Capital One Enterprise X vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve: Which premium card comes out on high?

For years, the unquestionable leaders of the premium card market had been The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

That every one modified when Capital One shook up the industry with its debut of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card in late 2021 — undercutting each of its rivals by providing aggressive perks at a decrease $395 annual price (see rates and fees).

Maybe you are one of many many Sapphire Reserve cardmembers who has thought-about switching to the Enterprise X. Or perhaps you are on the hunt on your first premium journey rewards card.

In the present day, we’ll break down the cardboard advantages and disadvantages beneath that will help you resolve whether or not the Capital One Enterprise X or the Chase Sapphire Reserve is healthier for you.

The Venture X affords a profitable welcome bonus of 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 within the first three months of account opening.

In the meantime, the Sapphire Reserve affords 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 within the first three months of account opening.

TPG values Chase Final Rewards factors barely larger than Capital One miles attributable to its superior switch companions — we estimate that Final Rewards factors are value 2.05 cents apiece. Compared, Capital One miles are value 1.85 cents apiece.

In accordance with these valuations, the Capital One Venture X‘s welcome bonus of 75,000 miles is value about $1,388, whereas the Sapphire Reserve’s bonus of 60,000 factors is value $1,230.

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Winner: Capital One Enterprise X. The upper-valued welcome bonus offers this card an edge.

For starters, there is a $300 annual credit score on each playing cards. Nevertheless, the Venture X’s credit is much less versatile since you will must e-book all journey on the Capital One travel portal with the intention to obtain reimbursement. In the meantime, the Sapphire Reserve will automatically reimburse for any purchases below the “journey” umbrella as much as the $300 restrict — and so they do not must be booked immediately with Chase. I’ve had tolls, parking meters, and subways in different nations reimbursed as a part of Chase’s $300 journey credit score.

Each playing cards provide Priority Pass membership for the cardholder and as much as two visitors. Nevertheless, the Sapphire’s entry consists of Priority Pass restaurants and spas, whereas you are restricted to only lounges with the Enterprise X.

Each issuers are additionally stepping into the lounge recreation themselves. Capital One Lounges are presently open at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Denver International Airport (DEN). The Enterprise X consists of entry for the first cardholder in addition to quite a few approved customers.

Chase additionally has its own growing network of airport lounges, with areas presently open in Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), in addition to a terrace in Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS).

Each playing cards additionally include ancillary advantages that will not essentially transfer the needle for potential candidates. Nonetheless, these perks are all value benefiting from in case you resolve to use for both card. For the Sapphire Reserve, these embrace a complimentary 2-year Lyft Pink All Entry membership (activate by Dec 31, 2024) and one 12 months of complimentary Instacart+ (via Dec. 31, 2024) with a press release credit score of as much as $15 every month via July 2024.

With the Enterprise X, you will get a ten,000-mile anniversary bonus every year of card membership renewal.

Moreover, each playing cards are Visa Infinite cards and supply high-level journey and buy protections.

Winner: Tie. Whereas the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s $300 journey credit score is far more versatile and affords two home Chase lounges, the Capital One Enterprise X comes with 10,000 bonus anniversary miles and entry to 3 Capital One lounges inside the U.S.

The Venture X affords 10 miles per greenback on inns and automobile leases and 5 miles per greenback on flights booked via Capital One Travel. In the meantime, the Sapphire Reserve earns 10 factors per greenback on inns and automobile leases and 5 factors per greenback on flights booked via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.

In accordance with our valuations, the Venture X affords an 18.5% return on inns and rental automobiles booked via Capital One’s portal, whereas the Sapphire Reserve affords a return of round 20% on inns and automobile leases booked via Chase’s portal.

Whereas the Enterprise X affords simplicity, with 2 miles per greenback on all different purchases, the Sapphire Reserve affords larger returns by providing 3 factors per greenback on all different travel (booked exterior of Final Rewards) and dining purchases.

Frequent vacationers will seemingly earn extra with the Sapphire Reserve’s bonus classes than they’ll with the Enterprise X’s flat-rate incomes construction.

Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve. It affords bonus classes past journey portal bookings.

Essentially the most precious redemption possibility with the Venture X and Sapphire Reserve is to switch factors to journey companions, however that is not the one manner to make use of your rewards on both card.

Capital One miles and Chase Final Rewards can each be used for flat-rate redemptions on every respective issuer’s journey portal.

With the Sapphire Reserve, your factors are value 50% extra towards any journey booked through the Ultimate Rewards portal, making your factors value 1.5 cents apiece. Whereas this is not as rewarding as transferring your factors to Chase’s switch companions, this redemption possibility is beneficial if in case you have bother discovering award house.

In the meantime, the Enterprise X affords fixed-rate journey redemptions at simply 1 cent per mile — and whereas this may be utilized to any journey buy you cost to the cardboard, it is nonetheless notably decrease.

Each the Enterprise X and Sapphire Reserve additionally provide much less profitable redemption choices, corresponding to present playing cards and money again.

Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve. The fixed-value redemption possibility is 50% extra profitable.

Transferring rewards to airline companions is the easiest way to maximise these hard-earned factors and miles. Each airways provide a powerful checklist of switch companions that make redeeming rewards a no brainer. With the Sapphire Reserve, you may switch your Final Rewards factors at a easy 1:1 ratio. Then again, the Capital One miles program has companions that switch at a 1:1 ratio for essentially the most half, however there are a couple of exceptions that switch at a much less favorable ratio.

Chase affords 14 airline and lodge switch companions, which embrace Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue and United MileagePlus, to call a couple of. In the meantime, Capital One has 15-plus switch companions, and a few notable names embrace Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, Avianca LifeMiles, and Etihad Guest.

As a Sapphire Reserve cardholder, I’ve persistently transferred my factors to switch companions to redeem them for max worth. I not too long ago transferred factors to Aeroplan to e-book a business-class flight for 70,000 miles on Lufthansa to fly residence from Munich to Los Angeles.

Winner: Tie. Regardless of Capital One having extra switch companions, not all transfers happen at a 1:1 ratio.

Should you worth broader incomes potential and a versatile journey credit score, the Sapphire Reserve is an effective alternative. Then again, in case you favor paying a decrease annual price, and dwell in one of many cities whose airport has a Capital One Lounge, the Venture X (see rates and fees) is ideal.

Each the Venture X and the Sapphire Reserve have their very own strengths and weaknesses, so it is inconceivable to generalize which card comes out on high. Nevertheless, for a way more manageable annual price, the Enterprise X is a incredible providing — in case you do not thoughts utilizing the journey portal to unlock most of the advantages on the cardboard. For individuals who favor to e-book immediately with journey suppliers, the Sapphire Reserve is probably going the higher possibility for you — however at the price of the next $550 annual price.

For extra particulars, try our full critiques of the Capital One Venture X and the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Apply right here: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Reserve

For Capital One merchandise listed on this web page, a few of the above advantages are supplied by Visa® or Mastercard® and should differ by product. See the respective Information to Advantages for particulars, as phrases and exclusions apply.