The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) is a pure start line for anybody new to journey rewards, due to its robust bonus classes, versatile Ultimate Rewards points and strong journey protections at an inexpensive annual price.
However after you’ve used it for some time, a well-known query tends to pop up: What card is smart so as to add subsequent?
For me (and plenty of others), the reply was the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. After including it to my pockets just a few months in the past, it rapidly grew to become clear why so many individuals pair these two playing cards collectively.
Fairly than overlapping, they complement one another in a means that makes incomes and redeeming rewards simpler, no more sophisticated — welcome information for these simply getting began with factors and miles.
In the event you’re fascinated about what card to pair along with your Sapphire Most well-liked, here is why the Enterprise X is smart as a subsequent step.
Associated: 5 reasons why I’m applying for the Capital One Venture X
The Enterprise X enhances the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked — it doesn’t substitute it
The important thing to why this pairing works is that the 2 playing cards are designed to play very completely different roles.
The Sapphire Preferred shines as a category-focused journey card, rewarding eating, choose journey purchases and on a regular basis spending like streaming and on-line groceries.
It additionally unlocks entry to Chase’s highly effective Final Rewards ecosystem, together with a few of the greatest travel protections out there on a mid-tier card.
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The Enterprise X, however, is constructed for simplicity and consistency. It’s the cardboard to succeed in for when a purchase order doesn’t fall right into a bonus class, incomes a flat price on on a regular basis spending whereas nonetheless delivering premium-style perks that elevate the journey expertise.
Due to that, there’s little or no redundancy. One card isn’t making an attempt to switch the opposite. As an alternative, including the Enterprise X lets you maintain every part that already works concerning the Sapphire Most well-liked, whereas strengthening your total incomes and journey technique.
Associated: How Venture X perfects premium travel benefits
The Enterprise X fills within the Sapphire Most well-liked’s on a regular basis incomes gaps
In the event you carry the Sapphire Preferred, you’re probably conversant in its robust bonus classes, together with eating, journey and on-line groceries. The place the cardboard can fall brief, nevertheless, is on nonbonus spending, that are purchases that don’t neatly match into these classes and earn simply 1 level per greenback spent.
That’s the place the Venture X matches in as a pure complement. The cardboard earns 2 miles per greenback spent on all purchases, together with elevated earnings when reserving by means of Capital One Travel.
With a flat-rate construction like this, there’s no want to trace rotating classes or wonder if a purchase order qualifies for bonus rewards.
Because of this, the Enterprise X turns into a simple default for on a regular basis spending, akin to:
- Grocery shops that don’t code as on-line groceries
- Retail purchases
- Utilities and subscriptions
- Miscellaneous bills that don’t fall right into a bonus class
In observe, this method simplifies day-to-day card use. I depend on my Sapphire Preferred for eating, on-line grocery orders and journey booked by means of Chase, then use the Venture X for almost every part else. Over time, that constant 2 miles per greenback spent provides up rapidly — particularly on unavoidable on a regular basis purchases that may in any other case earn simply 1 level per greenback.
For Sapphire Most well-liked cardholders trying to increase earnings with out including complexity, utilizing the Enterprise X as a catch-all card is an environment friendly strategy to spherical out a two-card setup.
Associated: Why the Chase Sapphire Preferred remains the top travel rewards credit card
2 rewards ecosystems provide extra flexibility when reserving journey
Maximizing rewards is just half the equation — the actual worth comes when it’s time to redeem them. That is one other space the place pairing the Sapphire Preferred with the Enterprise X actually shines.
Holding each playing cards offers you entry to 2 transferable rewards currencies. The Sapphire Most well-liked earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, whereas the Enterprise X earns Capital One miles.
Every program brings one thing completely different to the desk. Capital One provides entry to greater than 15 airline and hotel loyalty partners, whereas Chase offers transfers to 11 airline and three hotel programs.
Chase stands out for companions like World of Hyatt, which frequently provides outsize worth for lodge stays, in addition to airline packages akin to United MileagePlus and Southwest Rapid Rewards.
Capital One, however, shines with worldwide airline companions like Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, Avianca LifeMiles and Etihad Guest, which might unlock wonderful worth on long-haul and premium-cabin flights.
As a result of there’s comparatively little overlap between the 2 ecosystems, having each playing cards expands your choices when award availability is proscribed or pricing is lower than ultimate. As an alternative of being locked right into a single set of companions, you may search throughout each Chase and Capital One switch packages to search out one of the best redemption for a selected journey.
Transfer bonuses add one other layer of flexibility. Chase steadily provides limited-time bonuses — typically as excessive as 50% — when transferring factors to pick out companions. Capital One additionally runs periodic switch bonuses, usually within the 30% to 40% vary, which might considerably cut back the variety of miles wanted for a redemption.
I lately took benefit of a Chase switch bonus for an Air France-KLM Flying Blue award to Paris for simply 18,750 Flying Blue miles plus taxes and charges. Due to a Chase 25% switch bonus to Flying Blue, I solely wanted to switch 15,000 Chase Final Rewards factors to guide the flight.
Since I now have entry to each Chase and Capital One, it’s simpler to check switch companions earlier than shifting factors or miles, which frequently ends in higher award availability or fewer rewards required total.
Capital One additionally stands out for its transfer flexibility. Whereas each packages permit transfers beginning at 1,000 factors or miles, Capital One allows you to enhance transfers in increments of simply 100 miles. This degree of precision is one thing Chase Final Rewards doesn’t provide, as Chase requires transfers in increments of 1,000 factors.
That smaller increment may be particularly helpful once you simply must high off an airline or lodge account to finish a reserving, although it’s nonetheless essential to concentrate to switch ratios to maximise your redemption.
For vacationers who need extra management over how and once they redeem rewards, entry to 2 transferable rewards ecosystems may also help stretch rewards additional, notably when award house is proscribed or costs spike.
Associated: Why all travelers should earn transferable credit card points
You get premium journey perks with out paying a premium annual price
One of many largest methods the Enterprise X elevates the Sapphire Preferred is by including premium journey perks the Sapphire Most well-liked doesn’t provide by itself — most notably airport lounge entry.
As a frequent traveler, lounge entry all the time felt barely out of attain to me, reserved for playing cards with eye-popping annual charges. The Enterprise X was the primary premium card that made these advantages really feel attainable.
With the Enterprise X, cardholders obtain:
- A $300 annual assertion credit score for bookings made by means of Capital One Journey, which might successfully cut back the cardboard’s $395 annual price to $95 when absolutely used
- 10,000 bonus miles each account anniversary, which TPG’s December 2025 valuations peg at $185 in worth
- Airport lounge entry with out stepping as much as an ultrapremium card
- A strong suite of travel protections
Notably, the Enterprise X’s annual price has remained unchanged since its debut in 2021, at the same time as annual fees throughout the premium card house have continued to rise. Between the annual journey credit score and anniversary bonus miles, it’s attainable to offset the cardboard’s annual price solely by means of ongoing advantages.
The Sapphire Preferred, in the meantime, helps maintain total prices grounded. With its $95 annual price, the cardboard provides:
- A $50 annual lodge credit score on eligible Chase Journey℠ bookings, successfully decreasing the cardboard’s annual price to $45 when absolutely used
- Robust earnings on journey and bonus classes
- Chase’s well-regarded travel protections
- Complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership to assist cowl meals bills whereas touring — since DashPass usually prices $9.99 per 30 days (or $96 yearly), this profit covers the cardboard’s $95 annual price by itself*
*Membership is legitimate till Dec. 31, 2027.
Taken collectively, this two-card setup delivers a premium-feeling journey expertise, robust earnings throughout each on a regular basis and bonus spending, and entry to 2 versatile transferable currencies.
All of that comes for below $500 in mixed annual charges. That is considerably lower than the price of some single premium playing cards, such because the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) or the American Express Platinum Card® (see rates and fees), which carry annual charges of $795 and $895, respectively.
For vacationers who need entry to premium perks with out committing to a single high-fee card, pairing the Enterprise X with the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked provides a compelling steadiness of worth, flexibility and value.
Associated: Are premium credit cards worth the annual fee?
Who ought to pair the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked and Enterprise X?
This card pairing makes probably the most sense for vacationers who already perceive the fundamentals of incomes and redeeming factors and are prepared for extra flexibility, however aren’t considering juggling a number of premium playing cards or navigating overly complicated profit constructions.
It’s a powerful match in the event you:
- Need higher airport and journey perks with out leaping straight to a card with a $700-plus annual price
- Favor easy, predictable earnings on on a regular basis purchases alongside robust bonus classes
- Worth flexibility over committing absolutely to 1 airline or lodge program
From my very own expertise, this pairing felt like a pure development. I didn’t need to relearn how I used my Sapphire Most well-liked — I simply added the Enterprise X the place it made sense. The end result was a setup that stayed simple to handle however grew to become noticeably extra rewarding when it got here time to guide journey.
Associated: Why the Venture X should be your first premium card
Backside line
If you have already got the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked, pairing it with the Enterprise X is a great strategy to degree up your journey technique.
The 2 playing cards complement one another properly, masking on a regular basis spending and key bonus classes whereas unlocking premium journey advantages at an inexpensive mixed annual value.
Collectively, they kind a flexible, low-friction setup that’s simple to take care of and versatile sufficient for every part from routine purchases to your next big trip.
To be taught extra, try our full evaluations of the Capital One Venture X and Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Study extra: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Preferred
For Capital One merchandise listed on this web page, a few of the advantages could also be supplied by Visa® or Mastercard® and should fluctuate by product. See the respective Information to Advantages for particulars, as phrases and exclusions apply.
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