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The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card are two of the best credit cards you can own. However, each card caters to different spending styles and award options. This Capital One Quicksilver vs Chase Sapphire Preferred analysis will help you pick the better card for you.

Before we start the comparison, ask yourself one question: do you prefer earning travel miles or cash back? Your response can help narrow down which card is going to suit your lifestyle best.

Plus, there are exciting bonus offers available now (more on that below).

60,000 bonus points: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

$200 cash bonus: Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card 

Park Hyatt Toronto. Credit: Johnny Jet

Capital One Quicksilver vs Chase Sapphire Preferred: An In-Depth Look

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a travel rewards credit card.

The Capital One Quicksilver is a leading cash-back credit card.

If you’re looking to exclusively earn travel rewards, check out our review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Capital One Venture Rewards credit card to compare two top travel cards. If you’re undecided, read on.

To begin this Capital One Quicksilver vs Chase Sapphire Preferred comparison, let’s look at purchase rewards. We are going to compare each card on a point-by-point basis.

Purchase Rewards

  • Chase Sapphire Preferred earns unlimited:
    • 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Anniversary Hotel Credit)
    • 3x points on dining (including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out)
    • 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target®, Walmart®, and wholesale clubs)
    • Also 3x points on select streaming services
    • 2x points on all other travel purchases
    • 1x point per $1 spent on all non-bonus purchases 
  • Capital One Quicksilver earns unlimited:
    • 1.5% cash back on every purchase
    • 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns tiered credit card points. It earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points that are redeemable for travel and cash rewards.

If you don’t spend a lot on travel and dining, the flat-rate Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card can be a better option. That’s because earning 1.5 points lets you earn 50% more than the 1 base point per $1 spent on non-bonus categories. In regards to flat-rate rewards cards, getting 1.5 points per $1 is one of the higher reward rates. However, earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

Winner: TIE

Redeeming Rewards

  • Chase Sapphire Preferred: Award travel and 1:1 point transfers, cash, gift cards, Amazon.com points
  • Capital One Quicksilver: Cash rewards

The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card redemption options are straightforward. Each point is worth 1 cent. Redeeming 10,000 is worth $100 in cash rewards. There are no redemption minimums, and you can redeem your points for cash statement credits or bank account deposits. Capital One even lets you schedule automatic redemptions.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred has more point redemption options. Each point is worth 1 cent each when redeemed for cash, gift card, or Amazon.com rewards. However, they are more valuable when redeemed for travel rewards. It’s because of these travel redemption options that make the Sapphire Preferred one of the best travel rewards credit cards.

25% Travel Redemption Bonus

When redeeming your Chase Sapphire Preferred Card points for award travel booked through the Expedia-powered Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, your points are worth 25% or 1.25 cents each. This makes 10,000 points worth $125 instead of the standard $100 amount.

1:1 Point Transfers

An equally appealing travel redemption option is the 1:1 point transfers to airline and hotel loyalty programs. You can transfer points on a 1:1 basis in 1,000-point increments. For instance, 1,000 Ultimate Rewards can be converted into 1,000 Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points. Some of the transfer partners include Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, JetBlue, Hyatt, and Marriott Bonvoy.

It’s possible for your points to be worth more than 1.25 cents with the 25% travel redemption bonus.

Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Signup Bonus

  • Chase Sapphire Preferred: New Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Member FDIC
  • Capital One Quicksilver: $200 bonus cash after spending $500 in the first 3 months of account opening

The Chase Sapphire Preferred has the more valuable signup bonus. Of course, you must also spend $4,000 in 3 months instead of $500. Keep in mind that you won’t qualify for the Sapphire Preferred bonus if you already own a Sapphire product or have received a Sapphire signup bonus in the last 48 months.

In regards to the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, its bonus offer is similar to other cash back credit cards. Being able to spend $500 in 3 months is very easy to reach.

Between the Capital One Quicksilver vs Chase Sapphire Preferred, both signup bonuses can be helpful for your goals.

Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Additional Card Benefits

Both cards offer a few additional card benefits in addition to the standard Visa Signature card benefits. Cardholders also have access to exclusive card member events like ticket pre-sales and experiences. As you might assume, the Sapphire Preferred benefits are more travel-friendly, and the Quicksilver benefits are more cash-friendly.

Chase Sapphire Preferred

  • Trip cancellation and interruption insurance. Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for non-refundable travel purchases.
  • Primary rental car collision damage waiver. Most credit cards are only over secondary coverage.
  • Baggage delay insurance. Up to $100 per day for 5 days for essential purchases.
  • Trip delay. Up to $500 per ticket if the trip is delayed 12 hours or requires an overnight stay

Learn more about the Chase Sapphire rental car insurance benefits to see how this works.

Capital One Quicksilver

  • Wikibuy. Compare prices from multiple merchants.
  • Extended warranty. Free extended warranty on select purchases.

The Capital One Quicksilver is one of the best Capital One credit cards.

Winner: Toss-Up

Annual Fee

  • Chase Sapphire Preferred: $95
  • Capital One Quicksilver: $0

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card makes sense if the purchase rewards and point redemption options outvalue the $95 annual fee.

You never pay an annual fee with the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card.

Neither card charges a foreign transaction fee. Both options are some of the best credit cards for international travel.

Capital One Quicksilver vs Chase Sapphire Preferred: Which is Better?

Both credit cards require excellent credit. That means you will need a 740 credit score to have the best approval odds.

Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the better option for travel rewards. Although you pay a $95 annual fee, the 25% travel redemption bonus and 1:1 point transfers can be worth it if you travel on a regular basis.

Before trying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred, be aware that Chase may reject your application if you have opened at least 5 new credit card accounts in the last 24 months. This “5/24 rule” includes being listed as an authorized user on another person’s card. You will need to wait until you only have 4 credit cards younger than 2 years before you apply. Learn more in our guide to the Chase Sapphire application rules.

Capital One Quicksilver

The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is the better option if you can earn more from the flat rate 1.5 points per $1 purchase rewards and want cash rewards. This is also the better option if you don’t want to pay an annual fee.

Summary

Both the Capital One Quicksilver and Chase Sapphire Preferred are great credit cards for their reward types. The better card comes down to your preference for earning travel rewards or cash back.

60,000 bonus points: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

$200 cash bonus: Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card 

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