Annual Fee

Welcome Bonus

Base Earn Rate

Top Earn Categories

Network

Key Benefits

Pros

• +Effective $95 annual fee after $300 travel credit and 10,000 anniversary miles (~$100 value)
• +10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• +Access to premium Capital One Lounges in Dallas, Denver, and Washington D.C.
• +Priority Pass Select membership with 1,300+ lounges worldwide
• +Free authorized users (until Feb 2026, then $125/year for lounge access)

• +1.5% cash back on every purchase with no caps or categories
• +5% on Chase Travel, 3% on dining and drugstores
• +$200 bonus after $500 spend in 3 months
• +0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
• +$0 annual fee with Visa Signature benefits

Cons

• −$395 annual fee requires maximizing credits to get value
• −10X earning rate requires booking through Capital One Travel portal
• −Guest lounge access changing to $35/guest at Priority Pass after Feb 2026
• −No airline transfer bonuses unlike some competitors
• −Travel credits only work for Capital One Travel bookings

• −3% foreign transaction fee
• −1.5% base rate lower than Freedom Flex's 5% rotating categories
• −Points worth only 1 cent without Sapphire card pairing
• −No premium travel insurance or lounge access
• −Lower welcome bonus than Sapphire cards

Annual Fee

Welcome Bonus

Base Earn Rate

Top Earn Categories

Network

Key Benefits

Pros

• +Effective $95 annual fee after $300 travel credit and 10,000 anniversary miles (~$100 value)
• +10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• +Access to premium Capital One Lounges in Dallas, Denver, and Washington D.C.
• +Priority Pass Select membership with 1,300+ lounges worldwide
• +Free authorized users (until Feb 2026, then $125/year for lounge access)

• +1.5% cash back on every purchase with no caps or categories
• +5% on Chase Travel, 3% on dining and drugstores
• +$200 bonus after $500 spend in 3 months
• +0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
• +$0 annual fee with Visa Signature benefits

Cons

• −$395 annual fee requires maximizing credits to get value
• −10X earning rate requires booking through Capital One Travel portal
• −Guest lounge access changing to $35/guest at Priority Pass after Feb 2026
• −No airline transfer bonuses unlike some competitors
• −Travel credits only work for Capital One Travel bookings

• −3% foreign transaction fee
• −1.5% base rate lower than Freedom Flex's 5% rotating categories
• −Points worth only 1 cent without Sapphire card pairing
• −No premium travel insurance or lounge access
• −Lower welcome bonus than Sapphire cards

Annual Fee

Welcome Bonus

Base Earn Rate

Top Earn Categories

Network

Key Benefits

Pros

• +Effective $95 annual fee after $300 travel credit and 10,000 anniversary miles (~$100 value)
• +10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• +Access to premium Capital One Lounges in Dallas, Denver, and Washington D.C.
• +Priority Pass Select membership with 1,300+ lounges worldwide
• +Free authorized users (until Feb 2026, then $125/year for lounge access)

• +1.5% cash back on every purchase with no caps or categories
• +5% on Chase Travel, 3% on dining and drugstores
• +$200 bonus after $500 spend in 3 months
• +0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
• +$0 annual fee with Visa Signature benefits

Cons

• −$395 annual fee requires maximizing credits to get value
• −10X earning rate requires booking through Capital One Travel portal
• −Guest lounge access changing to $35/guest at Priority Pass after Feb 2026
• −No airline transfer bonuses unlike some competitors
• −Travel credits only work for Capital One Travel bookings

• −3% foreign transaction fee
• −1.5% base rate lower than Freedom Flex's 5% rotating categories
• −Points worth only 1 cent without Sapphire card pairing
• −No premium travel insurance or lounge access
• −Lower welcome bonus than Sapphire cards