The Perfect Pair: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

There are a few cards in the travel world that are considered all-around winners… keeper cards if you will.

Those cards stay in our wallets for a lifetime and bring us outsized value with both our daily spending habits AND our travel adventures.

No matter how you spin it, there are two cards that make the perfect pair for ANYONE interested in travel: the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

They’re not siblings. They’re not even cousins. They’re more like Beyoncé and Jay-Z — very different energies, but together? Unstoppable. 😎

Together, they’re basically a “starter pack” for someone who wants simple, powerful, long-term travel benefits without diving into the deep end of premium $700 to $900 annual fee cards.

Let’s break down why this pairing works so well, and why right now is one of the best times we’ve seen in years to pick them up.

Why Should I Get These Two Cards?

There are many reasons why these two cards have a home in the wallets of (almost) everyone on the Daily Drop team.

For starters, each card is fantastic on its own. But if you put them together… you’re doing serious business.

The Sapphire Preferred is an excellent starter card, and it’s the one we would recommend applying for first out of the two.

This is simply due to the fact that it’s a modest card with a modest annual fee (at just $95 a year), and it’s usually easier to get approved for than the more premium Venture X.

Plus, getting the Sapphire Preferred unlocks access to Chase Ultimate Rewards — one of the best, if not THE best travel currency in the world.

You’ll be spoiled with abounding hotel and airline transfer partners, solid earning categories, and even some travel protections.

By also holding the Venture X, you’ll reap the rewards of earning Capital One miles, which bring their own list of transfer partners to the table.

Additionally, this more premium card (with a $395 annual fee) also comes with a plethora of premium travel perks like airport lounge access and travel credits that essentially offset that annual fee altogether.

So to make things extra clear for you here… by having these two cards to your name, you’re getting:

• Access to two different travel currencies

• The option of two sets of transfer partners

• A wide variety of earning rates for both everyday and travel spending

• Tons of top-notch travel perks

AND — two extremely strong welcome offers when you’re first getting started.

Why These Two Cards Work Together

Most travel cards overlap with similar perks, similar transfer partners, and the same overall vibe, but not these two.

The Sapphire Preferred serves as the foundational, easy-to-use, “every traveler should have this” card.

The Venture X serves as the elevated “DND, I’m in a lounge right now” card.

Paired together, you get:

• Two of the strongest transferable point currencies (Ultimate Rewards points and Capital One miles)

• Two sets of transfer partners

• Two different strengths (bonus categories and premium perks)

• Two excellent welcome offers you can earn at the same time

• Two cards whose combined annual fees are still lower than most premium cards alone

And because they complement each other, you’re getting double the value without having to double your effort.

Current Welcome Offers

Sapphire Preferred: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Points transfer 1:1 to partners like Hyatt, United, Air Canada, Southwest, British Airways, and others.

Venture X: Earn 100,000 bonus miles once you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening - equal to $1,000 in travel.

Miles can be used to retroactively cover any travel purchase from the past 90 days, or transferred 1:1 to partners like Air Canada, Flying Blue, Wyndham, Virgin, and more.

So what does that mean? Adding both cards right now nets you at least 175,000 points and miles, before you even start earning from normal spend.

What Each Card Does Best

Sapphire Preferred: Your Foundation Card

This is the card that sets up your whole travel strategy. It’s easy to use, generous, and ideal for beginners and pros.

What it’s really good at:

• Flexible, valuable points through Chase Ultimate Rewards

• Strong 3x categories (dining, online grocery, streaming) + 2x travel

• Amazing transfer partners — especially Hyatt and Air Canada

• Solid travel protections (rare for a $95 card)

• Easy redemption options, including boosted portal redemptions

Who it’s perfect for: Anyone starting their travel rewards journey, anyone who wants Hyatt redemptions, and anyone who wants a high-value card without a high annual fee.

Venture X: For Premium Perks

The Venture X is the card that makes traveling actually feel luxurious without the Platinum-level fee.

What it’s really good at:

• Premium lounge access (Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass)

• 2x on everything, y’all!

• $300 annual travel credit

• 10,000 bonus miles every anniversary

• 1:1 transfers to top airline partners

• Covering ANY travel expense with miles — even retroactively

And right now, the 100,000-mile offer makes the Venture X way more compelling than usual.

Who it’s perfect for: Frequent travelers, people who value lounges, anyone who wants a premium travel experience without the premium price tag, and anyone who wants easy 2x miles on every purchase.

Why This Pairing Is So Powerful

1. You get two elite points ecosystems: Ultimate Rewards and Capital One Miles means options on options on options. Plus, you’ll get access to Hyatt sweet spots, Flying Blue Promo Rewards, and more.

2. Your earning becomes effortless: We’re talking 3x here, 2x everywhere, 5–10x through portals, so you’re covered no matter where you swipe.

3. You unlock premium travel perks for half the cost: Lounge access, travel protections, anniversary bonuses, and credits — all for under $500 combined.

4. The welcome offers are unusually strong right now: 175k+ points and miles is one of the best two-card combos we’ve seen in the last few years.

5. Flexibility for beginners, depth for experts: You can keep this setup simple, or you can go deep into transfer partners and advanced strategies. Either way, you’ll get outsized value.

Friends, you can essentially travel anywhere in the world with Chase and Capital One! And, if you’d like a step-by-step guide on how to actually do these point transfers, feel free to reference our transfer partners resource.

Who Should Get These Cards?

• The Newbie: If you’re entering the travel rewards world and feel overwhelmed, this is the cleanest, safest, most effective setup you can start with. The Sapphire Preferred gets you in the door, and the Venture X levels up your travel experience… fast.

• The Frequent Flyer: If you travel regularly, the Venture X lounges, credits, and anniversary miles alone make this pairing worth carrying. The Sapphire Preferred adds the flexible, high-value points to round it out.

• The Perks Lover: You love lounge access. You love elevated travel. You love a statement credit that quietly covers part of your vacation. This pair does all of that.

Bottom Line

If you’re just getting started in the miles and points world and feel stuck on which cards to start with, look no further than the Sapphire Preferred and the Venture X.

Two cards.
Two ecosystems.
Two welcome offers.
One ridiculously flexible travel toolkit.

They really have the perfect balance of racking up points on everyday spending, but also allowing you to enjoy more premium travel perks whenever you do travel.

And with the Venture X’s current 100,000-mile limited-time offer, this pairing is especially strong right now.

You’ll truly unlock some of the best benefits around, and for a combined annual fee that is less than most other premium cards.