Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card vs. Apple Card: Which is Best?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card and Apple Card are two popular options that come with their own unique set of perks and rewards.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the most popular travel rewards cards because it offers nice welcome bonus and extra points on travel and dining, which can be transferred to airline and hotel partners or redeemed directly for travel at a rate of 1.25 cents per point through Chase Travel℠. The Sapphire Preferred also offers great travel and purchase protections for a card with a $95 annual fee.

The Apple Card is a no annual fee card offering 3% back at Apple, 2% on purchases via Apple Pay, and no foreign transaction fees.

This article will compare each card based on several factors to help you make an informed decision on which card is the best to add to your wallet.

Overview of Each Card

Welcome Bonus

Chase Sapphire Preferred:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred currently offers the following welcome bonus:

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

Apple Card:

The Apple Card offers $75 in Daily Cash when you make your first purchase within 30 days (subject to change).

Earning Points

Chase Sapphire Preferred:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards points and offers bonus points on spending in several categories:

• 5 points per dollar on travel booked through the Chase travel portal;
• 5 points per dollar on Lyft purchases (through March 2025);
• 5 points per dollar on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $250 or more (through March 2025, with a limit of 25,000 bonus points);
• 3 points per dollar on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out;
• 3 points per dollar on online grocery store purchases (excludes Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs);
• 3 points per dollar on select streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+, Spotify, Youtube TV, Pandora, Apple Music, SiriusXM, Sling, Vudu, Fubo TV, Hulu, and ESPN+;
• 2 points per dollar on all travel not booked through the Chase travel portal; and
• 1 point per dollar on all other eligible spending.

Related Articles:

• What Purchases Count as Travel for Chase?
• What Purchases count as “Select Streaming Services?”

Apple Card:

The Apple Card lets cardholders earn points in the following categories:

• 3% Daily Cash on Apple Products (Apple Store, apple.com, Apple TV+, the App Store, iTunes, etc.);
• 3% Daily Cash when using Apple Pay at these merchants: Ace Hardware, Duane Reade, Exxon, Mobil, Nike, Panera Bread, T-Mobile, Uber/Uber Eats, and Walgreens;
• 2% Daily Cash on purchases made with Apple Pay; and
• 1% Daily Cash on all other purchases.

Winner:

Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great card for spending on travel, dining, online grocery store, and streaming services.

Although the Apple Card earns at least 2% Daily Cash when paying with Apple Pay, many other cards also offer similar rewards, like the Citi® Double Cash Card.

Card Benefits

Chase Sapphire Preferred:

The  Chase Sapphire Preferred offers nice benefits, including:

• Receive 25% more value on points redeemed for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal.
• $50 annual credit on hotel stays purchased through Ultimate Rewards.
• 10% Points Bonus for each Cardmember anniversary.
• A complimentary one-year subscription to DashPass by DoorDash when you enroll by December 31, 2024.
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance (up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip).
• Primary car rental insurance.
• Lost luggage reimbursement (up to $3,000 per passenger)
• Baggage delay insurance (up to $100 per day for five days).
• Trip delay insurance (up to $500 per ticket for a delay longer than 12 hours or overnight).
• Extended warranty.
• 120 days purchase protection (up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per year).
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Free 6-month membership to Instacart+ (activate by July 31, 2024).

Apple Card:

The Apple Card offers the following benefits for its cardholders:

• Apple Card Monthly Installments lets you buy new Apple products, like iPhone, Mac, iPad, and more, and pay them off with interest-free monthly payments.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Complimentary ShopRunner Membership.

Winner:

Chase Sapphire Preferred offers more benefits than the Apple Card, including valuable trip protections like rental car and trip delay insurance. Plus, you get a hotel credit, 10% points bonus, and special partner offers.

Value of the Annual Fee

Chase Sapphire Preferred:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred comes with an annual fee of $95.

While some users might be initially deterred by this cost, it’s important to consider the value and benefits that come with the card.

The rewards points, travel benefits, and purchase protections can help offset the cost of the annual fee for frequent travelers.

Apple Card:

One of the best features of the Apple Card is that it doesn’t have an annual fee.

Winner:

Apple Card. It’s hard to beat a no-annual fee, but for frequent travelers, the Sapphire Preferred’s $95 annual fee can be an even better great deal.

Redeeming Points & Cash Back

Chase Sapphire Preferred:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards points, one of the most flexible points currencies.

You can use your points to book flights, hotel stays, and even rent a car through Chase Travel — all at a fixed rate of 1.25 cents per point. For example, 100,000 points are equivalent to $1,250 towards travel.

You can unlock even more value than 1.25 cents per point by transferring rewards to Chase airline and hotel partners.

Apple Card:

The Apple Card earns Daily Cash, which you can use through the Wallet app on purchases, as a statement credit to pay off your bill, or through the Messages app to pay friends and family.

Winner:

The Sapphire Preferred provides numerous options to redeem your points, often at a higher redemption value.

Plus, Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to several hotel and airline transfer partners across different airline alliances.

The Verdict

The Chase Sapphire Preferred undoubtedly comes out as the superior credit card choice for most individuals.

With high earning rates across multiple spending categories, numerous travel benefits and protections, and redemption flexibility that spans different hotel and airline partners, it provides the best return for your money.

On the other hand, the Apple Card is limited to Apple purchases only, making it beneficial for only a small segment of individuals. However, it can be a good supplemental card that you can pair with the Sapphire Preferred to maximize rewards potential.

Ultimately, the decision comes down to your personal needs and preferences, but for most people, the Sapphire Preferred stands out as the clear winner in terms of benefits, rewards, and overall value