The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Discover it® Cash Back are good credit card options for those who want to earn rewards on everyday expenses.
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 Discover It Cashback features rotating 5% quarterly bonus categories that can boost your rewards, though it only earns a basic 1% back on all non-bonus purchases. While the lackluster base rate is a drawback, strategic spenders can maximize value through the quarterly categories and first-year cash back match.
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.
Full Reviews: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Discover it® Cash Back.
Overview: Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Discover It Cashback
- 5% Cash Back in Rotating Quarterly Categories up to $1,500 Each Quarter When You Activate Offer
- 1% Cash Back On All Other Eligible Purchases
- Cash Back Match for the First Year
- No Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
Chase Sapphire Preferred:
Let’s begin with one of the most attractive aspects of the Chase Sapphire Preferred: the welcome bonus. Currently, new cardholders can earn the following welcome bonus:
Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Discover It:
You’ll find one of the most unique and potentially lucrative welcome offers in the credit card world with the Discover it Cash Back. Rather than a traditional fixed bonus, Discover will automatically match all the cash back you earn during your first year as a cardholder.
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 Chase Travel;
- 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;
- 2 points per dollar on all travel not booked through Chase Travel; and
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible spending.
Discover It:
The Discover it lets cardholders earn cashback in the following categories below:
- 5% cash back in rotating quarterly categories of up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter (requires activation).
- 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
Winner:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred because it earns valuable points on major categories like travel, dining, online grocery, and streaming services. Plus, you don’t have to worry about rotating categories.
Card Benefits
Chase Sapphire Preferred:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers nice benefits, including:
10% Points Bonus: You will earn bonus points equivalent to 10% of your total spending in points earned with your Chase Sapphire Preferred Card during the past account anniversary year. For example, if you spent $10,000 during your cardmember year, you would receive an additional 1,000 points ($10,000 * 10% = 1,000 points).
$50 Hotel Credit: The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers up to $50 in statement credits every account anniversary year if you book your hotel stays through Chase Travel.
DashPass Membership: This card offers a one-year DashPass membership for free, which includes DoorDash and Caviar, offering unlimited deliveries with free delivery fees and reduced service fees for eligible purchases. The offer must be activated by December 31, 2027. Once the free membership is over, you will be automatically enrolled in DashPass at the prevailing monthly rate.
Instacart Membership: Have your groceries delivered to your doorstep with a complimentary 6-month Instacart+ membership plus a $15 credit once every quarter. Enrollment is required by July 31, 2024.
No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose.
Travel Benefits
Primary Rental Car Insurance: When you rent a car and pay with this card, you’ll receive comprehensive coverage including damage and theft protection. Simply decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver and charge the entire rental to your card to activate coverage. This insurance covers damage, theft, and valid loss-of-use charges worldwide.
Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance: This protection reimburses you for non-refundable, prepaid travel expenses if you need to cancel before departure or cut your trip short due to covered situations like severe illness or weather events. Coverage activates when you pay for your trip with the card, but it’s important to note that reimbursement only applies for specific covered reasons rather than any cancellation.
Trip Delay Insurance: When your trip is significantly delayed due to covered reasons like equipment failures or severe weather, this protection reimburses you for reasonable expenses including lodging, meals, toiletries, and medication. The coverage activates when you pay for travel with your card and extends to family members on the same itinerary, though you’ll need to seek reimbursement from the travel carrier first.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement: Your checked luggage gets extra protection against loss, theft, or damage beyond the basic compensation offered by carriers when you pay for travel with this card.
Baggage Delay Insurance: Missing luggage doesn’t have to derail your trip – this coverage steps in to reimburse you for essential purchases when your checked bags are delayed by airlines, trains, or other carriers. You can grab the necessities you need, from a fresh outfit to personal care items, while waiting for your bags to arrive.
Purchase Benefits
120-Day Purchase Protection: Get 120 days of protection against damage, theft, and even loss of your purchases – one of the longest windows available. This premium coverage automatically applies when you pay with your card.
Extended Warranty Protection: Your purchases gain an extra year of warranty protection when bought with this card, extending manufacturer warranties of three years or less without the inflated prices of store warranty plans.
Discover It:
The Discover it offers the following benefits for its cardholders:
Digital Tools: Gain 24/7 access to your free FICO score and credit monitoring alerts through Discover’s user-friendly mobile app and online account center. You can also easily freeze your card if it’s lost or stolen.
Customer Service: Connect with U.S.-based customer service representatives any time day or night. Discover consistently ranks at the top of credit card satisfaction surveys for their helpful, knowledgeable support.
Balance Transfer Offer: Move high-interest debt to this card and pay no interest for 15 months on balance transfers, though you’ll need to pay an introductory 3% transfer fee. After the intro period, you’ll pay the standard variable APR.
No Foreign Transaction Fees: Use your card abroad without worrying about added fees since there are no foreign transaction charges. However, keep in mind that Discover isn’t as widely accepted internationally as other card networks.
Winner:
Overall, the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a wider range of benefits than the Discover it, making it the obvious winner.
Value of the Annual Fee
Chase Sapphire Preferred:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee, which may give some people pause. However, as a frequent traveler, I’ve found that the card’s benefits and rewards can easily offset this cost.
Think about it this way: if you take advantage of the welcome bonus and redeem those points for travel, you’ve already recouped the annual fee many times over. Plus, the ongoing rewards and perks like travel insurance, hotel credit, and no foreign transaction fees can save you money and provide peace of mind during your trips.
Discover It:
You won’t pay an annual fee with the Discover it card, allowing you to earn rewards without a high fee.
Winner:
Discover it with its no annual fee.
Redeeming Points
Chase Sapphire Preferred:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers exceptional flexibility when it comes to points redemption, allowing you to create the travel experiences you’ve been dreaming of.
One popular redemption option is booking travel through the Chase Travel portal. Here, your points are worth 1.25 cents apiece, meaning that a substantial amount of points can be redeemed for a significant value towards travel. I’ve used this option to book flights, hotels, and rental cars, and I appreciate the simplicity of the process. Plus, when you book through the portal, you can still earn airline miles and hotel points on your reservations.
If you’re looking to stretch your points even further, transfer to Chase’s airline and hotel partners. Some notable transfer partners include United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, British Airways, Air France/KLM, Hyatt, and Marriott. By strategically transferring points, you can unlock incredible redemption opportunities like first-class flights or luxurious resort stays.
In my experience, transferring points to Hyatt has yielded some of the most valuable redemptions. By leveraging my Ultimate Rewards points, I’ve booked top-tier properties like the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme and the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort for a fraction of the cash price.
Of course, if you’re not in the mood for travel, you can always redeem your points for statement credits or gift cards at a rate of 1 cent per point. While this may not provide the most bang for your buck, it’s a decent option to have for those times when you need a little extra cash in your pocket.
Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
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Aer Lingus
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Air Canada Aeroplan
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Air France/KLM
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British Airways
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Emirates
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Hyatt Hotels
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Iberia
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IHG Hotels
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JetBlue
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Marriott
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Singapore
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Southwest
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United
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Virgin Atlantic
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Discover It:
The Discover It offers several redemption options, including:
- A statement credit to reduce your balance.
- Direct deposit into any bank account.
- Charitable donations.
- Pay with rewards at select retailers such as Amazon.com.
- Gift cards, which are sometimes offered at a discount such as $20 for a $25 gift card.
Winner:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a higher redemption value and more redemption options. The card also allows you to transfer your points to several hotel and airline partners across different airline alliances.
The Verdict
The Chase Sapphire Preferred stands out as the superior choice for several reasons, including its extensive benefits, rewards, welcome offer, and redemption options. It’s ideal for those who want to earn rewards on both travel and everyday spending categories.
- 5% Cash Back in Rotating Quarterly Categories up to $1,500 Each Quarter When You Activate Offer
- 1% Cash Back On All Other Eligible Purchases
- Cash Back Match for the First Year
- No Annual Fee
