Which card is better, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or the Prime Visa card?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is the better card for earning on travel and for flexible good-value redemption, and it comes with more protections and benefits than the Prime Visa card. The card also comes with a generous welcome offer. If you’re not a traveler, shop at Amazon.com frequently, and are an Amazon Prime member, the Prime Visa card would be the better card for that purpose.

Can I use the Prime Visa card anywhere?

Yes. You can use the Prime Visa card anywhere Visa cards are accepted.

Can Amazon points be redeemed for travel?

You can redeem Amazon points earned on the Prime Visa card for travel via Chase by calling in. However, a better option is to just make a travel purchase using your card, with any travel provider, and then redeem points for a statement credit or cash-back.

Does the Prime Visa card have foreign transaction fees?

No, the Prime Visa card does not charge foreign transaction fees.

Can I use Ultimate Rewards points on Amazon.com?

Yes, after linking your card, you can use Chase Ultimate Rewards points to pay for your purchase when checking out on Amazon.com. This, however, results in poor value for your rewards points at just 0.8 cents each.

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

Updated: September 23, 2024, 2:03am CDT

Edited by:

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Overview
Welcome Bonus Offer Comparison
Earning Potential
Redemption Options
Travel Advantages
Travel Insurance and Protection Perks
Shopping Benefits
Shopping Protection Perks
Annual Fees and Authorized Users
Everything Else You Need To Know
Final Thoughts

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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:

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Feature or Benefit	Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card	Prime Visa card
Welcome Offer	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.	Get a $200 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members.
Earning	5x points on travel via the Chase travel portal 5x points on select Peloton purchases over $250 (through March 31, 2025) 5x points on Lyft rides (through March 31, 2025) 3x points for online grocery purchases, dining, and select streaming services 2x points on all other travel 1x points on all other purchases	5% cash-back on Amazon.com and Amazon Fresh purchases 5% cash-back at Whole Foods Market 5% cash-back on travel via the Chase travel portal with an eligible Prime membership 2% cash-back on gas stations, local transit, commuting, and dining 1% cash-back on all other purchases
Redemption Options	Redeem for travel via the Chase travel portal for 1.25 cents each Transfer to airline and hotel partners to purchase award flights or free hotel nights Cash-back (statement credit/direct deposit/check), Pay Yourself Back, gift cards, online shopping with select retailers, charitable contributions	Redeem points for Amazon purchases for 1 cent each Redeem for cash-back (statement credit/direct deposit), gift cards, travel
Travel Protections and Benefits	Primary auto rental collision damage waiver Roadside dispatch Baggage delay insurance Trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance Trip delay reimbursement Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection benefits $50 annual hotel credit when booked via the Chase travel portal Travel and emergency assistance services No foreign transaction fees	Secondary auto rental collision damage waiver Roadside dispatch Baggage delay insurance Lost luggage reimbursement Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection benefits Travel and emergency assistance services No foreign transaction fees
Shopping Protections and Benefits	Purchase protection Extended warranty Complimentary DoorDash DashPass for a minimum of 1 year when you activate by December 31, 2027 Chase Offers Shop through Chase Visa Signature shopping benefits	Purchase protection Extended warranty 10% cash-back or more on special rotating Amazon categories and items Pay over time without interest on Amazon purchases of $50 or more; purchases do not qualify for 5% cash-back Chase Offers Visa Signature shopping benefits
Annual Fees and Authorized Users	Annual fee of $95 No charge to add authorized users	Annual fee of $0; Amazon Prime Membership required No charge to add authorized users

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

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating

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

Learn More(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 OfferEarn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
60,000 bonus points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,200

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.99% - 27.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

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
5x points on select Peloton purchases over $150 (through March 31, 2025)
5x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)

Cons

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

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 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, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

APR: 20.99% - 27.99% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Prime Visa Card

U.P. Rating

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

Learn More(at Amazon.com)

Prime Visa Card

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

Welcome OfferGet a $200 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members
$200 Amazon gift card

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$200

Annual Fee

APR

19.99% - 28.74% Variable

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 $200 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: 19.99% - 28.74% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: $0

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

Woman paying by credit card in a restaurant — Dining is a category that earns well on both of our featured cards. Image Credit: Kalim via Adobe Stock

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.

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Earning Category	Chase Sapphire Preferred Card	Prime Visa Card
Travel	5x points on travel purchased via the Chase travel portal 5x points on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025 2x points on all other travel	5% cash-back on travel purchased via the Chase travel portal (with eligible Amazon Prime membership) 1% cash-back on all other travel
Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods	1x points on Amazon.com and Whole Foods 3x points on Amazon Fresh grocery purchases online	5% cash-back with eligible Amazon Prime membership
Dining	3x points	2% cash-back
Gas Stations, Drugstores	1x points	2% cash-back (gas) 1% cash-back (drugstores)
Transit and Commuting	2x points under travel expenses 1x points all other transit and commuting	2% cash-back
Online Grocery Purchases, Select Streaming Services	3x points	1% cash-back
All Other Purchases	1x points	1% cash-back
Additional Earnings	10% bonus points at each card anniversary, based on total purchases	10% cash-back, or more, on select rotating category Amazon purchases

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

American Airlines Waiting for Takeoff — Rewards earned on either of our featured cards can be redeemed for travel. Image Credit: Stella Shon

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.

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Redemption Options	Chase Sapphire Preferred Card	Prime Visa Card
Travel	Redeem points for 1.25 cents each for travel via the Chase travel portal Transfer points to airline and hotel partners to purchase award tickets or free hotel nights for potentially greater value Redeem for a statement credit of 1 cent per point for previous travel purchases	Redeem points for 1 cent each for travel via the Chase travel portal Redeem points for 1 cent each for a statement credit for previous travel purchases
Amazon Purchases	Redeem points at checkout for 0.8 cents each	Redeem cash-back points at checkout for 1 cent each
Additional Redemption Options	Statement credit, Pay Yourself Back, gift cards, shopping with select retailers, cash, charitable contributions	Statement credit, gift cards, cash

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

Pool View at Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana — Travel protections and benefits can add additional value for cardholders. Image Credit: Jarrod West

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 as well as a free trial Shipt delivery membership.

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.
Pay Over Time for Amazon Purchases — If your Amazon.com purchase is $50 or more, you can choose to pay for that purchase over time for 6 to 12 months at 0% APR. After the 0% promo, a variable APR of 20.49% to 29.24% will apply. If you select this option, you will not earn 5% cash-back on the purchase.

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

Woman Online Shopping — Eligible purchases made with your card could qualify for additional protections. Image Credit: Pavel Danilyuk via Pexels

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.