Sapphire Preferred vs. Venture Rewards: Same Fee, Different Earn Mix
Card data current as of July 2026.
Both cards carry the same $95 annual fee, so the decision comes down purely to where you spend. Sapphire Preferred wins broadly for our persona — dining, gas, streaming, and groceries above roughly $1,333/yr — while Venture Rewards' flat 2x wins on transit and uncategorized spend. Overall, Sapphire Preferred nets about $100/yr more for a typical household.
Who wins for your spending?
Defaults to a representative household budget — edit any field to match your own; the numbers below update live.
What are your points worth?
We default to a conservative value per point. Redeem for premium travel and points can be worth more; cash out and they're worth about 1¢ — set your own.
Credits you'll actually use
Each credit starts at a conservative estimate — set the dollar amount you'll really redeem on each card (most people don't use every credit). This is where the call gets personal.
Sapphire Preferred
$148 counted- DashPass$of $120
- DoorDash Promo$of $120
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit$of $120
- Hotel Credit$of $100
Venture Rewards
No statement credits.
Sapphire Preferred
Ahead$95/yr fee
$1,042/yr net
$1,190/yr after your credits
Venture Rewards
$95/yr fee
$942/yr net
$942/yr after your credits
Sapphire Preferred nets +$100/yr more on these numbers, before credits.
After your credits, Sapphire Preferred nets +$248/yr more.
Your personal crossover
- Venture Rewards wins while your groceries spend stays under ~$1,333/yr; above that, Sapphire Preferred takes over — holding your other numbers fixed at what's entered above.
- Sapphire Preferred wins while your transit spend stays under ~$9,192/yr; above that, Venture Rewards takes over — holding your other numbers fixed at what's entered above.
- Sapphire Preferred wins while your everything else spend stays under ~$19,692/yr; above that, Venture Rewards takes over — holding your other numbers fixed at what's entered above.
Category by category, on our representative persona
| Category | Sapphire Preferred | Venture Rewards | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries | $336/yr | $216/yr | Sapphire Preferred |
| Dining | $252/yr | $162/yr | Sapphire Preferred |
| Travel | $196/yr | $189/yr | Sapphire Preferred |
| Gas | $126/yr | $81/yr | Sapphire Preferred |
| Streaming | $38/yr | $24/yr | Sapphire Preferred |
| Transit | $21/yr | $41/yr | Venture Rewards |
| Everything Else | $168/yr | $324/yr | Venture Rewards |
| Total (before fee) | $1,137/yr | $1,037/yr |
Fee & credits
Sapphire Preferred
Venture Rewards
The category table above is earn-only. The calculator's “after your credits” verdict folds in the credit amounts you set — seeded to a conservative estimate, never full face, since most people don't use every credit. For a full per-credit breakdown of Sapphire Preferred, see the worth-it calculator.
How we calculate this: each category is valued at its best-case bonus rate using conservative, program-specific point values (spend above a bonus cap is not counted; rotating quarterly bonuses and issuer status tiers are excluded). This page scopes two cards and one spend vector — it doesn't allocate spend across your whole wallet. These are estimates, not offers — always confirm current terms with the issuer. Read our full methodology ›
Frequently asked questions
- Since the fees match, which earns more?
- For a typical household, Sapphire Preferred — its category bonuses on dining, gas, and streaming outearn Venture Rewards’ flat 2x in most real budgets, netting about $100/yr more in our model.
- When would Venture Rewards win instead?
- If your spending skews heavily toward transit or uncategorized purchases — where Venture's flat 2x beats Sapphire Preferred's 1% base rate — or if your grocery spend is under roughly $1,333/yr.
- Do the two cards earn the same currency?
- No — Sapphire Preferred earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, Venture Rewards earns Capital One miles. Both are transferable to airline/hotel partners, but the transfer partners and typical redemption value differ; we value both conservatively and consistently in this comparison.
See the full ranking for these categories
More head-to-head comparisons
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