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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders: Why the Venture X is worth adding next
Stephanie Stevens is an associate writer with TPG's credit cards team. She focuses on creating timely credit cards content for TPG readers.
October 11, 2026 • 8 min read
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Quick summary
Pairing a category-focused travel rewards card with a premium flat-rate card can help maximize rewards across both bonus and everyday spending.
This two-card strategy offers access to two separate transferable rewards currencies, increasing flexibility when booking travel through various airline and hotel partners.
Premium travel perks, such as airport lounge access and annual travel credits, become more attainable without the highest annual fees in the market.
The combined annual fees can be offset by strategic use of travel credits, anniversary bonuses and other valuable benefits.
What to consider
This pairing is best suited for travelers who value both flexibility and simplicity, and who can fully utilize travel credits and perks.
Those who rarely travel or prefer to keep rewards in a single program may not benefit as much from this combination.
Anniversary bonus miles are valued at $185 as of October 2026 per TPG's valuations.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of how to use two complementary rewards cards to cover more spending categories and unlock premium travel benefits efficiently.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
Together, the cards carry $490 in annual fees ($95 for Sapphire Preferred and $395 for Venture X), but their benefits can help offset that cost.
If you're thinking about what card to pair with your Sapphire Preferred, here's why the Venture X makes sense as a next step.
The Venture X complements the Chase Sapphire Preferred — it doesn’t replace it
The key to this pairing's success is that the two cards are designed to play very different roles.
The Sapphire Preferred shines as a category-focused travel card, rewarding dining, gas and select travel purchases as well as common spending categories like online groceries and select streaming services.
It also unlocks access to Chase’s powerful Ultimate Rewards ecosystem and valuable travel protections.
VIOLETASTOIMENOVA/GETTY IMAGES
The Venture X, on the other hand, is built for simplicity and consistency. It’s the card to reach for when a purchase doesn’t fall into a bonus category, earning a flat rate on everyday spending while delivering premium-style perks that elevate the travel experience.
Adding the Venture X allows you to keep everything that already works about the Sapphire Preferred while strengthening your overall earning and travel strategy.
The two cards cover more of your everyday spending
The Sapphire Preferred offers strong bonus categories, including 3 points per dollar spent on dining, gas, electric vehicle charging, select vacation rentals* and online groceries. However, purchases outside its bonus categories earn just 1 point per dollar.
*At these top brands: Airbnb, Vrbo, Plum Guide, HomeAway, Homestay.com and Vacasa
That’s where the Venture X comes in. The card earns at least 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases, with higher earnings when booking through Capital One Travel.
With a flat-rate structure like this, there’s no need to track rotating categories or wonder whether a purchase qualifies for bonus rewards.
STEPHANIE STEVENS/THE POINTS GUY
In practice, this approach simplifies day-to-day card use.
I rely on my Sapphire Preferred for dining, gas, online grocery orders and eligible vacation rentals — I've stayed in over 60 Airbnbs — then use the Venture X for nearly all other everyday purchases. Over time, that consistent base rate of 2 miles per dollar spent adds up quickly — especially on everyday purchases that might otherwise earn just 1 point per dollar.
For Sapphire Preferred cardholders looking to boost earnings without adding complexity, using the Venture X as a catch-all card is an efficient way to round out a two-card setup.
Having access to both programs gives you more options when searching for award flights and hotel stays. And because some transfer partners overlap, you may even be able to combine rewards from both programs in the same loyalty account.
Personally, I tend to transfer Chase points to hotel programs and use Capital One miles for flights.
I recently redeemed 75,000 Chase points for a three-night stay at Hotel 50 Bowery in New York City over Labor Day weekend. I also recently transferred around 7,000 Capital One miles (plus taxes and fees) to Air France-KLM Flying Blue to fly from Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) on SAS.
Instead of relying on one rewards program, I can choose which points or miles make the most sense for each trip.
You get premium travel perks without paying a premium annual fee
One of the biggest ways the Venture X elevates the Sapphire Preferred is access to premium travel perks, most notably airport lounge access. And while the two cards carry a combined $490 in annual fees, their benefits can help offset that cost.
As a frequent traveler, lounge access always felt slightly out of reach to me, reserved for cards with eye-popping annual fees. The Venture X was the first premium card that made those benefits feel attainable.
The annual travel credit alone can help offset much of the Venture X's annual fee if you are comfortable booking through Capital One Travel. Factor in the anniversary bonus miles, which are worth $185 per TPG's October 2026 valuations, and it's possible to get enough value from these benefits to justify the card's cost.
Together, these cards offer a strong combination of premium travel benefits and everyday rewards, particularly if you can take full advantage of their credits and perks.
Who should and shouldn't pair the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Venture X?
This card pairing makes the most sense for travelers who already understand the basics of earning and redeeming points and are ready for more flexibility, but aren’t interested in juggling multiple premium cards or navigating overly complex benefit structures.
It’s a strong fit if you:
Want better airport and travel perks without jumping straight to a card with a $700-plus annual fee
If you already have the Sapphire Preferred, pairing it with the Venture X is a smart way to level up your travel rewards strategy.
The two cards complement each other well, covering everyday spending and key bonus categories while unlocking premium travel benefits at a reasonable combined annual cost.
While the $490 combined annual fee isn't insignificant, this pairing can offer substantial value for travelers who make the most of both cards' benefits.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
