re: Anyone use Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card?

If anyone is thinking about getting this card but has borderline credit, call the reconsideration line after applying: 888-245-0625

I did not initially get approved since I only have credit history of 4 years, but after calling the number they passed me through.
Seems like a great card!

So I just got approved for capital one venture card....

Should I not open the account and get a chase sapphire instead ???

I'm strictly doing it to build up rewards for free travel....

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Should I not open the account and get a chase sapphire instead ???

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It kind of depends on what you want to do.

For one thing, having the Capital One Venture Card on your credit report can help you with the Sapphire approval. I know it did for me because I have a 10k limit on my Venture and before that my highest card may have been 3k, which Chase doesn't like for the Sapphire.

For the actual usage. With Cap One you are getting a guaranteed 2 cents per mile. It seems to me (I haven't redeemed with UR points yet) that Chase Sapphire users prefer to get more cents per mile by booking first/business class reward seating.


For example, getting a $4,000 first class international ticket for 100,000 points or something like that. While with Cap One, that ticket would cost you 400,000 of their points/miles.

If you are more of a budget traveler, than the Cap One is very competitive because the Sapphire UR points really gets its legs by using the awards charts of airlines to its advantage, which diminishes in comparison to the Cap One on cheaper flights. Cap One could also be good for booking the hotels and such when you travel, especially if you are booking random no name places.

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So if I enjoy flying first class get chase sapphire......

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That seems to be the bread and butter, but I'd recommend reading from bloggers as they can show other ways to get good value out of UR points domestically. Also, UR points are good for last minute flights where the price might be real high like a family emergency.

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I'm more coach and stay at nicer place like nice Hilton or W

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Well, Sapphire can still be useful to you here as they have Marriot, Ritz, Hyatt, and Priority Club (Intercontinental Hotel Group) as hotel partners

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What hotels does venture deal with?

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None.

Venture works either by purchasing your travel through their website OR (what I do) applying for the statement credit after you make your purchase.

Note: You must have enough points to cover your entire stay OR one full ticket. For example, if I buy two $200 tickets, you will need either 20,000 points to cover one or 40,000 to cover both. When you go to redeem for your statement credit, the transaction line for the purchase will allow you to split out a ticket to cover if you only have 20,000 miles.

For hotels, same thing. Book ANY hotel, and once it hits your statement you need to have enough points to cover the booking (You even get 90 days from the purchase date to accrue enough points to cover which is cool). Some people will book two "separate" stays if they don't have enough points to cover the whole stay, ie book for one night and then book for say two nights at same hotel and use the points you do have to cover the one night stay.

By the way, the benefit of this is that your booking is a revenue stay or flight, so you will earn your rewards at the vendor (if applicable) like you normally would if you had just purchased the tickets without a statement credit.

It isn't that complicated once you get into their system and start using it.