Prime Visa vs Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Annual fees: Prime Visa $0/yr, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card $95/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Prime Visa on gas stations, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card on travel.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
Prime VisaChase · No annual fee
Chase Sapphire Preferred CardChase · $95/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- Prime Visa$0LowestChase Sapphire Preferred Card$95
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Prime Visa$150 gift cardChase Sapphire Preferred Card75,000 points
- Rewards
- Prime VisaCash backChase Sapphire Preferred CardChase Ultimate Rewards
- Foreign transaction fee
- Prime VisaNoneChase Sapphire Preferred CardNone
- Network
- Prime VisaVisa SignatureChase Sapphire Preferred CardVisa Signature
Earn ratesPer $1 spent · points and cash back aren’t ranked against each other
- Dining
- Prime Visa2%Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3x
- Electric Vehicle Charging
- Prime Visa1%Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3x
- Gas Stations
- Prime Visa2%Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3x
- Grocery Stores
- Prime Visa1%Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3x
- Streaming
- Prime Visa1%Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3x
- Vacation Rentals
- Prime Visa1%Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3x
- Transit
- Prime Visa2%Chase Sapphire Preferred Card1x
- Travel
- Prime Visa1%Chase Sapphire Preferred Card2x
- Everything else
- Prime Visa1%Chase Sapphire Preferred Card1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Prime Visa—Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS credit · $120 every 4 years
- $100 hotel credit
- Entertainment & streaming
- Prime Visa—Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- A year of Apple TV, valued at $180 · $180 one-time
Perks & access— means none on record
- Other perks
- Prime Visa—Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Complimentary DashPass after activation
- Up to $10 monthly on a non-restaurant DoorDash order
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Prime Visa
- Up to $500,000 travel accident coverage
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card- Travel Accident Insurance up to $500,000
- $10,000 Trip Cancellation Insurance per person
- $500 Trip Delay Reimbursement per traveler
- Baggage
- Prime Visa—Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- $500 Baggage Delay Insurance ($100 per day)
- $3,000 Lost Luggage Reimbursement per traveler
- Rental car
- Prime Visa—Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Auto Rental Coverage
- Purchase & returns
- Prime Visa
- $500 per claim on damage or theft
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card- 120-day Purchase Protection up to $500 per item
- Extended warranty
- Prime Visa—Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Extended Warranty Protection adds 1 extra year
- Other protections
- Prime Visa—Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Prime Visa
- 5% back at Amazon.com, Audible.com, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel with an eligible Prime membership
- 5% back on Chase Travel portal bookings with no cap
- 2% back at restaurants, gas stations, and transit - solid everyday categories
- $150 Amazon Gift Card welcome bonus with no minimum spend required
- No annual fee on the card itself (Prime membership separate)
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card- 75,000 point welcome bonus after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months
- $95 annual fee partly offset by a $100 Chase Travel hotel credit each account anniversary year
- 1:1 transfer to 14 airline and hotel partners including Hyatt
- 5X on Chase Travel, 3X dining, streaming, online groceries
- Trip cancellation, delay, and lost luggage insurance included
- Cons
- Prime Visa
- Requires an eligible Amazon Prime membership to earn 5% (3% without Prime)
- Rewards locked to Amazon ecosystem - cannot transfer to airlines/hotels
- Only 1% back on non-category purchases - below average for catch-all spending
- No premium travel protections like trip delay insurance or lounge access
- Sign-up bonus is gift card, not flexible cash or points
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card- $95 annual fee vs $0 Freedom cards
- No lounge access included
- 5/24 rule restricts applicants with 5+ cards in 24 months
- No 0% intro APR offer
Category-by-Category Winner
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card wins in 6 of 7 categories. The Prime Visa leads in 1. 1 more category depend on booking channel or caps.
Gas Stations
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 2X
Transit
Prime Visa earns 2X vs 1X
Dining
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 2X
Travel
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 5X vs 1X
5X via Chase Travel portal
Electric Vehicle Charging
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 1X
Vacation Rentals
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 1X
Streaming
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 1X
Grocery Stores
Depends: Online purchases only. Excludes Target, Walmart, Wholesale Clubs. Grocery pickup or delivery must be ordered online and qualify under Chase's online grocery category. Excludes membership and subscription fees, supermarket pharmacies, gift cards and gift baskets.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X when conditions are met; Prime Visa earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Year One vs Ongoing Value
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Both scenarios favor the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | Prime Visa | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $150 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $150 Year one: $300 | Rewards: $346 Credits (our usable estimate): $75 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $326 Year one: $1,784 | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $600 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $600 Year one: $750 | Rewards: $1,382 Credits (our usable estimate): $75 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $1,362 Year one: $2,820 | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card costs $95/yr — that's $95 more than the Prime Visa (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $95 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $95 fee gap means the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card needs roughly $95 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on travel and dining and everyday spend.
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card if you:
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
The Bottom Line
Both scenarios favor the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Published annual fees: Prime Visa $0/yr, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card $95/yr — a $95 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card worth the higher annual fee?
- The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card costs $95/yr vs $0/yr for the Prime Visa. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $95 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use.
- Which card earns more rewards, the Prime Visa or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?
- Both cards earn 1X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- Should I get the Prime Visa or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Prime Visa has a lower $0/yr fee; the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $95/yr.
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published October 12, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.