rank is by fit, with no paid placement. This page is general information, not personalized financial advice; confirm current terms directly with each issuer before applying. Financeradar may earn a commission from some links; it never affects rankings (how we make money). Our verification method is on how we rate, and purchase APRs across the cards we track are in the credit card APR report.

FAQ

Is Capital One Venture X better than Chase Sapphire Preferred?

Neither is better across the board. Preferred is the cheaper, simpler card at $95 a year with stronger everyday earning; Venture X is the $395 card that pays off with a yearly Capital One Travel booking and lounge access. A reader who does not book through a travel portal comes out ahead on Preferred by the full $300 fee gap.

How much do Venture X and Sapphire Preferred cost per year?

Venture X lists a $395 annual fee and Sapphire Preferred lists $95, both checked on the issuers' card pages September 25, 2026. That difference is the full fee gap between the two cards, an amount Venture X's Capital One Travel credit can match only if you spend it in the portal before the next anniversary.

Which card earns more on everyday purchases?

Sapphire Preferred earns 3x on dining, gas stations, EV charging, streaming, and online grocery, with no cap printed. Venture X pays a flat 2x on every purchase outside its own travel portal, so those same categories earn less than on Preferred.

Does Venture X's travel credit cover the annual fee?

Not by itself. The credit only applies inside Capital One Travel and expires on the next account anniversary, leaving $95 of the fee uncovered until anniversary miles begin. Skip the portal for a year and the credit posts $0, leaving the full annual fee unoffset.

Which card has lounge access?

Only Venture X. The primary cardholder gets unlimited complimentary access to Capital One Lounges, Landings, and Priority Pass lounges (after enrollment), plus up to two guests per visit, per Capital One's card page. Chase Sapphire Preferred does not list a lounge benefit.

What is the welcome bonus on each card?

Venture X offers 75,000 miles after $4,000 in purchases in the first three months. Sapphire Preferred offers 75,000 points after $5,000 in the first three months, a thousand dollars more spend for the same headline number. Both are one-time offers that do not repeat in later years.

Do either of these cards charge a foreign transaction fee?

Neither card charges a foreign transaction fee, on both issuers' card pages checked September 25, 2026, so a purchase made outside the United States does not add the percentage fee many other cards charge.

What is the APR if you carry a balance on either card?

Venture X prints a purchase APR of 19.49% to 28.49% variable and Sapphire Preferred prints 19.24% to 27.49% variable, both checked September 25, 2026. Neither card advertises a 0% introductory rate, so carrying a balance on either one can cost more than a year of miles or points is worth.

Cite this: FinanceRadar, "Capital One Venture X vs Chase Sapphire Preferred (2026)", September 2026.