Chase vs. Capital One Credit Cards
Updated
If you're on a Galaxy Fold, consider unfolding your phone or viewing it in full screen to best optimize your experience.
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.
|
|
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card |
|
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
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 |
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
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 |
|
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: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Good/Excellent (670-850) |
|
Welcome Offer: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. 100,000 bonus points |
Welcome Offer: 75000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel 75000 Miles |
|
Rewards Program: 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: 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: N/A Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
|
Regular APR: 19.99% - 28.24% Variable |
Regular APR: 19.99% - 29.24% (Variable) |
|
Annual Fee: $95 |
Annual Fee: $95 |
|
Highlights:
|
Highlights:
|
Show More
Show Less
|
|
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 |
While Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of the best travel rewards programs, its main travel credit cards -- the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) -- 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.
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 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.
When it comes to fraud protection with Chase vs. Capital One, both issuers have a zero fraud liability policy for unauthorized use, which means you aren't liable for any card purchases declared fraudulent.
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.
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.
|
|
|
| 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, 4.50 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, 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
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 Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
On Capital One'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: New/Rebuilding Under(579)
New/Rebuilding Under(579) |
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 $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. 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 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: 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: 20.24% - 28.74% Variable |
Regular APR: 29.74% (Variable) |
Regular APR: 18.99% - 28.49% Variable |
|
Annual Fee: $550 |
Annual Fee: $0 |
Annual Fee: $0 |
|
Highlights:
|
Highlights:
|
Highlights:
|
|
Apply Now for Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
On Capital One's Secure Website. |
||
|
Show More
Show Less
|
||
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, both cards offer valuable travel insurance such as trip cancellation/interruption coverage. 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. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card card doesn't have a TSA or Global Entry reimbursement, but it does offer trip delay reimbursement and baggage delay coverage, which the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card does not.
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. Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Motley Fool Money is 100% owned and operated by The Motley Fool. Our knowledgeable team of personal finance editors and analysts are employed by The Motley Fool and held to the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by third parties such as Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as certain terms, conditions, and exclusions apply.
The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Visa and Mastercard.
