Key takeaways
- If you’re looking for a premium travel credit card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card should be at the top of your list.
- These cards have numerous benefits in common, including annual statement credit offers, airport lounge access and fee credits for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership.
- All three of these cards let you transfer rewards to airline and hotel partners, but the available partners vary by card.
- In order to pick among these three cards, compare them based on their annual fees, welcome bonuses, rewards rates and included benefits.
Despite charging annual fees of $395 or more, premium credit cards can be worth their weight in gold. After all, many of the top travel credit cards offer serious benefits like airport lounge access, fee credits for TSA PreCheck and Global Entry and automatic elite status with major travel brands. Welcome bonuses worth $750 or more in travel also provide a great incentive while giving you the chance to try out the card’s most popular benefits.
However, with their high annual fees and redundant benefits, keeping more than one premium travel credit card is likely unnecessary. It’s usually best to narrow your focus to a single card that lets you earn and redeem your points for maximum benefit. Top options include the Chase Sapphire Reserve, The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
While each of these cards lets you earn rewards in different programs (Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards and Capital One miles, respectively), all three offer superior travel benefits and rewards you can redeem for travel, gift cards, merchandise and more.
Premium travel credit card benefits guide
Which premium travel credit card should you invest in this year? The following chart lists each of these card’s earning rates, bonus offers and annual fees.
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® | The Platinum Card® from American Express | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome offer | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel |
| Earning rates |
*Note, you will start earning travel-related rewards after earning your $300 travel credit |
|
|
| APR | 22.49% – 29.49% Variable | See Pay Over Time APR | 19.99% – 29.99% (Variable) |
| Annual fee | $550 | $695 | $395 |
Chase Sapphire Reserve vs. Amex Platinum vs. Capital One Venture X highlights
As you can see, each of these elite credit cards offers a lucrative rewards rate and a pricey annual fee to match. Still, there are details that help each of these cards stand out — including their welcome offers, major cardholder perks and the way they let you redeem your rewards.
We compared each card and its unique offerings to see which one beats out the others in the categories you care the most about.
Welcome bonus winner
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The Chase Sapphire Reserve’s welcome bonus of 60,000 points (after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months) can be worth $900 when redeemed for travel through Chase. However, this bonus is not up to par with the other cards — especially if you’re hoping to transfer your rewards to airline and hotel partners. In that scenario, where points generally transfer at a 1:1 ratio, the number of points or miles you can earn in a welcome bonus is the most important factor. The Amex Platinum offers 80,000 points with $8,000 spent on purchases within 6 months of account opening, whereas the Capital One Venture X requires you to spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months of account opening in order to earn 75,000 bonus miles. Since the Amex Platinum has the potential to earn more points toward point transfers, we believe it’s the winner in this category.
Rewards rate winner
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When it comes to earning points, the Chase Sapphire Reserve wins hands down. This is mainly due to the sheer number of bonus categories you can earn points in, but also since its categories are broad and easy to maximize. Consumers who choose the Chase Sapphire Reserve can earn 10X points on car rentals, hotel stays and Chase Dining purchases through Chase Travel, as well as 10X points on Lyft rides (through March 31, 2025). Other rewards rates include 5X points on air travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3X points on general travel and restaurant purchases, and 1X points on everything else. Note, again, that travel rewards will kick in after you earn the $300 travel credit.By contrast, neither the Amex Platinum nor the Capital One Venture X offer anywhere near 10X points in any of their bonus categories. Additionally, outside of flights booked directly through airlines with the Amex Platinum, both cards require you to purchase travel through their respective travel portals to earn boosted rewards. Otherwise you’ll earn each card’s base rate for purchases — 1X points per dollar for the Amex Platinum or 2X points per dollar with the Venture X, respectively.
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The Capital One Venture X charges an annual fee of $395, which compares favorably against the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s $550 annual fee and the $695 annual fee the Amex Platinum charges. Furthermore, Venture X allows you to add authorized users at no additional cost, while the other two cards charge a fee for authorized users.
Foreign transaction fee winner
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None of these cards charges foreign transaction fees, which means they tie in this category. If you plan to travel abroad and want to avoid paying a fee for international purchases, any of these cards could fit your needs.
Which card earns the most?
Most people who choose a premium travel credit card travel often and have the opportunity to utilize their card’s most exclusive perks. However, it’s crucial to figure out which of these cards might help you earn more points or miles over time.
Chase Sapphire Reserve vs. Amex Platinum vs. Capital One Venture X spending example
For example, let’s say you travel fairly often but also use your credit card for your regular purchases and bills. In this case, your monthly (and annual) credit card spending could look something like this:
Credit card spending:
- $24,000 per year ($2,000 per month) on regular purchases, including groceries and gas
- $12,000 per year ($1,000 per month) on flights booked through a travel portal
- $6,000 per year in restaurant spending ($500 per month)
- $3,000 in cruises per year (one cruise per year, on average)
- $2,000 per year spent at hotels and car rentals booked through a travel portal
With the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you would earn 131,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per year — 24,000 points on regular purchases, 60,000 points on airfare, 18,000 points on dining, 9,000 points on cruises and 20,000 points spent on hotels and car rentals. Note that you only earn 3X points on travel after you earn your $300 travel credit.
With Amex Platinum, on the other hand, you could earn 100,000 Amex Membership Rewards points over the course of one year. First, you would earn 60,000 points on airfare, 3,000 points on cruises and 6,000 points on restaurant purchases made with your card. If you halved the $2,000 spent on prepaid car rentals and hotels, you would earn 5,000 points on prepaid hotels and 2,000 points on prepaid car rentals (both booked through American Express Travel) for a total of 7,000 points. The $24,000 in regular purchases made with your card would also net you another 24,000 points.
With the Capital One Venture X, you would earn 146,000 miles during one year of membership — 48,000 miles on regular purchases, 60,000 miles on airfare booked through Capital One Travel, 12,000 miles on dining, 6,000 miles on cruises and 20,000 miles on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One.
Obviously, this is a pretty big difference that you would notice if you spent this much on travel and regular purchases throughout the year. However, like all rewards-related topics, there are still plenty of reasons why you might want to pick any of these cards.
Why should you get the Chase Sapphire Reserve?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is best for consumers who want to earn 10X points on hotels and rental cars, 5X points on airfare booked through Chase and 3X points on other travel and dining purchases. Since this card also offers 10X points on Lyft rides (through March 31, 2025) and 10X points on Chase Dining purchases, the value can be even higher over time.
Considering you get 50 percent more value out of your points when you redeem them for travel through the Chase Travel portal, this card is also ideal for anyone who loves to book boutique hotels or various travel plans without dealing with complicated airline or hotel loyalty programs.
Additional benefits
The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers tons of benefits to be aware of, including a fee credit (up to $100) toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership, Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership (valued at $469) and a $300 annual travel credit that is automatically applied to travel purchases made with your card.
Other travel-related benefits include trip cancellation/interruption insurance, primary auto rental coverage, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, emergency evacuation coverage, travel accident insurance and more.
Meanwhile, this card also comes with a 2-year Lyft Pink membership that includes priority airport pickups and at least 5% off rides (activation required by Dec. 31, 2024). A 12-month DoorDash DashPass subscription is also included, which gets you unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee on eligible orders, plus reduced service fees for a minimum of one year (activation required by Dec. 31, 2027).
Redemption options
The Chase Sapphire Reserve lets you cash in points for travel through the Chase Travel portal, and you’ll receive 50 percent more value out of your points when you do. Other redemption options include gift cards, cash back, statement credits and merchandise from Apple.com or Amazon.com.
The Ultimate Rewards program also lets you transfer your points 1:1 to the following Chase airline and hotel partners, the redemption option that stands to bring in the most value, according to Bankrate’s valuations.
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- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- British Airways Executive Club
- Emirates Skywards
- Air France / KLM Flying Blue
- Iberia Plus
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Southwest Rapid Rewards
- United MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- IHG Hotels & Resorts One Rewards
- Marriott Bonvoy
- World of Hyatt
Recommended credit score
Applicants need an excellent credit score to qualify for this credit card, which usually means having a FICO score of 740 or higher.
Why should you get the Amex Platinum?
The Amex Platinum is usually best for frequent travelers who book airfare directly with airlines or book flights and hotels through American Express Travel. This card is also a solid option for anyone who wants the opportunity to visit more than 1,400 American Express Global Lounge Collection airport lounges across the world as well as frequent flyers who like to visit Delta Sky Clubs when they fly with Delta.
The various annual credits this card offers can also make it a good value for specific types of spenders. For example, you may like this card if you spend a lot with Uber, Equinox or Walmart+ each year.
Additional benefits
While the $695 annual fee on the Amex Platinum is steep, you can get significantly more value than that each year. In your first year of card membership and beyond, you can get Amex Platinum benefits that can be worth more than $2,000. They include:
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- Up to $240 in digital entertainment credits
- Up to $200 in credits annually for prepaid hotel bookings at Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection properties via Amex Travel
- $100 credit on qualifying hotel purchases (on eligible bookings of 2 or more consecutive nights with a brand in The Hotel Collection)
- Up to $199 in CLEAR membership credits annually
- Up to $200 in Uber Cash for rides and delivery annually
- Up to $300 in eligible Equinox fitness membership credits per year (enrollment required)
- Up to $155 per year in Walmart+ monthly membership credits
- Up to $200 in airline fee credits annually for incidentals with a select airline
- Up to $100 for Saks Fifth Avenue purchases annually
- Up to $100 in application fee credits for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (every 4 years)
- $300 credit for each eligible SoulCycle At-Home bike purchase using your card through Amex’s provided link
You’ll also get access to Priority Pass airport lounges, Amex Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs when you fly with Delta.
As a cardholder, you’ll receive Gold Status with the Hilton Honors program, Gold Elite Status with Marriott Bonvoy, baggage insurance, extended warranties, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, purchase protection and secondary auto rental insurance.
Redemption options
The Amex Platinum lets you redeem your American Express Membership Rewards for travel directly through American Express Travel. With this redemption option, you can expect to receive 1 cent per point in value for airfare and around .7 cents per point in value for hotel stays, rental cars, cruises and more. You can also redeem your rewards for gift cards, statement credits and merchandise as well as for upgrades to business or first class on flights you already paid for.
American Express transfer partners let you transfer points at a ratio of 1:1, unless otherwise noted.
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- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Aeromexico Rewards (1,000:1,600)
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France / KLM Flying Blue
- ANA Mileage Club
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Delta SkyMiles
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Airways Guest
- Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
- Iberia Plus
- JetBlue TrueBlue (250:200)
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- Choice Privileges Rewards
- Hilton Honors (1,000:2,000)
- Marriott Bonvoy
Recommended credit score
You need good or excellent credit to qualify for this card, which usually means having a FICO score of 670 or higher.
Why should you get the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card?
The Capital One Venture X charges just $395 per year, which is considerably less than the other two premium travel credit cards we profiled. This card also makes it easy to rack up rewards thanks to its easy-to-understand earning scheme that awards you 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One, 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One and 2X miles on all other purchases.
The myriad travel credits this card offers also makes it a solid value.
Additional benefits
Cardholders who choose the Capital One Venture X can benefit from a $300 annual travel credit toward Capital One Travel purchases. Cardholders also get 10,000 bonus miles on their account anniversary, Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership and access to Capital One airport lounges where available.
Other Capital One Venture X benefits include up to $100 in credits toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership (every 4 years), Hertz Gold Plus President’s Circle status, cellphone insurance and free authorized user cards.
Redemption options
Capital One miles can be used to cover travel charged to your card at a rate of one cent per mile. Other redemption options include gift cards, cash back, purchases made through PayPal or Amazon.com or travel through the Capital One portal.
Cardholders can also transfer their miles to the following Capital One transfer partners with transfer ratios of 1:1 (unless otherwise noted).
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- Accor Live Limitless (1,000:500 ALL rewards points)
- Aeromexico Club Premier
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France / KLM Flying Blue
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Choice Privileges Rewards
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Airways Guest
- EVA Air Infinity MileageLands (1,000:750)
- Finnair Plus
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- TAP Portugal Miles&Go
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- Virgin Red
- Wyndham Rewards
Recommended credit score
You need excellent credit to qualify for this card, which usually means having a FICO score of 740 or higher.
The bottom line
Any of these premium travel credit cards could work well for your spending style and travel needs, but you’ll want to look closely at each offer to find the best option for you. There’s no clear winner here, but each of these cards stands out in a few categories that could play a major role in your decision.
How do you decide? Take the time to compare these winning travel credit cards in terms of their earning rates, rewards programs and cardholder perks. In the meantime, check out other Capital One credit cards, Amex credit cards and credit cards from Chase. If you analyze each of these offers and compare them to other credit cards on the market today, chances are one will stand out as the best in your eyes.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
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