Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs. Prime Visa Card [Detailed Comparison]

Key Takeaways

• The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card earns 3x points on dining, online groceries, and select streaming services and 2x points on travel purchases outside of the Chase travel portal.
• The Prime Visa Card earns 5% cash-back on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases, 2% cash-back on gas, transit, commuting, and dining, and 1% on everything else.
• The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is the best choice for travelers, while the Prime Visa card is better for frequent Amazon shoppers with a Prime membership.

If you’re looking for a Visa credit card that can be used anywhere, you’ll find an endless selection of available cards. If you’re a frequent traveler or an avid Amazon.com shopper, the field of desirable options could narrow quickly.

You would want a card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, for example. Plus, the card you select should earn well on your specific spending mix.

Redemption options, travel benefits, and shopping benefits may also be priorities.

Fortunately, there are 2 popular cards that fit these preferences perfectly. The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card and the Prime Visa Card are 2 dynamic cards that are at the forefront of our agenda today.

We’ll compare how these cards earn rewards, your options at redemption time, and the protections and benefits that come with each card.

If you’re either a traveler or an Amazon.com shopper, or both, you’ll want to read on.

Overview

We’re going to cover all the key benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Prime Visa card in detail shortly.

However, if you’re in a hurry and want a quick overview, we’ve provided that for you here:

Welcome Bonus Offer Comparison

When you’re approved for either the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or the Prime Visa card, you’ll have the opportunity to earn a welcome offer.

While welcome offers vary, you’ll find the most current ones in the following card snapshots:

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

NEW OFFER

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 75,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,500

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.74% - 27.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
• 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
• 2x points on all other travel worldwide

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Enjoy benefits such as 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
• Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
• 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.74% - 27.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Prime Visa Card

Prime Visa

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A strong rewards card if you shop regularly at Amazon.com and Whole Foods.

Prime Visa

A strong rewards card if you shop regularly at Amazon.com and Whole Foods.

Welcome Offer

Get a $150 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members.

$150 Amazon Gift Card

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$150

Annual Fee

$0

APR

19.24% - 27.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

We all do our fair share of shopping on Amazon, some of us more than others, and when we shop with Amazon, we obviously want to get the best deal possible. Now, with the Prime Visa Card, you can add a credit card to your wallet that will help you do just that.

You’ll not only earn rewards on all of your Amazon and Whole Foods purchases, but on 4 other bonus categories as well, along with flexible redemption options, all for no annual fee!

When you consider everything that the Prime Visa card offers, it is basically a no-brainer for those who frequently shop with Amazon. Let’s dig a little deeper to see just how much the card can save you.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Earn 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership
• Earn 2% back at gas stations, restaurants and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare)
• Earn 1% back on all other purchases

Cons

• Amazon Prime membership required

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Get a $150 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members
• Earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership
• Prime Card Bonus: Earn 10% back or more on a rotating selection of items and categories on Amazon.com with an eligible Prime membership
• Earn unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare)
• Earn unlimited 1% back on all other purchases
• No annual credit card fee
• No more waiting. Redeem daily rewards at Amazon.com as soon as the next day
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.24% - 27.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Bottom Line:

Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Prime Visa card come with a welcome bonus that can be earned once you meet minimum spend requirements after card approval. However, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card normally comes with a bonus that can exceed $1,000 in value, which can be substantially more than a common welcome offer for the Prime Visa card.

Earning Potential

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card earns flexible Ultimate Rewards points while the Prime Visa card earns Amazon points that can be used for Amazon purchases, cash-back, and more.

While both cards earn rewards on every purchase you make, bonus-earning categories will ultimately determine the level of rewards you’ll earn on your own specific spending mix.

Keep in mind your highest spending categories, and how those expenses would be rewarded, as we review the earning categories for our featured cards.

If you’re a frequent traveler, you’re going to fare well with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. The card offers elevated earnings on travel purchases and on everyday expenses such as dining, online groceries, and select streaming services.

If your spending mix consists mostly of Amazon.com purchases, Whole Foods, and everyday purchases such as dining, gas stations, and transit/commuting, that mix will earn more with the Prime Visa card.

Bottom Line:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card earns well on travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services. The Prime Visa card ensures Amazon, Chase travel portal, and select everyday purchases such as Whole Foods, dining, gas stations, drug stores, and transit/commuting, receive elevated earnings.

Redemption Options

When it’s time to redeem your hard-earned rewards, it’s good to have options. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is known for its flexibility at redemption time and for the potential value you could receive when redeeming points for travel with airline and hotel partners.

The Prime Visa card also offers choices at redemption time but at a fixed value.

Let’s look at your options when it’s time to redeem the rewards earned on either of our featured cards.

Redeeming Ultimate Rewards points earned on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card by transferring to airline or hotel partners can result in the best value for those rewards.

Amazon points earned on the Prime Visa card have a fixed value of 1 cent each which results in rewards redeemed for Amazon purchases at checkout, a statement credit, or a direct deposit of equal value.

While you can redeem Amazon points for travel via Chase and Ultimate Rewards points for shopping at Amazon, neither of these options is recommended.

Amazon points have a fixed value of 1 cent each, so if redeeming for travel, a statement credit to wipe out any previous travel purchase would make more sense.

And, while you could use Chase Ultimate Rewards to shop at Amazon, you’ll receive a poor value of less than 1 cent each for your points.

Bottom Line:

The best potential value for Ultimate Rewards points is to transfer to airline or hotel partners and redeem them for award tickets or free hotel nights. The best potential value for Amazon points is for Amazon purchases or cash-back.

Travel Advantages

Earning and redeeming rewards may be the key reasons we select and use a particular credit card but travel protections and benefits can add significant value to cardholders. Travel benefits can save you money.

Here is a key travel benefit you’ll find on both the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Prime Visa card:

• Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection Benefits — Book your stay via the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection website using your card. You can enjoy several perks upon availability, including an upgraded room and late checkout, complimentary breakfast for 2, complimentary Wi-Fi, a $25 food/beverage credit, and VIP treatment.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees — When selecting a card to take with you on your international journey, you’ll want a card that doesn’t incur foreign transaction fees. Neither of our featured cards charges these fees.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

• $50 Annual Hotel Credit — Book your hotel via the Chase travel portal and receive a $50 statement credit each year.

Travel Insurance and Protection Perks

Travel protections can give you peace of mind during your travels, provide assistance if something should go wrong, and even save you money.

Here are the key protections you’ll find on both the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Prime Visa card:

• Car Rental Insurance — Reserve and pay for your entire car rental with your card, decline the rental agency’s CDW/LDW coverage, and receive coverage for damage and theft. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card comes with primary car rental insurance while the Prime Visa card comes with secondary coverage. Primary coverage means that you do not have to file a claim with any other applicable insurance before card coverage kicks in.
• Roadside Dispatch — Receive access to 1-call assistance when stranded roadside in the U.S. and pay just 1 pre-negotiated fee for a service call. Services include limited towing, standard winching, jumpstart, lockout services, emergency fuel, and flat tire changing with an inflated spare. Services over and above those covered will be billed to your card.
• Baggage Delay Insurance — If your baggage is delayed 6 hours or more, you could receive up to $100 per day reimbursement for eligible expenses. There is a maximum of 5 days ($500) with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and 3 days ($300) with the Prime Visa card.
• Lost Luggage Reimbursement — If your luggage is lost, stolen, or damaged, you could receive up to $3,000 per covered person, per trip.
• Travel and Emergency Services — Receive 24/7 assistance during your travels for emergency transportation, medical/legal services, translation services, and more.

In addition to the travel protections and benefits listed above, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card has these additional distinct features:

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

• Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance and Trip Delay Reimbursement — You could receive up to $10,000 per person, and up to $20,000 per covered trip, if your trip needs to be canceled or is disrupted for a covered reason. If your trip is delayed over 12 hours, you could receive up to $100 per day, up to $500, for eligible expense reimbursement, with a limit of 1 claim each year.

Bottom Line:

Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Prime Visa card come with key travel protections and benefits including car rental insurance, roadside dispatch, baggage delay insurance, Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection benefits, and no foreign transaction fees. The Chase Sapphire Preferred has the additional benefits of primary car rental insurance versus secondary, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, and an annual $50 hotel credit.

Shopping Benefits

Shopping benefits can save you money, add convenience, or help you earn additional rewards on your purchases.

Here are the shopping benefits you’ll find on both the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Prime Visa card:

• Chase Offers — Sign in to your Chase online card account and select from cash-back offers at select retailers. Add the offers you like to your card, make the associated purchase, and receive cash-back as a statement credit.
• Visa Signature Shopping Benefits — Visa Signature shopping benefits vary but normally you’ll find car rental, hotel, and golf discounts.

You’ll find these additional benefits on each individual card:

Prime Visa Card

• 10% Cash-back or More on Select Amazon Purchases — Receive elevated cash-back when using your card to purchase items from a special rotating categories list published by Amazon.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

• DoorDash DashPass — Receive a 1-year complimentary membership that includes free delivery and reduced fees. Activate by December 31, 2027.
• Shop through Chase — Earn additional rewards when you use the Chase shopping portal to make purchases with your favorite retailers and service providers.

Shopping Protection Perks

Shopping protections can provide coverage if something should go wrong with an eligible purchase you’ve made with your card.

Here are the protections you’ll find on both the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Prime Visa card:

• Purchase Protection — Purchase an eligible item with your card and receive protection against theft and accidental damage. Both cards cover items for up to 120 days from the purchase date, up to $500 per eligible item, and up to $50,000 per card account.
• Extended Warranty — For eligible items, purchased with either card, manufacturer’s warranties of 3 years or less will be extended 1 additional year.

Bottom Line:

Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Prime Visa card come with key shopping protections such as purchase protection and extended warranty coverage. You’ll find additional benefits on the Chase Sapphire Preferred with DoorDash and shopping offers via Chase. A key shopping benefit with the Prime Visa card is the elevated cash-back offers for Amazon Prime rotating category items.

Annual Fees and Authorized Users

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card has an annual fee of $95, which is actually on the low end for a travel rewards credit card with so many protections and benefits.

The Prime Visa card has a $0 annual fee, but you must be an Amazon Prime member to earn 5% cash-back.

Neither card charges a fee to add an authorized user.

Everything Else You Need To Know

Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Prime Visa card are Visa Signature cards issued by Chase. Before applying for either card, you’ll want to review Chase’s 5/24 rule which can affect card approvals.

You will need to have an Amazon Prime membership to be approved for the Prime Visa card.

To qualify for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or the Prime Visa card it’s recommended to have a good to excellent credit score. A good credit score is generally considered 670 to 739 and an excellent score is considered 740 to 850.

In order to utilize the Shop With Points option and to take advantage of any Amazon promotions, you must first link your eligible credit card to your Amazon account.

The benefit descriptions in this article have been abbreviated and not all features and benefits are listed. The Guide to Benefits for each card is the official source for full descriptions and the applicable terms and conditions.

Final Thoughts

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is geared toward the frequent traveler while the Prime Visa card serves the frequent Amazon.com shopper.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is the better overall card for earning flexible rewards, having high-value potential at redemption time, and its collection of travel/shopping protections and benefits. Plus, the card comes with a generous welcome offer that is difficult to ignore, all for just a $95 annual fee.

If you’re not a traveler, you shop frequently at Amazon.com, and have an Amazon Prime membership, a case could be made for the Prime Visa card, especially with a $0 annual fee.

Before you apply for either card, be sure to review the Chase 5/24 rule mentioned above.