Capital One Venture X vs Chase Sapphire Reserve – Which Card is Better?

by Daniel | Last Updated September 24th, 2022

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For quite some time both the Chase Sapphire Reserve card and the Amex Platinum card were considered the go-to premium credit cards of choice.
But last year Capitol One decided to join the party with the Capital One Venture X Card.
Not only is it cheaper in price on an annual basis it also offers some fantastic benefits and user perks.

In this article, I’m going to go over all of the benefits and perks of both the Chase Sapphire Reserve card and the Capital One Venture x Card.
I’ll look at how much value for money each card can offer you and then at the end of the video I’ll give you my option on which card is the better choice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48fWWq-yUa4

Who Are These Cards Good For?

Both of these cards are specifically good for frequent travelers as a lot of the benefits that come with each card are travel related.

Each card has a relatively high annual fee, which can sometimes be a bit of a turn-off, but you will see later in this review that it is quite easy to cover the cost of the annual fee with the sign-up bonus and travel reward credit that come with each card.
But remember, it’s always worth taking into account what benefits you are most likely to use with a specific credit card, if the befits don’t match your lifestyle then the card may not be suitable for you.

Annual Fee

So the first thing to look at is how much each costs on an annual basis, and as both of these cards are premium credit cards, they are relatively pricy.

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Winner

So in terms of the annual fee, the Venture X card is clearly better value than the Chase Sapphire Reserve card as it is $155 cheaper on an annual basis.

Sign-up Bonus 

Now let’s take a closer look at what sign-up bonus is currently on offer with each card.
And just note that these offers change quite often, so they may well be different in the future.

Now the miles are worth 1 cent per mile making this sign-up bonus worth $750.
But just note that it is possible to receive even more value by transferring these miles to partner airlines or hotels, which is something I will go over later in this review.

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Now using these points through Chase Ultimate reward will see a value of 1.5 cents per point, which values this sign-up bonus at $900.
And just like the Capital One Venture X Card, it is also possible to transfer these points for even more value.

Winner:

So for this section, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is the winner as it offers a sign-up bonus that is worth $150 more than what the Capital One Venture X Card is offering.
And given that the Venture X card is $155 cheaper on an annual basis makes both of these cards evenly valued up until this point of the review.

Points/Miles Earning Potential

Now an important aspect of a good credit card is its ability to earn points or miles.
This will help to increase the amount of value you can get from a given card greatly.

So for every $1000 you spend on these categories, you will receive 10,000 miles that are worth at least $10.
Next up, any flights that are booked through Capital One Travel will receive 5x miles.
And then all other purchases will receive 2x miles.

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So the same $100 spent in these categories will also earn 10,000 points but will be worth at least $150, as the points are worth 1.5 cents per point.
Additionally, it will also be possible to earn 10x points on dining when booked through the Ultimate Rewards program.
Then flights that are purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards will receive the same 5x points.
It is possible to earn 3x points for the following purchases that are not booked through Ultimate Rewards:

• Travel
• Dining at Restaurant, take out and delivery services.

Then all other purchases will earn 1 point per dollar spent.

Winner:

So for this section, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is the winner as it has even more options for earning points than the Venture X card.
Also, the Chase Sapphire Reserve points are worth 50% when redeem through their travel portal Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Ability To Transfer Points/Miles

Now one of the best ways to receive maximum value from your points or miles is to transfer them to one of the many travel partners that is associated with the given card.
It’s not uncommon to find some fabulous deals that can be worth substantially more than what you would get when using their travel portal.
So let’s take a closer look at how each card stacks up in terms of its ability to transfer points or miles.

Airlines 

• Aeromexico Club Premier
• Aeroplan
• Asia Miles
• Avianca LifeMiles
• British Airways Executive Club
• Emirates Skywards
• Etihad Guest
• Finnair Plus
• Flying Blue
• Qantas Frequent Flyer
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• TAP Miles&Go
• Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
• Virgin Red
• EVA Air Infinity MileageLands

Hotels

• ALL – Accor Live Limitless
• Choice Privileges 2

Now all of the Airlines present a transfer value of 1:1 and then with Accor hotels the rate is a bit lower at 2:1.5 and then the Choice hotels are 2:1.
So there is a decent range of travel partners to choose from, and if you have the time it is possible to find some pretty good deals.

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Airlines

• AerClub, loyalty programme of Aer Lingus
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• British Airways Executive Club
• Emirates Skywards
• Flying Blue AIR FRANCE KLM
• Iberia Plus
• JetBlue TrueBlue (domestic)
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards (domestic)
• United MileagePlus (domestic)
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Hotels

• IHG One Rewards
• Marriott Bonvoy
• World of Hyatt

Winner:

So for this section, even though the Venture X card has more options to choose from, I personally think that the Chase Sapphire Reserve card has even more variety when it comes to airlines as it is possible to book through a domestic carrier.
I also think the hotel partners are better.

Benefits and User Perks

Now when it comes to the benefits and user perks, both of these cards offer a ton of value, and if used effectively they can easily offset the cost of the annual fee and leave you with a fair bit of extra value.

Now each card anniversary there is an Anniversary Bonus of 10,000 bonus miles, which just so happens to be worth $100.
So basically with the travel credit and anniversary bonus, the card is essentially free.

Then there is a $100 credit that can be used on either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
With the Venture X card, there is access to the Capital One Lounge for you and up to 2 guests.
The only thing to know about this is that there is only one functional lounge at the moment, but they are expected to open up a few more by year’s end.

Now there is also a complimentary Priority Pass Select Membership that provides access for you and up to 2 guests to well over 1,000 airport lounges all over the world.
And this is worth $429

So in total, these benefits are worth $929 (not including access to the Capital One Lounge).
Then if you minus the annual fee of $395 you are looking at an overall value of $534.

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Now exactly the same as the Venture X card there is the same $100 credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, and then the same complimentary priority pass membership that is worth $429.

Now additional benefits that only come with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card are a complimentary DoorDash subscription that is worth $96 a year.
And this provides you with $0 delivery fees on orders that are $12 or more.
There is also a $5 credit each calendar month.

Another benefit is a $10 monthly credit that can be used at GoPuff.
And GoPuff basically provides a home delivery service for a large range of different products.

So all up, these benefits are worth $1,045, and if you minus the annual fee of $550 you are left with an overall value of $495.

Winner:

So for this section, the Venture X card has the edge.
In terms of actual value, it offers $39 more than the Chase Sapphire Reserve card and it also has access to the Capitol One lounge.

Insurance Coverage

So as with most premium credit cards, along with all of the perks you receive, there is also quite a decent array of insurance-related coverage that can be used for things like travel and general purchases.
And seeing that both of these cards are Visa Infinite cards, some of the coverage is quite similar.

There is then Trip Cancellation/Interruption insurance that can cover up to $2,000 per person if your trip is cut short for a covered reason.
And this covers you, your spouse (or Domestic Partner), and your dependent children as long as you have paid for the trip entirely with the card.

You will also receive Trip Delay Reimbursement of up to $500 per ticket if your trip is delayed by more than 6 hours.
And this allows one claim per covered trip

Then if your carry-on or checked luggage is lost or damaged by a carrier you will be covered by Lost Luggage Reimbursement for up to $3,000 per trip.

There is Cell Phone Protection that covers up to $800 if your phone is stolen or damaged.
And this can be claimed 2 times in a 12-month period for a total value of $1,600.
Any claims that are successfully made will also incur a $50 deductible fee.

With Return Protection, new purchases will receive up to 90 days of coverage for items that a merchant won’t take back.
And this covers up to $300 per item and a total of $1,000 per year.

There is also Purchase Security that provides 90 days of coverage on new purchases against damage or theft.
This benefit covers up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per cardholder.

Finally, there is Extended Warranty Protection that provides up to 1 extra year of coverage on manufactures warranties that are 3 years or less. 
And this covers up to $10,000 per claim and a total of $50,000 per cardholder. 

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Then with Trip Cancellation/Interruption insurance, the coverage is substantially more than the Venture X card.
Basically, it will cover up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip, which is a lot more than the Venture X card.
The Trip Delay Reimbursement and the Lost Luggage Reimbursement is the same as the Venture X card.

Interestingly enough, there is no Cell Phone protection with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

With Return Protection, the Reserve card offers a slightly higher coverage of $500 per item (compared to $300 for the Venture X card) and then the same $1,000 per year.

The Purchase Protection that comes with the Reserve card is similar to the Purchases Security that comes with the Venture X card, but it provides 120 days of coverage, which is 30 days more than the Venture X card.

With Extended Warranty Protection, you get the same 1 additional year of coverage on warranties that are 3 years or less.

There is Emergency Evacuation and Transportation that covers up to $100,000 if you or your immediate family become injured or become sick during a trip

Then finally there is Emergency Medical and Dental Benefit that covers up to $2,500 if you are on a trip that is 100 miles or more from your home.

Winner:

So in terms of insurance coverage the Chase Sapphire Reserve card does have an advantage over the Venture X card in terms of overall coverage, although it would be nice if it included cell phone protection. 

APR

So as per usual, let’s take a look at what the current APR is for each card and what fees are charged for making use of a cash advance.

Getting a cash advance will have an APR of 25.49% and will also incur a fee of  $10 or 3% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever amount is more.
Finally, there is no mention of a Penalty APR, but there will be a charge of up to $40 if you make a late payment. 

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A cash advance will have an APR of 27.24% and will also incur a fee of either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance.

The Penalty APR is 29.99% and will incur a fee of up to $40 if you fail to make a minimum payment or you have a payment returned by your bank. 

Winner:

So in terms of the APR and fees associated with each card, the Capital One Venture X card is the better card as it has lower rates than the Reserve card.

Final Thoughts 

So that pretty much covers everything there is to know about both of these cards, and I must say that they both provide very similar value.
With the Venture X card, you can enjoy a lower annual fee and still receive a ton of benefits and value.
One thing it falls behind on is the fact that the miles are not as valuable as the Chase Sapphire Reserve Points.

Now even though the Sapphire Reserve card is $155 more on an annual basis it is really quite easy to cover this cost.
I’ve had this card since it first came out in 2016 and have always made up for the cost of the annual fee within a couple of months of paying the annual fee.

Also, the $300 travel credit is a lot easier to use with the Reserve card than it is with the Venture X card.
And this is because you have to book through Capital One travel to actually use the credit, whereas with the Reserve card you just need to use the card on travel-related purchases.
Either way, I still really like the Venture X card and would be happy to add it to my wallet.

Now if you’re looking for an even more exclusive credit card than either of these cards why not check out this video here where I talk about the American Express Platinum Card.