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Chase vs. Capital One Credit Cards

Updated
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Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures that our product ratings are not influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.

If I'm looking for perks and benefits, Chase is the winner for me, particularly with 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.

We'll break down the differences between the two issuers and look at their strengths and weaknesses to help you decide.

As of Dec. 26, 2024
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Image for
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. 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.
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= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. 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 Circle with letter I in it. 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 Circle with letter I in it. 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 Preferred® Card

On Chase's Secure Website.

Apply Now for Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

On Capital One's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it. 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: Circle with letter I in it. 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: Circle with letter I in it. Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 bonus points

Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it. 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening

75,000 Miles

Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it. Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases

Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase. Earn unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

2X-5X miles

Intro APR: Circle with letter I in it. N/A

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Intro APR:

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR:

20.74% - 27.74% Variable

Regular APR:

19.99% - 29.49% (Variable)

Annual Fee:

$95

Annual Fee:

$95

Highlights:

  • Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
  • Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
  • Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
  • Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
  • Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
  • Member FDIC

Highlights:

  • Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
  • Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
  • Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
  • Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
  • Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
  • Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
  • Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
  • Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

On Chase's Secure Website.

Apply Now for Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

On Capital One's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

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Chase vs. Capital One: The details

If I have to choose one over the other, here's 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

Travel rewards

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.

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.

Range of cards offered

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.

Referral programs

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.

Cobranded cards

Both issuers offer a handful of cobranded credit cards, or credit cards offered in conjunction with major retailers and popular rewards programs. Chase's cobranded cards are largely focused in the travel space, earning rewards with airline frequent flyer and hotel loyalty programs.

Capital One's cobranded credit cards are retail-heavy, with store credit cards that earn rewards at places like Kohl's, Walmart, Cabela's, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Fraud protection

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

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.

In the end, it's best to search for the credit card that's right for your needs regardless of the card issuer.

As of Dec. 26, 2024
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Image for
Chase Sapphire Reserve® Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card Chase Freedom Flex®
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. 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, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. 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 Circle with letter I in it. 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 Circle with letter I in it. 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 Circle with letter I in it. 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 Circle with letter I in it. 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.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Apply Now for Chase Freedom Flex®

On Chase's Secure Website.

Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it. 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: Circle with letter I in it. 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: New/Rebuilding Under(579)

New/Rebuilding Under(579)

Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it. 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: Circle with letter I in it. Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 bonus points

Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it. N/A

N/A

Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it. Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening!

$200 bonus

Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it. 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: Circle with letter I in it. 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 Travel℠, 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: Circle with letter I in it. 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:

21.74% - 28.74% Variable

Regular APR:

29.99% (Variable)

Regular APR:

19.74% - 28.49% Variable

Annual Fee:

$550

Annual Fee:

$0

Annual Fee:

$0

Highlights:

  • Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
  • $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
  • 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
  • Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
  • 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
  • Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $120 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
  • Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
  • Member FDIC

Highlights:

  • No annual or hidden fees. See if you're approved in seconds
  • Building your credit? Using the Capital One Platinum Secured card responsibly could help
  • Put down a refundable security deposit starting at $49 to get a $200 initial credit line
  • You could earn back your security deposit as a statement credit when you use your card responsibly, like making payments on time
  • Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months with no additional deposit needed
  • Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
  • Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
  • Get access to your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with online banking to access your account from your desktop or smartphone, with Capital One's mobile app

Highlights:

  • Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
  • 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter!
  • 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more
  • 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
  • No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
  • 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74%-28.49%.
  • No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Flex® card
  • Keep tabs on your credit health - Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, real-time alerts, and more.
  • Member FDIC
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.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Apply Now for Chase Freedom Flex®

On Chase's Secure Website.

Show More Arrow graphic to expand and collapse content Show Less Arrow graphic to expand and collapse content

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 up to a $120 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.