Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is the higher-end version of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It carries an annual fee of $550, putting it into an entirely different league of travel rewards cards despite several similarities. Both cards earn Ultimate Rewards points at surprisingly similar rates.
The most notable difference between the two cards is the benefits offered by the more expensive Reserve. It comes with a flexible $300 annual travel credit, Priority Pass Select airport lounge access and a TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry application fee credit. You can also redeem points for 50% more value when booking travel through Chase, rather than the 25% boost offered by the Sapphire Preferred. The price tag may be worth it for someone who will use the extra benefits.
Read more. Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Reserve
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card vs. Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
You’ll earn at elevated rates on more spending categories with the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, another travel rewards card with a $95 annual fee. With the Strata Premier, you can earn 10 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com, 3 points per dollar on restaurants, supermarkets, gas & EV stations, air travel and other hotel purchases and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
This card offers several trip protections and a hotel discount once per calendar year, giving it a similar package of benefits. The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card’s hotel discount is worth $100 off a purchase of $500 or more (before taxes and fees) when making reservations through CitiTravel.com, so you’ll get a higher discount but with more restrictions. Both cards offer flexible, transferable points at similar ratios but with a different set of partners. If a specific airline or hotel is crucial for you to have access to, you’ll want to peruse your options.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card vs. Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
If you’re looking for flexible travel rewards with no annual fee, you might want to consider the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card (rates & fees) instead. It earns points at relatively similar rates: 3 points per dollar at restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans, 1 point per dollar on other purchases. Its welcome offer is much smaller than that of the Sapphire Preferred. Instead, it has an introductory APR of 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening. A variable APR of 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% applies for purchases after the intro period ends and for balance transfers. The card has a balance transfer fee of up to 5%, minimum $5.
One major disadvantage of this card is that you don’t receive many significant benefits or travel protections. However, you do maintain access to transferable rewards with Wells Fargo’s limited travel partners, and there are no foreign transaction fees. Anyone looking for a basic card at a basic price may find these tradeoffs worthwhile.