Dear Clever Credit,
I have a move coming up and will need to spend around $10K on furniture, etc. I am already in the Chase ecosystem, but currently only have the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. What’s my best choice for a sign-up bonus? I was thinking maybe the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (even though I don’t use much of its benefits) or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Or should I go into American Express Platinum® or Gold? I do travel almost every week for work and often for leisure.
Signed,
Bonus to Burn
Dear Burn,
You’re in luck! You can stay in the Chase ecosystem because the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is offering a rare sign-up bonus of 100,000 points after you spend $5,000 in the first three months from account opening.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is offering a similar sign-up bonus, but that card comes with a much heftier annual fee of $795. And since you say you won’t use most of the offered benefits of the Reserve, you’re definitely better off applying for the Preferred with its $95 annual fee.
But that’s just one part of the equation. Since you’re a frequent traveler and have $10K to spend, you’re going to need a second card.
You mentioned two great options: American Express Platinum Card® and the American Express® Gold Card. But I think there’s one more we can include: the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
Here’s a quick overview of all three and how they stack up.
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | American Express Platinum Card® | American Express® Gold Card | |
| Annual Fee | $395 | $895 (See Rates & Fees) | $325 (See Rates & Fees) |
| Welcome Bonus | Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening | You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months | You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months |
| Rewards Rate |
— 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel — 5 miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel — 2 miles on every purchase |
— Five Membership Rewards points per dollar on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel® — Five points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year — One point on other eligible purchases |
— Five Membership Rewards points per dollar on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel — Four points on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then one point — Four points at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then one point — Three points on flights booked through AmexTravel or purchased directly — Two points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel — One point on all other eligible purchases |
| Travel Benefits |
— Airport lounge access — TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit — $300 annual travel credit — 10,000 bonus miles every card anniversary |
— Airport lounge access — Up to $600 hotel credit — Up to $200 Uber Cash — Up to $120 Uber One credit — Up to $200 airline fee credit — $219 CLEAR+ credit — TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit — Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status — Hilton Honors Gold status |
— Hertz Five Star status — $100 hotel credit when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel |
[Read: Travel Credit Cards]
It’s worth pointing out that you have automatic Silver Elite status with your Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. But you’d be elevated to Gold Elite status if you go with the American Express Platinum®.
After looking at all three, however, I’d recommend the Capital One Venture X as your second card. With how much you travel, benefits like airport lounge access, annual travel credits and anniversary miles could definitely go a long way. And you’d get them for an annual fee of $395.
Plus — and this is very important — Chase and Capital One have several overlapping transfer partners. Some of the transfer partners both issuers share:
— Air Canada Aeroplan
— Air France-KLM Flying Blue
— British Airways Club
— JetBlue
— Wyndham Rewards
By coupling your Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capital One Venture X Rewards, you have a sign-up bonus of $9,000 to meet. And you could end up with a total of 175,000 bonus points across both cards. While it’s true each has its own transfer ratio, the earning potential is still impressive.
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Planning to Spend $10K? The Best Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses You Might Be Missing originally appeared on usnews.com
