At a glance
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs more rewards and perks on travel and everyday spending -- for the same annual fee as the Citi Premier® Card.
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Travel season is upon us, which means now is the perfect time to add a travel credit card to your wallet if there’s a space for it. If you’re ok with a $95 annual fee in exchange for perks and rewards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Citi Premier® Card present two of the best picks.
Both cards offer lucrative welcome bonuses, and you can maximize your rewards when booking travel. And both cards pack a punch beyond travel categories -- they’re good for everyday use, especially when dining out.
While both rewards credit cards have their merits, the best card to choose is the Chase Sapphire Preferred. It’s more rewarding thanks to its slightly better redemption methods beyond travel -- including Apple purchases and Chase Experiences.
But the Citi Premier is still a good option. It provides rewards for everyday expenses, and depending on your spending habits may be the better fit for your wallet. But when compared side-by-side, the Citi Premier can’t quite compete with the Chase Sapphire Preferred in the other categories.
Comparing rewards
Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred
- 5x points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining
- 3x on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- 3x points on select streaming services
- 2x on all other travel purchases
- 1x point for all other purchases
- 3x points per dollar spent at restaurants and supermarkets
- 3x points at gas stations, air travel and hotels
- 1x point for all other purchases
While both cards have competitive reward rates, the Citi Premier is better suited for everyday spending with more boosted rewards categories aside from travel -- like supermarket, restaurant and gas station purchases. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is slightly more travel-focused, earning rewards for dining out and travel purchases. However, it shines thanks to its flexible and lucrative redemption options. Here’s how the rewards rates compare:
Rewards redemptions
Both credit cards have a per-point value of 1 cent when redeemed by normal means – statement credits. However, you could earn more with the Chase Sapphire Preferred because it features a 25% redemption bonus for using your points to book travel through Chase Travel, increasing its point value to 1.25 cent per point. The Chase Sapphire Preferred also has a 1:1 point transfer rate to Chase’s travel partners. Point transfers take a little extra work, but transferring your points could increase how much they’re worth well beyond 1 or 1.25 cents. Other redemption options include cash back, gift cards, statement credits and select charities.
The Citi card also features point transfers, but its partners are better suited to international travelers. There’s a 1-to-1 point transfer when booking with Citi’s airline partners. Citi also has a rewards portal -- Citi ThankYou® Rewards where you can redeem rewards via the Citi mobile app or Citi online. But unlike Chase, you won’t earn a boosted rate when redeeming rewards for travel through the portal.
Welcome bonus
Tie
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
Both cards offer comparable bonuses for the same amount of spending, but there are some factors to consider. The Chase Sapphire Preferred has better point transfer capabilities that could push the value you could get from the bonus ahead of the Citi Premier’s offer -- particularly if you redeem for travel through Chase’s Travel portal. But, now through June 30, 2024, the Citi Premier is offering cardholders 10x points for hotel, car rentals and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal.
Additional card perks
Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred
- Up to $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- 10% bonus points each account anniversary for the total purchases made the previous year. If you spend $25,000, you’ll get 2,500 bonus points.
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance
- Auto rental collision damage waiver
- Baggage delay insurance
- Trip delay reimbursement
- Travel and emergency assistance services
- Purchase protection
- Extended warranty protection
- 1:1 transfer rate to Chase’s travel partners
- $100 Annual Hotel Savings Benefit toward a single hotel stay of $500 or more when booked through Thankyou.com, excluding taxes and fees
For mid-tier travel credit cards, both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Citi Premier feature useful travel perks. However, the Chase Sapphire Preferred features a greater collection of travel protections and redemption capabilities. The Citi Premier does provide an annual travel credit but it comes with some caveats.
The Citi card could include other perks, but they aren’t advertised. Check your Guide to Benefits that comes with the card to see definitively what perks your card has. But as it stands, the offering compared to the Chase Sapphire Preferred is underwhelming.
Card fees
Winner: Tie
- $95
- $95
Both credit cards charge the standard mid-tier card fee, which is $95. Neither charge foreign transaction fees, meaning you can use them overseas without incurring an additional charge for purchases. Both charge balance transfer and cash advance fees – not that you should use them for either.
Both cards charge a balance transfer fee of $5 or 5% of the amount transferred -- whichever is greater. And both have a cash advance fee of $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance -- whichever is greater.
How the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Citi Premier compare to other credit cards
- Intro Offer
-
60,000 bonus points Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
- Annual fee
- $95
- APR
- 21.49% – 28.49% Variable
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
- Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1x – 5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.; 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries.; 2x on all other travel purchases.; 1x on all other purchases.
- Intro Offer
-
60,000 points Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
- Annual fee
- $95
- APR
- 21.24% – 29.24% (Variable)
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
- Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1x – 3x Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels; Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets; Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Intro Offer
-
75,000 miles Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Annual fee
- $95
- APR
- 19.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
- Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
2x – 5x Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options; Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day.
*All information about the Capital One Venture Credit Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
The bottom line
While both credit cards have attractive features -- the Chase Sapphire Preferred stands out for its redemption flexibility and perks. But if you want to earn more rewards on everyday spending categories, the Citi Premier is a suitable choice. As an all-around pick for most, the better card will likely be the Chase Sapphire Preferred to earn and redeem rewards with more options and at a better rate when booking travel with Chase.
The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.
