Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Discover it Miles: Two Travel Cards Go Head to Head
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They're two of the most popular travel rewards cards on the market: the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, and the Discover it® Miles. Which is best for you depends on your spending habits, fee sensitivity, rewards redemption preferences and preferred perks.
Let’s see which card should take you on your next trip.
on Chase's website
on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
UNLIMITED BONUS: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers - only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earn 35,000 Miles, you get 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.
5 points per $1 spent on all travel booked through Chase.
3 points per $1 spent on dining (including eligible delivery services and takeout).
3 points per $1 spent on select streaming services.
3 points per $1 spent on online grocery purchases (not including Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs).
2 points per $1 spent on travel not booked through Chase.
1 point per $1 spent on other purchases.
Through March 2025: 5 points per $1 spent on eligible Peloton purchases (with a maximum earning of 25,000 points) and on Lyft.
1.5 miles per dollar spent on all purchases.
A $50 annual credit on hotel stays booked through Chase.
Each account anniversary, cardmembers will earn bonus points equal to 10% of total purchases made the previous year.
Hotel and airline transfer partners.
Access to Discover's free Social Security number monitoring service.
The ongoing APR is 21.49%-28.49% Variable APR.
0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 17.24%-28.24% Variable APR.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card vs. Discover it® Miles: Rewards
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns bonus rewards in a variety of popular spending categories, including dining and travel. It has a generous sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Ultimate Rewards points are best redeemed for travel. You can use points to book travel through Chase's travel portal at a value of 1.25 cents each or you can transfer them to one of Chase’s partner programs for a potentially higher value. Check out our review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for partner information.
With the Discover it® Miles, cardholders get 1.5 miles for every $1 spent. Plus, you'll get a bonus: UNLIMITED BONUS: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers - only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earn 35,000 Miles, you get 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match. Miles are redeemable for travel or cash back, at a rate of 1 cent per point.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card vs. Discover it® Miles: Fees
The annual fee on Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is $95. The Discover it® Miles has an annual fee of $0. Neither card charges foreign transaction fees, but Discover isn’t widely accepted overseas. The Discover it® Miles also has an introductory APR of 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 17.24%-28.24% Variable APR.
The annual fee of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card looks steep, but it could be the better deal if you spend heavily on travel and dining.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card vs. Discover it® Miles: Additional benefits
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card comes with access to the Ultimate Rewards bonus mall. You can use it to get extra rewards on purchases from more than 250 online retailers.
The Discover it® Miles offers complimentary access to your FICO score and a way to skip the first late fee.
Bottom line: Choosing the best card for you
If you spend primarily on travel and dining, spend enough each year to justify an annual fee and plan on taking your card overseas, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the way to go. However, if you’re a smaller spender and want an introductory 0% offer, the Discover it® Miles is the better deal. Either way, you’ll end up with a great travel card.
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