Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs Discover it Cash Back
Annual fees: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card $95/yr, Discover it Cash Back $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card on travel, Discover it Cash Back on rotating quarterly.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
Chase Sapphire Preferred CardChase · $95/yr
- Discover it Cash Back
Discover · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card$95Discover it Cash Back$0Lowest
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card75,000 pointsDiscover it Cash Back—
- Rewards
- Chase Sapphire Preferred CardChase Ultimate RewardsDiscover it Cash BackCash back
- Foreign transaction fee
- Chase Sapphire Preferred CardNoneDiscover it Cash BackNone
- Network
- Chase Sapphire Preferred CardVisa SignatureDiscover it Cash BackDiscover
Earn ratesPer $1 spent · points and cash back aren’t ranked against each other
- Rotating Quarterly
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card1xDiscover it Cash Back5%
- Dining
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3xDiscover it Cash Back1%
- Electric Vehicle Charging
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3xDiscover it Cash Back1%
- Gas Stations
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3xDiscover it Cash Back1%
- Grocery Stores
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3xDiscover it Cash Back1%
- Streaming
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3xDiscover it Cash Back1%
- Vacation Rentals
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card3xDiscover it Cash Back1%
- Travel
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card2xDiscover it Cash Back1%
- Everything else
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card1xDiscover it Cash Back1%
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS credit · $120 every 4 years
- $100 hotel credit
Discover it Cash Back— - Entertainment & streaming
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- A year of Apple TV, valued at $180 · $180 one-time
Discover it Cash Back—
Perks & access— means none on record
- Other perks
- 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
Discover it Cash Back- Talk to a real person anytime, 24/7
- Save 3% on international purchases with no foreign fees
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Travel Accident Insurance up to $500,000
- $10,000 Trip Cancellation Insurance per person
- $500 Trip Delay Reimbursement per traveler
Discover it Cash Back— - Baggage
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- $500 Baggage Delay Insurance ($100 per day)
- $3,000 Lost Luggage Reimbursement per traveler
Discover it Cash Back— - Rental car
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Auto Rental Coverage
Discover it Cash Back— - Purchase & returns
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- 120-day Purchase Protection up to $500 per item
Discover it Cash Back— - Extended warranty
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Extended Warranty Protection adds 1 extra year
Discover it Cash Back— - Other protections
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
Discover it Cash Back- Freeze your account instantly from your phone
- FICO score monitoring
- First late payment fee is waived automatically
- Free daily monitoring for your credit and Social Security nu
- Start using your card instantly after approval
- Zero liability for any unauthorized charges
Pros & cons
- Pros
- 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
Discover it Cash Back- Cashback Match doubles ALL rewards earned in first year - unlimited
- 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500 spend/quarter)
- No annual fee ever
- No foreign transaction fees (rare for no-AF cards)
- 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
- Cons
- 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
Discover it Cash Back- Discover network has lower acceptance than Visa/Mastercard, especially internationally
- Must activate 5% categories each quarter or earn only 1%
- $1,500 quarterly cap on 5% categories limits high spenders
- After year one, effective earn rate drops significantly
- Base rate of 1% on non-bonus spending is below flat-rate alternatives
Category-by-Category Winner
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card wins in 6 of 6 categories. The Discover it Cash Back leads in 0. 2 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Travel
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 5X vs 1X
5X via Chase Travel portal
Dining
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 1X
Gas Stations
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 3X vs 1X
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; Discover it Cash Back earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Rotating Quarterly
Depends: up to $1,500/quarter; Must activate each quarter
Discover it Cash Back earns 5X when conditions are met; Chase Sapphire Preferred Card 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 | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Discover it Cash Back | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $346 Credits (our usable estimate): $75 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $326 Year one: $1,784 | Rewards: $120 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $120 Year one: $120 | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,382 Credits (our usable estimate): $75 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $1,362 Year one: $2,820 | Rewards: $480 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $480 Year one: $480 | 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 Discover it Cash Back (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:
- +Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out
- +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: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card $95/yr, Discover it Cash Back $0/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 Discover it Cash Back. 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 Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or Discover it Cash Back?
- 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 Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or the Discover it Cash Back?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Discover it Cash Back 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.